NABSQNO 12S-697340-4324610
An unnamed waterfall natural bridge in Colorado National Monument, Colorado
Photo by Henry Wede
NABSQNO 12S-697340-4324610. This small but very interesting natural arch is a waterfall natural bridge eroded through stacked bedding planes of Entrada sandstone with varying degrees of hardness. It is located above Ute Canyon opposite from Suction Point in Colorado National Monument, Mesa County, Colorado. There are no maintained trails to the arch. As of this writing, August 2009, this feature is a clustering of four natural arches. However, one of these openings is a very recent development in the feature's evolution. Indeed, the smallest opening is only two to three years old. The series of three photos below is only the second known set of photographs to capture the formation of a natural arch, albeit a rather small one.
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The top photo of the series was taken in May 1991 by Jay Wilbur. There is no opening and no obvious evidence that one is forming. The middle photo was taken in May 2006 by Dave Kennedy. Clearly a section of rock has sloughed off (see arrows), but no opening is present yet. One might have guessed at that time, however, that an opening would soon develop. The bottom photo, a detail of the Henry Wede photo above, was taken in May 2009. A small, fourth opening has formed. Although no official name has ever been proposed for this arch, it has been known locally as "Triple Bridge" for several years. That name is no longer appropriate. The largest of the four openings has a span of 5.5 feet. The span of the newest, and smallest opening is less than a foot. |
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