October 5, 2011 Rock Balancing

[SIZE="1"]Mark Frauenfelder, of BoingBoing, was hanging out at Eben G. Fine Park, Boulder, CO, for a family reunion. He noticed these sculptures in the river and took the above picture thinking they were a permanent art installation.

He later discovered they were rock sulptures by Mike Grab of Gravity Glue.

The formations act like beacons that inspire interactions with spirit. Intricately balanced rocks spur reactions ranging from disbelief to pure reverence as if they speak to your subconscious.

Mike lives in Boulder and balances rocks when he can. Check out his website for some fantastic images of balanced rocks.

His website also includes his philosophy of balancing rocks and hints on how to do it yourself.

Many people liken the formations to people, and groups or "gardens" to communities of people. They describe a common sensation of increased energy dancing among the gardens.

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I know someone whose little kid saw one of these on a shoreline, was curious, so walked over to look at it more closely, touched it, and a heavy rock fell and smashed the kid's bare foot. These are one of those deceptively dangerous things. In hindsight it's obvious, but I bet you didn't look at these and immediately think "broken feet." It's good that these are out in a stream where they are relatively unreachable.

not quite the same thing... but this is known as the cheesewring... a natural(?) stone formation in eastern Cornwall ( s.w. England )





another pic... for a bit of perspective...

you're right grynch, not the same thing. But you still might break your foot.

BigV;760918 wrote:

you're right grynch, not the same thing. But you still might break your foot.

I've pushed against those stones tho.. all 200lbs of me :rolleyes:... not a budge

You're not trying hard enough. Have you not seen 127 hours?

that cheesewring is pretty cool.

grynch;760917 wrote:

not quite the same thing... but this is known as the cheesewring... a natural(?) stone formation in eastern Cornwall ( s.w. England )
...

On Bodmin Moor, near a lovely little village of St. Neot where I stayed at an excellent farm B&B. Also see the Eden Project while you're there.

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grynch;760917 wrote:

not quite the same thing... but this is known as the cheesewring... a natural(?) stone formation in eastern Cornwall ( s.w. England )

Mmmm.... cheese

Scriv , when were you there ?

Those are cairns.

I haz one in mah backyard.

glatt;760916 wrote:

I know someone whose little kid saw one of these on a shoreline, was curious, so walked over to look at it more closely, touched it, and a heavy rock fell and smashed the kid's bare foot. These are one of those deceptively dangerous things. In hindsight it's obvious, but I bet you didn't look at these and immediately think "broken feet." It's good that these are out in a stream where they are relatively unreachable.

Did they try to sue God over gravity?

Clearly, this practice should be outlawed.

grynch;760920 wrote:

I've pushed against those stones tho.. all 200lbs of me :rolleyes:... not a budge

Hah! I'm trying to picture the look on your face if you'd actually pushed them over.:p:

Gravdigr;760947 wrote:

Clearly, this practice should be outlawed.

I don't think it should be outlawed at all, in fact, I've done this myself.

But I do think that people should be mindful of what they are doing and how it may impact others, especially in a public place. I think these are kind of cool and the few that I've seen, I've enjoyed. But if they were everywhere, I'd probably get sick of them, especially if I were visiting some pristine back country stream and was trying to get away from signs of other people. These go against the idea of "leave no trace."

If I was strolling along this river and came to these stones i would wonder what :alien: being had piled them thusly, call NATGEO TV to come do an entire story then start my own rock-based religion.

BTW - the guy who founded the church where the huge touchdown Jesus burnt to the ground after being hit by lightning - he died over the weekend. I wonder if they'll finish that new Jesus statue now?

grynch;760939 wrote:

Scriv , when were you there ?

2003 - Eden Project was in its infancy then.

Brianna wrote:

Those are cairns.

I haz one in mah backyard.

This September I've been adding to the cairns in the Lake District.

I saw a lot of rockpiling when I was up in Maine last year. I didn't do any myself, both because I am too lazy to gather likely looking rocks and my friend wasn't into doing it. There was important shopping and drinking we had to get to.

I have a different friend I am likely to go to Maine with again, perhaps she'll try it.

glatt;760916 wrote:

In hindsight it's obvious, but I bet you didn't look at these and immediately think "broken feet."

I dunno, glatt. I think most parents with small kids would think "broken feet". I know I would've.

That stream is moving pretty fast, for that matter.

