Lost Arch Hike

Allow me to escape back out to the desert for this post. Hiking in the middle of nowhere helps me clear my mind and, at least temporarily, forget about all the challenges and issues going on right now.

A number of months ago I had the opportunity to hike with Cousin Curt (Scott is the cousin I usually hike with, just to avoid any confusion 😉) and my friend P.T. 

That's Curt on my right (your left)... thanks to P.T. for the photo. We had a specific destination we were heading to and limited time. The route we were traveling was a new one for me.

So you can imagine my surprise when we spotted this arch on our hike in. It looks like a beauty, and I couldn't recall anyone ever posting a photo of it. However, our primary destination was calling us, and trying to find a way up to this arch would be a serious, time-consuming detour. I snapped this photo and we continued on, but I knew I would be back soon. I gave it the name "lost arch" just in case I couldn't find it again!

Fast-forward two weeks later...

... lets go see if we can find "Lost Arch"!

My search for Lost Arch took place in mid-March. An absolutely gorgeous day with some wildflowers to keep me company.

Echinocactus polycephalus

 

This heart-shaped opening in the rock caught my eye.

 

Luckily, I found Lost Arch pretty easily. As I would soon learn, the hard part wasn't finding it but getting up the rocks to get a closer look! As I climbed my way down the rocky wash in the direction of the arch, I soon lost sight of it. As I got to the area that should have been just below the arch, it was not visible. Also, the rocky hillside was very steep. Hmm, this is going to be harder than I thought! I ended up continuing down the wash, and circling around to the back side of the rocks before make my ascent.

 

Finally, there it is, dead ahead! Getting over these very steep rocks to get a closer look is going to be a challenge. I think my poor camera got a couple new dings on this hike.

 

Ah, that's better. I'm trying to get a good angle so I can see blue sky through the arch, but these steep rocks could care less about what I want!

 

I take a short break from the climb to enjoy the view looking north and to catch my breath. I saw no cars parked along Highway 62 (which is the norm), so I have this entire area of Joshua Tree National Park to myself!
 

I'm nearly inside the arch now, and yes, you guessed it. I wonder if I can get through the arch and get some photos from the other side?? This is when you wish you weren't wearing a backpack and a full-frame camera. Oh well, let's give it a try...
 

Success! I've just squeezed through the arch and this is the view from the opposite direction (looking west now).

A little further away from the arch, there's a small scraggly juniper somehow clinging to life on the rocks. It adds some color and interest to the photo.
 

 The arch looks dramatic in b&w, and notice the sun is starting to drop behind the rocks. I better keep track of time because I still have some exploring to do, and I need to figure a way down off these rocks!
 

One last shot of this beautiful arch. Oh, and wait a moment, let me get a couple more of the surrounding desert. For me, last shots are almost never last shots!

 

The view north. Just for perspective, that rock with the pointy nose is about the size of a bus. It's huge, and looks like it might slide down at any moment!
 

And a last view east, looking at the Coxcombs. This time with the Juniper in front of me and Lost Arch at my back. And an important note... I shared photos of "Lost Arch" with my friend Mark R. who's done a lot of exploring in this area. I was surprised that he had already found it, photographed it, and named it "Dragon's Eye" Arch!

So now it's time to see if I can figure out a way to safely climb down off this pile of rocks. I guess you're just going to have to wait until next week to see if I'm successful, and if so, what else I find in this area. Until then...

Stay safe, stay healthy, and thanks for stopping by!!

Linking with Skywatch Friday.