Coyote Skull
I was up in the rocks near Moonlight Mesa near one of my favorite desert spots hiking, when I stopped to smoke a cigar and kick back in the shade. I found an enclave in the boulders and flopped my pack down (after first checking for rattle snakes;) and happened to spot an old coyote den under one of the larger boulders.
When I got closer I saw this old bleached skull near the opening -
I propped it up on this rock for a picture (it also had the bottom jaws attached, but when I picked it up they crumbled).
I can't tell how long it had been out there, but as you can see, the hot desert sun pretty much bleached it a perfect white. It's really light and dried-out. Pretty cool.
I brought it home and placed it in the rock wall in my backyard where I stick all cool little momentos from my desert adventures. I'm getting quite the collection too - old cans, skulls, ore and rock samples...also lots of colored cactus.
I'm on the hunt for some old mine ore carts, I've heard from locals there are still a few in the old abandoned mines that dot the area, but you have to be VERY careful about going down in them to retrieve anything - the timber shoring is old and rotten...still, I heard collectors are paying $1200 for a good ore cart. Many people use them as yard decor out here in the desert.
I'd still like to find a human skull, hehe....
DB
Posted: Wednesday 31st May 2006, 7:23 PM
Back to the Blog