The Wind River Canyon has some of the most fascinating geology in Wyoming, if you just take the time to find them.  Most people race through at speeds that would've seemed crazy to the men that built the first roads through the canyon in the early 20th century.  I always recommend pulling off the roadway, and with binoculars exploring the magical Wind River Canyon; you honestly don't know what you're missing by not taking the time to see these amazing geologic formations.

     The geologic formation, that we will explore today in my blog, is the Arch of the Wind River Canyon.  Even though the Arch is plainly visible to the naked-eye, I'm always surprised by the few people that have ever seen this rock formation for themselves.  Senior citizens that were born around these parts don't even know about the "Eye-of-the-Needle."

     Years ago we mentioned the Arch in the Wind River Canyon to a woman that is infamous in   Thermopolis, and even she'd never seen it.  So out she went with her daughter and her binoculars, and lo and behold she was amazed!  They called the stone arch "Eye-of-the-Needle" and it was an appropriate name, but so few people have ever stopped to see the arch, that it needs some notoriety. 

     Here are the directions for finding the elusive arch in the Wind River Canyon, the "Eye-of-the-Needle."  You need to park near the big curve in the middle of canyon, the corner called "Eye-of-the-Needle" - Wind River Canyon, WyomingArch in Wind River Canyon, Wyoming, with Golden Eagle. "Windy Point."  It's the curve in canyon that seems like it's never going to end; there's a lower parking area to the north of "Windy Point."  The stone arch is high up on the west side of the river; this is the spot that the Bighorn Sheep were released in 1995.  It's the cliffs to the north....now look up....see it yet?  Look harder, and take your time, it's there.  

     This photo was taken last Tuesday morning, and it was cold and windy, to say the least.  The temperature was below freezing, with a stiff breeze and little traffic; but when a rig went by it felt like the North Pole.  I'd photographed the arch many times before; now I was going to get it for my website HogbatsPhotography.com.  I was finally going to get the arch photo "sponge worthy."  But what happened was one of those magical moments in Wind River Canyon.

     I'd set up the tripod and the big Canon rig, and set to work @ ISO 100, f7.1 and 1/500 to counteract wind shake and fear; the sky streaked with high clouds that didn't look promising.  My fingers were cold, and stiffening up, when all of a sudden a Golden Eagle came into frame from some unseen place!  There are always Golden Eagles in the very high unseen cliffs in the cold months; I've chased them around for years with little success, but here was one of those birds posing for me, if I had the speedy finger to capture him.  I shot some frames quickly, and folded up the tripod legs, and ran south down the highway with the whole thing slung over my shoulder!  I set up again as quick as I could, and there was my Eagle making a few rounds again; I wanted him in my landscape photo; I hoped to get it right with him in the picture.

     All too soon the excitement was over, like a lot of other things in life.  But I had pictures to work with and that's what really counts.  So, back to the cabin I went for many hours of decision making.  I had over seventy photos to peruse, and it came down to just two!  This one digital file had the Eagle in the best spot for your eye, and the "rule-of-thirds" was still a go after editing out the extraneous cliffs.  But that sky was so blue that the clouds were almost invisible, so with some experimentation, and a digital red filter, I had what was a good classic, and a good map for finding the "Eye-of-the-Needle."

     There is debate as to how this rock arch formed; my theory is that a rock fell and landed point to point with another----put the photo on your biggest monitor or TV, and you come up with some geological theory of your own.  One way or the other this "Eye-of-the-Needle" is a unique and fun diversion when zooming through the Wind River Canyon; stop and take a look; and to my Shoshone friend....you're right, Eagles are magical creatures. 

Thank you for reading my blog on life in Wind River Canyon; next week back to the birds!

Writing, photography, digital darkroom by Michael John Balog