Death Valley

SCraig · Mar 5, 2017

I've heard about Death Valley all my life but was completely unprepared for what it actually looks like. Bounded on the east by the Amargosa Mountains and on the west by the Panamint Mountains it is, as the name implies, a valley between two mountain ranges. It is also the lowest (282' below sea level), hottest (134 degrees in the summer), and driest (a couple of inches of rain a year is about it) place in the USA. And at 3.4 million acres it isn't something one can completely see in a day, but that's how much time we had so we made the most of it.

Taken from the east side of the park at Zabriskie Point. Panamint Mountains in the background with the valley in the foreground.

Taken from Dantes View looking generally southwest. The white is primarily salt left over from an ancient inland sea, and also Borax which was mined from the area in the 1880's.

Taken at the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. As can be seen the weather is about to change. About 30 minutes after this was taken we were in a restaurant a couple of miles away when it hit. It never really rained but there was a serious dust storm for a little while.

A beautiful place. If you are ever in the area don't pass it up, it is worth the visit.

weepete · Mar 6, 2017

Nice shots!

bazzzza · Mar 6, 2017

Great pics and write up [emoji106]

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smoke665 · Mar 6, 2017

Wow your shots really capture the inhospitable nature of the place. That last one is really good, the desert landscape with the storm clouds above.

KmH · Mar 6, 2017

Nice shots.

It's somewhat ironic that the lowest point in the US - Badwater Basin - is only some 70 miles (on a straight line) from the highest point in the continental US - Mt. Whitney.

SCraig · Mar 6, 2017

Thanks guys. It is a unique place, and far from what I expected. The photos don't do it justice so if you get the chance to stop by there some day by all means do so.

Keith it's funny you should mention that. I realized Friday that while I had been to the lowest place in the country I didn't even know where the highest spot was. I meant to look it up over the weekend and forgot about it. Had I known it was that close I might have tried to work it into the schedule to.