Page 5

Historical site 128 - Stock Fence At a narrow point between the steep western base of Gunsight Butte and the left rim of Gunsight Canyon there are the remains of a stock fence about 100 yards in length. The fence, of unidentified origin, consists of posts and barbed wire and slabs of rock. It may be easily seen on either side of the dirt road to Kane Creek. (See also Historical site 129). Historical site 11 - Gunsight Pass Had Domínguez and Escalante turned up Gunsight Canyon instead of passing to the right toward the southern base of Gunsight Butte, they would have seen Gunsight Pass within three-quarters of a mile. This is a V-shaped passage about 180 ft. long, resembling an open rear rifle sight, bisecting the narrow peninsular-like mesa remnant of which Gunsight Butte is the extremity. Wide enough to accommodate one person or one horse at a time in the narrowest place, it has been used, and probably before 1776, by Indians to reach the left bank of Navajo canyon (Historical site 8), the most frequently traveled approach to the Crossing of the Fathers (Historical site 9). This is to say that travelers from the west would head Gunsight Canyon, go through the pass and then head Navajo Canyon to reach the left rim of that canyon at the head of the trail descending into it, a short cut saving the distance around Gunsight Butte. It was used by Jacob Hamblin a number of times and by a military expedition against the Navajos in 1869 when the place was called simply "The Gunsight". In more recent years stockmen and others have followed the same route. Many have left their names on the walls of Gunsight Pass. Gunsight Pass cuts across the line between Sec 14 and 15 T43S R5E SLBM (incorrectly shown on U.S.G.S. Gunsight Butte quadrangle 1953). It is easily approachable on the west side from the streambed of Gunsight Canyon over a gravel terrace and a sand trail (Fig. 2). A crude pole gate can be set up at the west entrance. In the narrowest places, near the west entrance, the floor has been widened in three places by picking away the base of the side wall to facilitate the passage of stock. Leaving the pass at the east entrance the trail swings to the left and descends over a steep bald rock about 35 ft. to the comparatively level surface below. The steepest portions of this rock trail are covered with numerous scratches made by slipping horseshoes. 5Epson Perfection 4870 Photo, 400 dpi, 8 bit, 13,889,536 byte