Over Spring Break I spent three days in camping in Death Valley with Becca, Helene, and my parents. Death Valley is probably my favorite National Park in California. I love how, with so little soil and vegetation, the raw forces of geology and erosion are so plainly visible across the landscape. On this trip we visited a few places that I’ve been to several times (Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, Dante’s View) but also some spots I hadn’t visited before (Ubehebe Crater, Titus Canyon). Every time I go to Death Valley I am reminded how I’ve only ever been to the easily accessible parts - since the National Park nearly the same size as Puerto Rico, there’s always more to see, and I’m sure I’ll be back.
Here are a few of my favorite pics from this trip.
Contrasty afternoon light in the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Mom hiking in the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Sunset in the dunes
Fleeting sunrise colors
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes detail
Cracked dried mud near Stovepipe Wells
A rainbow of rock colors and textures in Mosaic Canyon
Multicolored rock near the rim of Ubehebe Crater
Panorama of the Panamints near Ubehebe Crater
Eroded landscape near Ubehebe Crater
The eroded rim of Ubehebe Crater contrasts with the alluvial plains across the valley
Dusk in the badlands near Zabriskie Point
Badwater as seen from near Artist’s Palette
Devil’s Golf Course
Hiking in the Amargosa Mountains near Dante’s View
The salt flats near Badwater, as seen from a vertical mile above, at Dante’s View