This is an arch in the making. If we come back in several thousand years, or longer, it will be completed…and if we wait even longer, it will be gone…collapsed into ruble by gravity and the forces of nature. Its like most all things in nature…they are born, they live, they die….they just take a little longer than humans.
But for now, it is just a lovely alcove carved into a huge rock by combinations of water, wind, and hot and cold temperatures. High above the alcove you will most likely find sinkholes, holding rainwater. Eventually, those holes will deepen and break through the back of the alcove…then let the real arch begin to form!
The alcove’s beautiful shape and layers are enhanced by the black desert varnish (aka “rock varnish” and “desert patina”). You find this material in many locations in the Southwest. It is mostly composed of clay, which arrives by wind. Clay, then, acts as a substrate to catch additional substances that chemically react together when the rock reaches high temperatures in the desert sun. Wetting by dew is also an important part of the process.
I photographed this alcove inside Long Canyon, along the Burr Trail, off of Highway 12 in Utah. In the past, you have seen other images from Long Canyon…one of Utah’s most beautiful spots. It is one of my favorite places in the state and hope I can get back there again…especially just after a rainstorm, which is when I photographed here. Enjoy.
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To see more of my work, both in photography and digital painting, please visit my website, www.corkrum.com.
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