Toppled ancient rock formation: Can't put it back up?

[JEDI]

A decade ago, a couple of Boy Scout leaders toppled an ancient rock formation, thinking they're doing the right thing to prevent future injury/death.
(They pleaded guilty, paid a 4 figure fine and avoided jail time.)

Why not put the rock back up with a small crane?

 

[lxskllr]

It's hard work in a remote area, and it's already been ruined. It'll no longer be part of a natural process, and you might as well construct a brick wall to simulate the rock.

 

[IronWing]

It might work if we put the perps under the stone as spirit guardians.

 

[sdifox]

Would fall eventually so I can understand the thinking.

 

[dullard]

There is just something special about the wonder of things that nature can do. A lot of my hikes focus on unique structures that were all created by nature. Man-made recreations would lose something special. Even if it was originally man-made, the recreations are valued significantly less. It is hard to describe but it is a real feeling. Otherwise:

• Why go to mountains when we can just watch photos of them?
• Why not burn the Mona Lisa and recreate it?
• Why go to concerts when Spotify can recreate it?
• Why watch live sports when we can just play videos of sports?
• Why have a significant other when body length pillows are available?
• Etc.

The original thing in is pure unadulterated form is just better than any repair work or recreations.

 

[JEDI]

• Why have a significant other when body length pillows are available?
• Etc.

The original thing in is pure unadulterated form is just better than any repair work or recreations.

um.. what?!

 

[dullard]

um.. what?!

You wouldn't want the real thing in that case? Just google image search "manga pillow" for examples. Man-made recreations are nothing like the real thing.

 

[KidNiki1]

You wouldn't want the real thing in that case? Just google image search "manga pillow" for examples. Man-made recreations are nothing like the real thing.

tbf, you would probably want to compare a real doll to a human versus a body pillow to human. i think for some people, a real doll might be preferred.

 

[JEDI]

You wouldn't want the real thing in that case? Just google image search "manga pillow" for examples. Man-made recreations are nothing like the real thing.

I think blow up doll/sex doll would be a better(less confusing) analogy 🤔

 

[HomerJS]

Nobody thought of calling the park service and tell them to put of a fence around the formation?

 

[lxskllr]

When you're in wilderness, there's always a non zero chance of dying. That's why it's cool. People not willing to take that risk should just stay home. Stay away from ladders too.

 

[Red Squirrel]

Imagine being charged 4 figures for moving a rock lol. Seems a bit excessive especially considering they did not have bad intentions. Pretty much all rocks are ancient rock formations, when you think about it. If that particular one was so important it perhaps should have been indicated as such. What I find annoying is how there is a double standard. A citizen doing something like this gets charged to oblivion, yet big corporations can do whatever the hell they want such as logging old growth forests or bulldoze indigenous lands, pollute the entire planet etc.

 

[dullard]

Nobody thought of calling the park service and tell them to put of a fence around the formation?

If that particular one was so important it perhaps should have been indicated as such.

I have hiked in that state park. It is entirely made up of formations like that. The whole point of going to the state park is to be surrounded by those formations. So, putting a fence around them would basically mean closing the park. Indicating them as important is redundant since that is the sole reason people are there.

goblin valley state park - Google Suche

 

[Red Squirrel]

I have hiked in that state park. It is entirely made up of formations like that. The whole point of going to the state park is to be surrounded by those formations. So, putting a fence around them would basically mean closing the park. Indicating them as important is redundant since that is the sole reason people are there.

goblin valley state park - Google Suche

Oh yeah that would make sense, though there should probably be a sign somewhere at the start/entrance point saying not to touch anything essentially. But that's usually a given on state/provincial parks. There's one place I went to down south called Flower Pot Island that had similar formations and lot of different vegetation, on the boat ride they do explain that you can't take anything, ex: not even a plant. I forget the main reason but think it had to do with some being somewhat endangered/rare but probably also not native off the island.

 

[dullard]

Oh yeah that would make sense, though there should probably be a sign somewhere at the start/entrance point saying not to touch anything essentially. But that's usually a given on state/provincial parks. There's one place I went to down south called Flower Pot Island that had similar formations and lot of different vegetation, on the boat ride they do explain that you can't take anything, ex: not even a plant.

