An iPhone panorama from the center of the Racetrack Playa, looking north towards the rocky outcrop known as the Grandstand—visible on the horizon.
Racetrack Playa:
True to the name bestowed upon it by pioneers of the mid-1800s, Death Valley, California, remains one of the Earth's most inhospitable environments. So, I couldn't think of a better place to come to capture images. But, of course, the enormous appeal of landscape photography to me is the ability to seek out isolated spaces and spend time away from the hustle-bustle of secular life. The thrill of spending days alone in the middle of nowhere, without cellphone communications, and facing the elements doesn't appeal to everyone—that's why I love it. There must be something said for standing alone in the middle of Racetrack Playa, sipping freshly ground coffee, and listening to Franz Schubert's 'String Quintet in C Major, D.956: II.'
There aren't many places left in the world (accessible to the average traveler) where you can stand alone, with no cellphone service, knowing that the nearest help or assistance is over three hours away by dirt road. The only other time I felt this vulnerable was standing on the frozen Arctic Ocean at Point Barrow, Alaska, in February—320 miles inside the Arctic Circle and 1,300 miles south of the North Pole. There is just something exhilarating about putting yourself in these precarious positions.
I was advised that a tow out of the Racetrack Playa area started at $1200.00.
Teakettle Junction is a road junction in Death Valley near the Racetrack Playa and Ubehebe Crater. It lies at an elevation of 4,150 feet. While the origin of the name is unknown, it has become a tradition for visitors to attach teakettles to the sign with messages written on them.
The Racetrack Playa, or Racetrack, is a dry lakebed feature famous for its 'Sailing Stones'—rocks that move and leave linear imprints on the lakebed floor. For centuries, this phenomenon has baffled scientists, but a breakthrough came in November 2013 when rains formed a lake on the Playa, freezing up to three inches deep. Researchers observed numerous ice-embedded rocks moving slowly across the Playa, pushed by strong winds over several dates in December 2013 and January 2014. This motion was recorded and sent to the Scripps Institution of Oceanography. Additionally, researchers equipped some rocks with small GPS recorders, revealing that some stones had moved over seven hundred feet during at least four episodes. This research showed that the rocks' movement was due to the wind pushing them while embedded in a large ice sheet floating on a thin layer of water. By February 2014, the lake had dried up, and new trails left by the recently moved rocks could be seen on the playa sediment surface.
My location, taken from the middle of the lakebed: 36.688991, -117.563790
The hard compacted lakebed floor provides mosaic-like patterns and shapes—created by nature, which has developed over many years of little rain. However, someone who had made an effort in getting here; irresponsibly drove a vehicle onto the lakebed to do donuts, destroying years of growth and formation.
Trudging across the hard desert floor—it's just like being back in Iraq.
Sailing stones are part of the geological phenomenon in which rocks move and inscribe long tracks along a smooth valley floor without animal intervention. The movement of the stones occurs when large sheets of ice a few millimeters thick and floating in an ephemeral winter pond break up on sunny days. Frozen during cold winter nights, these thin, floating ice panels are driven by wind and move the rocks at speeds of up to 5 meters per minute.
Sailing Stone.
The desert never ceases to amaze me with its unique beauty and seclusion. Every time I visit, I leave having experienced something new. As I jot down these notes, surrounded by such magnificence, finding something meaningful to say isn't easy. I'm watching the arc of the Milky Way rise over the horizon in a dazzling display of clustered stars blended with a palette of orange and blue hues. It appears on the skyline like a paragraph depicted in an Arthur C. Clarke science fiction novel—the only thing missing is 'The Blue Danube' as a backing track. This scene reminded me of Buzz Aldrin's lesser-known description of the moon's surface—a scene of "Magnificent Desolation." It truly is breathtaking! Reflecting on this spectacle of nature, without sounding despondent, watching the heavens with such clarity can make one appreciate just how tiny we are in the grand scheme of things. It brings mortality into perspective. Over time, millions have observed this light display and contemplated their existence. Nature has a remarkable way of showing us how finite life can be; we just need to pay more attention to understanding the definition.
The Milky Way captured above the Racetrack Playa. The Racetrack Playa, or simply Racetrack, is a scenic dry lakebed renowned for its 'sailing stones' phenomenon. These large boulders become embedded in ice sheets during winter and are subsequently blown across the lakebed by strong winds, leaving distinctive linear imprints resembling racetracks. Located in the northwestern area of Death Valley, within Death Valley National Park.
One thing I've come to appreciate from my journeys to Montana and Wyoming is the opportunity to explore remote open locations where you can truly be alone. The plains of the American Midwest and the deserts of Arizona and New Mexico offer vast spaces where solitude is genuine. During my travels across this expansive nation, I've been fortunate to meet numerous Native Americans representing many of the tribes that once roamed this land—Sioux, Crow, Cheyenne, Cherokee, Navajo, Apache, to name a few. I've learned that although their spiritual beliefs differ from tribe to tribe, they all share a common interconnecting theme. The spirits of their ancestors have ascended into the afterlife, becoming part of the mountains, rocks, and streams; their spiritual guides walk the land, showing them the path to traditional ways. Sitting here alone, surrounded by such splendor, I almost feel like I'm on my own personal vision quest.
As a student of history, it's challenging not to leave this place without feeling a profound connection, both spiritually and emotionally. Spiritually, from the perspective of the Native American, there must be something said for sitting alone in the desert and experiencing firsthand the relationship these people have with the land. Then, there is the emotional aspect too. You cannot sit alone in such magnificence for twenty-four hours and not contemplate the chronicles of one's own life.
Being here alone, witnessing the rise of the Milky Way, prompted me to ponder a metaphor I recently encountered on 'After Life,' a British comedy-drama written, produced, and directed by Ricky Gervais, currently streaming on Netflix: "Life is like a fairground ride; it's exciting, scary, and fast. But you can only go around once. You have the best of times until you can't take it anymore! Then it slows down, and you see someone else waiting to get on—they need your seat."
Death Valley is indeed a fabulous space. Spending twelve days alone out here was an incredible experience—something I believe everyone should do.
Google Maps: 36.688991, -117.563790