The Eye of Alabama, in the Alabama Hills, west of Lone Pine, California

 

One of the bigger natural arches in the Alabama Hills is the Eye of Alabama (also labeled as the Eye of the Alabama). This arch looks to me like a left side of a face with a very large eye and the left end being the nose. But that's just me. When you're driving up to it, you might not see it, because it's not at the top of the ridge, but part way down. We got to this feature from a small pullout along the Movie Road and a short trail uphill, then off-trail. You can climb right onto it with a little scrambling. 

Photo details: Canon 70D, 55mm, ISO 200, f/11, 1/180 sec., with polarizer

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

Mobius Arch moonlit at night with Mount Whitney underneath, and Jupiter

 On our trip to the Alabama Hills, which is east of the Sierra Nevada's highest peak, Mount Whitney, I got this nighttime photo of the world-famous Mobius Arch. Mount Whitney is seen underneath the arch to the far right (it's not the highest-looking peak from this view). Mobius Arch is named for the Mobius strip, a mathematical/topological concept of having a single twist in a strip linked to itself such that it has only one side. The thin portion of the arch must've made someone think it had a twist in it, hence the name. 

This feature is along the Arch Loop Trail, a little over 1.5 miles off of Movie Road, which is off of the Whitney Portal Road heading west out of Lone Pine, California. The trail also passes Lathe Arch, Heart Arch, and Behind the Heart Arch. You can see Heart Arch from the parking area before you even start to hike. Mobius Arch is the largest of these with the largest opening and span. Jupiter is brightest object in the sky.

This photo was taken by moonlight at 30 seconds, ISO 1600, f9.5.

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

Trinity Arch, Muley Twist Canyon, Capitol Reef National Park, Utah

 

This is Trinity Arch in Muley Twist Canyon, Capitol Reef National Park in Utah.  It apparently is called Trinity, because it is a triple arch.  The first two are obvious, but the third is a much smaller arch just visible in the rightmost lower corner of this photo.

Bob saw this and many other arches on the 5th day of the 2021 Arch Rally conducted by the Natural Arch and Bridge Society from September 18th to the 25th.  The trip on this day was to and through Muley Twist Canyon in the middle east portion of Capitol Reef National Park.  We saw more arches on this day than any other trip of the rally.

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

Salmonback Double Arch, aka Laurel and Hardy Arches, Utah

On  Friday, September 24th. the 7th day  of the 2021 Arch Rally that Bob attended, the group hiked to Salmonback Double Arch.  This feature is also known as Laurel and Hardy Arches with the higher, thinner arch being Laurel and the lower, thicker arch being Hardy.  This is in the Tantalus Flats Area southwest of Capitol Reef National Park, Utah.

Getting to the view of the first photo involved about a one and a half mile bushwhack and a climb up to a huge sandstone outcrop that was very steep on the side we climbed up and a sheer cliff on the other.  Getting to the spot for this first photo, Bob took advantage of hand lines that the trip leaders set up.  The leaders were concerned that slipping on this surface might lead to a slide all the way down to the canyon floor with nothing to grab onto to stop the slide.

The second photo shows our view of these arches from below when we were hiking in the canyon.  Just a sliver of light shows through the lower opening in the center of the picture.  The higher opening shows up more clearly.

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