One of the attractions we sought to explore in 1973 was Castle Rock
shown here, located northeast of Moab, Utah. Its summit was
commonly used as a site for television commercials showing new cars
with pretty models, all transported to the summit via helicopter.
Here I am at the crest of Dead Horse Point in the Island In the Sky
District of Canyonlands National Park. The
snow capped Manti-LaSal Mountains are in the background. Climbing
the sandstone monoliths provided
some exhilarating views, but the up-canyon afternoon breezes brought
painful quantities of fine dust
that clogged a climber’s eyes and his cameras.
I was attracted to the Canyonlands region of eastern Utah by all the
geologic oddities and unusual physiography of the area. This
photo shows my Jeep in a classic down-dropped graben, formed by the
solution of a rising salt diaper beneath the Needles District of southern
Canyonlands. This is on the Elephant Hill 4WD trail, on our
way to the Joint Trail, a much thinner version of the same phenomenon,
formed further south, in Chesler Park. Taken in September 1977.
Questions or comments
on this page?
E-mail Dr. J David Rogers at rogersda@mst.edu.
