I can report with some authority that doing photography in Death Valley in the middle of a dust storm (of the sort that almost turns day to night) is not easy. :-)
I’ve been in Death Valley since Tuesday, shooting a variety of subjects – some iconic and some not. I had contemplated staying through until Saturday morning, but I decided late Thursday that I’d go ahead and leave after shooting on Friday morning. My initial plan was to get up at my usual 5:00 a.m. time and head out somewhere to shoot a dawn subject, after which I would return to the Stovepipe Wells campground to break camp and head out. I got up quickly and decided I might have time to quickly break camp before doing photography, so I quickly knocked the tent down and loaded everything into my car.
After shooting at Zabriskie Point (can’t get much more “iconic” than that!) I started back toward the Towne Pass exit – and spotted a huge ugly dust cloud forming up near Tucki Mountain, which rises right above Stovepipe Wells near the Mesquite Dunes (a.k.a “Death Valley Dunes). As I got closer the already strong wind became even more violent and I soon entered the fringe of the dust storm. By the time I turned across the Valley toward the Dunes and Stovepipe the cloud had turned into a malevolent beast, with wind whippped sand streaming across the roadway and the sun completely blotted out.
The scene was very nasty as I drove past Stovepipe Wells… and I was extremely glad that I had made that early morning decision to pack up at 5:15!
David: I’ve been in Death Valley dust storms a few times in the past, but this one was quite something. The sun was out – though it was getting cloudy – down around Furnace Creek, and it was a nice morning for photography. But from early in the morning there had been a certain “softness” to the atmosphere up in the Panamints, and as I drove north toward Stovepipe Wells I could see that a big dark dust cloud was enveloping Tucki Mountain and beyond that it was very dark.
Edie: Good to shoot with you in DV, and thanks for suggesting Twenty Mule Team Canyon – I do plan to go back and shoot there again. I’m surprised more people don’t shoot in that area – perhaps there is too much distraction with Zabriskie so close by?
Dan,
Glad you made it home ok. I got in about 7 last night, left at 10:45. Just about to upload shots from the first day.
Edie
Dan… sounds like a great decision to pack up early! When I was in DV last week the winds whipped furiously for half a day, making it impossible to see from one side of the valley floor to the other. Will eagerly anticipate seeing the images you were able to make before having to leave… safe travels home.