Spider's Long Shadow
Spider Rock, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona
Towering over 700 feet (215m) above the valley floor of Canyon de Chelly, Spider Rock casts a long shadow when seen from the overlook at 9:30 in the morning. This sandstone spire is named after the Spider Woman, an important shaman in Navajo Nation lore. It is said she practiced medicine for the Navajo long ago at the foot of this amazing structure. The rock is a striking example of differential erosion, a process where an extremely hard cap of stone erodes much slower than the surrounding rock, protecting the sandstone below it. This process takes millions of years to form a spire as seen here.
Canyon de Chelly (pronounced "de SHAY") features not merely its namesake canyon but also a number of feeder canyons as well, and there are many more grand views to be seen besides Spider Rock. This fantastic national monument however is over-shadowed by Arizona's far more famous canyon, the Grand one. While the Grand Canyon is truly magnificent, de Chelly seems a little more personal, its incredible sights and geology more immediate due to the severe sheer cliffs of the canyons and the flat valleys in full view.
By all means, see Arizona's stunning Grand Canyon National Park. But if you have the time, Canyon de Chelly is worth the visit certainly.
Single photo processed in Capture One Pro.
Selected for FLICKR Explore June 21, 2024
# 30
*Press L or left click on the photo for best viewing.
Link to ~My best photos~
*** All my photos are © All Rights Reserved. ***
Spider's Long Shadow
Spider Rock, Canyon de Chelly National Monument, Arizona
Towering over 700 feet (215m) above the valley floor of Canyon de Chelly, Spider Rock casts a long shadow when seen from the overlook at 9:30 in the morning. This sandstone spire is named after the Spider Woman, an important shaman in Navajo Nation lore. It is said she practiced medicine for the Navajo long ago at the foot of this amazing structure. The rock is a striking example of differential erosion, a process where an extremely hard cap of stone erodes much slower than the surrounding rock, protecting the sandstone below it. This process takes millions of years to form a spire as seen here.
Canyon de Chelly (pronounced "de SHAY") features not merely its namesake canyon but also a number of feeder canyons as well, and there are many more grand views to be seen besides Spider Rock. This fantastic national monument however is over-shadowed by Arizona's far more famous canyon, the Grand one. While the Grand Canyon is truly magnificent, de Chelly seems a little more personal, its incredible sights and geology more immediate due to the severe sheer cliffs of the canyons and the flat valleys in full view.
By all means, see Arizona's stunning Grand Canyon National Park. But if you have the time, Canyon de Chelly is worth the visit certainly.
Single photo processed in Capture One Pro.
Selected for FLICKR Explore June 21, 2024
# 30
*Press L or left click on the photo for best viewing.
Link to ~My best photos~
*** All my photos are © All Rights Reserved. ***