How Fantasy Canyon turns mud into art

Fantasy Canyon, south of Vernal in Utah’s Uintah County, was home to the intricate teapot formation, a uniquely shaped sandstone figure that originated from 40 million year old Lake Uinta sediments during the Eocene period. It collapsed many years ago.
Fantasy Canyon is located on the northeastern edge of the Colorado Plateau at the geological young end of Grand Staircase of Utah. The rock is very soft and consequently vulnerable to weathering. The combination of summertime thunderstorm precipitation and wind erosion has created a unique landscape of forms that offer unequaled opportunities for photography. For few moments, the setting sun is engulfing this usually grey colored formation in a deep orange color. One year after this image was taken, this sandstone formation collapsed. The fast acting erosion creates and destroys such structures during episodes of torrential rainfall.