G Dan Mitchell Photography

Photographing Death Valley – Part 2

Posted on 05 July 2011

NOTE: THIS IS NOT A FINISHED POST – IT IS A WORK IN PROGRESS…

(This article is an experiment in web publishing. Rather that keeping this article hidden until it is finished, I’m going to make a link to this draft version available and let folks watch it evolve and even comment if they are so inclined. With that in mind, a few assumptions going into this:

1. Since this is a draft version of a work in progress, there are no guarantees of accuracy!
2. Material that appears in the draft may or may not appear in the final version – heck, it may change while you are viewing it!
3. Helpful comments are welcome and even encouraged. For various reasons – including a desire to control the length of the final piece – I can’t guarantee that I’ll respond to or include all contributions.
4. Since my approach to writing is often to spew lots of words and go back later to trim (some of) the excess verbiage, excuse the inevitable “wordiness” of the draft.
   
5. If this works, I may try it with future posts. If it doesn’t, I might change my mind about this one!
6. When the (what passes for) final version of the post is created, the material at this URL may disappear and it will become available at a new URL.
   

Thanks,

Dan)

I recently revised part 1 of this series, and since the post had become quite long decided to divide it into two sections – this is part 2. Part 1 includes some important background information, explanations, and a disclaimer or two. I strongly urge you to read it as well. Now, taking up where I left of in part 1…

Mosaic Canyon

Mosaic Canyon is a short drive up the alluvial fan from Stovepipe Wells – you can typically spot the road from Stovepipe by looking for the dust clouds from vehicles traveling this gravel road. Although I have not witnessed the phenomenon, I understand that the canyon gets its name from some of the rock patterns that are revealed when the rocks are wet. The canyon starts at the top of a wide, gravel wash and quickly narrows, in places becoming quite narrow for short distances. Steep side walls reveal plenty of interesting geology. For the most part, foot travel up the lower part of the canyon is pretty easy and straightforward, though there are a few sections where you might need to use your hands a bit. I’ve been a good distance up the canyon, but certainly not to anything that looked like the canyon’s end. I hear that you can start in this canyon and travel along ways into these hills, though I have no first-hand information on that.

In these canyons you can often find interesting subjects and lighting a bit closer to the middle of the day. Besides easy access and its intrinsic visual interest, Mosaic has one other virtue for photographers. Being a narrow and deep in sections, the direct light doesn’t go straight down into the canyon until the sun is fairly high in the sky – at least not during the “high season” when the days are shorter and the sun doesn’t rise as high. Because of this, Mosaic Canyon is on my list of places to shoot after I finish my early morning photography or before I start my late afternoon/evening shooting.

I think there are plenty of fairly obvious subjects to work with here. The curving and twisting rock shapes are very interesting as are some of the areas where layering is easy to see. The juxtaposition of gravel in the bottom of the wash and the smooth shapes of the rocks is appealing. I’ve had some luck photographing in the wide section where the canyon emerges into the larger Valley. People photography here is also interesting as visitors pass through narrow sections or emerge into some of the wider and more open spaces. From some vantage points, especially if you find a spot to climb up a bit, there are views back down the canyon toward the Valley beyond, and these can include  both close and far mountains and sometimes interesting clouds.

Titus Canyon

Titus Canyon is a special Death Valley location. If this area were in a more accessible park there would probably be a mile-long line-up of vehicles waiting to enter. Fortunately, it is not that accessible and you will generally not encounter big crowds. There are essentially two ways to visit the canyon:

• You can arrive at the canyon mouth by turning off the main roadway between the Death Valley Dunes/Stovepipe area and the Scotty’s Castle/Ubehebe Crater area and following a relatively short and well-maintained gravel road up the fan to the edge of the mountains. There is a small parking lot at the entrance to the canyon. Although the road continues, it is one way coming down the canyon, so you cannot continue to drive up the canyon from here. But you can walk, and it isn’t too far to reach some of the spectacular narrow and steep walled sections of this slot canyon on foot. If you want to photograph the lower canyon, it makes way more sense to park at the lower end of the canyon and walk up rather than driving the long road from near Rhyolite. (Do keep an eye out for cars that will pass by as then complete the drive from the Amargosa Desert.)
• If you have the right vehicle (decent ground clearance and probably 4WD, for example) and aren’t unnerved by a somewhat long drive on a mostly decent gravel road that includes a few steep and exposed sections, you can drive the gravel road through the canyon from the east. The road begins east of Death Valley in the Amargosa Valley near the ghost town of Rhyolite. (I often combine a dawn visit to Rhyolite with a return drive through Titus Canyon – typically after stopping for breakfast and less expensive gas in Beatty, Nevada.) The drive is spectacular – it starts with relatively level terrain before beginning the ascent into the mountain range along the east side of Death Valley. Along the way there are many, many spectacular views worthy of a stop and, in some cases, a short walk to do photography as the road traverses this very rugged country. After topping the summit of this range the road descends on a steep and somewhat narrow track into the upper drainage that will eventually take you back out to Death Valley at the base of Titus Canyon. Along the way as you descend there is much to see, including the abandoned site of the Leadville (make-believe) mine. Eventually as you get to the lower section of this valley the canyon narrows and you find yourself driving through a very narrow and very tall and steep slot canyon – one of the most spectacular accessible locations in the park. Finally you emerge into the main valley at the point described in the previous paragraph.