I've balanced rocks in streams like that a couple of times. The first I did was in the upper pool at Edith Falls (Northern Territory, Australia). There was a submerged rock just a couple of millimetres below the surface and the water around it was flat and smooth, so my little pile of smooth round rocks was perfectly reflected and appeared to be hanging in the air above the water: very cool. The second time was in the upper reaches of the Murrumbidgee River (near Adaminaby, New South Wales, Australia), if the photo above had only one pile of rocks it would look pretty much exactly like mine did.

Cairns in the balancing rock-style are very popular here in ann arbor. I grew up with the huge-pile-of-stones-to-mark-the-route-in-the-lake-district style. I find it interesting that they are both called cairns given their completely different styles and functions.

I hiked a lot as a kid, and was always taught to add a stone to a cairn as I passed.

When in Hawaii a few years ago we hiked to a "hidden pool" It was absolutely hell to get there, but when we arrived it was more than worth it. There were balanced rocks on a little island in the middle of this pool. It was amazing. I still cannot imagine how people actually got there to do it.

Scriveyn;760961 wrote:

2003 - Eden Project was in its infancy then.



This September I've been adding to the cairns in the Lake District.

Did you happen to stop in the pub in st.neot... "the London" ?
It's fallen the fate if so many and closed - must be two years now

glatt;760952 wrote:

But if they were everywhere, I'd probably get sick of them, especially if I were visiting some pristine back country stream and was trying to get away from signs of other people. These go against the idea of "leave no trace."

I agree. I always knock them down if I see them. I want to see as much of this earth as I can in it's natural state. I don't want to see some guy's personal statement or 'art'.

SPUCK;761105 wrote:

I agree. I always knock them down if I see them.

SPUCK the Destroyer!

Brianna;760959 wrote:

BTW - the guy who founded the church where the huge touchdown Jesus burnt to the ground after being hit by lightning - he died over the weekend. I wonder if they'll finish that new Jesus statue now?

I'd never heard of the touchdown Jesus and was checking it out.

Guess what - the church's choir is called - you ready for this? The Fire Choir - Worship on Fire!

I guess they prophesied that one!!

They set up a Facebook page for the rebuild, but it hasn't seen much action.

The church's website has a Jesus Cam, but right now it is off line.

grynch;761092 wrote:

Did you happen to stop in the pub in st.neot... "the London" ?
It's fallen the fate if so many and closed - must be two years now

What a shame! I don't remember the name of the pub, but I think there was only the one, right next to the church. They were the hub of the village, gave me directions to find the B&B and I had a nice Sunday Roast there.

That was the London and yes it's a shame ( I'd hate to be driving those lanes after a couple of pints at the next nearest local )

glatt;760916 wrote:

I know someone whose little kid saw one of these on a shoreline, was curious, so walked over to look at it more closely, touched it, and a heavy rock fell and smashed the kid's bare foot.

Pete Zicato;760985 wrote:

I dunno, glatt. I think most parents with small kids would think "broken feet". I know I would've.

I know parents can't watch their children every second.
I do get that now I work in a school.

But I would hope most parents would try to instill a "look don't touch" for unusual objects seen in nature. They might be sculpture, religious totems or dangerously balanced rocks. Not to mention nests, hives, actual animals etc.

Sad the kid got a broken foot (realy nasty if it was multiple bones). Glad it wasn't worse.

Bet that kid learned his lesson though. Tough way to do it. I'm sure he think twice next time.

Sundae;761252 wrote:

I know parents can't watch their children every second. <snip> But I would hope most parents would try to instill a "look don't touch" . . .

classicman;761264 wrote:

Bet that kid learned his lesson though. Tough way to do it. I'm sure he think twice next time.

Having been a parent to two very active and challenging boys for 12 years (and one mellow girl, thank the heavens), and having been the type of parent to take the little ones to museums in an attempt to instill something in them, I have noticed/learned that:

A) Some parents believe in free range parenting. Not only do they loosely watch their children, they don't seem to see anything wrong with touching works of art.

More than once, I have had to physically restrain my dear hubby while children-who-are-old-enough-to-know-better are touching the surface of a painting in a museum.

Although, I must admit it was one of mine that almost knocked that sculpture off its pedestal. You would be amazed how the heart beats while watching a pedestal rock to and fro. My goodness, I've just broken a sweat thinking about it!

B) Not all children connect cause with effect.

I remember touching the surface of the iron because I was curious to see what something felt like that could made fabric so flat and smooth.

After my mother finished bandaging my hand, I touched it with my other hand, because I didn't get how heat could make something flat like that. There must be something I missed the first time.

Yes, I do remember actually thinking like that. Some people did say I was a strange child . . .

The worst part is that my mother hoped I would one day get the children I deserved. See Item A. :p:

I hear ya Mama ... I to have a couple boys.