Racetrack Playa, Death Valley

[Posted 02/23/2012] Another view of the Racetrack, this one

looking northwest, toward Ubehebe Peak.

This is striking John! I have never been, so this has to be on my bucket list. I really like the chiaroscuro light across the left side mountains. You would think, after knowing about this phenomenon for so many years, that someone would have recorded the actual event of the rocks moving/sliding. How can we know so much about black holes and far away galaxies and still not know conclusively why these rocks leave trails on the playa?

A seven from me - I like the way the lines point towards the sunlit sections of the mountain range.  Congrats.

Mark—I know, isn't that cool? Wonderful to have mystery remaining when our expectations say it shouldn't!

Mark/Tony/Grigoriy—Golly. Thanks. Funny, but this one didn't immediately grab my attention out of the set of slides, though at the time, it was my most carefully crafted composition.

I think this is a keeper....I like it much better than your horizontal versions.  This is superior in composition, exposure and dynamism.  You really almost get a sense the rocks are moving.  Very nicely done.  (I have to look up the word 'chiaroscuro' to understand Mark's comment). 

Your comment on another photo said your car broke down for 24 hours.....was it here?  When we visited here, 2 different rangers advised us not to go to the Racetrack in the rental car we had.  Although we had rented a 4-wheel drive expressly for this purpose, we were told they put cheap tires on the rentals, and if we broke down it would cost $1,000 to get someone out there to tow us out.  Scared us!  Next time we'll take our own truck.  This is the kind of place many of us will only see once, and I'd say you got a good representation of the place with this shot!

Thanks for the visit and the comments. I'm with you in preferring this to the other versions of the scene. The feedback I received on all three was very helpful in articulating why.

Regarding the stuck part of the trip: that was actually in Hidden Valley which is the high valley above and to the east of this playa. If anything, that valley is even more remote than Racetrack. The original plan had been to lay in a pair of water caches in that valley in order to support a 5-day, physically intense backpacking trip. The combination of the mud pit trapping out my car, comparatively heavy snow in the mountains, and a flu/respiratory infection that just wouldn't quit forced the change of plans!