My experience photographing along the road through Titus Canyon has been limited to midday hours since I have always made the trip in conjunction with a dawn visit to Rhyolite – so I can only speak to midday photo opportunities though direct experience. (Although I haven’t been out there at these times, I’m certain that there could be some fine sunrise opportunities along the eastern portion of the road and perhaps some fine late-day light along the summit and to the west.) The rugged terrain is always compelling, and on days where there are some clouds in the sky – especially thunder clouds – it is possible to photograph some of the long vistas even in this light. Fortunately, there are many places on this drive where mountains and steep canyon walls block the direct sun. For this reason, Titus Canyon is one of those places on my “possible to photograph during the day” list – among the locations that I’ll shoot between the early morning and late afternoon subjects that tend to be at their prime only at those hours. The lower canyon, in particular, is suitable for photography at almost any time of the day since the very steep walls prevent direct light from reaching the bottom during the months when you are most likely to visit.

Aguereberry Point

Aguereberry Point is a spectacular and exposed overlook high on a ridge in the Panamint Range to the west of Death Valley. In my experience it gets far fewer visits than the better known Dantes View on the east side – probably because the road to Dantes View is a lot better. I don’t think I’ve ever encountered more than one or two other cars here. The smaller number of visitors is probably due to the more difficult driving on a gravel road that becomes a quite twisty and then rather exposed as it traverses a narrow ridge near the end. People with a fear of heights may not be comfortable here.

Getting to Aguereberry Point requires a long drive and the last part is on a (decent) gravel road. You start out by heading west from Stovepipe Wells, then taking the left turn up toward Wild Rose Canyon. After climbing a good distance up this road – which itself presents some good subjects for photography – you reach the left turn to Aguereberry Point, and the gravel road departs across a large flat area. Before long you pass an obvious old mine site, one of the more recently abandoned structures in the park. Before long the road becomes a more twisty as it winds toward the summit of the Panamints. Near where it reaches the top of the ridge it turns to the left and ascends across a ridge briefly – in spectacular and exposed fashion – to a small parking lot. (Squeamish drivers and their right-seat passengers may want to make a special effort to look straight ahead or to the left during this section. ;-) The view from the parking area is quite good, but a short walk out along a nearby ridge that extends to the east leads to even better views – and a ton of exposure. If you are afraid of heights, steel yourself! It isn’t dangerous, but it is exposed. The spot has been rather windy on all of my visits, and the temperature can be a lot lower than what you left behind in Death Valley – so dress accordingly.

My preference has been to arrive in the late afternoon before the sun gets too low, and when I go here this usually becomes both my afternoon and evening subject. Before evening the shadows of the Panamint ridges are all ready filling the deep and rugged canyons below you on the east side of the range above Death Valley, though sun still hits the ridge tops here and there, and Death Valley and the surrounding and more distant peaks are fully illuminated. There are spectacular views in almost every direction, and trying to pick out separate compositions from among this wild diversity of landscape can be difficult. A deep canyon and ridge run down in front and to the right with the Valley beyond. To the left you can see the distant Funeral Mountains and the upper part of Death Valley. Additional high ridges appear to the north, and to the west ridge after ridge leads to the distant peaks of the southern Sierra Nevada.

