Seventy-two million years before the present, give or take a few, but not too many, igneous intrusions began welling up beneath what is now the east central region of the Colorado Plateau. The floor of the upwellings was fairly level and the upper portion was domed: a lacolith in geological terms. Eventually the overburdens of sandstone eroded away, as did large areas of the upwelling itself, until what remained seemed to resemble a reclining profile of a male First Peoples with his hands clasped over his chest in slumber. Stories gave him a name, the Sleeping Ute, since those were the people who lived there when the first Europeans arrived. And thus he remains, now part of the Ute Mountain Ute Reservation. On our way to Moab last year we encountered the Sleeping Ute under a sky full of turmoil and storm, and his quiet repose seemed to lie in stark contrast to the heavens above him. It was an opportunity not to be missed. A focal length of 45mm – quite normal – gave me the angle-of-view and magnification I wanted. An aperture of f/22 and a shutter speed of 1/30th second at ISO 100 gave me a slightly darker-than-medium overall exposure and it was fast enough to freeze some of the motion in the roiling clouds. Napping through a storm seems quite natural for some.
I hope we are as lucky next week! Wonderful sky and plenty of drama in the shot. On my way to Colorado now.
Breath taking my friend.
Thank you, just lovely.
It looks like Mr Ute can sleep through anything. The first thing that caught my eye was the contrast between the turmoil in the sky and the warm cozy sleeping landscape and wondered what the two pointed mounds were on the right that looked out of character for the area. Then I read your text so now I know the mounds are Mr Ute’s feet. I guess pareidolia has been around for a very long time.
The eye of the storm seems to be checking out what’s in his hands or maybe doing a full body scan looking for signs of life?
Thanks for seeing this, capturing it and sharing. It looks like a jaw-dropping experience. Wish I could have been there.
Wow! This one is an argument for drama. When I lived in New Mexico, I was taught the mountain was a sleeping woman (not folded arms but breasts).
Good evening Everyone. Thank you all very much for joining me for this conversation. I am truly delighted to hear from each of you and to receive your thoughts and feelings about the Sleeping Ute. We passed by him, or her, earlier this week, but there was no storm brewing, so it was a completely different experience.
Hi Amy. I’m with you: I hope our adventure this coming week has all the visual drama I found at Ute Mountain. It’s great to have you with us and I am looking forward to the days ahead.
Gnarly Scott, it’s good to hear from you. I hope you have been well and have been spending lots of time with your camera in the beauty of Macon County. Thank you for your kind words; they are very much appreciated.
Hi Dianne. Thank you for your thoughtful comment. I hope the school year in Baton Rouge has settled down after the rocky beginning it had and that you have found opportunities to be creative with your camera in the lee of the August storms. Be well and safe.
Nancy T. it’s great to hear from you as always. We stopped for gas in Jackson on our way west and thought of you as we did. You know, I’d bet there has been pareidolia has been around as long as there have been feet. The Sleeping Ute has apparently decided that the best relief comes from simply lying down on the floor of the high desert and resting all the time. The Ute has been dormant for about 72 million years, so I’m unsure that the body scan will turn up any motion, but you never know. There may be lots of life beneath the surface. Thank you for the wonderful story that added to our visual experience.
Hey Nancy Y., thanks for your kind comments. I’ve heard the version about the mountain being female, and I’m comfortable either way. The preponderance of the tales I’ve heard seem to have it as male; but I see no reason that it could not be otherwise; and your thoughtful words are appreciated regardless.
Thank you all, again, for joining me. I very much appreciate what you have expressed and shared. We’ll plan to do it again next week,