Lake Manly and wildflowers in DeVa

[MonikaC]

I made a quick trip out to Death Valley as I'd heard that the wildflowers were exceptional. And I wanted to get out of the 50-70mph winds we'd been having for the previous 2 weeks. I arrived midday and it was of course, fairly crowded, but when I went back out close to sunset, everyone was gone (probably eating dinner). The next day was forecast to be blowing sand, which filtered the sun after sunrise, so I had a little more time to shoot. I'd thought that I would stay that day, walk the dog along some of the closed roads, but blowing sand is really no fun and I'm really bad at hanging around in unpleasant conditions for 6 or 7 hours, so I drove to Grand Staircase Escalante instead.

#1
This is probably my favorite. I think the moon was 2 or 3 days past full. Sand Verbena & sunflowers.

#2

#3
Lake Manly

#4
Manly looking towards the mountains

Some flower shots
#5
Usually there is just 1 bloom on the stem, but this had 4.

#6
In the fading light, only the sunflower caught the last rays, with the sand verbena in the shadows.

 

[AlanLichty]

Most of the time the notion of going to Death Valley to shoot wildflowers is out there in the "what are you smoking?" category but your visit shows otherwise. Neat blooms in this collection and I do agree the first one is a standout. Image #5 is just downright weird but this is California we are talking about

Interesting to see Lake Manly - not the usual view of this area to say the least. Can't say I blame you for fleeing the blowing sand and would likely have done the same myself. Any interesting blooms in GSENM?

 

[MonikaC]

Most of the time the notion of going to Death Valley to shoot wildflowers is out there in the "what are you smoking?" category but your visit shows otherwise. Neat blooms in this collection and I do agree the first one is a standout. Image #5 is just downright weird but this is California we are talking about

Interesting to see Lake Manly - not the usual view of this area to say the least. Can't say I blame you for fleeing the blowing sand and would likely have done the same myself. Any interesting blooms in GSENM?

Nothing blooming in GSENM, at least where I went (Cosmic Navel/Ashtray/the Volcano). There was a paintbrush (yes, singular) when I was north of Moab to check out Delta Pool (which was more of Delta half-dead grasses). None of the shallow potholes that had moisture in late November had even a drop of spit.

Some were calling this wildflower season in DeVa a super bloom, while others were just saying it was excellent. Best in 10 years, anyway.

 

[ProCaliberTraveler]

Nice shots, Monika. I went out there to shoot wildflowers a few weeks ago. Frankly, the flowers a few years ago were better and more numerous. Of course, the media has overblown the “superbloom”.

 

[JimFox]

Hey Monika, I am glad you made it out there even if conditions ended up not being ideal. You did misspell your abbreviation for Death Valley, it's not DeVa it's DiVa...

I like your images, you worked the conditions well. And DV is no fun in wind, it's a great way to ruin a lend or at least incur some expensive repairs as the sand gets everywhere.

When I am there and the sand is blowing, I actually just put my rain jacket I have for my camera that I use when it's rainy. That helps the camera, but sand in the eyes, or having that grinding feeling in your mouth from the sand just isn't fun.

 

[JimFox]

Most of the time the notion of going to Death Valley to shoot wildflowers is out there in the "what are you smoking?" category but your visit shows otherwise. Neat blooms in this collection and I do agree the first one is a standout. Image #5 is just downright weird but this is California we are talking about

Interesting to see Lake Manly - not the usual view of this area to say the least. Can't say I blame you for fleeing the blowing sand and would likely have done the same myself. Any interesting blooms in GSENM?

Alan, Death Valley is actually very popular for flowers at least California photographers. So maybe for those not in California all people think of is hot boiling sand. But it's so much more varied then that.

 

[JimFox]

Nice shots, Monika. I went out there to shoot wildflowers a few weeks ago. Frankly, the flowers a few years ago were better and more numerous. Of course, the media has overblown the “superbloom”.

The media has gotten much worse about catch phrases over the last 5 years I would say, whether it's Superbloom or Blood Moon, you learn as a photographer that they have no real clue, they just want to generate clicks.

Where did you go 2 weeks ago in DV? From the actual reports I saw, 2 weeks ago the flowers were concentrated in the southern end of Badwater. Right now they have spread out through more of the park.

 

[ProCaliberTraveler]

The media has gotten much worse about catch phrases over the last 5 years I would say, whether it's Superbloom or Blood Moon, you learn as a photographer that they have no real clue, they just want to generate clicks.

Where did you go 2 weeks ago in DV? From the actual reports I saw, 2 weeks ago the flowers were concentrated in the southern end of Badwater. Right now they have spread out through more of the park.

