Is That a Skull on Grand Mesa? This Colorado Formation Has Locals Talking

While scrolling on the old Facebook, we stumbled upon a post in one of the Grand Junction, Colorado groups from a user who apparently suffers from pareidolia --  when someone sees something in rocks or clouds.

This case is real, and we too are suffering from it. So much so, once you see it, you'll never unsee it.

The Skull and Bone of Colorado's Grand Mesa

Eric C. shared screenshots of what he found on the Grand Mesa that totally looks like a skull and bone-- another user, Dana H., talks about this find as well.

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In the image above, you can see the full skull and bones. Like we said, once you see it, you can't unsee it.

The comments on the Facebook post were full of amazement, lore, and well, some went down a deep-deep rabbit hole. We're not making fun of any of that, you're totally free to believe what you want.

One of the most common comments was about the "Land of the Giants," which is a lore of the Grand Mesa. We've shared the story about the Ute legend of the Thunderbirds, giant birds that preyed on hunters.

It is believed that this area was once roamed by giant humans, and this may be their petrified bones. So we did a bit of measuring to see just how big of a giant this could have been.

The skull alone is over 7.5 miles long. That's one big head. So we measured the "bone" as well to see just how long that was.

Measuring over 42 miles long, that's a long bone, maybe the femur?

By the head measurement alone, using the average head to body ratio of 1:8, the giant would be over 60 miles tall ... miles. The tallest mountain on Earth is only 5.5 miles high.

A giant that tall would live with its head in the mesosphere and thermosphere, which is the benchmark for outer space. No wonder they died; they had no oxygen.

Read More: The Ute Tribespeople Believed in Strange Stories + Legends

What Else Can You See in Colorado's Grand Mesa

Residents of the Grand Valley aren't strangers when it comes to seeing images in the Grand Mesa.

One of the most popular is the Mesa's snow animals. When snow begins to accumulate on the mountainside, you can make out the image of a swan and a bear. Others say they see a fish, which we've never been able to see.

The other "animal" that can be seen is the thunderbird. If you look closely --summertime is the best time to see it-- you can see what looks like a thunderbird carrying away a giant serpent.

As we mentioned above, the Ute tribespeople believed the thunderbirds ruled the Grand Mesa. Part of the story is that the Colorado River was created by a thunderbird dropping a giant serpent onto the valley's floor.

Colorado's Grand Valley Steeped in Legends and Lore

Regardless of what you're beliefs are, residents old and new of the Grand Valley believe this land is magical.

So much so, the Ute tribespeople cursed the land when white settlers began claiming it as their own and removing the native people. The curse says that people born here will never be able to leave unless they collect dirt from Mt. Garfield, the junction of the Colorado and Gunnison Rivers, and the Colorado National Monument. They must put the dirt in a jar and carry it with them wherever they go.

The Ute also believed the land was where the souls of the departed journeyed to the Grand Mesa to spend eternity in its sacred landscape. They called it Thiguanawat, or "The Land of the Departed Spirits."

Those who reside here now know the magic that the valley offers, and we appreciate it every day.