With a small window of time between Christmas and New Year’s, Aubrey and I set out for Warm Springs in Saline Valley. After a few hours drive on pavement, and a few hours on washboard dirt roads, we arrived at a remote oasis of palm trees, hot springs, and hippies. We quickly set up camp, and hopped in for a soak!

Warm Springs Camp

Aubrey, excited about the prospect of soaking in the hot springs by those palm trees!

The nights are long this time of year, so we made excellent use of our new structure, inspired by my father’s original design. The structure is a simple PVC skeleton with a shell of space blankets, which reflect both light and heat back inside, where we have a propane heater and lantern. This is as far away from backpacking as we dare go!

Relaxing in the 'cube,' our 'backcountry' cabin.

The following day we had a relaxed morning, soaked in the sun and hot water, and wandered through the dunes at sunset. Between the dune ridges were mud flats with the biggest “puzzles” of mud I had ever seen, with cracks as wide as three inches. After watching the sun disappear behind the Inyo Mountains, we enjoyed some crackers with fancy cheese and fig jam.

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Mud Puzzle, Death Valley National Park, California

Lunar Puzzle : Prints Available

This dried mud puzzle in the dunes gave me the feeling of being on the moon, except for the bushes of course! And the fact that mud couldn't exist without water. The cracks in the mud here are over three inches wide.

Aubrey, thrilled about the fancy cheese and fig jam that's on that cracker. And the beer.

On our final day we explored one of the many remote canyons. After climbing a thousand feet on the alluvial fan, we found ourselves in an impressive set of narrows that wound its way through conglomerate, breccia, dolomite, and marble.

Reflected Light, Canyon Dryfall, Death Valley National Park

Rocky Rainbows : Prints Available

Reflected light over a polished dryfall in a remote canyon in California's Death Valley National Park.

I have always been fascinated by the mosaic rocks in the canyons throughout Death Valley, composed of old conglomerate or breccia rock that has eroded to reveal a myriad of tiny rock fragments. Never before, though, had I seen such a spectacular mosaic, polished so smoothly. This particular specimen is a breccia, which is differentiated from the more common conglomerates by its angular broken fragments, rather than rounded ones. The matrix here appears to be somewhat crystalline, which likely formed due to the geothermal activity in the area.

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Breccia Mosaic, Canyon, Death Valley National Park

Breccia Mosaic : Prints Available

Small fragments of rock embedded in a crystalline matrix (a breccia) become exposed and polished after eons of erosion in one of the many canyons in Death Valley National Park.

Happy new year everyone! I hope 2014 treated you as well as it did me. I compiled a collection of my favorite 12 images from the past year: favorite images from 2014. Here’s to 2015, may it be filled with warmth and natural beauty!

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