I often begin by photographing canyons below and to the right. This is a tough lighting problem since much of the scene is in full sun while the depths of the valley are in shadow and the landscape down there is somewhat low contrast. I prefer to shoot it while some direct sun remains on the ridge tops. After this I may turn my attention to sections of the still sunny landscape to the east and north, including the floor of Death Valley, distant ridges, and interesting landforms along the base of the Panamints. Finally, as the light to the east diminishes I move back up toward the parking lot and if the lighting and atmosphere are conducive I photograph the Sierra as late afternoon and evening shadows lengthen and fill the valleys to the west. This is another tremendous exposure challenge since the most compelling lighting here happens as the sun drops lower… and into your frame. Ideally, you might photograph this on a day when late afternoon thunderstorms build over the Sierra and when there can be some clouds above your location as well.

Although this usually starts as an afternoon shoot for me, by the time I finish it is usually twilight, and by the time I return to Death Valley it is often dark. This is one of those Death Valley drives that always seems to end up being much longer than I anticipate. When I’m down in the Valley looking up at the Panamints I often imagine that this is just a short drive up and back. While the mileage isn’t all that great, the large climb and the miles of slower gravel road add up, and it ends up taking the better part of half of my day.

Afternoon and evening are not the only times worth photographing here. And at certain times of the year you may be able to include snow in your photographs. That’s all I’ll say for now.

Scotty’s Castle

Scotty’s Castle is perhaps a definitive example of those oddball things that crop up in Death Valley – the desert does attract its share of crackpots!  I won’t attempt to recount the history of the place in any detail, but the readers digest version is that rich city guy meets slightly off-kilter desert rat and the result is a castle in the wilderness. I took the tour once many years ago, and I’m glad I did – it is an interesting place and an interesting story. As a photography subject it seems to not quite fit into the rest of my approach to Death Valley, and I have made few exposures of the place. You mileage may differ, and I have seen interesting photography done in and around the castle. If you do plan to shoot it, check ahead to see what restrictions there may be on interior photography during the organized tours. There are also potentially interesting subjects outside of the commercial tour – you can walk close to many of the buildings around the edges of the main “castle” without taking the tour, and there is interesting stuff in slightly more outlying areas around the property.

I do regularly incorporate a visit to Scotty’s Castle into my Death Valley journeys in one unusual way. I almost always stop there after my return drives from the Racetrack. By that time – after 24 hours or more out in the desert and about 60 miles of gravel road driving, I emerge back at what more or less passes for civilization at the Ubehebe Crater parking lot in the middle of the day. I’m hot. I’m tired. I’m dusty. I’m over driving on gravel roads. So I usually head up to Scotty’s Castle and find a shaded picnic bench on the lawn (!) under the grove of trees (!) and rest up a bit.

Ubehebe Crater

Ah, what to say about Ubehebe Crater? I’ve been there and been past there quite a few times, though I have not made any real attempts to serious photograph this site. Ubehebe Crater is located in the upper end of Death Valley, down a short road from near the entrance station not far from Scotty’s Castle. The crater is volcanic in origin, and you can find other evidence of volcanic activity in the area including some nearby smaller craters. It is, indeed, an immense and most impressive hole in the ground! :-)

I suppose that my failure to properly photograph the place may be due to the circumstances of many of my visits. Generally I go there when I’m on my way to or from the Racetrack, since that route starts right below the parking lot for the crater. For this reason I’ve always been there during the challenging times of the day for light – late morning to early afternoon, and on completely sunny days to boot.

I’ll speculate a bit here. I think that there could be some really interesting photographic possibilities here in the right conditions. Visiting very early or late in the day could be a start. Going on a day when there are some clouds could also help. I think that prospects might be better if some thought is given not only to the crater itself, but to the background geography – higher mountains in a couple directions and more open terrain in others. I have been fascinated by some of the very raw and rugged and dry country along the last part of the road before the crater, where it winds though some interesting hills.

The Racetrack

I’ll try to keep this section under control, but it will be hard. There is a lot to say about the Racetrack – as a photographic subject, as a place of great geological interest, and as one heck of a long and teeth-rattling drive. Actually, I’ve already written quite a bit on this topic. Some other earlier post include the following:

• Visiting the Racetrack Playa
• Photographing the Moving Rocks at Racetrack Playa
• When NOT to Visit the Racetrack
• Photographing Death Valley – Part 1

The Moving Rocks - The Racetrack is the site of the well-known “moving rocks” (or “sliding rocks”) that clearly have moved across the surface of the high desert playa, leaving tracks in their wakes, some of which are very long. Adding to the mystery, some of the rocks are quite large – perhaps the size of a microwave set. No one has ever seen them move, though now that sliding rock positions have been GPS marked, I think that the next time they move we’ll have some clear evidence of what happens. If you visit the playa you’ll probably notice the small hill near the south end that is the obvious source of the rocks. The hill is composed of the same type of rocks and sits right on the edge of the playa. On the playa near the base of this hill you can see many rocks that are just beginning their “fantastic voyages” across the playa surface.

