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36Clicks
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# Posted: 5 Aug 06 22:08 - Edited by: 36Clicks
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Death Valley is one of the worlds' most remote, forbidding places. Located on the border between California and Nevada, it's not only one of the lowest places (-86m below sea level)in the western hemisphere, but also one of the hottest. With temperatures ranging between -20 degrees C and +56 degrees C, the climate is, to put mildly, extreme. It's my kind of place: not a single moment in time nor place is the same, and within the barren, rugged and emptiness of the place, there's a beauty and mesmerising tranquility hidden in it's vastness up to the smallest elements.
Dante's Peak
The first place to go to when entering from the east (Las Vegas / Nevada side) is Dante's View, with it's vast view over the south part of Death Valley National Park. You can see the the salt flats (Devils' Golf Course) and Badwater, the lowest and hottest point in the Western hemisphere. An amazing view of the remote, forbidding beauty that awaits you. If you think this first glimpse is nice, wait till you set foot in Death Valley's wonders.
 
Racetrack Playa
One of the highlights of my trip to Death Valley is undoubtedly Racetrack Playa, famous for it's moving rocks. This phenomenon isn't easy to reach. A 50 mile bumpy, unpaved washboard path takes you there, past Teakettle Junction, a remnant of hippy times, still very much active.
Racetrack Playa is an almost perfectly flat dry lake bed nestled between the Cottonwood Mountains to the east and the Last Chance Range to the west.
After intervals of heavy rain, the lake bed turns into a massive mud-pool. As scorching desert sun dries the mud, it shrinks and cracks into a mosaic of interlocking polygons.
 
The rocks, ranging from pebbles to boulders of over 250kg in weight move by themselves. There are quite a few theories about how those rocks move, but nobody knows exactly how it happens.
The most far fetched theory is that microscopic algae reduce the friction between the mud bed. Other, more plausible theories, claim heavy winds entering the valley push the rocks over the lake bed when rain turn the race track playa into a mud lake. Another theory combines the latter with patches of ice, embedding the rocks and acting as sails to get the bigger rocks in motion.
Either way, the patterns left by the huge boulders, sometimes straight, others curved, and some leaving rather erratic, hooked, trails is mystifying and quite spectacular.
 
Artist Palette
South of Furnace Creek off Badwater Road via one-way paved road, leading to a spectacular array of colours and minerals Oxidation has produced a rainbow of colors in the eroded clay deposits of ancient lakebed sediments.
 
The colors are most intense during late afternoon. Artist's Palette, about halfway along the drive, is a particularly unusual mosaic of red, yellow, orange, green, violet, brown and black hues.
 
Devil's Golf Course
As several ancient lakes evaporated, they left alternating layers of salt and gravel deposits on the valley floor. These layers are at least 1000 feet deep and cover an area 200 square miles.
 
Moisture rises to the surface from the shallow water table, carrying salt in solution. On the surface the moisture evaporates, leaving the salt to crystalize and be sculpted into sharp ridges and spires by rain and wind. The crust itself is 95% pure table salt.
You can hear the hard crust crackle as it expands and contract as the air temperature changes. These photos were taken at sunrise. In mid-February, the night time temperatures were below zero, but as soon as the first rays of sun hit the saltflats, the temperature rose to above 20 degrees C within minutes. Breathtaking!
 
Ubehebe Crater
The remnants of the volcanic activity in the area, a series of volcanic craters, cinder cones and ash hills, all relics from an explosive steam eruption about 2,000 years ago, when rising magma met an underground lake. Ubehebe is by far the largest crater, 2,400 feet in diameter and 500 feet deep
 
Keane's Wonder Mine
A once prosperous, now abandoned ruin of a gold and silver mine. The scattered remainders of the excavation as well as the corroded metal parts give the area the ominous, devastated and eerie feel of a ghost town.
 
 
Badwater
Badwater is the lowest point in the Western hemispeher at -85m below sea level. Surrounded by the threatening volcanic mountains. The water has a definate odor to it. Brine flies, shrimp and several types of plants survive in this salty, alkaline environment. Originally called "Lake Manly" by the indians, the name "Badwater" came from one of the first prospectors of the Death Valley minerals, who attempted to let his mule drink from the lake. Upon refusal by the animal, it was widely believed the water was poisonous, changing its name forever.
 
 
to be continued...
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36Clicks
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# Posted: 5 Aug 06 22:44 - Edited by: 36Clicks
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Eagle Borax Works
Eagle Borax Works was the first borax refinery in Death Valley. Founded by Isadore Daunet, the works was producing by 1882. The inefficiency of the refineries' operation led to financial failure. It closed after two years, processing only 150 tons of relatively low grade ore.
 
