Mojave Musings
One spring, many years ago, I was on assignment in northern Arizona and the writer I was working with asked me if I wanted to join him for a long weekend exploring the Mojave Desert. At the time, I could think of about a hundred things I’d rather do. I had never been in a desert and saw no reason to start, but off we went in his rugged 4WD camper van. I don’t remember where we went, but it was eye-opening.
The desert was anything but the miles of sand I expected. In fact, we didn’t really see much sand at all. Instead, it was majestic, rocky and rugged. I remember returning bruised and battered and that was just from riding in the van. The writer thought that going fast on rough road was easier than going slow. I disagree.
I remember colorful rock formations, beautiful caves, arches and wildflowers that I had never seen before. A week later, I went back to North Carolina and promised myself that one day I would return to the desert and get to know it. I now live in the Sonoran Desert and have returned to the Mojave many times. The better I get to know it, the more I love it.
Mojave Musings
The Mojave Desert extends from the Base of the Sierra Nevada Range in the west to the Colorado Plateau in the east and covers all of the southern tip of Nevada. Aside from the nearly three million people who populate the Las Vegas metropolitan area, the next largest incorporated Nevada town within the Mojave, with a population of a little more than 20,000 people, is Mesquite.
Within Whitney Pocket, Little Finland, Buffington Pockets, Bowl of Fire, Valley of Fire, Hidden Valley, Pinto Valley and Color Rock Quarry is a land of treasure and awe. Most are within either the Lake Mead National Recreation Area or Gold Butte National Monument and only Valley of Fire State Park is accessible via good paved roads.
Of the Sonoran, Chihuahuan, Great Basin and Mojave Deserts, that together form the North American Desert, the Mojave is the smallest and driest. The colorful and fragile formations, numerous natural arches and wildflower and cactus blooms belie the common perceptions of such a place. Although I first visited the area decades ago, I only began to explore it within the past few years after moving to the adjacent Sonoran Desert.
I enjoy it as a photographer because it is an endless puzzle. There is beauty everywhere you look, but seeing and photographing are different things entirely. The harsh desert light, the complexity of land forms and the endless contrails that crisscross the sky are all obstacles that frustrate even those who have learned to see the beauty in these harsh environs. The moon may be a harsh mistress, but it is the sun and sky that you must master.
These images are just a beginning. I’ll hopefully improve upon them each time I return.
Mojave Musings
The Mojave Desert extends from the Base of the Sierra Nevada Range in the west to the Colorado Plateau in the east and covers all of the southern tip of Nevada. Aside from the nearly three million people who populate the Las Vegas metropolitan area, the next largest incorporated Nevada town within the Mojave, with a population of a little more than 20,000 people, is Mesquite.
Within Whitney Pocket, Little Finland, Buffington Pockets, Bowl of Fire, Valley of Fire, Hidden Valley, Pinto Valley and Color Rock Quarry is a land of treasure and awe. Most are within either the Lake Mead National Recreation Area or Gold Butte National Monument and only Valley of Fire State Park is accessible via good paved roads.
Of the Sonoran, Chihuahuan, Great Basin and Mojave Deserts, that together form the North American Desert, the Mojave is the smallest and driest. The colorful and fragile formations, numerous natural arches and wildflower and cactus blooms belie the common perceptions of such a place. Although I first visited the area decades ago, I only began to explore it within the past few years after moving to the adjacent Sonoran Desert.
I enjoy it as a photographer because it is an endless puzzle. There is beauty everywhere you look, but seeing and photographing are different things entirely. The harsh desert light, the complexity of land forms and the endless contrails that crisscross the sky are all obstacles that frustrate even those who have learned to see the beauty in these harsh environs. The moon may be a harsh mistress, but it is the sun and sky that you must master.
These images are just a beginning. I’ll hopefully improve upon them each time I return.
