Court of the Crimson King

"The rusted chains of prison moons, Are shattered by the sun. I walk a road, horizons change, The tournaments' begun. The purple piper plays his tune, The choir softly sing, Three lullabies in an ancient tongue, For the court of the crimson king." (King Crimson - 1969) The colors of sandstone are usually tan or yellow, derived from a blend of clear quartz with the dark amber feldspar content of the sand. A predominant additional colorant in the Southwestern US is iron oxide, which imparts reddish tints, ranging from pink to dark red (terra cotta), with additional manganese imparting a purplish hue. As you approach Courthouse Butte from the south, it appears flat and round, almost like a judge's gavel. However if you move around to the southeast, the Butte is stepped, with a sheer wall that defies climbing. November 4, 2008