A Sandstorm in Death Valley

Until a couple weeks ago, Death Valley was a mysterious, exotic location on the US weather map that I’ve had a peripheral fascination with since I was a kid. A geographical no man’s land I’ve always wanted to experience in the flesh, but never had immediate plans to do so. On the heels of the recent Los Angeles fires, I took a bus from LA to the Central Valley to escape the dangerous AQI for a couple days. A photographer/hiker friend who was passing through the area picked me up in Bakersfield, and we headed east to Death Valley National Park, passing through familiar territory from our respective journeys along the Pacific Crest Trail. We rendezvoused with a mutual friend who was en route to the North Cascades for seasonal ornithological survey work, and spent a handful of days exploring the vast landscape, taking photos, and enjoying each other’s company around the campfire. It was a brief but therapeutic trip to one of the most expansive and naturally silent places I’ve experienced in the United States.

I took but one recording on this trip, opting instead to use the time as a scouting trip and spend more time with my camera. This gave me the opportunity to explore and take notes on how I might want to approach an extended recording trip here in the near future. I can’t wait to go back.

Please enjoy an excerpt of a morning sandstorm on the outskirts of Tecopa recorded with Bishop, my DIY binaural head. With wind gusts approaching 50mph, listening to a recording of the storm is perhaps more enjoyable than being in a tent in the middle of it 🙂