Red Sand & White Earth

kbeelitz · Apr 28, 2008

cool photo!! Where is this at?

kundalini · Apr 28, 2008

Love the contrast and of course, the ever present hills in the distance.

Is that a pool of salts by any chance?

Roger · Apr 29, 2008

very nice, I love the colour and textures in this....top exposure too...but I want to see all of the white (salt lake?).

abraxas · Apr 29, 2008

Thanks Keeblitz, Kundalini and Roger.

This is from the Mojave Desert in California. The red sand is a course basalt, a nutritionless mineral resulting from weathering on an inactive volcanic cone. The white is a small dry lake formed, I believe of a pumice-like material. Again, low in nutrition available for plant growth.

This was about 3/4 of the way through a 400 mile round trip drive I took last thursday looking for wildflowers. Didn't have much time to spend here and would like to go back and do it right, probably during a sunrise.

I would have liked to got more of the playa (dry lake). I was having some flare problems going to the right, and the scenery sort of dropped away. I believe power transmission lines tainted the scene also. This is one of those 'sweet spots' where the landscape is unique amongst unique landscape. I found the little area about ten years ago getting lost looking for a place I never found. Unfortunately, about 4 miles up and around the road the Bureau of Land Management developed a road to a view that is sure to become a popular attraction, and one day, probably this summer this will become filthy with people and toys and garbage.