As long as I’m posting pictures, here’s a horsehead (in the foreground, composed of a darker colored rock) with one ear up and one ear down. In all fairness, one guy (whose opinion I trust) said that he didn’t think the upright ear was part of the same rock. I happen to think that it is part of the same rock – so there you have it. Two guys can look at the same rock and come away with different understanding.
Anyway - behind this horsehead is a double cross carving in the ravine wall (Red arrow). Above the Cross is what I believe to be an old trail that goes to a hole. But if you go into the hole, it tricks you into going (to what I believe is) the wrong way – hence I believe Deering referred to this hole as the ‘trick’ in the trail. Because….. since when is a hole in the trail called a ‘trick’? Answer – it wouldn’t be called a trick, unless it tricks you into going the wrong way. Perhaps the “5” (if that’s what it really is) carved just to the right of the hole is part of the ‘trick’.
And I’ve hit a couple of these half-finished swastikas:
Most of the swastikas that I’ve seen in the hills are closer in design to the one carved in the ‘Peralta Master Map’ (also see Storm’s book). This led me to conclude that the ‘Peralta Master Map’ is not a map at all, but an instruction set of signs to follow. Unfortunately, some buffoons (for lack of a less ‘family friendly’ forum word) have changed and\or defaced portions of the Master Map in an attempt to throw others off the trail. So far, it seems to have worked.
However, I believe it might be possible that we don’t need all the (ahem) “clues” and (mis)directions from the legend because I personally believe that the Peralta’s and Gonzales’ marked the old trails using their own symbols. Even though I believe the Master Map has been altered (probably to the point if being next to worthless), that may not matter because once you’re far enough down the trail, you can look back and see what is and what should be. All the more reason to get boots on the ground.
Ashton