Archway to heaven

Impressive photo of the Mobius Arch, a geological formation located on the Alabama Hills, rock formations close to the Sierra Nevada Mountains in California, USA. In fact you can see the Mount Whitney in the background, the highest summit of the Sierra Nevada with its 14,505 feet (4,421 m) elevation. Let’s come back to the Mobius Arch, the famous geological formation attracting tens of thousands of tourists every year. And why not, it’s so odd still beautiful. It’s not the only arch at the Alabama Hills, there are also the Lathe Arch, the Eye of Alabama and the Whitney Portal Arch but this one was chosen by photographer Mark Lehrbass to capture both the beauty of this arch and the beauty of the Milky Way.

Not an easy job with the ever-changing weather, Mark had to camp out for five days before the sky cleared enough to let him get this fabulous shot. A shot he deserves all the credit (visit his website for more stunning photos) and appreciation. A glorious picture with sublime late night view of the arch and the mountains in the background. Curious about the gear used by Mark in this attempt? Just a Nikon D810 at 14mm, f/2.8, ISO 3200 and a 15 seconds wait time. Sounds simple, yeah? Well, it isn’t.

But, if you ever think of trying it, capturing a similar photography, here’s what you need to know about getting to the Mobius Arch. Follow the Whitney Portal Road from Lone Pine up to Movie Road (let yourself guided by the GPS), then take the Movie Road for about 1.5 miles. When you reach a T-intersection you’re ready to park. Hiking is the next stage of your journey to the Mobius Arch. The trail is well-marked now, this is something new, it wasn’t marked two years ago. Still, I recommend you have a GPS at hand, just in case.

When you reach the base of the arch don’t just take a photo and leave it. Take your time to admire the natural surroundings, it’s considered one of the most dramatic scenes in the western United States. And of course the arch which is impressive itself. The arch has a span of 17 feet, and is 6 feet in height not so big but not a small one. Depending on the sources, you’ll also find it by the names Movie Road Arch, Mobius Arch, Moebius Arch and even Galen Arch.