Thursday, January 7, 2021

Prettiest Arch in JTNP??

Well, I'll get a lot of argument about this one! Scorpius Arch would get a lot of votes (see my header photo) and might be the popular winner, although because of its east JT location, it's not seen by many tourists. Garretts Arch would get some votes. It's the largest arch in Joshua Tree National Park, but in my opinion, it doesn't photograph well. Majestic Arch will absolutely take your breath away, but it's very difficult to get to and very few have seen it up close. Shadow ArchMystery Arch, and Lost Arch are all good candidates. And there are so many others! But my vote goes to Ojo Oro Arch. It's got classic good looks, nice proportions, and photographs beautifully. It's remote and hard enough to find that it keeps the riff raff away. So why haven't I posted about Ojo Oro? I have no idea. I've hiked to it a few times, but as I search my blog for Ojo Oro, nothing comes up. Really?? That's a big oversite!

It's an absolutely gorgeous day for a hike, with clouds overhead and the Coxcomb Mountains off to the left. It doesn't get much better than this!

I'm pretty far along on my hike to Ojo Oro Arch when I come across this fire ring. It looks old, but not historically significant old.

In an area of Joshua Tree known for it's weirdly eroded rock formations, this area doesn't disappoint. I think there may be more arches per mile hiked in this area than just about anywhere!








But my apologies for the digression. We're looking for Ojo Oro Arch, right!!? So easy (and fun) to get side tracked out in this area.

Ah ha, there it is. Do you see it?? Almost dead center in the photo. Let's get closer...

Can't miss it now. Isn't it a beauty? A relatively large, open arch. Close to the ground but easy to get blue sky through the opening for dramatic photos.




Some arches only look good from one side, but Ojo Oro looks good from the opposite ("backside") direction as well.
 
The camera was clicking furiously on the hike back to the car. I'll just share a couple of my favorites, so as not to wear out my welcome!
Yet another arch.

Wizard cap?


This post has got me thinking about all the arch photos I've taken over the years, and the opportunity to perhaps publish a calendar or photo book of some kind. Sound like a good new years resolution for 2021?
 
Thanks for stopping by. Stay safe and stay healthy!
Linking with Skywatch Friday.







45 comments:

  1. Go for it, what beautiful arches you found, I'm rather envious we do not have a place like that here. Stunning photos

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  2. You are the Arch King!!! I love your adventures, you have such an adventuresome and curious mind.

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  3. Hello,

    I love all the arches, Your header photo is gorgeous. Beautiful landscapes and rock formations. Take care, enjoy your day!

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  4. ...one looks like an anteaters and another like a lizard! Thanks for taking me along on your colorful adventures.

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  5. Ah shucks, our signal here will not download. But I could still read. the Arch Calendar sounds like a winner. Arches are fascinating, everyone loves arches, don't they?
    Sherry & jack with a bad cell signal......

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  6. Beautiful, as always! A nice read for today, another day of gloomy skies where I live.

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  7. Wonderful photos! I really like the shot of the pinkish-orange clouds. Thanks for taking us along on your hike!

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  8. You could do a book of just arches. It is a stunner.

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  9. Gorgeous arch photos and awesome sky photos ~ beautiful country ~ ^_^

    Moment by moment ....

    A ShutterBug Explores,
    aka (A Creative Harbor)

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  10. All of them are great shots, but my favorites are #'s 3 which looks like a frog to me & 5 looks like an alligator.

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  11. I just ordered a calendar of my year in photos from Facebook, pretty good deal, all these arches are awesome looking. Ojo Oro looks like the skull of a dinosaur.

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  12. Truly amazing views. Great photography.

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  13. I like how you have so much different rock formations there, there's always something new to see.

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  14. So many arches and each one special and beautiful in its own way. I'm sure you would end up with an amazing calendar/book if you put together something like that.

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  15. Very nice! An arch calendar would be both interesting and beautiful! The book shops here in Norway use to sell beautiful nature scenery/theme calendars (quadratic about the size A3) with motives from excotic and decorative parts of the world.

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  16. You got me wow-ing and awww-ing a lot, YES, a calendar PLEASE! Can I give you my address to send it over already? (kidding, but, really, great idea. I have one on loos from a fellow blogger, too, she also made a book on them, I certainly have here, too. Yes, on Aussie-Loos. Well, I used many.
    Just please keep me "posted".

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  17. I wish I had known more about the park when I lived in San Diego, and later in OC. Your pictures could not be better, but I am especially drawn to the monochromes--- perhaps because of my love of beautifully photographed A list B&W Westerns. Regardless... Another great post.

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  18. The only thing I think is WOW again.

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  19. Beautiful photos, well done.
    Have a great weekend.

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  20. Oh wow, great photos! I love the "weirdly eroded rock formations" the first and third photos in that series look like a sea creatures! I say go for it re: the calendar/photo book! I've always wanted to make a career as an artist and I'm thinking of **trying** to sell my art in the near future. The thought scares me, but why not try?

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  21. Th arches are all amazing, but I like the wizard hat too.
    Surprising nature!
    Wishing you a Happy New Year full of funny excursions!

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  22. Gorgeous captures all! And yes, a calendar/book is a great idea!

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  23. Beautiful. One arch looks like a giant sloth!

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  24. Breathtaking photos, the arches steal the show from the sky ... photo # 5 looks for me like a petrified dinosaur.
    I know such photos only from great books, you should make your own book or calendar.
    Happy Healthy New Year with new adventures

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  25. You got me hooked----I like all the arches too. I like the one--4th or 5th--looks like an Anteater. Good shots all. It is easy to capture your enthusiasm through your photos.
    MB

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  26. I recently put my best street photographs from 2019-2020 into a printed book. It´s very nice to actually hold a physical photography book instead of a blog. I highly recommend that. You certainly have a body of work to choose from.

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  27. Nice to see your world again. Love all the formations but I see lots of animal features in there. :) And your header has a headband :)

    Take care!

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  28. Great photos from your hike. You make the desert comes alive through your photos. Every rock formation resembles some kind of animals. Beautiful arches. Yes, to the calendar or a book.

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  29. Wow - the scenery is just gorgeous!

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  30. What a great idea, publishing a book featuring your gorgeous photos! Check out Blurb, an online self publishing place. I've been contemplating publishing something myself and have been checking them out.
    That arch is beautiful and you had a fantastic sky for your photo shoot.

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  31. YES, please publish a book, calendar, cards. These photographs are unique and needed to be shared with the world.

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  32. At the very least you should do a photo book:) I did one, and have not regretted it. The last arch is indeed a beautifully shaped one. Hope I did not disappoint you too much if I prefer the first one you visited - so many angles! And from a distance it looks like a large ant eater:)
    About the Manzanita wood, I am not one for taking that risk (trying it in the open air) unless I would have a waterhose, bucket, and a shovel nearby.

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  33. Another great series of desert pics !

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  34. Some great shapes in those arches and I could almost see some animals in a couple. Good luck on your future calendar idea, although it seems many people don't use paper calendars these days. However, paper calendars are always used in my home, despite having them on cell phones as well.

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  35. Wow! Very cool. So many interesting and old places.

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  36. You could never wear out your welcome. But I also don’t see how you could ever pick a favorite or most beautiful arch. Wonderful pictures of this beautiful area.

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