Rains collapse desert hoodoos in New Mexico
Associated Press · Susan Montoya Bryan ·
Two iconic rock formations that long attracted tourists and photographers to a remote part of New Mexico have collapsed. The Alien Throne and the nearby King of Wings were brought down in recent weeks by the very forces of nature responsible for sculpting them over eons. Record rainfall in northwestern New Mexico and adjacent parts of Arizona, Colorado and Utah caused flooding, damaged homes and eroded the landscape. Outdoor enthusiasts are sharing photos online of the otherworldly forms and saying they felt fortunate to see them before they collapsed.
Desert icons collapse as southwestern US gets pummeled with rain and flooding
There are stretches of high desert in northwestern New Mexico where Mother Nature has sculpted otherworldly forms using wind, rain and the passage of time.
Hefty planks of rock defy gravity as they balance atop spindly pedestals of clay, while some columns of sandstone take on the appearance of lace, elaborately eroded by the seasons.
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