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Looking south from a sandstone dome in the area between Red Breaks
and The "V" in Grand Staircase-Escalante National Monument. Fifty
Mile Bench and The Straight Cliffs on the horizon.
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The top of a typical sandstone dome in the area. The rock is
Navajo Sandstone.
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Flanking the side of a 350 foot high sandstone dome. Scale
figure in upper right will give a sense of size of the domes in this
area.
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View almost due south into the Escal Volcano. This is a
difficult feature to find because it is in a deep pocket near the top of
a high sandstone dome. You have to be above it to locate it.
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Closer view looking south. The sand in the bottom of the bowl
is the most beautiful rippled deep red-orange.
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View into the bowl to the sand in the bottom.
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View southwest into the bowl clearly showing the central pillar.
Sand completely encircles the center stone.
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Scale figure helps provide some sense for the size of the bowl.
This is somewhat deceptive because the scale figure is still high on the
surrounding rim. This is the approach to descend into the bowl.
Moki Steps have been cut into the sheer side of the bowl below the scale
figure.
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This image provides a better sense for the scale of this other
worldly geologic feature. The moki steps do not appear until you
edge out almost to the point of sliding down into the bowl. It is a
bit harry getting to this point but once you have your heal in the top
step it's not so bad.
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These are the moki steps cut into the shear side of the volcano.
It is much more comfortable going back up than going down.
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View to central pillar from the bottom of the moki steps. The
sand is absolutely beautiful.
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Scale figure again will help provide a sense for the scale of this
massive bowl. Probably in the range of 200 foot in diameter.
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