Monsoon Madness
Dramatic shots produced from monsoonal storms racing past Marble Canyon, just north of the Grand Canyon.
Marble Canyon Rainbows
Rainbows over Marble Canyon during probably the last of the monsoon storms for this year.
Highlights and Shadows
Sunlight penetrates clouds from a passing thunderstorm, producing sunbeams along Marble Canyon in Northern Arizona.
Monsoonal Rainbow
A partial rainbow appears amongst the sheets of rain along The North Rim of the Grand Canyon.
Monsoons On Marble Canyon
Monsoon season has begun with full force at Marble Canyon which is in Grand Canyon National Park and precedes The Grand Canyon. These images were shot from above in the Kaibab National Forest, Arizona at a cool elevation of about 9,000 feet.
The Remote Eureka Valley
Eureka Valley is located within Death Valley National Park and was added to the park when Death Valley became a national park in 1994. Death Valley NP is now the largest national park in the lower 48 states at over 3.3 million acres, 50% more than Yellowstone. Ninety One per cent of the park is designated wilderness and Eureka Valley is definitely wilderness. It is approximately 28 miles long and up to 10 miles wide. Eureka Valley could be its own national park. The valley is known for its soaring sand dunes, the colorful Last Chance Range and views to the snow-capped White Mountains that reach some 14,000 feet into the air.
Clouds pass over Eureka Valley at Death Valley National Park, California
Eureka Valley, upper left on map, is a 2 hour drive from the center of Death Valley NP, mostly on dirt and gravel roads.
Colorful strata are the predominate feature of the aptly named Last Chance Range.
The snow-covered White Mountains as seen from Eureka Valley.
Lazy clouds pass over Eureka Valley.
A full moon lights up the landscape over Eureka Dunes.
High winds kick up sand at Eureka Valley and eventually settles at the south end where the dunes reside.
The dunes rise up to 700 feet, amongst the tallest in North America.
The dunes look rather insignificant in the grand scheme of things.
Sunset over the valley.
It’s amazing that anything grows or survives here.
Small mammals survive here by burrowing into the sand for relief. These nests are home to the kangaroo rat.
Rain makes an occasional appearance at Death Valley, but only a few inches annually.
It Never Rains In Death Valley
Well, almost, it did a little this past Friday. Death Valley only receives 2 inches per year, mostly in the winter. In a lot of locations in this world, you can receive 2 inches of rain in less than an hour. The storm clouds gave Death Valley National Park a look I normally don’t see. The clouds and filtered sunlight produced some memorable images.
California’s Moro Bay
Along California’s central coast, Moro Bay is a home for one nice marina and one large ubiquitous rock.
These houses are stacked on top of each other, like cards in a deck.
I also forgot the ubiquitous smoke stacks of the local power plant.
The Hills Are Alive With The Color Of Green
That drought that caused brush fires in California that I highlighted earlier this week, is now a recent memory. California gets rain in the winter and the hills get green, but this winter , they are green green. These hills are east of Paso Robles, on the way to the San Joaquin Valley.
Where there are clouds, rain and sunlight, look out for the ephemeral rainbow.