There are various theories to explain the moving rocks. Some are fond of imaging that “the aliens did it,” and if you are too far out there by youself and in a certain state of mind, I can understand how such unusual explanations might cross your mind. I prefer more prosaic explanations. At one point the claim was that the rocks were simply blown around by the very strong winds that occur on the playa. A playa is a large flat surface – the flattest on the planet – that is formed when water washes gravel down from the surrounding hills and creates a shallow, wide lake on the flat playa surface. The fine silt can apparently become somewhat slippery when it is wet. As the early theory had it, the wet playa provided enough lubrication that the rocks were free to move during the strong winds. This theory has apparently been discredited. Someone calculated that, yes, wind could move rocks on the wet playa surface… but they would have to blow at something like 800 mph to move the larger rocks! I’ve experienced some very strong winds out there, but nothing remotely close to 800 mph!

Another theory I’ve heard seems more plausible. Again, it depends on a wet playa to create slippery conditions for the rocks. But this theory adds ice to the equation. Before you reject this (“Ice in Death Valley!?”) consider than this playa is at a much higher elevation than the lowlands of Death Valley, and that it gets quite cold out in this part of the park. I’ve seen snow nearby and I’ve experienced very cold conditions even when there was no snow. So, if we agree that it can get very cold, let’s put that together with a shallow lake on the playa. In the right conditions, the surface of the water could freeze, locking the rocks in the thin ice. In much the same way that arctic pack ice is blown around by the wind, the wind (at much lower than 800 mph velocities!) could act on the larger surface areas of ice and move it, dragging along the rocks caught in the frozen surface of the ice. This seems believable for a few other reasons as well. First, the “digging” effect that some of the rocks have on the playa surface is consistent with this sort of motion. Second, the fact that rock tracks are seen to curve in parallel with one another suggests that rocks were locked at a fixed distance from one another as they moved… as they would be if they were frozen into ice.

From what I have read, the issue isn’t totally settled. There is apparently some thought that more than one process might be at work - e.g., some small rocks might move simply due to wind while others may have been moved by the ice/wind combination.

The Road to the Playa - One of the main concerns of visitors to the Racetrack is the road. The news is perhaps better than you might fear but perhaps not as good as you might hope. The 27-mile gravel road starts at Ubehebe Crater. Along the way you’ll encounter some fairly deep gravel, the worst God-awful bone-jarring and teeth-rattling washboard surface you have ever driven on, a few sections that have very deep ruts, some mildly twisty and narrow sections, and perhaps a few wacko drivers going way faster than they should. Most people will not consider the drive to be much fun at all, and a drive to the Racetrack is not something to be undertaken lightly.

Overall it is not an impossibly technical road, but it requires an appropriate vehicle, patience, and some careful and (hopefully!) skillful driving. The last time I checked, the official NPS recommendation was that the road is best navigated using a high clearance 4WD vehicle with good tires. (I recommend always checking with the Park office to verify road conditions before driving into the back-country.) Unless you have good judgment and significant experience with this sort of driving you might want trust their advice. I’ll agree that the drive is the sort where such a vehicle can earn its keep!

At the opposite extreme I’ve read reports from people who drove out their in low-slung urban vehicles including sub-compacts and even (or so I hear) a Toyota Prius. (I have a Prius and there is no way I would take it on that road!) On my drives to the Racetrack I’ve seen just about every motorized vehicle imaginable, including some that I wouldn’t take out there. Drivers in what I regard as inappropriate vehicles often don’t look like they are having much fun at all – they are reduced to creeping along at 5 mph or less, worrying about damage to their tires and the undercarriage of their vehicles, having to negotiate the rutted sections with extreme care (and crossed-fingers), and hearing rocks and bumps scrape the underside of their cars. While it is true that some folks have gotten out there and back in inappropriate vehicles, I’ve also read the stories of those who tried to do so and ended up with multiple flat tires, vehicle damage, and/or just gave up and turned back after a few miles. There is no cell phone service and I understand that a tow might cost you roughly $1000, and that you might spend more than a day in the process of getting towed out.

