My father was an unrepentant creator of arboglyphs. He probably didn’t give it a second thought. It was simply his practice to carve his initials in the bark of quaking aspens from time to time when he was in the hills in the Blackfoot River country of Southeastern Idaho.
He probably knew that Basque sheepherders did the same thing across the southern part of the state. It’s a way to say “I was here.”
The Basques left initials and dates in the tree bark, but often added their hometown, images of churches, and other figures.
The three arboglyph photos shown are in the Basque Museum in Boise, which is well worth the hour you’ll spend there next time you’re in town.
He probably knew that Basque sheepherders did the same thing across the southern part of the state. It’s a way to say “I was here.”
The Basques left initials and dates in the tree bark, but often added their hometown, images of churches, and other figures.
The three arboglyph photos shown are in the Basque Museum in Boise, which is well worth the hour you’ll spend there next time you’re in town.
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