Badwater Basin was my first destination this morning.  It is an endorheic basin (closed drainage basin that retains water) located 282 feet below sea level, the lowest point in North America. Rain water that is captured here evaporates quickly leaving behind salt deposits in the most fascinating structures and patterns.  After returning to Furnace Creek for breakfast, I took off for my main destination, the Racetrack Playa. I stopped frequently along the way including at the 1/2 mile wide Ubehebe Crater to capture scenes of particular interest.

After the Ubehebe Crater it is another 27 miles to the Racetrack along a bone-jarring, teeth-rattling gravel/rock road with an interesting intersection at the 20-mile mark for Teakettle Junction.

The Racetrack is so named for its sailing stones. Slabs of dolomite and syenite ranging from a few hundred grams to hundreds of pounds inscribe visible linear tracks as they slide across the playa surface, without human or animal intervention. Instead, rocks move when ice sheets just a few millimeters thick start to melt during periods of light wind.  Unfortunately, the salt flat was recently vandalized by some moron who drove onto the pristine dry lake bed and made donuts with their car.  I am a peaceful man, but if I were to encounter the cretin who did this I would not hesitate to carve similar lines into his face.  It will take decades for nature to erase these tracks.