Tag Death Valley National Park

Dust Storms

Boardwalk winding next to a sand dune.

We aren't too alarmed when we hear about the wind advisory in Death Valley. After our December experiences with tornados in Kentucky and Kansas, we don't think much of winds in sunny California. Even so, we don't have to be in Tornado Alley for winds to whip up quite a storm. Rather than dropping tree limbs and flipping trailers, this wind kicks up a dust storm so great as to block out the surrounding mountain range and, later on, the sun. We wander Death Valley through a muted haze. Even in that midday twilight, we wear sunglasses and masks to protect our eyes and airways from the grit and dust kicked up by the wind.

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Devils Hole

Devils Hole is one of the most fascinating but commonly overlooked natural features in the world for so many reasons. But it seems like only scientists and drunks pay it much head.

Finally, my new lens has come in handy to photograph the rarest fish found in the wild. The Devils Hole Pupfish only lives in a subterranean cave isolated in the Nevada desert. Technically, this site is an annex of Death Valley National Park but it is quite a distance from the main National Park. Think of it like Hawaii, relatively small and distant from the main 48, but a treasure unto itself.

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Wildflowers of The Mojave

Deserts are often considered to be synonymous with desolation. They are seen as barren tracts of sand dunes to travers in flowing white robes astride a camel or stallion in Lawrence of Arabia style. Yet, deserts are incredibly diverse ecosystems and the Mojave spans a wide range of territory including parts of California, Nevada, and Arizona. Along with sand dunes and hot springs, the Mojave is home to a brilliant array of wildflowers.

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Summer in Badwater

I can tell you that we experienced 120°F, but I don't think a numeric measurement could convey what such heat does to a human body. Each step away from a cool air conditioned car winnows away energy, drive, optimism, and curiosity. The cool car becomes a recharging station, where one regains the will and ability to strive.  The car is where a cool head can set priorities: how far I can safely travel and what pictures will I take. And when one comes to a point where cool air is no longer forthcoming, how willingly one will just give up.

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