No Dog

Rare snow in the Mojave National Preserve

This was supposed to be a trip with a friend, but he was worried about the weather and cancelled. It was probably a wise decision since he would have had the longer more treacherous drive.  Death Valley, and National Parks in general, are not the best places to take an active dog.  As long as I had this dog-free trip planned, I decided to take this opportunity and shoot some dog-unfriendly locations I’d had on my list.  I got away with juggling the timing to travel between storm pulses and woke up to snow on the Joshua trees in the Mojave National Preserve the second day.  This seemed an auspicious start to the journey.

Feast or famine; water on highway 127, California

Driving up highway 127, I could see the damage from a rough season of rain everywhere.  I followed a pilot car through this flood, otherwise I would have lost my nerve.  Even the road into Texas Spring Campground in Death Valley was essentially four-wheel drive terrain.  Heavy equipment operators in the park will be busy for a long time. 

 Lots of my planned locations were not accessible.  There were roads that had been closed for a long time like Scotty’s Castle and Titus Canyon, and a long list of newer closures; Dante’s View, West Side Road, Devil’s Golf Course, 20 Mule Team Road, Artist’s Drive, and Salt Creek, as well as most of the back country. Lots of projects on my mental list have been bumped to next season. 

Cloud Reflections at Badwater Basin, California

Propper style on the mud flats, Badwater Basin California

The flooding of Badwater Basin, the occasional recurrence of historic Lake Manly, was impressive.  I made three visits with conditions ranging from flat calm to wind-driven white caps, sloshing around in the saturated saltwater in my flowered muck boots.  I heard lots of comments about them.  With so many places closed, it was a bit of a struggle to avoid including the crowds in my shots, even at sunrise. People were concentrated in the few populare places that were open.  I avoided Zabriskie Point and Mesquite Dunes, largely for that reason. 

Travertine and flames, Titan Narrows, Death Valley California

I enjoyed hiking into a few canyons.  Years had passed since I explored the travertine details of Titus Narrows.  One benefit of this road closure is the chance to walk up the passage, which is so washed out that it’s not recognizable as a road, without the need to dodge vehicles.  Desolation Canyon was new to me, a lovely hike and sort of consolation prize for the closure of Artist’s Drive since some of its wild geology is visible there too.  I loved being the only hiker in this lesser-known canyon. 

On the last day I made a swing through Rhyolite Ghost Town near Beatty Nevada.  I’d been curious about this place for years and might have spent more time there if I wasn’t so uncomfortable in the cold, strong wind.  The most captivating thing about that detour was the Goldwell Open Air Museum, with the famous Last supper sculpture and this “Keep Going” shadow sculpture by Michelle Graves .  That was a message I needed that day for sure, with the wind blowing me around on the highway and especially when a fuel pump malfunctioned in Pahrump and spewed diesel all over me and the van.  Every trip has its moments. 

Sunrise, Mojave National Preserve California

I didn’t want to drive all the way home in that wind and with that attitude, so I landed among the joshua trees, back in the Mojave National Preserve refueling psychologically and getting a little work done while the winter sun streamed into the van.

Golden light in Golden Canyon, Death Valley California

I'd come full circle with weather, light, and water where it usually isn’t.  I would have called it a near- perfect short trip, had I been able to bring the dog.