On March 23, I went on a date and we went to Fantasy Canyon. I have wanted to visit Fantasy Canyon for years. When I was in high school, my prom date and another couple tried to find it, and we never did. We had these had written instructions and it's surrounded by oil fields. Instead we found some rocks to climb over and explore.
Good news, Cam and I made it the canyon with the help of Siri and posted road signs. It was really cool. It reminds me of Goblin Valley. Some of the rocks look like they will just topple. As you touch them and climb them, they are solid. My imagination went as I looked at the formations, I saw a turtle, a shell, and sea horse with a chariot (think Little Mermaid). Apparently my subconscious thinks I need to go to the beach.
After exploring we found a little welcome kiosk and found the Indian Legend of how Fantasy Canyon was made. I thought it would be fun to share it here.
"The following Indian legend concerning Fantasy Canyon was told to George E. Stewart by Muse Harris, known to the Indians as Chief Red Moose; it was printed in the Salt Lake Tribune on July 16, 1972:
One day, as the story goes, the evil creatures of the nether regions, tired of living in the dark and dank, decided to dig up to the surface and take over everything above and below the earth. They dug, and the ground trembled and rumbled.
Two coyotes, curious, as all coyotes are, couldn't resist the urge to investigate. The pair discovered the plot of the creatures from down under and in a trice, howled the alarm to all their fellow mortals round about.
A great council was held to decide what to do. It would take more than mortal power to stop the invasion of these supernatural beings, this they understood. Finally, they determined to send for the greatest medicine man they knew.
Two eagles flew with the summons, and on the very first day they found the great one in his mountain fastness.
The wild horses set up a relay of the fleetest stallions on earth; they bore the mighty one with the speed of the wind over mountains, rivers, valleys, and plains. And it was none too soon, for as he came up White River, the Sachem could see the red light in the sky where the underworld denizens had broken through.
First he called on the Wind of the West and a great hurricane blew, carrying dust, dirt, rocks, and tress to fill in the awful hole. But all this went for naught. It fell through to be burned in fires below. Then the Rain God was asked for help and he sent water in clouds and torrents, but it vanished away in steam and mist, while the Devil Chief laughed loud and long and his minions screamed with glee. The Sachem called to the God of the North, "Help us, help us," he chatted and drummed, "Oh Great Lord of ice and snow."
Help came as swift as an arrow; intense, deep, bitter cold. The North God caught the denizens of the deep as they gathered to spread over the world. In the wink of an eye he turned them all to ice. The Devil Chief, the Great Mother Witch, the magician, and all the rest stand there just as they stood at instant the cold stuck them long ago.
When the warmth came back, again the west wind blew and as the ice melted, the dust took its place and now the monsters stand in the pit they dug, all of them turned to stone. It is a warning to the evil ones down in hell to leave the good green earth alone."
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