I took photos of the same patches Monika displayed here. I drove over Jubilee Pass from Shoshone, through Badwater and past Lake Manly, and back to Bishop via Stovepipe Wells and Panamint. The lake is smaller than it was a few years ago too.

 

[MonikaC]

Hey Monika, I am glad you made it out there even if conditions ended up not being ideal. You did misspell your abbreviation for Death Valley, it's not DeVa it's DiVa...

I like your images, you worked the conditions well. And DV is no fun in wind, it's a great way to ruin a lend or at least incur some expensive repairs as the sand gets everywhere.

When I am there and the sand is blowing, I actually just put my rain jacket I have for my camera that I use when it's rainy. That helps the camera, but sand in the eyes, or having that grinding feeling in your mouth from the sand just isn't fun.

Thanks, Jim. Mostly, the wind/blowing sand was not going to be fun walking the dog along closed roads. That combined with me being used to 50 degrees as being "hot" and mid-70's to mid-low 80's is just not what neither I or my dog would find comfortable.

Since it's DEath VAlley, I would think that the abbreviation would be DeVa, not DiVa, but whatever. And a diva is a famous opera singer...... or someone who puts on airs as if she were one.

 

[MonikaC]

I took photos of the same patches Monika displayed here. I drove over Jubilee Pass from Shoshone, through Badwater and past Lake Manly, and back to Bishop via Stovepipe Wells and Panamint. The lake is smaller than it was a few years ago too.

I went a similar route, but out to Pahrump instead of Bishop. I would think that the week before I was there, the flowers would have been more sparse and better the week after, but the heat wave that's coming will probably wilt them all, even at the higher altitudes. Even though Lake Manly is much smaller than a few years ago, at least this year they are prohibiting watercraft from it. And there is more of the salt flats around the edges instead of just mud.

 

[AlanLichty]

Alan, Death Valley is actually very popular for flowers at least California photographers. So maybe for those not in California all people think of is hot boiling sand. But it's so much more varied then that.

You are absolutely correct - it's so much more than hot boiling sand. That would overlook the vast acreage of hot boiling salt flats and hot boiling rocks

 

[John Holbrook]

Love the landscapes—especially the first. Very nice.

 

[MonikaC]

I took photos of the same patches Monika displayed here. I drove over Jubilee Pass from Shoshone, through Badwater and past Lake Manly, and back to Bishop via Stovepipe Wells and Panamint. The lake is smaller than it was a few years ago too.

You should post the photos that you took from the same spots!

 

[ProCaliberTraveler]

You should post the photos that you took from the same spots!

I’ll process my photos on Sunday after I get home from this trip to the Bay Area.

 

[JimFox]

I took photos of the same patches Monika displayed here. I drove over Jubilee Pass from Shoshone, through Badwater and past Lake Manly, and back to Bishop via Stovepipe Wells and Panamint. The lake is smaller than it was a few years ago too.

Thanks Michael. We have had a lot less rain this year then the year you are thinking of, so that makes sense it's smaller. It will be fun to see your images as well.

 

[JimFox]

Thanks, Jim. Mostly, the wind/blowing sand was not going to be fun walking the dog along closed roads. That combined with me being used to 50 degrees as being "hot" and mid-70's to mid-low 80's is just not what neither I or my dog would find comfortable.

Since it's DEath VAlley, I would think that the abbreviation would be DeVa, not DiVa, but whatever. And a diva is a famous opera singer...... or someone who puts on airs as if she were one.

Hey Monika,

My DiVa was a joke about how fickle Death Valley can be, like a diva movie star, etc.

I actually don't recall anyone abbreviating Death Valley to DeVa, so I was playing off of that. DV is always the abbreviation I have seen through the years. Not to say others haven't gone with DeVa, but I like the simple DV as my choice for abbreviating it.

I was looking to get out there this week, but the current forecast of 105 to 106 while not super hot, can be a bit of pain. So I may just go to Joshua Tree for the New moon instead.

 

[MonikaC]

Hey Monika,

My DiVa was a joke about how fickle Death Valley can be, like a diva movie star, etc.

I actually don't recall anyone abbreviating Death Valley to DeVa, so I was playing off of that. DV is always the abbreviation I have seen through the years. Not to say others haven't gone with DeVa, but I like the simple DV as my choice for abbreviating it.

I was looking to get out there this week, but the current forecast of 105 to 106 while not super hot, can be a bit of pain. So I may just go to Joshua Tree for the New moon instead.

Oh, I see. In other forums, the abbreviation DeVa is pretty common -- that's where I picked it up.
Yes, record breaking heat in parts of the SW, Las Vegas/Death Valley would make it pretty uncomfortable. You may have to sit in your cooler filled with ice