Photo of the Week 3.29.2010

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Deep in the heart of Death Valley National Park, the Racetrack Playa is nestled between the Cottonwood Mountains to the east and the Last Chance Range to the west. During periods of heavy rain, water washes down from nearby mountain slopes onto the playa, forming a shallow, short-lived lake. Under the hot Death Valley sun, the thin veneer of water quickly evaporates, leaving behind a layer of soft mud. As the mud dries, it shrinks and cracks into a mosaic of interlocking polygons.

Located 3608 feet above sea level, the Racetrack is dry for almost the entire year and has no vegetation. It is named for the so called "moving rocks," or "sailing stones," which are a geological phenomenon found in the Racetrack. The stones slowly move across the surface of the playa, leaving a track as they go, without human or animal intervention. They have never been seen or filmed in motion. Racetrack stones only move once every two or three years and most tracks last for just three or four years. Stones with rough bottoms leave straight striated tracks while those with smooth bottoms wander.

The sailing stones are most likely moved by strong winter winds (up to 90 mph), once it has rained enough to fill the playa with just enough water to make the clay slippery.

Last October I joined some other photographers and camped in the Playa for a couple of days. This shot is one of my favorites, as the predawn light casts purple and pink hues before the sun rose behind us.