I’ve driven the road in three vehicles, so my experience might give a bit of a baseline as you decide what is appropriate for you. I’ve gone in a very high clearance modified 4WD Suburban owned by a friend, a stock 4D Dodge Durango, and a stock Subaru Outback. The drive was, not surprisingly, fine in the two larger vehicles that are essentially trucks. The biggest challenge was no surprise – if you go a bit faster you’ll find yourself sliding around a bit. The first time I took the Subaru to the Racetrack I wondered how it would fare in comparison to the larger truck-like vehicles. The Subaru has decent ground clearance and full-time AWD but is a lighter vehicle with lighter tires. In the end, I felt that it was just fine. For me, the Subaru performed just as well as the Durango on this road, though with its lighter weight I was more inclined to keep my speed down. That, I think, is a Good Thing on this road. As I’ve observed others driving the road I’ve gotten a sense that many seem to be relatively comfortable in a vehicle with better than average ground clearance and a good set of tires, whether or not is has 4WD. My feeling is that the road doesn’t really demand 4WD, at least not in typical good conditions, though I would not drive it in a typical sedan or similar vehicle. For the record, I’m not making any recommendations as to the right vehicle for you – just using these experiences to illustrate my description of the road. (As I wrote this I learned that you could rent 4WD vehicles at Furnace Creek. I don’t know any more about them than what I read on the web, but it sounds interesting for those who don’t own a serious off-road vehicle.)

If you go, I urge you to drive the road slowly. In difficult sections I would slow down to 5mph and I drive other sections at 10 mph. You’ll probably see some folks driving it at much higher speeds – 35mph or faster. For some who have a great deal of experience and skill on such roads and who drive a large, solid 4WD vehicle this can be OK. These drivers are in the minority, and you are probably not one of them. One problem is that some people who lack this experience and/or are driving less solid vehicles see these folks going faster and try it themselves – which is a very poor decision! Most of us are wise to take it easy, go slow, and try to enjoy the scenery. Also, at high speeds your vehicle throws rocks and pebbles with great velocity, so do slow down as you approach oncoming vehicles. (And wave as you pass!)

I usually figure that it will take me about two hours to get to the far end of the playa where the good rocks are. And it will, of course, take another two hours to get back again. Which means four hours of bone-rattling, teeth-loosening, dusty driving. Enjoy!

When to go and when not to go - It should perhaps go without saying that there are certain times when going to the Racetrack is not really a great idea and other times when the trip makes much more sense. Focusing on the positive, let me start with some ideas about good times to visit.

• The best season is the typical Death Valley “cool” season from late fall through about the beginning of April when the temperatures moderate. Note that the Racetrack playa is at a higher elevation (3,708 feet) than the Death Valley proper, so the temperatures can be significant cooler.
• I like photographing the playa when there are least a few clouds, so time your visit with this in mind if you have a bit of flexibility. You may be able to make some guesses based on long-term weather forecasts – when a series of Pacific storms is predicted to cross the southern Sierra you are more likely to see interesting clouds in Death Valley. Once at the park, try to pick a day with some clouds to make the drive to the playa.
• While you can certainly visit the rocks in the middle of the day, the light is far more conducive to photographing them in the late and early hours.

If you do decide to stay overnight, there are a few things you should know. There is a small “campground” a short distance beyond the playa, just before the road continues on over a hill to more distant locales. (I have not driven beyond this point so I have no first-hand experience. I have heard that the road gets much worse after this.) I placed the word campground in quotation marks to make it clear that this is no civilized and improved campground! It consists of essentially a few wide areas along the road with space to pull out and perhaps set up a tent. If I recall correctly there was a very crude outhouse. There is absolutely no water and nothing else at all suggesting civilization. Given the nature of this facility, come fully equipped with even more water than you would bring for a daytime visit and with all the other stuff one needs for overnight camping in the desert. Your mileage may vary, but I found the primitive solitude to be wonderful!

