Workers could easily stand on a horse's ear or inside a horse's mouth to escape a sudden rain shower. A dedication ceremony for the Confederate Memorial Carving was held on May 9, 1970. Finishing touches to the masterpiece were completed in 1972. Unusual clam and fairy shrimp live in clear freshwater pools formed in eroded depressions on the mountain. These tiny creatures appear during the rainy seasons, usually in early spring and fall.
Scientists believe the adult shrimp die and leave tiny eggs when the rain-fed pools dry up.
After a cycle of dryness and cold temperatures, the rains return and the eggs hatch. Shallow circular pits are found on the granite mountain. Caused by weathering and erosion, most pits are about three to six feet in diameter and one to three inches deep. Some pits contain enough soil to provide homes for rare and unusual plants. These flowers are similar to yellow and white daisies.