From Atlas Obscura: "Vertical lines in this sandstone are the result of expansion and contraction, as the ground bakes under the hot sun in the day then cools when temperatures fall at night. This cycle is exacerbated by water penetration, which comes from rain and melted snow. The horizontal lines come from erosion from the wind; the rock gets sand blasted away along natural layered structures in a process known as cross bedding. Together, these effects give the north face of the mountain its characteristic checkerboard pattern."
