Merry Christmas… from Death Valley!?
I’m going to be taking a few day break from the blog, but before I do I wanted to wish all of my blog readers a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays. While most photographers in a post like this might settle for a photo like I shared in my previous entry Christmas Wonderland, Yosemite National Park I decided to opt for something a little different.
Badwater Salt Snowmen - Death Valley National Park, California
Back in September while visiting Badwater in Death Valley National Park I had a surreal moment. The temperature was 114 at 4pm and not being too smart I hiked out on to the salt flats. About a 1/4 of a mile out I noticed 3 small snowmen built from salt. Each snowman was about 4 inches tall and I couldn’t resist photographing them. I set my camera down on the ground, put my lens close to them and snapped away. This photo proved to be the highlight of my 1/3 mile hike. The hexagonal salt formations I had hiked to see/photograph were not in good shape and I was overheating. By the time I made it back to my car I was feeling a bit woozy and had a growing headache. Only after I guzzled a bottle of gatorade and took the time to cool off did I feel back to normal. The moral of the story….
Never hike in 114 degree heat and always photograph snowmen in the desert.
Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!
Technorati Tags: Christmas, Photography, Humor, Stock Photo, Landscape
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Being as I only live a couple hours from Death Valley, I frequently take advantage of the photographic opportunities there. However, this is special. What a great find! This would have made my day.
Thanks for sharing. Merry Christmas!
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Several years ago my friends and I hiked Mt. Whitney. The day before the climb I decided I wanted to do a “trail” run at Badwater in the middle of the day in July. I ran for 30 minutes in 123 degree heat. Not the smartest thing I've ever done.
Merry Xmas to you and yours, Jim! Great photo and story.
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Its really cool, I came to know this really worth visiting, just bookmarked your site.
http://gisnap.com/
The place where the fun never ends
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I love this post Jim! It's very unique and I love unique.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year to you and your family too!
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Cute shot. I wouldn't have guessed salt without reading the post. Merry Christmas to you too.
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Unique shot Jim. Anything near 100 and I'd rather be in front of a TV playing video games. I had severe dehydration once while camping overnight near Mt. Shasta as well. It was 95 during the day.
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Now that is the way to take advantage of what you got in front of you Jim, great shot and Happy Holidays !!
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Hi, Happy Christmas. Thank you for your blog. I like the Badwater Salt Snowmen in the photo.
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You can hike in 114 degrees, but you need to be prepared – carry water and electrolytes and dress properly. Some of us even run in 126 degrees for miles.
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Thanks for the kind comments everyone. I hope everyone had a great holidays.
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Dan being prepared is always key. I had water with me and was wearing proper attire. I suppose my acclimatization to San Francisco weather didn't help. I'm always amazed to see and hear of people biking or running in Death Valley. One of these days I'll have to visit to see the ultramarathon. Thanks for the comment.
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Thanks for the kind comments everyone. I hope everyone had a great holidays.
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Dan being prepared is always key. I had water with me and was wearing proper attire. I suppose my acclimatization to San Francisco weather didn't help. I'm always amazed to see and hear of people biking or running in Death Valley. One of these days I'll have to visit to see the ultramarathon. Thanks for the comment.
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So glad someone else found these – I was there in September and had the same moment! http://www.flickr.com/photos/andy-harris/393939...
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