Rock runs like water, glowing like fire, splashing over the eroded hills. Layer upon layer it builds. Then time forgets the place. Occasional floods deepen the low places, digging the shattered boulders and flinging them into the valley. A narrow canyon is left.
Gradual geology brings a new, dry climate.
Slow microorganisms and other factors build a dark varnish on the exposed elegantly curved basalt faces. When people show up , the inspiration is obvious. A sharp rock enables imagination. Over roughly 2400 years, Renegade Canyon became a gallery. Elsewhere, newcomers used them for target practice but the figures here are protected by the U.S. Navy.