Ephemeral Contours
You don't expect to find evidence of so much water in Death Valley. After some rare flooding rains, we found miles of this. It was surreal. The mud had dried just enough to crack, creating these incredible lines that looked like a topographic map. It felt like I was looking at a landscape in miniature. We spent days out there, just walking and watching the light change, feeling like we'd stumbled onto a secret the desert only reveals once in a lifetime.
We’re always on the lookout for ephemeral mud. It creates patterns that are easy to get lost in. This winter in Death Valley, we were given a gold mine, miles and miles of mud like this. In certain areas, the surface had just begun to dry and pull apart, forming delicate cracks that traced the ground like contour lines on a topographic map. It’s just one of the many quiet, fascinating details the desert reveals if you take the time to look.