Indian Rock Arch in Yosemite, with Half Dome under the arch

Unfortunately, the maps for Yosemite don't indicate that this feature is a rare granite arch. Utah is rightly famous for its sandstone arches and natural bridges, since sandstone is an excellent material for forming these types of features. Granite is a much harder rock and is much less likely to form an arch, but the Sierra Nevada does have a few, including this one in Yosemite. The feature is identified on the maps and the trail sign as Indian Rock, but nowhere does it say that this feature is an arch.

Robert has been interested in natural rock spans ever since he volunteered in Natural Bridges National Monument right after graduating from college. We've looked for natural rock spans to photograph and explore since then. About 10 years ago, we were instant messaging online and he asked if there was an arch in Yosemite because he found soneone's online account of traveling to the arch in Yosemite. We were both surprised, since neither one of us knew Yosemite had such a feature. After reading the account of other people's hikes to see the arch, we decided we had to go see it ourselves.

The hike starts at Porcupine Flat and heads south for about 3 miles or so, before climbing up to a ridgeline, where the arch is the highest point. On our first trip, we backpacked in and camped near the arch. We've now been there at least 5 times, including a trip where we carried an extension ladder to the arch to try different angles to photograph it. Other hikers looked a bit surprised when they saw us carrying that ladder, so we just told them it was for a photography project, and they seemed to accept that explanation, especially since it was true.

The ladder still didn't give us the angle we hoped for, so eventually, after trying several angles and techniques, we tried backing away from the arch to the north and holding up a tripod with the camera at the top and setting the timer. Because the cameras are digital, we could look at the results immediately after trying a shot, and then adjust accordingly. Our goal was to not only capture the arch from one support to the other, but also have a clear view of Half Dome under the arch, with enough sky to differentiate the two features.

Remember, it's not just a picture, it's a story.