Morning on Steele Pass
by Joe Schofield
Title
Morning on Steele Pass
Artist
Joe Schofield
Medium
Photograph
Description
7:15 am, March 28th 2013. 38 F.
Steele Pass route into Saline Valley. Looking back (north) at Eureka Dunes, bathed in morning sunlight.
The Eureka Dunes lie in the remote Eureka Valley, an enclosed basin at 3000 foot elevation located northwest of Death Valley. The dunes cover an area only 3 miles long and 1 mile wide, yet they are the tallest sand dunes in California, possibly the tallest in all of North America. They rise suddenly more than 680 feet above the dry lakebed at their western base. As tall as these dunes are, they are dwarfed by the impressive limestone wall of the Last Chance Mountains which rises another 4000 feet above the valley floor.
Location of the Eureka Valley Sand Dunes within California
The Eureka Valley Sand Dunes are located in the southern part of Eureka Valley, in northern Inyo County in eastern California, in the southwestern United States. Although covering an area of only 3 square miles (8 km�), the dunes rise approximately 680 feet (207 m) above the surrounding valley floor, making them one of the highest dune fields in North America.
Accessed via a gravel road in Eureka Valley (which connects to a road running from Big Pine to the Grapevine section of Death Valley), the dunes became part of the Death Valley National Park as part of its expansion in 1994. Foot travel in the dunes is permitted, but vehicle access is prohibited. A primitive campground is located at the north end of the dune field.
The Eureka Dunes are the home of several unique (and protected) plant species. The Eureka Dune Grass (Swallenia alexandrae), the Eureka Evening Primrose (Oenothera californica eurekensis), and the Shining Locoweed (Astragalus lentiginosus micans) are only found in this area. Visitors to the dunes may also experience other unique aspects of these dunes. The Eureka Dunes are known as singing dunes because in dry weather, slipping of the sand can produce a 'booming' sound. Conversely, in wet weather, patterns can be seen in the sand that reveals its diverse sources, and the complex Aeolian process by which these dunes are formed (and re-formed).
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April 12th, 2013
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Viewed 3,366 Times - Last Visitor from New York, NY on 04/23/2024 at 8:19 PM
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Comments (25)
Lyric Lucas
Congratulations your creative and unique art work is featured in the "Out Of The Ordinary 1 a day" group!
John Bailey
Congratulations on being featured in the Fine Art America Group "Images That Excite You!"
Karen Adams
Love the contrasts of the rough, rocky, brown terrain to the soft, wispy clouds in that gorgeous blue sky!....fv
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