Almon Thompson, who was John Wesley Powell’s brother-in-law and accompanied Powell on his second expedition in 1872, was given the honor of naming the set of mountains that were found south and west of what is now Hanksville, Utah. They were the last mountain range in the contiguous United States to be surveyed. They are also south and west of another prominent geological feature, the eroded Entrada Sandstone hoodoos of Goblin Valley State Park. In the Dine language they are Dzil Bizhi Adini (mountain whose name is missing).
With a little elevation one gains the perspective of an army of mushroom-shaped rocks peering thoughtfully at the distant giants of stone.
A focal length of 36mm, so close to wide-angleland one could reach out and touch it, gave me the angle-of-view I wanted from one side of the valley to the other and from the rock beneath my feet to the distant mountains. An aperture of f/22 provided depth-of-field; and a shutter speed of 0.3 second at ISO 100 gave me an overall slightly-lighter-than-medium exposure.
Most of the Henrys is under the jurisdiction of the Bureau of Land Management (BLM), while Goblin Valley is a Utah State Park. One can only hope that the powers-that-be in Utah will think of these two disparate public lands with equal consideration and care.
Somehow this scene makes me feel a bit like Frodo Baggins! Eerily amazingly stunning!
Hey Win. it’s great to hear from you! I hope all is well.I somehow love the idea of eerily, amazingly, stunning. That pretty much sums up my reaction every time I visit this place. It, indeed, feels like something out of Mordor, without necessarily evoking the “dark” connotation, just the eeriness.
Certainly nothing like it in Acadia, but equally beautiful. Take very good care and walk in Beauty.
They couldn’t name it Hershey Park because there is already one in Pennsylvania. This scene is amazing. You have to wonder why some rocks are created to be so whimsical, and others are giant jagged monster shapes. It looks like there is a lot of chattering and giggling going on here. It is fun to see these amazing places where I have never been. Thanks for sharing.
Hi Nancy T. I dearly love the way your mind envisions the natural world. Wouldn’t it be whacky to move Goblin Valley to Hershey Park and see how all of the Pennsylvanians would react. When it comes to the geology of rock formation, I never cease to be amazed at what Ma Nature can conjure. And most of the time all I can manage to do is stare in wonder and awe. These places are delightful to share and I’m really glad you enjoy and appreciate them.
Stay safe and be well.
Greetings from Acadia where it’s spring and Kermit is happy.
Thanks to Both of You for offering such delightful observations of such a whimsical and beautiful place. Photography should be as much about fun as it is about art; and Goblin Valley always reminds me of why this is absolutely true. Enjoy your week upcoming and be safe.