Morning Ride in the Badlands. © Copyright 2019 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.
A solo bicyclist on a morning ride along a curving gravel road past badlands.
Years ago I was a very (very!) enthusiastic cyclist. I don’t ride any more, but I still have three bicycles — one of the early StumpJumper mountain bikes, a touring/commuting bike with a handmade British frame, and road-racing bike (also with a hand-built frame). Although I have not ridden in Death Valley, I can surely identify with the experience of the person in this photograph.
I had arrived in this area early, and I had been making photographs since before sunrise. Although a gravel road passes through here and the spot is not far from some well-known locations, I had the place almost to myself. I saw almost no one else as I worked. It was windless and still and so quiet… and that passing of a single cyclist was enough to interrupt the mood! But not enough to keep me from photographing him as he passed through this section of s-curves, heading toward more distant hills in this lovely light.
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” is available from Heyday Books and Amazon.
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Nice imaging today, Dan. I wish I was that guy now. I rode 50 miles in Death Valley a few years ago. Today I rode 40 in my own town. Come on, get back on the bike. It’s the best non impact exercise for seniors like us!
I think we all wish we were that guy about now!
At times I miss the cycling, but back then I was extremely fit — riding mountains and long distances, often at high speeds. That’s not going to happen again! You never know, though — might change my mind.