The Red Mountains of southwestern Utah are a small range, a sandstone massif, stretching less than 10 miles north to south.  At the southern end, erosion and lava and successively carved and then filled the beautiful Snow Canyon.  To the east are the tall Pine Valley mountains and to the west, the lower Beaver Dam Mountains above Gunlock Reservoir and the Santa Clara river.

The sandstone here was originally deposited as a vast sea of dunes over 200 million years ago during the Jurassic age.  Hiking along the slickrock surface you can see the many layers of sand from the ancient dunes and observe the ancient wind changes in the changes of layer orientation.

Potholes are a common erosion feature in exposed sandstone.  The holes capture infrequent rainwater and provide a haven for life in the desert.  Some organisms live on the minerals in the sandstone, slowly helping with the erosion.  Other organisms have adapted to line the potholes with a thin layer of slime to keep the water from seeping out and so to prolong their oasis in the desert.

The Vortex is one of a pair of particularly deep potholes.  The Vortex itself is empty except for the many names carved by hikers over many years.  The second pothole to the south has filled with sand and supports grass and larger plants.