I agree with what you said about a double standard: if a business wants it, the business usually can do just about anything. But I don't like the idea that a sign needs to be there. Really, we need signs to tell us not to destroy things? That is just one more reason that most humans suck.

I don't know what was posted back when they videoed themselves toppling the rock and celebrating. But right now the brochure says: "Vandalism—It is unlawful to mutilate or deface any natural or constructed feature or structure. Please help keep our parks beautiful. " https://stateparks.utah.gov/wp-content/uploads/sites/13/2020/12/Goblin-Valley-Brochure-2021.pdf

Flower Pot Island looks nice. I'll have to check it out if I'm ever in the area.

 

[dullard]

I think blow up doll/sex doll would be a better(less confusing) analogy 🤔

Probably. I was trying to keep this humorous and Off-Topic rather than Love & Relationship. I think a better fit would be to put my quote into the out of context thread, rather than the new thread that you created.

 

[nakedfrog]

Probably. I was trying to keep this humorous and Off-Topic rather than Love & Relationship. I think a better fit would be to put my quote into the out of context thread, rather than the new thread that you created.

I think JEDI is just very easily confused.

 

[IronWing]

Imagine being charged 4 figures for moving a rock lol. Seems a bit excessive especially considering they did not have bad intentions. Pretty much all rocks are ancient rock formations, when you think about it. If that particular one was so important it perhaps should have been indicated as such. What I find annoying is how there is a double standard. A citizen doing something like this gets charged to oblivion, yet big corporations can do whatever the hell they want such as logging old growth forests or bulldoze indigenous lands, pollute the entire planet etc.

I would have had them publicly flogged, fined, set on fire, their burnt bones glued back together, and then buried under the rock formation they wrecked while the Scouts they led were forced to watch. They were being total dickheads and they knew it.

 

[[DHT]Osiris]

I would have had them publicly flogged, fined, set on fire, their burnt bones glued back together, and then buried under the rock formation they wrecked while the Scouts they led were forced to watch. They were being total dickheads and they knew it.

Not sure why people seemingly need to be told to stop fucking around with shit that isn't theirs.

 

[skyking]

it's why we have fewer and less accessible nice things. Those who care go to great lengths to hide the locations of the really cool stuff from those who can't stop from touching the coral or tossing the trash or can' manage to stay on the clear path and cut the switchbacks and trigger the erosion that closes the trails or have stupid loud drones around nesting seabirds.
Try observing shit without harming it FFS.

 

[BoomerD]

Oh yeah that would make sense, though there should probably be a sign somewhere at the start/entrance point saying not to touch anything essentially. But that's usually a given on state/provincial parks. There's one place I went to down south called Flower Pot Island that had similar formations and lot of different vegetation, on the boat ride they do explain that you can't take anything, ex: not even a plant. I forget the main reason but think it had to do with some being somewhat endangered/rare but probably also not native off the island.

I swear, (a LOT actually) it's people like you who make signs like this necessary:

 

[Red Squirrel]

I swear, (a LOT actually) it's people like you who make signs like this necessary:

Some things are obvious, some aren't. If there's something in the middle of nowhere like a rock that you're not suppose to touch, it seems it would make sense to tell people first before they go. Could just be a small sign at the entrance. Though after realizing this was a state park I guess it's somewhat self explanatory as you're typically not suppose to really mess with anything at those.

 

[Spacehead]

"We, we have now modified Goblin Valley!" Hall shouts into the camera. "A new Goblin Valley exists with this boulder down here at the bottom!"

The rock formation, known as a "goblin," dates to the late Jurassic era and is one of many that give the desert park a surreal appearance that draws visitors from around the world.

The two scout leaders told the Deseret News newspaper that they toppled the boulder because they thought it posed a danger to children who might be walking by - an explanation that the state parks director greeted with some skepticism.

State parks director Hayes said park rangers walked through the valley daily and had never considered the boulder to be a danger, noting that it took considerable effort for Taylor to shove it over.

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/us-scout-leaders-topple-ancient-roc/

If they were so concerned for the children why didn't they try destroying more of them? Or, i don't know... maybe report to the rangers that there may be a danger.

 

[skyking]

they didn't touch it Red. They knocked it down, destroyed it, then tried to lie their way out of it.