pvarney3

Lone Survivor

I'm not really sure if this plant is a survivor or not; it might just be a tumble weed (I can't remember - after all, who can remember the specific details of a...
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I'm not really sure if this plant is a survivor or not; it might just be a tumble weed (I can't remember - after all, who can remember the specific details of a week long trip when you take thousands of pictures?). The Eureka Dunes in Death Valley National Park are home to many survivors, though. The dunes have several endemic species of plants and beetles (i.e., they live here and no where else). In addition, the Eureka Dunes claim the (prestigious?) title of tallest dunes in California. And they are huge, towering almost 700 ft above the valley floor.

The dunes in Death Valley, and I assume in many other locations, are formed when the wind is forced to drop the dust and sand it's carrying when it encounters changing air currents. Turbulence in the air disrupts the flow, and the reduced velocities are insufficient to carry the sand any further. Thus, you often find dunes where air currents meet, such as the intersection of valleys, or where air is forced over taller mountains in a bowl-like formation.

Shortly after this photo was taken, cloud cover obscured the afternoon sun, eliminating the excellent high-contrast light that brings out the best textures in the dunes. The incredibly expensive photo workshop that was also visiting these remote dunes appeared to be sorely disappointed, and began their trek back to camp. It was entertaining to watch them scramble when the sun finally set and sent pink light blazing across the sky. Moral of the story - if you spend over $4000 for a relatively short photo workshop (I looked up the price of this particular workshop when I got phone service), don't give up until the sun has actually set!
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