Alabama Hills, the Eye of Alabama natural arch

 

Here is a close view of the second most famous feature in the Alabama Hills, the Eye of Alabama. We parked along the road and hiked up to this feature to get a closer image. There are over a hundred natural arches in this area. We visited during the Fall Arch Rally sponsored by the Natural Arch and Bridge Society in November 2024. We were part of a group of about 15 people on this day.

The Paiute name for this area is Payahuunadü, "land of flowing water."

Fuji GFX100S, ISO 100, f8, 1/220 sec., 100 mm (79mm equiv.)

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

Mobius Arch and the Milky Way, Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, November 4, 2024

 We attended the 2024 Fall Arch Rally of the Natural Arch and Bridge Society, which was centered around the Alabama Hills for the first half of the rally. One night we hiked out to Mobius Arch to get some night shots of it, including this light painting of the arch with the Milky Way galaxy overhead.. Mobius Arch is the most noteworthy granite natural arch among many arches in the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine, California.

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

Mobius Arch silhouette, Alabama Hills, Lone Pine, California, November 4, 2024

 We attended the 2024 Fall Arch Rally of the Natural Arch and Bridge Society, which was centered around the Alabama Hills for the first half of the rally. One night we hiked out to Mobius Arch to get some night shots of it, including this silhouette. Mobius Arch is the most noteworthy granite natural arch among many arches in the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine, California.

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

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, Alabama Hills near Lone Pine, California

This is Mobius Arch from the Alabama Hills near Lone Pine, California.  Bob took this photo after sunset and Lone Pine Peak is the highest peak visible through the opening of the arch.  Bob hiked along the Arch Loop Trail to visit the arch, but didn't get to finish the loop since the sun was setting.  This was during a trip during the week of Thanksgiving 2020.  He'll just have to go back.

We've known about and seen photos of this arch for a long time, but for Bob to see it in the lithos, so to speak, was quite stunning.  We haven't found any specific details about its dimensions, but a couple of web sites indicated that the opening is about 6 and a half feet tall and spans 7 feet.  We'll have to double check that next time we're there.

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