Into the Fire

One might easily believe the desert is the complete antithesis of the arctic. Yet both have many things in common. They are ruthless, often unforgiving of the careless and the uninitiated. They are also great reserves of aesthetic inspiration, expanses of tortured landscape, seemingly empty to casual observers. But humans have clung to life, even flourished, in both places for thousands upon thousands of years.

Not far from Las Vegas, the Valley of Fire State Park handily serves up evidence of the long struggle humans have endured surrounded by breathtaking beauty. Mysterious petroglyphs are a few steps up and away from the pavement at Atlatl Rock. A witness comes away with many questions no one living can answer with certainty.

http://parks.nv.gov/vf.htm