Slippery Rock Gazette

Bob Murrell 

M3 Technologies

Photos by Bob Murrell

I have a great backstory to this month’s article. It’s no secret that I am getting up there in years, as they say. However, I do still have my 17-year-old daughter at home (my 25-year-old daughter got married back in February), and I want to make as many lasting memories as possible with my youngest daughter before she flies the coop, too. So as any responsible and upstanding seniors should do, my wife and I recently purchased an RV. That’s right, a recreational vehicle! So that confirms the fact that I am getting old…

My family set out to visit the geologic wonder of the Grand Canyon National Park, among other destinations. The information graphic above explains the different layers of stone deposits in the Oak Creek Canyon section of the park.

Our new toy for exploring this great country!

It just so happened that one of my wife’s good friends, who resides in Phoenix, Arizona, had a nice Mercedes Winnebago that she agreed to part with. She gave us an extraordinarily good deal that we couldn’t pass up. So the three of us flew to Phoenix and picked up our new toy. It was immaculate and with less than 15K miles on it. We spent the night with her and she tutored us on the basic operation of the RV.  

The next morning we were up and after some last minute operational information, we were headed down the road by 7am. We stopped and topped off the diesel, propane, and grabbed some doughnuts (these weren’t required but we opted for them anyway, lol) and headed north towards the Flagstaff area. 

Of course the Phoenix area was hot, even though they were having a cool spell, in the lower to mid 90s. As we traveled north and higher in altitude, it became cooler, say the lower to mid 80s. We decided to check out Sedona and what a quaint little town it was. It was full of southwestern artsy stores and restaurants. It was our first stop and we had a great time walking the main street down and back, perusing the authentic Indian-made jewelry and handwoven textiles.

That night we lucked out and found a beautiful campsite in Oak Creek Canyon, just off 89A. This was the theme of the entire trip as we had no reservations and COVID was still winding down. These are important issues and they plagued us for the rest of the trip, although we were able to overcome. After all, we were in a fully self-contained RV, right?  

The next day we took in the vastness of the Grand Canyon from the south rim. I have seen it several times now and it blows my mind every time. Carved by the Colorado River, it is 277 miles long, up to 18 miles across, and 1 mile deep. I sure am glad I got to see it with my wife and daughter. You just can’t comprehend it without being there in person.

So, this begins the geology part of the trip. The Grand Canyon is composed of all three basic rock groups. Geologists claim that millions of years ago, igneous and metamorphic rocks formed the base (Vishnu Metamorphic Complex) of the canyon upon which layer and layer of different materials formed the sedimentary walls. The youngest rocks are on top, which is referred to as the principle of superposition.  

Believe me folks, when I tell you, geology doesn’t get much more majestic than looking across the Grand Canyon with your family. Everywhere you look, you see the natural beauty of the landscape. Hues of red and buff sandstone, limestone (Coconino), and schist at the Vishnu Complex, are almost in every direction you turn.

The expanse of this landscape is just too vast to comprehend without seeing it for yourself. Just look at all those hues of limestones and sandstones!

Above, left: The other side of the canyon (north rim) is many miles from where I am sitting, on the south rim. Above, right: The unusual beauty of the hoodoos in Bryce Canyon National Park were created by millions of years of natural weathering, and, specifically ice wedging in a freeze-thaw cycle taking place over eons.

So as we departed the Grand Canyon National Park (the campground in the park was full, naturally) we started to realize that we needed a place to camp/park for the night. We had remembered seeing a privately run campground back before the park entrance. We lucked out again and got a campsite with full services (about $65/night). We walked to the restaurant just out front and got pizza. We then came back to the coach and watched a movie. Ah, this is the life! 

The next morning, we were up and ready to roll by 7 a.m..Next stop, Bryce Canyon. Hoodoo City! If you aren’t familiar with the legend of the hoodoos, the story goes that the Legend People, who lived in this land long before the Europeans and even the native people who were found there, were a gluttonous group who ravaged the land and took more than they needed.

Now, they also lived in the time where gods like Coyote oversaw the land. Coyote was a trickster and so he invited the Legend People to a great feast. They showed up in their finest garb and jewelry, but before they could eat even one bite, Coyote cast a curse on them that turned them all to stone. To this day they are trapped in the stone of the Hoodoos.

Of course, with our modern geological understanding of the hoodoos, we can explain what happened by science. They are basically pillars of sandstone created by the processes of uneven weathering and erosion. For about 200 days a year the region experiences both above and below freezing temperatures, which allows ice and rain to create the hoodoos by freezing (expansion) and thawing. This process, known as ice wedging, starts to break apart rocks, first into walls, then windows, and finally a fully formed hoodoo.

Our guide at the park also explained that the top layer on the hoodoos is composed of dolomite, which is harder than the sandstone below it, and therefore protects it, somewhat, and ends up looking something like a mushroom cap.

This story only covers a few geological highlights of our wonderful trip and I know that this may not qualify as a true stone restoration and maintenance article. However, after 40 years in this business, I tend to look at everything through lens of the industry that has been so good to me and others. For example, when I walk into any establishment, the first thing I see is the floor, counters, vertical surfaces, detailed architecture, etcetera. I am always evaluating hard surfaces to see what they are, what has been done regarding maintenance, and what should be done. So imagine how entertaining it was to see stone everywhere I looked!

All things considered,  this trip was a welcome break from the lockdown life of 2020. If there’s one thing I’ve learned over the past year, it is enjoy being with your family and living life!

As always, I recommend submitting a test area to confirm both the results and the procedure prior to starting a stone or hard surface restoration or maintenance project. Also, the best way to help ensure success is by partnering with a good distributor, like BBI, that knows the business. They can help with technical support, product purchase decisions, logistics, and other pertinent project information.

Bob Murrell has worked in the natural stone industry for over 40 years and is well known for his expertise in natural stone, tile and decorative concrete restoration and maintenance. He helped develop some of the main products and processes which revolutionized the industry, and is currently the Director of Operations for M3 Technologies.