Rocks That Slide on Ice

Sailing stones are rocks that slide across a smooth valley floor without animal intervention.

The first documented account dates to 1915, when prospector Joseph Crook visited the site. Prospectors rarely pause for dolomite.

In 1968, Bob Sharp and Dwight Carey labeled 30 stones with fresh tracks.

A dolomite block weighed an estimated 320 kg. It did not move during the study.

A 700-pound rock simply walked away.

Timelapse footage published in August 2014 finally confirmed thin ice sheets shoving the rocks.

On December 20, 2013, over 60 rocks moved up to 224 meters by January 2014. Even stones commute.

By August 2014, timelapse video showed rocks moving at high wind speeds within thin melting ice sheets. Aggressive ice skating, really.