Accidental Architecture - a photo on Flickriver

Accidental Architecture

            I often feel like there are countless beautiful places to see, but nowhere near enough time to see them all, much less to experience those environments as fully as I'd like.  I felt this poignantly during a too-brief visit to the intricate badlands of Cathedral Gorge State Park near Panaca, Nevada. 

The formations at Cathedral Gorge are unlike any other 'badlands' I've ever seen.  Most of the better-known badlands in North America are borne of ancient sedimentary formations composed of accumulated prehistoric muds and sands formed into soft rock, and thus have that familiar rough, jagged, crumbly and sloping appearance.  But the badlands at Cathedral Gorge are heavily infused with bentonite clay of volcanic origin, and as a result, stand in formations and maintain finer details not yet seen elsewhere at any scale in my experience.

Cathedral Gorge's long, winding escarpments are faced with what you could almost describe as ornate detailing, with countless nested shapes and spires, like architecture from centuries past when monarchs, prelates and the like were always trying to outdo the splendors commissioned by others of their ilk.  Even more fun, these landscapes here are laced with very many very narrow slot canyons, most with clay walls rising so straight up and often smooth-surfaced that it almost defies the mind to understand that this isn't an elaborate art installation--the work of a mad sculptor on a great scale--rather than the ongoing simple erosion of this bentonite clay of fortunate constitution.  

Thanks for viewing!

Taken on: November 16, 2024

Tags:

Cathedral Gorge

State Park

Lincoln County

Sunset

Beautiful

Night

Nikon

Landscape

Travel

photobenedict

Badlands

Slot Canyon

Color

Autumn

Fall

Evening

Bentonite

Volcanic

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Geology « less

Sets appears in: • My Favorites • Explore more » • Public • Cathedral Gorge • Nevada « less

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