Cool Rocks in Utah

Utah is one of the most colorful states in the union. The landscape is profuse with rocks of all colors and degrees of hardness, which results in complex erosion and a myriad of shapes and hues. The scenery is always spectacular, and very interesting. Clouds add depth to the scene. These towers are in south central Utah, between Green River and Hanksville.

You frequently see contrasting scenes such as this; a mellow, well manicured pasture in a river valley, backed by a harsh, jagged, beautiful rock formation. This is west of Hanksville.

Adding to the allure of the land are the legacies of civilizations that were here in the past. The area has been inhabited for about ten thousand years, give or take a millennium or two. Each has left its mark, from prehistoric pottery to petroglyphs like these, to orchards first planted by Mormon pioneers in the late 19th century. These figures are in Capitol Reef National Park. Blow the pic up for better detail; the petroglyphs are just about in the center.

Much of the rock in these parts is sandstone, formed by countless layers of silt over millions of years. The rock has different chemical compositions, which determine color and hardness and result in fantastic shapes, hues, and forms. Geologic forces have raised, lowered, and tilted the rock formations, and weather has done the sculpting. This is in the Waterpocket Fold in Capitol Reef NP. Google Waterpocket to find out how this feature developed. It's about 100 miles long, cut by deep canyons. I'll blog them probably tomorrow. Cap Reef is a gorgeous place, harshly beautiful and spectacular, and not too crowded. This was my first visit for longer than an hour or two.