Darla and Lewis Under Mobius Arch
Alabama Hills, CA – Tuesday, December 30, 2008

The Alabama Hills are a set of foothills that sit at the base of the Sierra Nevada Range just below Mount Whitney and at the edge of the small community of Lone Pine. Despite numerous trips through Lone Pine, it had only been a couple years since I had become aware that this little treasure of granite arches was sitting just off the highway.

Sunset in the Alabama Hills
Alabama Hills, CA – Tuesday, December 30, 2008

We’d stopped here in the summer of 2007 just after descending from the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest but it was far too hot to do any exploring; the temperature was close to 110 degrees. Today’s temperatures were far more reasonable.

Mobius Arch in the Pink
Alabama Hills, CA – Wednesday, December 31, 2008

There are many different granite arches hidden in the Alabama Hills but my favorite one is Mobius Arch. This arch was made famous by the late Galen Rowell, an amazing landscape photographer whose only weakness was an affinity for Nikon gear. (Kidding.) Galen’s Bishop, California, gallery remains open. It is well worth a visit.

Frosted Peaks
Alabama Hills, CA – Wednesday, December 31, 2008

Galen always maintained that there was something special about the light of the Eastern Sierra. The more time I spend in this area, the more I feel like I understand what he meant. The first light on Mt. Whitney reminded me more of a painting than reality.

Mobius Arch in Morning Gold
Alabama Hills, CA – Wednesday, December 31, 2008

By the time the morning sun shone down on Mobius Arch, the color of the light had shifted from a hot pink to an orange glow. The transition was dramatic. I felt very fortunate to be here on this particular morning.

All to Myself
Alabama Hills, CA – Wednesday, December 31, 2008

I also felt fortunate to have Mobius Arch to myself. I had yet to see another person this morning. This isn’t always the case. I know many photographers arrive at the arch only to find that someone else has already staked their claim for the morning. Unlike Death Valley’s Zabriskie Point or Mesquite Dunes, there is only room for two or three photographers at Mobius—and only one spot where it is possible to frame Mt. Whitney through the arch.

Rise and Shine
Alabama Hills, CA – Wednesday, December 31, 2008

When I said I had yet to see another person this morning that included Darla and Lewis, who were still in bed when I returned to the camper. They missed a good show. Now it was time to have a little breakfast and then hit the road. We had to be on our way to Pasadena where we would stake our claim to a spot along the route for the 2009 Rose Parade.

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