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!)
Trips & Travel
Water In The Desert (2)
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.
Death Valley: More Salt Details
Some close-up photos of fascinating salt details in Death Valley, and the story of how we drove ALMOST the entire length of West Side Road… TWICE. 🤪
Getting Dusted
Winter storms in California typically approach from the west, which means it’s raining more at the coast than in the deserts, and the resulting pressure gradient often translates to high winds in the desert. The surprise for us was how quickly conditions changed, during our January trip to Death Valley.
Mud Play (1)
Why is photographing mud tiles such a thing among photographers? It’s almost a cliché at this point — but exploring the endless variations of shapes and tones and patterns makes it easy to get lost in them. So maybe that’s why it’s a thing!
Lazy Morning in the Dunes
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*.