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Death Valley to Escalante
Early morning at Zabriskie Point before leaving for Escalante. Many photographers with us. It is cold. No flashes so far. A women sits on a camping seat enjoying the scene with her eyes only.
Zabriskie Point at sunrise © Julian Köpke 
Zabriskie Point at sunrise © Julian Köpke A long drive to Escalante follows. Along the borders of Zion. More and more snow. Camping in wilderness wouldn’t be fun. Dixie National forest welcomes us.
Thirty years ago we came over from Arizona to hike in Bryce Canyon. At that time our hike was very extensive and lasted one day. We took an overview at the end of the day which was sobering, almost disappointing.
Today was no time left for a hike. At Sunset Point we made some photographs with snow and a path downwards not showing where it is heading to.
Bryce Canyon Sunset View © Julian Köpke -
Getting into Death Valley
We had a whole day available to drive from Mojave to Furnace Creek. The morning began hazily and with scattered dust devils. At the Pinnacles we go a real sandstorm.
The long straight streets with poles often make me dream of an infinite world.
Poles © Julian Köpke A sandstorm lets you stop all thoughts about infinity. Suddenly the safety of the equipment becomes much more important.
Sandstorm near Pinnacles © Julian Köpke This train is on a siding for decades. The diffusion effect of the sandstorm showed the abandonment nicely.
Train on a siding © Julian Köpke 
Sandstorm at pinnacles © Julian Köpke 
Pinnacles © Julian Köpke After check-in in our incredibly expensive, but the only hotel in the area we immediately headed for Zabriskie Point. These structures show no scale at all and allow the imagination to run wild.
Zabriskie Point at sunset © Julian Köpke 
Zabriskies Point at sunset © Julian Köpke Personally I liked most a wild boar at the south end.
Sleeping wild boar at Zabriskie Point © Julian Köpke -
From Yosemite Valley to Death Valley
Today gusty winds at Tunnel View. I didn’t feel challenged to leave a fully extended tripod to the gusts. With low setup and the cheaper camera with long focal length I made a composition of the valley. We only had one hour, which was far too short at the end. It was, so to say, the last elephant of this safari.
Tunnel view at Yosemite Valley © Julian Köpke The violent gusts the night before had toppled many trees. Over Route 140 we could still leave the valley and drove via Fresno and Bakersfield to Mojave. Behind Bakersfield we drove through a gentle hilly landscape with green meadows. Often only the hilltops were inhabited and the beautiful houses were surrounded by trees.
Gentle green hills © Julian Köpke 
Near Caliente © Julian Köpke A single tree seemed to stand out in the skies.
Tree in the skies © Julian Köpke