As to when to not go to the playa, I have a few suggestions:

• Stay away when the playa is wet! By definition, there are times when a playa is a shallow and very muddy lake. At these times and until it dries completely, thoughtless people who walk onto the playa will semi-permanently scar the playa and destroy the natural experience and photographic opportunities for those who follow for many years. I can understand how someone might arrive there when the playa is wet (having failed to check with the Park Service ahead of time) and, having invested time and effort in getting to this remote place, be tempted to go onto the playa anyway. To do so is to ignore hundreds of other future visitors who will invest the same effort to get to this astonishing place in the next few years – only to encounter the evidence of your self-centered behavior. If the playa is wet, don’t go. If you arrive and it is wet, stay the hell off the playa. Enjoy the wonderful desert scene and photograph many other interesting subjects – but don’t ruin the main subject that others come to see. Thanks in advance!
• Stay away when the weather is bad. There is a difference between interesting weather and dangerous weather. I hope for interesting weather when I go the Racetrack – interesting cloud formations, perhaps a light shower in the surrounding hills, and so forth. However, some extreme weather can occur out there. The place is notorious for high winds, so you may want to postpone your visit during the sort of conditions that bring dust storms to the Valley. (I once camped at nearby Teakettle Junction during high winds and they blew down tents. I swear that the wind was so strong that the ground shook. We left quickly the next morning.) It can snow at the playa. In winter months cold weather comes to DeVa from time to time, and the Racetrack is nearly 4000 feet higher than some of the lowest parts of the park. During and after heavy rains, the risk of marring the playa is not the only concern – the road can be in poor shape with washouts and flooded creek crossings.
• Don’t go during the hot season unless you know what you are doing and are a glutton for punishment. One can go to the Racetrack in the middle of summer. But why? The most photogenic conditions are unlikely to occur during these times, the place is sun-blasted and very hot, and there is no water.

What and how to photograph - The most obvious answer to the “what?” question is the moving rocks - though there are other things to photograph at the playa. The answer to the “How?” question is a bit more complicated.

Since virtually anyone traveling to the Racetrack Playa is probably there to see and photograph the moving rocks, let’s dive in to that subject. The rocks travel great distances and they can be found scattered widely around the playa. However, the largest number of them and some of the most photogenic are found not too far from their source, a low hill near the south boundary of the playa. From here it isn’t that difficult to find the rocks, though you do have to walk a bit. (Unfortunately you’ll encounter a few tracks with no rocks. As idiotic as it sounds, it seems that some people may have taken a few of the rocks as souvenirs. Why they would do so is beyond me! A rock at the end of a hundred-foot track on the playa is an amazing, miraculous thing. The same rock at home on someone’s mantle is… just a stupid boring rock. What are they thinking!?)

Distances on the playa are deceiving. It will take you longer to get from point to point than you think, and when you turn around and look back towards your car you may be surprised at how much distance you have covered. Assuming that you have arrived in the afternoon and the good light has not yet arrived, spend some time wandering about and finding interesting rocks and tracks. I don’t use one, but I imagine that a GPS could come in handy here – you could enter the coordinates of some of your potential subjects and find them again more easily. This could be especially useful if you need to find particular rocks for night photography.

Beyond looking for interesting rocks, consider a few other things as you look for your subjects. Think about the surrounding terrain in the far distance. Looking back toward where you parked your car you’ll note the large mountain above and too the right of this spot – it will be in the shade late in the day and in the sun in the morning. To the left of the parking area you’ll see a flat and low area with a low hill at the far end and in the distance a fairly impressive range of peaks. They will be backlit in the evening, but they pick up dawn light in the morning. North of you the playa stretches for miles. In the “middle” of the playa you’ll see the mass of The Grandstand, a rocky formation that rises from the flat surface. Beyond the far end of the playa as you look north you’ll see hills gradually rise to the crest of low mountains. Further to your right the ridge begins to rise – light can come over this ridge in the morning and illuminate the north end of the playa and the ridge itself can pick up some good late afternoon light. Above you to the south and the east is a high ridge. It can be a backdrop to long lens shots of rocks, but be aware that it blocks the early morning sun. As the sun clears this ridge in the morning the shadow line moves quickly across the south end of the playa. It can be hard to make an interesting image of a rock, even with a track beyond it. But if you think about the placement of the rock and path relative to these background elements you can connect them – a track can lead the eye to a distant ridge or peak, or if you use a long lens that Grandstand might serve as another point of visual interest to set of closer rocks. Clouds, even high and thin ones, can become part of your composition – especially if the early or late sun lights them up.

