Pareidolia
Pareidolia is the phenomenon of seeing images of animals and faces in natural and ordinary objects.
Mimetoliths are a form of pareidolia found in rocks that come to mimic recognizable forms through the random processes of formation, weathering and erosion. Usually the rock is larger than the object it resembles, such as a cliff profile resembling a human face.
Once I stumbled on one at City of Rocks State Park, Faywood NM I started seeing them all over the place.
Rudolph and Santa Claus Butte, Valley of the Gods
Rudolph and Santa Claus
Indignity
The Reader
Goodnight Moon
Camouflage Imagined
Spectator Sports
Owl's Nest
Sun Kissed
Venus at Sunset
A Silver Sunrise
Nibble Nibble
Eeeeew!
Say "Ahhh...."
Rudolph and Santa Claus Butte, Valley of the Gods
Mexican Hat UT
April 15, 2022
The butte to the left is called Rudolph and Santa Claus and looks very much like them from the other side. From here I see a native couple with neat hats. Pareidolia is such fun.
Valley of the Gods
You might ask yourself, “What is Valley of the Gods”? Valley of the Gods is a scenic, sandstone valley with absolutely stunning geologic formations. It is located approximately 15 miles southwest of Bluff and about 35 miles from Monument Valley (see directions below). Valley of the Gods is now part of Bears Ears National Monument.
Visitors will find many scenic locations to stop and explore this special landscape. With nearby Monument Valley taking first prize for fame, visitors will encounter fewer tourists while meandering through Valley of the Gods and can enjoy a more personal experience. Permits are not required and there are no fees to drive Valley of the Gods unlike Monument Valley.
Locals have given the rock formations in Valley of the Gods names such as Rooster Butte, Setting Hen Butte, and Balanced Rock/Lady in a Tub. As you drive through Valley of the Gods, think about names you would give to these formations.
Geology
This geological masterpiece, though a quarter of the size of its celebrated neighbor, Monument Valley, boasts a royalty of rich colors and fantastic formations, and is quite stunning. The formations are sculpted from Cedar Mesa sandstone dating to the Permian period, around 250 million years ago.
Valley of the Gods sits at the base of Cedar Mesa. Rocks were deposited by the shallow sea that covered this area about 250 million years ago. After the water receded, the iron in the rocks mixed with oxygen to form rust. This resulted in the rich red and purple colors. Eroded by water, wind, and ice over millions of years, the rock was carved into the unique buttes, monoliths (single massive stone or rock), pinnacles and other geological features as seen today.
The Valley of the Gods is truly a geological masterpiece, rightfully earning its reputation as “a photographer’s paradise.”
The valley is public land managed by the Bureau of Land Management. There are no entrance fees and no services of any kind in the valley. Dispersed camping is permitted at previously disturbed sites, though campfires are not allowed.
Bluff Utah
Rudolph and Santa Claus
Valley of the Gods, Mexican Hat UT
May 17, 2018
Right. This double tower is called Rudolph and Santa Claus and looks very much like them from the other side. From here I see a native couple rocking cool hats. Pareidolia anyone?
Indignity
Cholla Skeleton with Ocotillo Blossom, Pancho Villa State Park, Columbus NM
April 21, 2017
What do you see? I see a mythical figure with wild hair.
The Reader
Mimetolith at Sunrise, City of Rocks State Park, Faywood NM
April 11, 2017
I caught this guy reading just as the rising sun came broke over the rocks.
Goodnight Moon
Dawn, City of Rocks State Park, Faywood NM
April 11, 2017
G’day sun.
Camouflage Imagined
City of Rocks State Park, Faywood NM
February 17, 2017
What if I imagined a fish whose coloring and conformation evolved over the millenia to resemble it’s rocky underwater world? Does that ever happen? Would such camouflage work?
Spectator Sports
Pareidolia, City of Rocks State Park, Faywood NM
March 2, 2012
What does this pile of rocks suggest to you?
Owl's Nest
City of Rocks State Park, Faywood NM
March 1, 2016
A pair of Great Horned Owls have set up housekeeping in this hole in a rock formation here at City of Rocks State Park.
Sun Kissed
City of Rocks State Park, Faywood NM
March 17, 2016
It's called pareidolia, a psychological phenomenon wherein the mind perceives a familiar pattern of something where none actually exists.
What do you see?
Emory Oak
Emory Oak, Quercus emoryi is an evergreen tree in the red oak group, retaining its leaves through the winter until the new leaves are produced in spring, and is a large shrub or small tree from 5–17 meters (17-57 feet) tall. The leaves are 3–6 cm (1.2-2.4 inches) long, entire or wavy-toothed, leathery, dark green above, paler below. The acorns are 1.5–2 cm (0.6-0.8 inch) long, blackish-brown, and mature in 6–8 months from pollination; the kernel is sweet, and is an important food for many mammals and birds.
Wikipedia
Venus at Sunset
City of Rocks State Park, Faywood NM
April 1, 2015
Here is a serendipitous view of the rock formation in the image below, this time at sunset with Venus following the sun into the night.
A Silver Sunrise
City of Rocks State Park, Faywood NM
March 15, 2015
I'm seeing a human form gazing toward the sun rising on Silver City.
Silver City NM, founded as a mining town, is about 50 miles northwest of Deming NM. City of Rocks State Park is roughly midway between Silver and Deming.
Nibble Nibble
Rock Formations, City of Rocks State Park, Faywood NM
March 4, 2015
What do you see? I see a playful nibble.
Eeeeew!
Rock Formations, City of Rocks State Park, Faywood NM
February 28, 2015
I see a guinea pig getting in the face of a repulsed older guy.
The rock formations here at City of Rocks are endlessly fascinating to me and I love wandering among the rocks seeking out and photographing the interesting stuff I find. They are so cool and constantly changing as the sun moves through the sky.
I wonder what those native to the area thought about these formations. It's obvious they lived here or at least camped here for a while. There are several metates worn into the rocks where they ground their grains. I wonder if some of the formations were of special significance to them. Does anyone know?
Say "Ahhh...."
Pareidolia, Eroded Boulder House, Hovenweep National Monument, Aneth UT
October 1, 2016
On this visit to Hovenweep I stumbled on several examples of Pareidolia amongst the ruins and rock formations at the site. Ghosts of residents past perhaps? Fun.