The trail wanders along the rocky edge of Seminole Canyon.  It is desert now and the canyon dotted with still pools but I can almost see the wild torrents of water that must have raged down this path through the years to cut the smooth floored sweeping canyon.  The calls of canyon wrens and ravens bounce off the cliff walls.  Mockingbirds serenade us and hearty sparrows dart among the thorny vegetation.   It is ruggedly beautiful.

The trail and canyon make one more turn and all at once it is filled with turquoise water. The dam at Amistad backs up the Rio Grande River into the lower canyon.  This is where we find the main attraction, Panther Cave.  Across the canyon and accessible only by boat, the cave is only partly visible but the huge 4000 year old panther guarding the entrance is still impressive.  Low water makes it difficult to access right now but it looks like it might be a fun paddle some time.

This area is covered with cave art from the Lower Pecos peoples.  It is a fun discovery for us and sounds like archeological understanding of its significance is still in its infancy.  It’ll be fun to see what all the experts come to think this work means and how it fits in the tapestry of ancient peoples that have inhabited this land.