After a long and arduous journey to a lesser-seen valley on Death Valley’s outskirts, I fell asleep next to this flawless, saline-rich, partially dry lakebed, hours away from the hustle and bustle of the one within the main part of the park. The sound of wild burros lulled me to sleep that night.
When we awoke and made the crusty walk out onto the flats, the crystals of salt beneath my feet began to shimmer. At the edge of the dry part of the lake, I observed small, simple creatures, prehistoric critters. What I imagine it was like when Earth’s primordial ooze began to evolve.
