The ancient rock was created in a time and by a culture so different from our own that examining it requires a mental stretch, she said. It is "an opportunity to peek outside of our own age and our way of thinking. I'm not sure I can do it, but I like to try."

Often figures are not representational in a modern sense. A human may have no legs or only one arm. An animal may possess one or three horns. All these things have meaning, she said, and "it fascinates me. . . .

"Artistically, I'm just very interested in the creativity." The compositions are sophisticated designs, much of it evoking the ancient ones' concern about mountain sheep or the passage of time.

The amount of development in and around the canyon dismays Orr. At one time, a trip there was like going back in time to the era of pioneer ranching, when a visitor could enjoy the ancient art in its peaceful setting. Now massive trucks zoom up and down the dirt road, she said.

The trucks grind up dust, "and then it flies up in the air and it coats the petroglyphs," she said.

A large natural gas compressor creates a huge amount of noise pollution, Orr said. "You can hear that thing up and down the valley."

She is worried about a project proposed for the vicinity for which the BLM is seeking public comment. It is a seismic survey adjacent to Nine Mile Canyon called the Stone Cabin project. The BLM posted a description on the Internet: www.ut.blm.gov/stonecabin/default.htm.

"It's a world-class archaeology site, one of the best ones in the nation," Orr said of Nine Mile Canyon, "and we're taking very poor care of it."

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