Was my Dream from God?

Rock art and ruins intrigue me as they do thousands of others who visit the Southwest. I have visited over a hundred rock art sites in Arizona, Utah, New Mexico and Nevada. For several years I have wanted to visit Horseshoe Canyon, West of Goblin State Park in Utah, to see the pictograph panels. The rock art in Horseshoe Canyon is of the Barrier Canyon style and the main gallery there is called by many the “Louvre of the Southwest.” 

While spending a week in Brian Head Utah a few years ago I decided to across the state to try and see both Horseshoe canyon and Little Wild Horse Canyon--one of the best Slot Canyons in the US. I got my things ready the night before and went to bed about 9 PM excited about seeing two places I had wanted to experience for years. I woke up at 2:30 AM after having a strange dream. In this dream I heard a loud noise and put my hands over my ears and then there was a stinging sensation on my face which caused me to put my hands over my face to protect me

from whatever was causing the pain. After a short time the noise disappeared and whatever was stinging my face stopped and the word “peaceful” came into my mind and everything was ok. I have had some dreams before in which I thought God was speaking to me and I felt like this was another one of those times. When I awoke I asked God for discernment to understand if the dream was a message from Him and if so, what the dream meant. The only thing I felt was the excitement associated with going out on a new adventure.

After driving about 250 miles I arrived at the empty  trail-head parking lot about 10 AM.  Then I  descended approximately 800’ in elevation down into the Canyon in about ¾ of a mile and walked in a stream bed to the pictograph sites. Most of the hike was like walking in a sand volleyball court for three miles. There are four pictograph and petroglyph sites on the way to the “Grand Gallery” and I spent time examining and photographing each of them. Finally I arrived at  the" Grand Gallery."  There are a couple of dozen figures in this panel, many of which are life size or larger. The entire mural is 210’ long and from 6’ to 9’ tall. Scientists do not know how
the red colored paint that the ancients used to create these pictographs was made, but suspect that mixtures of ground red orchre or roots of mountain mahogany, combined with bone marrow, animal fats, plant oils, blood, urine were among the primary ingredients used. 

                                             The Grand Gallery (Click to enlarge)

After spending about 45 minutes viewing the painting i was beginning to really feel the heat in the canyon and decided I better start heading back. It had been 105 degrees in Hanksville, the nearest town, the day before and expected to be the same that day. The rocks in the canyon contain a lot of iron and retain and radiate a lot of heat so it could have been 15 to 20
degrees warmer in the canyon than in Hanksville. It was getting hot and I knew I need to hustle  out of the canyon.

 It was about 1 PM in the afternoon and probably 110 to 115 degrees in the canyon when I started hiking up the 800’ out of the canyon. The area has no trees and is almost entirely exposed to the sun. The heat  taxed my energy and I found a ledge that offered a small amount of shade, rested for a while as I drank a liter of an electrolyte beverage. Feeling rejuvenated

I walked the rest of the way out of the canyon and made it back to my car. It is the same parking lot where Aron Ralston left his truck. 

After having some lunch and resting for about 30 minutes I began to feel much better. Then thoughts of hiking in Little Wild Horse slot canyon began to percolate in my mind. This may be the only time I ever have a chance to see this canyon was the predominant thought. I really like slot canyons. There are places in Little Wild Horse Canyon that are so narrow at the bottom that your foot can not fit flatly at the base.  While thinking about going into this canyon I looked to

the West and could see dark gray clouds forming. I prayed that the wind would blow them away or that it would not rain. Flash floods can happen quickly even if the occur miles away from a wash or canyon. About ten years before a group of 12 people had died because of flash flooding in Buckskin Gulch (another slot Canyon), East of Page Arizona near the Utah border.As I drove I kept praying for God to keep the weather at bay, allow me to see the canyon and then let it rain after I was safe if it was going to rain that day.

When I got to the parking lot for the trail head into Little Wild Horse Canyon it was breezy, but there was no rain.  I thought I would at least go down to the opening in the canyon where the narrows started and then decide what to do. As I got to the entrance to the Canyon I was awed by the beauty of the rock formations and canyon walls. I was both excited and anxious at the same time since there were dark gray clouds overhead. My thought were: Will I be safe trying to see some of this slot canyon or stupid by exposing myself to a potentially dangerous situation? I was anxious and kept praying that God would protect me, but also excited enough to be tempted into walking into some of the Canyon narrows, while being ready to get out as quickly as possible.  As I walked along this trail the winds got stronger and when I arrived at the confluence of Bell Canyon and Little Wild Horse Canyon there was a noisy gust of wind that was so loud I put my hands over my ears to block out the noise. Then I felt blowing sand sting my face and moved my hands in front of my face to block the sand. This lasted for a couple of minutes and then the wind died down and the sand quit blowing and it became quieter. It was

at this time I remembered the dream. The wind died down until the air became still. No wind noise. No blowing sand. I just felt surrounded by a calm and peaceful ambiance. It became one of those aha moments in life. God had not needed to give me an interpretation to the dream as the meaning was understood as soon as this happened.

      During my 2nd trip into Little Wild Horse Canyon  (Click to enlarge)

I thanked God realizing that He had provided me with this dream to reassure me that I would be safe while exploring part of His creation.  Hiking in the canyon was a peaceful experience and I spent a couple of hours exploring and taking pictures before heading back to Brian Head. After

driving about 20 miles it started to gently rain and a few minutes later it became a downpour obliterating much of the view out the front window. As I drove I thought about the 14 miles I had just hiked and how well God well knows us and understands our weaknesses while providing

for us according to our needs. It made me realize how among all the big things that God has going on in this world, He still has time to help me to do something for my own enjoyment. God is good!