According to Randall Milliken the name of the tribe that inhabited the Saratoga Gap area around the upper Pescadero Creek, Stevens Creek, and Saratoga Creek watersheds is unknown. Partasci was the major village in this tribal area.
Charcoal Road — Saratoga16 bedrock mortars in a nice ridgeline setting.Elevation 2516 ft.One of three sites Joel uncovered in a single day.Just some rocks in the woods–or so it seems.A closer look at the main mortar rock.Check out this video by Alexander Kerekes of several sites in the Santa Cruz Mountains including Charcoal Road.
Sanborn Creek Village — Saratoga19 bedrock mortars in a beautiful site above a creek confluence.Elevation 980 ft.Another one of Joel’s discoveries. Sanborn Road runs right next to this site.A rare celebration of Indian history in the Bay Area hills. Visitors to this site are officially encouraged to explore–amazing. “Mortar” as used in this sign means […]
Turtle RockSolstice site.Elevation 2667 ft.Thanks to Joel for identifying this site.According to an Ohlone creation myth, Turtle brought the souls of all living beings from the ocean to the land. He carried them under his shell. At sunset on the winter solstice the cleft in the foreground rock admited a shaft of light that cracked […]
Welch-Hurst house14 bedrock mortarsElevation 1421 ft.Another one of Joel’s South Bay discoveries. This one is in Sanborn-Skyline County Park.Judge James Welch constructed this log-style house in 1892 (although some sources say 1908) as a summer home for his family. The historic value of the house, according to the National Register of Historic Places, derives from […]