Sipapu Bridge is the northern most of the three major bridges in Natural Bridges National Monument.  The bridges were discovered by a miner named Cass Hite in 1883.  Sipapu is a Hopi word that means ‘place of emergence’.  Bridges are the result of erosion due to water flow, and these structures are distinct from arches that are formed by freeze/thaw action and seeping moisture.  The bridge is almost directly in the center of the image.  In real life as here, it can be a little difficult to discern the bridge.  Sipapu is one of the world’s largest bridges, with a span of ~225 ft and a height of ~144ft. For more information on Sipapu and other natural bridges and arches, check out the web pages of the The Natural Arch and Bridge Society and UtahArches.com.

The image was recorded on 2/14/2009 at 13:00 MST (UTC-7)with the Nikon D700 and the PC-E NIKKOR 24mm f/3.5D ED set at -6 mm shift.  Exposure was f/16 at 1/125s with an ISO of 200.  White balance was established using the WhiBal card and was set in ACR5.2 at a color temperature of 5700 and tint of -14.