A long, long time ago, an ancient volcano, Turkey Creek Volcano, erupted, spewing red-hot volcanic ash and lava all over the place. That stuff hardened, and then many powdery layers of ash floated down on top of it. The process was repeated as the volcano erupted nine times and when all was said and done, the hard layers and softer ash layers lay 2,000 feet deep over the land! Then came a few millennia of erosion that created the rock forms in these photos.
There was a campground here.
I wanted to set up a tent and never leave!
Very impressive and thanks for the explanation. PS I went to see Mama Mia 2 at the weekend and like you I loved it.
ReplyDeleteIt really is an amazing place. The power of erosion magnified.
ReplyDeleteWoonderful photos. It really does look old, doesn't it? I'd want to pitch a tent too.
ReplyDeleteThat whole area is a paradise for birders.
ReplyDeleteWell, with the rocks above I wouldn't be setting up my tent. Stay up on a still night beside a fairly steep slope or wall. You will hear things tumbling all night . Sometimes it is a big boulder.
ReplyDeleteWow, now that was an impressive little tour. It was wonderful to read your explanation of how it all came about. Not sure I would want to set up a tent but maybe a camper van lol!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a wonderful place to take a small tour! Nice to know about it!
ReplyDeleteA beautiful area with amazing rock forms.
ReplyDeleteEach picture worth a thousand words adds up to... This is a stunningly beautiful part of Arizona I have not seen. It raises my low opinion of the State somewhat. My son and family live in a suburb o Phoenix. Perhaps I've lived in small town Minnesota too long though spouse and I grew up in the Twin Cities...:)
ReplyDeleteThanks - I got it back!!!! I'll be more careful in future - I hope????
ReplyDeleteThat area looks horribly dry. Here my state of NSW has been declared 100% drought. Terrible
for the rural communities and the stock.
Colin
Well, it IS desert .... :-) The monsoon season started on our last day, however, and our trip back to the airport in Phoenix was a nightmare of flash floods, flooded roads, and an epic dust storm!
DeleteBeautiful, love that one balancing rock! :)
ReplyDeleteCan I come too next time? I can very much imagine it is a part of the world you'd never want to leave. Well, until the flash floods and epic dust storms hit lol!
ReplyDeleteWren x