Updated: Jun 30, 2021
In the lower reaches of Wolverine Canyon, a detail in the eroded sandstone wall serves as my own Rorschach test—reminding me of the head of an Egyptian princess.
Unprocessed RAW image of the sandstone wall in Wolverine Canyon. A head-like feature is visible under the arching fractured rock. Photo: © Donald J. Rommes
The colorful sandstone walls in the lower reaches of Wolverine Canyon possess interesting patterns created by both deposition (desert varnish) and erosion. Entering Wolverine from its junction with Horse Canyon, the serpentine wash is bordered by near-vertical walls of brick-red Wingate sandstone that are regularly marked by long, vertical streaks of black, reflective, desert varnish. Elsewhere, eons of running water have worked on the varying grain sizes in the sandstone, creating solution cavities that resemble thousands of little caves in a wall—like windows in the buildings of a cityscape. .
Wingate sandstone is a cliff-former. Slabs of rock erode by exfoliating from the main wall which maintains a near-verticality. The broken slabs of sandstone fall to the ground where they are weathered into sand which is carried away, grain by grain, by the rains of infrequent thunderstorms. The result is a canyon with straight walls and a relatively clean floor with few obstacles.
Walking in the canyon is thus easy, with little interfering with a visual exploration of the patterned walls. The twists of the canyon usually guarantee that one side or the other is in shade. Photographing in the shade makes it much easier to control the harsh contrast of the desert light, but it also means that light is bouncing from one red wall to another. The result is an unusually-saturated red/orange reflected light mixing with the blue skylight illuminating the shadows,
...light is bouncing from one red wall to another. The result is an unusually-saturated red/orange reflected light mixing with the blue skylight illuminating the shadows, It is very difficult to get the color right in post processing.
Past the wall with the thousands of solution cavities, the canyon takes a few more turns and shortly thereafter, large portions of sandstone have fractured and fallen. A big chunk of rock must have fallen from below the arched remnant in the photo. Underneath the arch, in the middle of the picture, is an interesting pattern of fracture that resembles (at least to me) a face.
Others have seen the head of a Native American in the rock, but I see the head and headdress of an Egyptian queen. Others might see a hood ornament, or the shape of some Pacific Island as seen from above. I suppose that depends on our life experiences, mood, and personality.
Processed photo of the canyon wall, fractured slab, and head and neck of my Egyptian princess. The blue color matches my perception at the time and is the result of a cloudless blue sky reflecting off shiny desert varnish. Photo: © Donald J. Rommes