Dry Lakes

abraxas

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Thought I'd head out to photograph a couple of the more remote dry lakes in the Mojave that may soon become part of the 29 Palms Marine Corp Base, and therefore, inaccessible to the public.

Emerson Dry Lake
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Galway Dry Lake
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Good shots. I guess having them become part of the Marine base is one way of protecting these areas.
 
I like the first one. :thumbup: Kinda looks like the cracks in the lake bed are radiating out from that whithering tree (or whatever it is).


Good shots. I guess having them become part of the Marine base is one way of protecting these areas.

...or blowing them up.
 
Good shots. I guess having them become part of the Marine base is one way of protecting these areas.

They use them for tank practice. Ft Irwin about 50 miles to the northeast took up another couple hundred square miles starting a few years ago for the same reason- the tanks move so fast they need a larger area.

This particular area is currently an Off Highway Vehicle Area, which is pretty much thrashed anyway. Anything of historical importance has long been carried off with the curious exception of WWII bomb remains. Empty, exploded bombs all over the place. Another thing I did notice that is different from the usual run-amuck desert, a lack of graffitti painted on the rocks.

I like the first one. :thumbup: Kinda looks like the cracks in the lake bed are radiating out from that whithering tree (or whatever it is).

...or blowing them up.

Thanks- I've been putting off going out there for nearly 15 years now. The MC base taking over the OHV area has provided incentive to document the dry lakes in the area. Maybe one more trip, but I got to get into some other locations with some significance to me before I go.

What I really did appreciate is the nearly total and absolute solitude. I saw three vehicles in my 24 hours out there, none within 1 mile of where I was. It was soooooo quiet.
 
cool shots, its great you got out there before you cant. i like number one :wink:
 
"They use them for tank practice." Oh. Too bad.
 
I love the first one.

Here in Israel there is no better way of ruining a natural environment than having the army there for training. Heavy vehicles are a disaster to the desert.

Dani.
 
cool shots, its great you got out there before you cant. i like number one :wink:

Thank you. That was the plan. Once they put up the fence, that's it.

"They use them for tank practice." Oh. Too bad.

The logic (at Ft Irwin) is that the tanks go so fast they can't stop them like they used to and need more room. I imagine the MC has likewise thinking. I just wanted to see it and get shots before I couldn't.

I love the first one.

Here in Israel there is no better way of ruining a natural environment than having the army there for training. Heavy vehicles are a disaster to the desert.

Dani.

Thanks- same here. Ft. Irwin Army Base had it's expansion ok'd and could take possession after the desert tortoise population was removed. The biologists got everything ready and went to relocate the animals. When they got out there they found over 100 dead tortoises. Apparently coyotes had killed them. Typically coyotes leave tortoises alone as they are hard to kill and get a meal from. But what I think has happened is that the increase in nearby bombing and tank practice has either killed off or stopped reproduction in the coyotes normal food source, mice and rats, by vibrations in the ground from the not-too-distant existing target and practice ranges that has been going on for the last 6-7 years. If I were a rat or mouse living underground, I'd go find a new home. Anyway, with the food source eliminated, I think coyotes- which probably increased in population after the couple wet years we had several years ago, became more desparate and went after the tortoises. I try not to care too much, but it's difficult.
 

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