Mud Play (2)

Last light on cracked, drying mud of the Amargosa River at Ashford Junction, Death Valley National Park, California; January 2023.

These detail photos of drying and cracking mud were made before and after I made the photo of the Amargosa River itself that I showed in the previous post. Maybe it’s a bit wishful thinking that three images each do work, with last light and twilight, respectively, but I think they’re different enough to justify showing them. (I have no idea how the relatively even stripes in the third photo might have formed!)

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Water In The Desert (2)

Warm light of late afternoon illuminates desert landscape and the flowing Amargosa River at Ashford Junction in Death Valley National Park, California; January 2023.

Since we had to backtrack some 30 miles from the — for us, impassable — crossing of the Amargosa River in Death Valley, our timing to drive home had somehow changed a little bit. :) Approaching from the other side and the paved road, we just so happened to be near the river crossing in the late afternoon, and decided to stop and take a look at our “foe”, the muddy, flowing river.

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Lazy Morning in the Dunes

Creosote shrubs in a depression with drying and cracking mud, Mesquite Flats, Death Valley National Park, California; January 2023.

On the second morning of our Death Valley trip we took it easy. We slept in a little bit and a beautiful mixture of clouds and clear sky greeted us. After a good breakfast from the buffet in the restaurant at Stovepipe Wells we packed our things, loaded the car, checked out, and drove the short distance to the dunes of Mesquite Flat*.

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