Is a pig rock just a trail marker?

[bookcliff]

Is a pig rock a trail marker or is there other significance and meanings? What types of pig rocks are there?
Nicholas

[rangler]

nicholas
a pic would get you a better response, but kenworthy calls them trail markers, but
I do have one, where the pig is giving a hint to the size of the cache or richness of of the mine,
impossible to tell without a pic however..
hope this helps
rangler

[CanadianTrout]

A pig marker means.... "follow his nose to where the bacon is cooking" BOOYA! Just kidding....


Rangler: just a question. Why would it be nessessary to take the time to fashion a marker to give an indication as to the size of the cache or richness of the mine?

What difference is it if the cache was a saddle bag of ore or 50 casks of refined bars? Either way its a cache and meant to be picked up right? And if a mine is a mine, does it matter if you get 50lbs or ore or 5000lbs. Its still gold ore!

just want some clarification to understand a little bit better. Thanks

[bookcliff]

I have been meaning to post pictures of this rock for some time. I am not sure if this is natural or man made. Not sure if it is man made if it is a trail marker or something else. Feedback is appreciated. I have providded a close up and a view of the surrounding area as well on both subjects.
Nicholas

[Shortstack]

bookcliff:
These photos sure show a LOT of overburden at the base of those cliffs that are just too much to have come from those tiny cliffs.
That large standing pointer stone in the first photo is man-placed. That material is unique to some place else. When the sun is shining from the opposite direction, it should make that vertical piece really show up; as well as that arrowhear pointer that is lying flat, pointing to the vertical one.
That large figure in the 3rd photo looks like either a "g o" or a "j" overlaid on a "O". The "j" might actually be a fishhook symbol that "pulls" you in the direction to go.
A "g" and "O" would give the value of 26 and a "j" and "O" would be 29. If the figure is a "j" overlaid onto an "O" and is also a fishhook sign, it would be "pulling" the observer in the indicated direction for a distance measurement of 29 units.
In the second photo, at about the 11 o'clock position from the upright pointer, is a black church cross on the top of the cliff, at the lip.

EDIT: In the 4th photo, that hook is pulling you to that large area with the big rock pieces. That looks like a large "fill" area as when someone covers up an operation of some kind.

[Old Dog]

Bill,
The overburden may look wrong, but to the area in question it is correct.
the color is due to decomposed Mancos shale, this layer is under the hard sand stone cap.
the layers under the shale include a coal seam that runs for miles.
Bookclif is in my area and has found part of the Dominguez group's trail coming off the North side of the Grand Mesa.
The trail was significant as one of the Grand failures to find the westward trail used by the miners to reach the West coast.

Bookclif,
The date on your trail is around 1779

[Shortstack]

Thanks, Thom. That is an interesting bit of historical info. Sure sounds like a very interesting area.

[Old Dog]

Bookcliff took his user name from te row of cliffs that run from GreenRiver UT to Pallisade CO.
I am fortunate to live in this part of CO too.

[lovnit]

Considering the title I thought I would show one.

[bookcliff]

Thanks lovnit. Looks like they come in different sizes and shapes.

[oddrock]

lovnit,

Nice pic, your pig seems alert and sniffing out the trail.

Here is one of mine. Sometimes you get the whole hog.

Oddrock

[lovnit]

I have seen these in different shapes and sizes but they have all went in the direction of the nose.

[oddrock]

I have seen these in different shapes and sizes but they have all went in the direction of the nose.

I tend to agree that the nose usually knows. Sometimes the whole hog points to the hole hog (hoyo).

Oddrock

[desertmoons]

I wonder if a bottle nose on a hog would mean something slightly different than a regular pig.

Hi bookcliff...nice to see you.

[bookcliff]

Thank you desertmoons and hi. You must remember me from ALT.

This is the first pig rock that I ever saw. I had heard about them and was driving down a dirt road when my buddy noticed this pig rock and I hit the brakes immediately. Then I wondered why I never saw it before. My eyes were opened so to speak. This is on a Spanish trail.




Nick

[desertmoons]

Yep at alt. Good to see you still out there.
Here is one for the collections.

[bookcliff]

Here is another picture related to post #3 above. I was looking at it the other day and noticed some kind of animal by it. Is that like a salamander, pig or what?
Nick

[lovnit]

OD is this last picture a compass layout?

[desertmoons]

I would tend to think pig for the animal. The shadow sign on one the rocks seems to confirm it

[Old Dog]

There is a really worn out looking turtle looking at it Brian,
will have to go back to the top and get a clear look at this sign to see what exacly it is,
can't tell from this view.