 
Zabriskie's Point
As well as being the title of a curious film by Antonioni (1969), Zabriskie Point is an elevated overlook of a colourful, undulating landscape of gullies and mud hills at the edge of the Funeral Mountains, a few miles from Death Valley - from the viewpoint, the flat salt plains on the valley floor are visible in the distance.
 
 
Charcoal Kilns
Altough they date only to 1877, these immense structures look like remnants of an ancient civilization. The 10 beehive-shaped kilns are each 30 feet in diameter and 30 feet tall. They were built to produce charcoal from the surrounding piñon pine forest for the Madoc Mine smelter, 25 miles to the west across the Panamint Valley.
 
Augeberry Point
Across the Devils' Golf Course and the Death Valley, near the entrance to the desert from the west, you'll find Augeberry Point, the second lookout point over the valley, probably as mesmerising as the first.
 
Sources and more information:
Death Valley images
America South West National Parks
Death Valley, California
Geology of Death Valley
National Parks USA - Death Valley
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de stilte
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# Posted: 5 Aug 06 23:27
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Great pictures, and great to read something about it, especially about 'Racetrack Playa' it is very strange phenomenon and most about it that I like is that no one seems to be able to explain it ...........little secrets of mother nature ...:)
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Bunny
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# Posted: 6 Aug 06 00:49
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Thank you for all these wunderful pictures and the explenation of it!
i was 10 years ago there and the most fasciating for me (who lives in the mountains) was to be at the lowest point.. certainly the moving rock would be more fasciating, but i havent even known they are placed there... :-(
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dingo
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# Posted: 6 Aug 06 00:58
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thanks .will be back to look at this again and again
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miek waling
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# Posted: 6 Aug 06 02:09
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Thank you so much for the magnificent pictures and all the information. Like dingo I certainly will re-read the text and enjoy your photos time after time in the weeks to come.
Nice Sunday to all of you.
Miek.
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Joop O
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# Posted: 6 Aug 06 08:18 - Edited by: Joop O
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Very well done Hugo, thanks. Makes me want to go there.
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giz
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# Posted: 6 Aug 06 09:37
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great story and pictures,never been there though, but can remember quiet well Zabriski point from the movie, and the shot with exploding fridge in the end!
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pavman
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# Posted: 6 Aug 06 11:20
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Thanks for a great collection of pictures and the stories behind them Cheers P
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nature
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# Posted: 6 Aug 06 11:43
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Pretty report is is well to have the photographs sorted to think the characteristics of each place. Thank you to share it with us !
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Aitor G.
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# Posted: 6 Aug 06 12:20
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Hugo!! This is great!! A wonderful story and most amazing pictures!! well done!
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Aline
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# Posted: 7 Aug 06 07:48
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The place is amazing, your pictures at the level of its magic. And your work extremely well done. Thank you, Hugo, for giving us the possibility to slip a look there.
Ha Ha....no answer for the moving rocks !
("Zabriskie point" is a very impressive movie)
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36Clicks
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# Posted: 7 Aug 06 16:54
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Hi Aline, there is an explanation, although it's only proven beyond reasonable doubt:
The rocks, ranging from pebbles to boulders of over 250kg in weight move by themselves. There are quite a few theories about how those rocks move, but nobody knows exactly how it happens.
The most far fetched theory is that microscopic algae reduce the friction between the mud bed. Other, more plausible theories, claim heavy winds entering the valley push the rocks over the lake bed when rain turn the race track playa into a mud lake. Another theory combines the latter with patches of ice, embedding the rocks and acting as sails to get the bigger rocks in motion.
Either way, the patterns left by the huge boulders, sometimes straight, others curved, and some leaving rather erratic, hooked, trails is mystifying and quite spectacular.
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John Melskens
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# Posted: 7 Aug 06 20:16
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@ 36Clicks - great story about a place that we all heard of but most of us have never seen for themselves. The moving rocks and the theaories about why they move is food for a lot of specylation. Offcoarse.
Zabriskie Point - I know that movie too. I didn't know it was in Death Valley. must have mist that, if it was said in the movie. Long time ago..........
Oh the pictures? Quality pictures offcoarse. I didn't expect anything less from you.
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Aline
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# Posted: 8 Aug 06 08:06
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Hi Hugo,
Yes, I read carefully your text and the possible and probable explanations. It was so interesting, I searched and found afterwards additional info on http://geosun.sjsu.edu/paula/rtp/intro.html.
But I prefer to know it can subsist a light doubt about these theories, mystery increases the magic power of the site ...
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Akbar
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# Posted: 10 Aug 06 14:37
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Hi Hugo,
Great pics and a very nice story!!
Thank you very much.
Akbar
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