We have driven Nevada Highway 93 several times but always on our way to a destination so we have not stopped at Cathedral Gorge State Park.
This time we made it a destination.
Oh my! How could we have waited so long to see this natural wonder?
Amazing that this geologic wonder is just a hop, skip and a jump off the highway.
The day was perfect. Temperatures in the 70's and look at that sky.
The 2000 acre park land was once home to the Fremont, Anaszi and Southern Paiutes.
Cathedral Gorge became one of Nevada's first state parks in 1935.
This dramatic landscape is composed of eroded soft bentonite clay.
Cathedral Gorge sits in Meadow Valley. A majority of Meadow Valley, which lies along U.S. Route 93 from the towns of Caliente to Panaca, was covered by a freshwater lake nearly 1 million years ago.
The richly colored canyons of Cathedral Gorge are remnants of the ancient lakebed.
Over centuries the lake drained and along with the water volcanoes, earthquakes, and wind caused the erosion that created the spires and cliffs here at Cathedral Gorge.
Walt was curious about the horizontal line that ran along the cliffs. The darker rock at top is compacted clay that hardened above the water level eons ago. The lighter rock sat at the middle of the lake.
The erosion continues today by rainwater, melting snow and wind.
This geologic process has gone on for millions of years.
This place is a mecca for the imagination. The walls are lacy, feathered, filigreed, fluted and then molded into palaces, animals and of course cathedrals.
Hidden in those walls are what the locals call "the caves." For the rest of us they are slot canyons.
Leaving Walt behind I disappeared into the narrow slots.
Once inside the narrow walls it is 10 degrees cooler. Today wasn't hot but on a hot day this is where you would want to be.
Some of the slots were nice and wide.
Many had spots I had to squeeze through.
By the time I was exploring the slots it was midday. I kept thinking what spectacular photos there would be at sunset. Maybe another time.
But, even at midday there are some spots that are dark and secluded.
There are so many ways to go.........I spent a lot of time and I am sure I only touched a part of where the slots lead.
This one came to a dead end.
This one had a round room.
Picture post card views on the way out of the canyons.
The glorious formations continue and again.......look at that sky.
It was time for lunch. We enjoyed it under the original picnic shelter that was built by the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) in the 1930's.
This was our view as we had our lunch. How fortunate we are.
The CCC also built a water tower. The water was pumped into a tank on the top of the tower and then piped to the picnic area. The water in the well under the tower was too alkaline, so it is no longer in use.
The original bathrooms built by the CCC sit right among the formations. There are new more modern ones now but they don't have this charm.
We have been here for hours. We have not seen another human. Shhhh......don't tell anyone about this place. If it makes it to instagram it will be another Sedona or Horseshoe Bend.
The only sign of life were the ravens. They were croaking and screaming bloody murder. I think their attitude to us was "go away." A group of them is called a congress or unkindness. It depends on the behavior of the group at the moment. They can be referred to as a constable, an unkindness, or a conspiracy. All of those behaviors were definitely not happy about humans in their territory.
The time came to leave the canyon because there was one more view we wanted to see.
About one mile north of the park entrance is Miller Point overlook.
The shade shelter that crowns the hill was built by the CCC as well.
Here the view is above the canyon. The panoramic views of the gorge are spectacular and you get a view of the magic erosive power of wind and water.
It would be fun to see the water run through the dry wash below during a rain storm.
What a pretty clay sculpture.
Another great day out and about all alone in this striking landscape. Again Shhhhh.........don't tell.