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… looks nothing like this. This is the playa that runs through the middle of Panamint Valley in Death Valley National Park. A playa consists of a deep layer of silt, here a bit apparent of recent rains in the area. Rain over the last year has been a problem for the park. 2023’s Hurricane Hillary dumped more rain in an hour over the park than it generally gets in a span of years, changing the face of the park in many places overnight. One of my favorite drives through the park, Titus Canyon, is currently impassable. After walking perhaps half a mile through the exit, getting it back to a drivable condition will be a daunting task.

Anywho, this image likely depicts what most think of Death Valley. It is a land of contrasts, from Telescope Peak at 11,043 feet to Badwater basin at 282 feet below sea level… and my favorite park. I’ll be posting some of those contrasts over the coming weeks. The airspace over Panamint Valley is part of the U.S. military's vast R-2508 Special Use Airspace Complex. The Panamint Military Operating Area (MOA) covers the entire valley. You hear a lot of military aircraft here. We were buzzed by two F-16 Vipers that couldn't have been more than 200 feet from the playa on this day... love it! As for spring in North Carolina, when I stepped through the door on Monday, all the gardens and my yard said, “Hey! Where ya been? Look what we did while you were gone!” Work.

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Henry looking relaxed this afternoon .

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卄UᑎGᗩᖇY 🇭🇺 Ravazd

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