Summer Death Valley Reflections

Tagging onto a business trip, I stopped by Lone Pine, California this weekend.  Purpose?  To take 1 Milky Way shot with the Mobius Arch.  It was supposed to be a 4-hour drive.  But I went through Death Valley, took my time to experience summer in Death Valley...  so it easily turned into a 6-hour ordeal. 

I've been to Death Valley many times, but this was the first time I came here in the summer.  If the name "Death Valley" never reminded me of "death" before, it certainly did this time.  As I drove through the entire valley, the summer heat and strong dry wind was overwhelming.  The massive piece of empty, dry, hot land spelled out the obvious truth to me -- loud and clear -- if you ever get into trouble under this type of condition, Death would no longer be a rare event!!

During the long drive, there was one time I went from below sea level to 5000 ft. and then back down to the sea level all within 30 minutes...  Somewhere in the middle of the desert, I passed this tiny little town called Keeler with a population of 505 -- makes you wonder how these 505 people live their lives... If you google this place, the population in 2010 was 66, and there was actually a magnitude 3.5 earthquake last night... How crazy!  Inside of my car, Rick Wakeman's Preludes to A Century was playing the whole time, providing me with a sense of normalcy. 

I usually stop by Panamint Valley every time when I come visit Death Valley.  This may be one of the very few places on earth that allows you to experience the true quietness.  As you walk toward the middle of the old lake bed, you are in a massive open place, but you hear nothing -- absolutely NOTHING!  You are living, breathing, absorbing the sunlight and warm winds, but the entire world around you is totally muted -- just imagine that!!

Attached are 2 of the many photos I took of Panamint Valley.  The first one was from January 2013.  The second one was from today.  It's amazing how the texture of the valley changes ALL the time. 

For the 2nd photo, if you zoom in, about 1/4 from the left, on the straight brown line, there was a tiny little white dot.  That was my car parking on the side of the road -- the one and only car out there!!  It really shows you how tiny and insignificant we humans are!!

The photography session at Mobius Arch was fun.  I got there around 4pm and did not get back to the hotel until after midnight. Hopefully I will be able to send you that ONE precious shot at some point -:))