Twelve members of the Palo Alto Camera Club arrived in Death Valley around Wed Nov 30, 2005. From then until Tue Dec 6 we engaged in a somewhat unorthodox photography adventure, combining the usual photo-ops with opportunities to meet local residents (including experts in local history and geology) and visit locations not included in most photo field trips. [Here's a map (PDF) showing the area, to help orient you to the places being discussed.]
Most photographers associate Death Valley with its dramatic and sensuous dunes, made famous by Ansel Adams and many of the great landscape photographers. One of the little-known prequisites to capturing pristine dunes (aside from getting up well before sunrise) is the presence of an evening wind which sweeps away the footprints of humans and critters. While we were staying at Stovepipe Wells, there was very little wind, which created a real challenge for those of us in search of The Ultimate Dune Shot. Some of us accepted footprints on the dunes as a fact of life, including them in our documention of the current scene. Others settled for the less spectacular dune shots, but used their imagination to create something big out of something not so big. And we all embarked on a chilly pre-dawn hike to the less-travelled eastern edges of the dunes, in search of footprint-less dunes. We think you'll be surprised and pleased with the results.
Before dinner on our second evening at the Stovepipe Wells Village Inn, we shared our digital images on the laptop computer of one of our members over wine and nibbles. It soon became clear to Laurie Naiman that his virtual monopoly on photos of Death Valley dunes in the Palo Alto Camera Club had been lost forever.
From Stovepipe we also explored nearby sites of interest - including the ghost town of Rhyolite (near Beatty, Nevada), Keane Wonder Mine, and some of the nearby canyons (the latter did not make it into this collection of images). We then drove to Furnace Creek, stopping for a tour of the Death Valley National Archives by local volunteer Shirley Harding. We then we left for lunch at the luxurious Furnace Creek Inn, situated on the hills overlooking the valley. Afterward, Manager Alex Cabana led a tour of the historic inn, highlighted by mention of some of the 'rich and famous' who had stayed there during the ten years of his tenure.
We then drove south on the Badwater Road, stopping at well-known sites such as Artists' Palette, Devil's Golf Course and Badwater. Driving east over the mountain pass south of Badwater, we ended up in Shoshone, which was our home (at the Shoshone Inn) and strategic base for the last four days of our trip. As the images will show, we met local residents, including George Ross (Native American Paiute who was born there many years ago) and renowned geologist and author Lauren Wright. Both regalled us with stories of their experiences in the area, and then led us to local highlights such as the cemetery, the Dublin Gulch (miners' cave dwellings) and some interesting fossils.
Most of our meals in Shoshone were at the exclusive Crowbar Cafe and Saloon (the only restaurant in town), which provided fine desert cuisine, artifacts of the Old West, and most importantly, a warm and relaxing place to share highlights of the day's events, and discuss the what and where of the next day.
On Saturday evening, after a day of independent photography in Death Valley, China Ranch and Ashford Meadows, we convened at the old Amargosa Hotel in Death Valley Junction (about 30 miles north of Shoshone). As sun set we found more photo ops in the decaying complex and former store. We then retired to the hotel lobby where we had a take-out buffet chili supper provided by the folks at the Crowbar, with beverages from the hotel's vending machine. After watching a video of the life of Amargosa Opera founder, artist and performer Marta Becket, we attended the Opera where we were regaled by the elegant faux opera interior walls, a product of Marta's diligent painting over the years. The photos will tell all. The evening ended with a delightful solo dance and singing performance of the vaudeville-style "Masquerade" by Marta, now over eighty years old but as dedicated as ever.
On Sunday morning we walked down the road for breakfast at "C'est Si Bon", an eclectic Internet Cafe run by David Washum, whose culinary skills were outstanding, considering that he was also the waiter, cashier, dishwasher, computer manager and General Manager. While there, we heard from George Ross (official town historian), Robin Flinchum (local freelance writer) and Susan Sorrells (great grand-daughter of the founder of the town - "Dad" RJ Fairbanks, and grand-daughter of State Senator Charles Brown). Afterward we visited the Shoshone Museum, where we saw more artifacts and memorabilia, along with books (including Judy Palmer's book on the stories behind the headstones of the Shoshone cemetery) and displays (including Judy's exhibit of photos and stories of The Women of Death Valley).
By this time, the winds had returned, bringing with them the awful chill factor that we former Easterners hoped we had left behind. After driving a bit south of Shoshone we visited the Dublin Gulch (cave dwellings formerly used by miners) and listened to accounts of the area and its artifacts by our local leaders.
After lunch at the Crowbar, we drove south to Tecopa, and east on the Spanish Trail Highway to a rock formation that Lauren Wright described as the oldest on earth - 1.7 billion years old. From there we drove to the old Western Talc mine, situated on a mountain with a clear view of the sunset.
Monday was "China Ranch Day". China Ranch is a date farm and gift shop situated in the Amargosa Valley east of Tecopa. We started out with coffee and date muffins at the gift shop, freshly baked by owner Brian Brown (cousin of Susan Sorrells and also a descendent of the area's founders). The wind had died down, and the sky was clear and sunny. This created a bonanza of subjects for photographers, with its mix of rusty artifacts, old buildings, cactus plants, date palms, and rugged terrain (including trails through the nearby Amargosa Canyon spotted with blazing orange cottonwood trees. After trekking around, many of us rewarded ourselves with a world-famous China Ranch date shake, a delicacy that can easily become a magnet for return visits.
A short walk away from the gift shop was the Ranchhouse Inn, a lovely Victorian-style bed & breakfast. We were welcomed by Manager Cynthia Kienitz, who prepared a gourmet lunch, and encouraged us to take photos of the interior to help promote the inn on its website. (Some of these are on the accompanying photo site.)
Tuesday morning we left for home, but not without one last stop for those hankering for a few more shots of footprint-less dunes. On the way south toward Baker we stopped at the Dumont Dunes, a large dune area just off route 127 that is home to off-road ('all-terrain') vehicles from Southern California (!). Not quite the pristine dunes we all longed for, but enough to entice a few of us to scramble up the dunes in search of a tire-track-free area worth a few more clicks. Afterward, some of us stopped for breakfast at the Mad Greek's in Baker - a diner (graced by faux Greek sculptures) famous among hungry truckers driving on Rte 15 between Los Angeles and Las Vegas. Then we all headed home, with our minds and cameras full of images of an adventurous winter week in Death Valley, and a bit beyond.
Participants on the trip were asked to contribute some of their favorite shots for exhibit on our camera club's website. A selection of these has been made by Laurie, and supplemented by 'filler' shots of his own to help tell the story of this trip and showcase our work. Here's the show!
As always, questions and comments are welcome.
Laurie Naiman & Judy Palmer
Trip Leaders
Posted: Dec 18, 2005
Revised: Dec 21, 2005