Thinking carefully about camera position and shooting direction can make a big difference. The tracks can be somewhat subtle in person – but a track with low sidelight can become more visible. The reflection of the sky on the tracks and the surrounding playa can also help you vary the contrast and texture, and sometimes it can pick up color from sunset or sunrise sky. In the late or early light you may have to deal with some difficult exposure challenges. First, the playa surface does not have a lot of contrast – it shouldn’t be any surprise that dry mud is not exactly a dynamic and compelling photographic subject! In the full sun it can be start and washed-out looking. When the sun drops and the light softens on the playa and the rocks – a magical time – the sky is still very bright. You’ll deal with a tremendously large dynamic range at this point and you may want to use a graduated neutral density filter or plan to compensate in post-production. While we’re on that subject, almost every photograph of the playa and the rocks that I’ve seen was the result of work done in post – either using traditional darkroom techniques (including film and paper choices to emphasize color and contrast) or using newer digital post techniques. I would not eschew these techniques – my goal is to recreate the immediacy of the scene I experience, and when I’m on the playa I find the light and colors anything but dull. Depending upon the conditions and your own vision, you might find a circular polarizer to be useful as well.

I begin shooting before the light is ideal – I want to be “up and running” when the good light develops. This means I want to be out on the playa a couple hours before sunset. I work continuously until the light is gone – I usually shoot until the light is basically gone. As many photographers have discovered, the show doesn’t end at sunset. Often some of the most beautiful light occurs well after sunset, so don’t give in too quickly! I sometimes plan my visits for the full moon since its light provides an entirely different aspect to the playa.

I find the morning light show to be quite different than that of the evening and in some ways more complicated to shoot. Before sunrise you may be able to shoot in the soft pre-dawn light. As the sun rises the tall ridge to the south and east will block the direct sun for some time. However, the light begins to strike more distant subjects – early on it hits the steep ridge in the far west, and this may be where you see the gaudy first light appear. As the morning continues you’ll see the light gradually hit the peak along the western edge of the playa and begin to illuminate the mountain to the north. Before long the light comes to the far, northern end of the playa and begins to work its way towards you. Pay careful attention at this point. I like to locate a rock or rocks and a composition that includes the northern expanse of the playa and to then be ready and waiting as the sun/shadow line approaches. This creates an interesting light contrast on the playa and gives some relief and texture to its surface. Then as the shadow comes to your location  there will be a moment or two of wonderful light as the shadow boundary is on you. Work quickly – this is short-lived! And then you are in full sun and the dawn magic seems to quickly end. (If you are fast you may be able to dash across the playa and get this twice.) At this point I may shoot a bit longer since the relatively low light can still look good on the rock’s tracks, and I’ve had some luck shooting at the rocky source hill a bit later – but very soon it is obviously time to head back to the car and start the long drive back.

The Grandstand - As your arrive at the playa you will undoubtedly noticed the rocky hill sticking up from the playa to your left. This formation is called “The Grandstand,” and it apparently is the tip of a “peak” that protrudes above the very deep silt of the playa surface. I think this is an overlooked but intriguing subject, too. I imagine that you could photograph it in a variety of ways, but I’ve had some luck shooting it in the afternoon before starting my work further south on the moving rocks. It is an especially good subject if there are a few clouds around. I have a feeling that there is a possibility of some very interesting photographs featuring this formation, and I plan to “work” it a bit more when I’m out there next.

Eureka Dunes

Eureka Dunes are known for being the largest sand dunes in the park. They are also known for being somewhat remote. There are essentially three main ways to get there, and any of them entail long drives on back-country gravel roads, some worse that others. I have driven two of the three routes. If you go out here, understand that you’ll be a long ways from anything resembling civilization. There is no water or other services out here, to be self-contained and carry everything you need. Rather than trying to offer specific directions – those are better obtained elsewhere and you’ll need to carry maps – I’ll just describe a bit of what I know. (Road conditions are based on what I encountered at the times of my visits, but they can easily change. Check ahead if in doubt.)

