Entering the Narrows. © Copyright 2021 G Dan Mitchell – all rights reserved.
The path through a desert canyon enters shaded narrows, Death Valley National Park.
Most of the time I approach places like this by passing across some sort of alluvial fan, then following a wash that narrows as its walls rise. When I think of these approaches, heat, direct and intense sunlight, dryness, and the sound of boots crunching on rocks come to mind, along with a sense of exposure to these elements. The terrain feels like it is mostly about loose materials — compacted soil, conglomerates, cracked faces, and the water-transported rocks all around.
That all changes when entering narrows like these. The open sky may constrict to a narrow channel far above or it may disappear entirely. The walls, having been scrubbed by moving water and gravel, are smooth and curved. The light becomes soft and often quite blue, coming entirely from the blue sky itself, reflected among the faces as it descends into the canyon. It becomes quiet and my own crunching footsteps are likely the only sound. The expansive world of light and sky on the alluvial fans and washes contracts, contained between the close walls and the next bend in the canyon.
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, Amazon, and directly from G Dan Mitchell.
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