Jim is Trying to Make Me Jealous…

… and succeeding. :-)

Photographer Jim M. Goldstein has posted a piece at his blog about his visit to Caribou Pass Valley in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. While I’ve been to Alaska a couple of times (for a total of about a month) I’ve never been that far north, and on my visits I was not equipped to do serious photography.

(About the “that far north” observation… On my most recent Alaska trip I rode my bike – along with a group of students – 1100 miles from Skagway through the Yukon to Fairbanks and then to Anchorage. Really.)


G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him.

G Dan Mitchell: Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email


All media © Copyright G Dan Mitchell and others as indicated. Any use requires advance permission from G Dan Mitchell.

Rhyolite Ghost Town Ruins, Dawn

Rhyolite Ghost Town Ruins, Dawn

Rhyolite Ghost Town Ruins, Dawn. Rhyolite, Nevada. April 2, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Dawn at the ruins of the ghost town of Rhyolite, Nevada. The remnants of one of the town banks is in the foreground, and the school building is seen in the distance. Beyond is the Amargosa Valley and the Amargosa Range in Death Valley National Park.

This photograph was made during a brief interval when the light went from rather flat and dull to lighter and warm as the sun briefly shone through the high overcast.

keywords: dawn, sunrise, ghost, town, rhyolite, nevada, usa, mine, mining, ruins, abandoned, bank, school, sky, clouds, vault, door, columns, desert, mountains, sky, clouds, historic, travel, scenic, landscape, stock, walls, ridge, hills

Window on the Desert, Rhyolite School

Window on the Desert, Rhyolite School

Window on the Desert, Rhyolite School. Rhyolite, Nevada. April 2, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Looking through a window in the Rhyolite School ruins towards the distant desert. Rhyolite is an abandoned ghost town, and this school building is largely in ruins.

While Rhyolite and this school building are not in Death Valley National Park, they are part of the greater Death Valley area. The terrain visible through the window in the photo is the Amargosa Valley and Amargosa Range beyond, both of which are in the eastern section of the park.

keywords: window, desert, rhyolite, school, ghost town, mining, mine, abandoned, ruins, walls, nevada, historic, usa, travel, scenic, sill, structure, stock

Bank Building Ruins

Bank Building Ruins

Bank Building Ruins. Rhyolite, Nevada. April 2, 2008. © Copyright G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.

Distorted wide angle perspective photograph of the ruins of the bank building in the ghost town of Rhyolite, Nevada.

I spent considerable time shooting the remains of this bank building. Given how impressive it is today even in its deteriorating state, it must have been quite a building 100 years ago.

keywords: distorted, wide angle, perspective, bank, building, structure, ruins, abandoned, rhyolite, ghost, town, sidewalk, columns, concrete, steps, sky, clouds, nevada, usa, travel, historic, stock, windows