• From the town of Big Pine, along highway 395, you drive east on highway 168 to reach a turn-off to the northern route into Death Valley. The first part of this route is a quite decent paved road across the Inyo Mountains. After passing an extensive Joshua tree forest it descends into Eureka Valley and turns to a well-maintained (at te time I visited) and wide gravel road. Within a very short distance of the start of another paved section you arrive at an intersection with a gravel road the takes off to the right toward the dunes. This road is narrower than the one you just left, but is generally pretty easy driving, and it doesn’t take look to get to the dunes. (They are big, and you’ll spot them long before you arrive.) If you just want to see the dunes and don’t contemplate visiting other portions of the park, this route is the least challenging and shortest drive.
• If you are in the main popular portions of Death Valley to the south, a gravel road branches off from the spur road to Ubehebe Crater and takes you generally north for about 45 miles to reach the dunes. The first 20+ miles head up the broad canyon and while the driving is generally not very technical, the road can be badly washboarded and you’ll need to keep a sharp eye out for occasional hazards like large rocks and wash-outs. At “Crankshaft Junction” (marked by, you guessed it, a bunch of crankshafts and other assorted engine parts) the road turns west and climbs over the mountain range that has been to your right. After passing an obvious mining site (which sits in an oddly shaped area excluded from the part) the road is briefly paved as it descends to Eureka Valley, where you meet the junction to the dunes described above. Overall, I consider this to be a more challenging drive than the route in from Big Pine, though it isn’t that bad if you know what you are doing, have a decent vehicle with high clearance, and are up for a rather long drive on a less than swell road.
• Although I have not driven it, and therefore cannot speak with any authority at all about the route, I understand that you can reach the dunes by way of a long and more technical drive from Saline Valley. My understanding from reading and talking to others is that this is a fairly serious drive. Check for more reliable information before trying this route.

When you arrive at the dunes by any of these three routes, you will find a fairly primitive and desolate area. There is no water, although there is a small primitive camping area near the upper end of the dunes – there are two little side spurs from the main road and a few picnic tables, along with an outhouse. The dunes are easily accessible – much closer than, say, the Mesquite Dunes near Stovepipe.

The dunes run along a tall and steep mountain face, and this location probably has the effect of interrupting winds carrying dust and sand, allowing these materials to accumulate. And accumulate they do! The dunes are nearly 700 feet tall and stretch along the valley for a good distance. The photographic opportunities include those that are typical at desert sand dunes – the smooth and curving shapes of wind-drifted sand, the subtle effects of variations in sand color and the light on these surfaces, the plants that grow in and around the dunes, and longer shots that include the surrounding mountains and valley. The most obvious time of day to photograph here is in the late afternoon, before the sun drops below the mountains to the west, when the color of the light warms and the low angle highlights the shapes of the sand. However, there are some interesting and very different possibilities in the morning, especially if you like shooting into the morning light. Because the dunes are so large, if you want to include more of the surrounding terrain you may want to move a distance away from them, perhaps even driving a mile or more back along the road.

• Panamint Valley
  • ghost town
  • Panamint Dunes
  • Fr. Crowley Point
  • where I’ve photograph
• West Side Drive
  • my visit
  • research
• Wild Rose Canyon and Telescope Peak
  • alternate entrance
  • area around and above WR campground
  • side roads I haven’t visited
• Summary of areas I have not visited or visited less, including future plans?
  • Southern and south-eastern portions of the park
  • Far northern sections
  • Some areas in the mountains to the east of the Valley
• Outside the park
  • Trona Pinnacles,
  • Beatty
  • Rhyolite
  • eastern sierra
• Rest and Recovery/Food/Camping
  • campgrounds

Campgrounds are found throughout the park, and they vary a great deal in their proximity to what passes for civilization in Death Valley, the amount of “improvements” they include, the likelihood that they will be extremely hot or sometimes quite cold, whether or not you have to bring your own water, and whether they tend to attract lots of RV-driving and partying tourists or only a small number of more hard-core desert campers. I’ve camped in a good variety of the official campground, ranging from the most civilized to the most unimproved, and I’ve camped in some places where there is no actual campground. While regulations don’t allow you to camp just any old place, there is what amounts to almost “open camping” in many of the back-country areas. Check with the park service for the rules concerning where this is and is not permitted.

Furnace Creek - The Furnace Creek area is the most busy, crowded, and and resort-like area in the park. There is a large privately-fun facility that features amenities such as civilized overnight accommodations, restaurant and lounge, store, gasoline, golfing (!), and so forth. The upscale Furnace Creek Inn (described by a Yosemite Valley dwelling friend as “the Awhawnee of Death Valley“) is nearby. There is also an enclave in which the Death Valley native Americans live just north of here. Surrounding the Furnace Creek “commercial area” are Park Service facilities, including the Park’s visitor center. There are three significant camp grounds here as well…

• • camping outside of campgrounds
  • non-camping accommodations
  • stores
  • wireless access
  • cell phones
  • gas
  • typical day
• weather issues
  • heat, obviously, and water
  • snow and rain
  • dust storms
• PhotographyGear Issues
  • useful equipment
  • dust

Also, more (but not all!) of my Death Valley photography is found here:http://gdanmitchell.com/gallery/v/NaturalWorld/TheLandscape/Desert/DeathValley/