Zabriskie Point Death Valley, Thunderstorms

I sat in my room, cleaning lenses and loading film holders. I stopped, for the 10th time and read the Death Valley Daily Report; “Morning Forecast; Severe Thunderstorms, Flash Flood Warnings”. I was tired from the days work and quickly fell asleep dreaming of… thunderstorms. 

The Big Ben wind-up rang at 4:15am. I dressed, grabbed loaded packs, cameras and gear and jumped in the truck. I drove to the registration desk for a cup of coffee with John and Phil, Stovepipe’s night crew. We looked up at the starless sky and made predictions. Storms were coming. The question was where to take the camera. I chose Zabriskie Point, hoping to photograph storms crossing the valley. On Rt. 190, I could see thunderheads gathering in the east, right were the sun would rise. It’s pointless to worry about light, better to appreciate what’s there than chase expectations. I worried anyway.

I pulled into a deserted Zabriskie parking lot, 20 minutes before sunrise. In ten minutes my 8X10 was up and Manley Beacon glowed on the ground glass. The valley and distant mountains were streaked in morning light as huge thunderheads flew above. I turned and watched the eastern peaks behind the camera. There just above the glow where the sun would clear the mountain peaks sat a collapsing patch of blue. I was hoping for just a moment of light on Manley Beacon. I placed the film holder in the camera, pulled the dark slide and waited for sunrise. For an instant there was light, everywhere. I made the two-second exposure you see.  Before I could replace the dark slide and turn the film holder, the clouds closed and light vanished. There would be no second chance.

I placed the tripod and camera on the ground as the wind accelerated. I was just in time. Powerful winds struck, pushing me over a 4-foot wall to a lower ledge. I missed by a foot falling another 15-feet. I got back over the wall grabbed the tripod and backpack and ran 200 yards to my truck. Bolts from above fell in all directions. I was carrying a 6-foot aluminum tripod in an open parking lot. Somehow I was not lit-up. 

When I got back to Stovepipe Wells, I ran into 2 photographers cleaning their 4X5 cameras. They had been working on the dunes… “Wow” they said, “you really missed it! was just incredible on the dunes!"…with one behind ya can’t ride two horses.