Mystery Arch

I was going to call this post "wandering in the desert", because that's exactly what I was doing. Just wandering. Likely following waypoints I had marked on Google Maps, where the rock formations look interesting in satellite view, and where I had not hiked in the past. No sound, no distraction, no cars, no people, no nothing, just total solitude. You can let your mind wander, and it's incredibly relaxing.

A beautiful sky for a hike, wouldn't you agree? Almost immediately I came across this large... "geo-compass"? Somebody went to a lot of trouble to collect all these rocks and place them in a perfect circle, with a large rock expertly positioned at due north. Another desert mystery!

This part of Joshua Tree National Park is designated wilderness area. It's sparse desert with crazy and interesting rock formation. No Joshua trees because the elevation is a little too low, but a rugged beauty all it's own.

What an interesting arch. I'm not the first to find it. I've seen others post photos of it, and I think it's been called "crown of thorns" arch.

I have a hard time passing up these shallow caves or alcoves without looking inside. Some are too high to access, but often you can find creative ways to get into them. I've probably climbed into at least 50 alcoves on my many hikes in this area. Probably closer to 100. And with only one exception, I've never found any rock art or other signs of native habitation. I was going to link you to that one exception (an alcove someone told me about; I didn't discover it on my own) but it looks like yet another hike that I forgot to post! One of these days I'll find an alcove with something in it...

Sometimes in my desert solitude I get the feeling that I'm being watched. Pareidolia is when people assign human characteristics to objects. On today's hike I'm seeing eyes and faces on the rocks!

A typical view from inside an alcove looking out. I like the natural rock frame!

This one looks like a shark to me!

What a bizarre looking rock. It appears to be saying "go this way!"

I must admit, I'm having a hard time deciding which photos to share with you on this post. Did I mention I have 294 photos from this hike? Don't worry, I won't share them all 😉

 Now this is significant. I don't recall seeing anyone ever post a photo of this arch, and it's a nice one!

Here it is from the opposite side, in B&W. What a beautiful arch!

And here's what I created with a little imagination and Photoshop manipulation. I wouldn't want to come across this guy on a dark night out here in the middle of nowhere!

I was thinking I had hiked about as far as was comfortably possible and this would be a good time to head back. On impulse, I decided to climb up these rocks on the left and explore some of the alcoves. I was likely in an area that few people have explored. As I climbed up the ledge and proceeded on, here's what I found...

Wow! I wish there was a way I could give you some perspective on this arch. It's one of the biggest I've seen.

I immediately thought "this arch is a mystery!" I've never seen any photos of it, and yet it's large and distinctive. Am I the first to document it? Not really sure, but that's the story behind the "Mystery Arch" name. And it's the reason I will always remember this hike!

So let's climb up and take a look at the underside of Mystery Arch.

An impressive arch, and large enough that I can stand underneath it without bending over. Not to mention superb views out across the desert!

So there you have it: A large, beautiful and mysterious arch in a remote area of Joshua Tree National Park wilderness that I've never seen photographed. I may need to think of a better name than Mystery Arch. Let me know if you have any ideas!

Linking with Skywatch Friday.

Thanks for stopping by!