On our third trip into Death Valley National Park from our site in Pahrump, NV, it was a cool, partly cloudy day after the rains had passed through. The lighting was different from our previous trips and I think it was the best for bringing out the subtle color in the desert. As an added bonus there were freshly bloomed flowers along the roadside.
Zabriskie Point is right on the main road through the park and an easy paved hike that made it mandatory to stop again on our way to check in at the Furnace Creek Visitor's Center.
I cannot say what drew me to the Devil's Golf Course, but it was definitely worth the half-mile trek down the gravel road. Below is what it would have looked like before it rained two days ago. Now the only delicate salt formations are only two days growth. What is left is as hard as a rock.
You have to be careful walking here because if you were to fall it would be very painful. The dried, heaved earth is covered with extremely crusty salt that will easily cut your skin. Everything seemed to dry and harden into sharp and pointed shapes.
The delicate aspect of the salt was dissolved in the rain and has started anew.
The wispy hairlike formations have formed since it rained two days ago.
After many tries to capture down the small hole, using the flash finally worked.
This visit, there were a lot fewer people at Badwater Basin (maybe our timing was better between the tour buses.) Water levels appeared the same as before the rain. The Ranger explained that even though they had 0.37 inches of rain it will take months to seep to the basin low spots since the area is so nearly level here.
As the water evaporates, the salts are formed into tiny salt strands that are shaped by the winds. It really adds a different dimension to the basin on a macro scale.
Since Artist Drive was one of our favorites, it deserved a repeat visit. This time some hiking deep into the Artist's Palette was the plan. The cloudy skies helped to enhance the colors and kept the car cool for Sam as we hiked.
"Hey, I can see our car from here!" We really enjoyed hiking through the colorful hills of Artist's Palette. You have to love a park that allows you to immerse yourself in the landscape. Even though there were maybe a dozen others doing the same thing in the area we were able to capture our pictures as if there was no one around.
The rock below was just along the roadside and required us to stop on our way home. It made you stop to think about how many years it will take before the wind and rain will abrade and weaken the structure enough for it to topple. Of course, that led us to wonder how many years it had taken to get it to its current shape - you know it was a long time!
This formation was about 8 - 10 feet above the ground. (David is standing back a bit.)
It was a bit sad to leave today, but like most of the National Parks we have visited so far, we look forward to visiting it again someday.
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