Pictures from Death Valley (vacation not marathon)

At the highest Dune (on Friday at least) within the Sand Dunes. We started about 2 miles to the West of this picture and climbed various dunes until we reached this summit.

A crow at Artists Pallette along Artists Drive. In this section of Death Valley one can see many different colored rocks including red, orange, yellow, green, brown, among others. It is a very pretty drive.

At a Salt Lick at Badwater. I love salt, so I was really happy here! It was good quality (strong) salt! However sadly an "incident" occurred while taking this picture.

At Badwater, the lowest point in America (250+ feet below sea level!). In the summer it can get quite toasty here however, during our trip it never was above 75 degree's which was very pleasant.

At the Warm Spring pool at Furnace Creek. The water was a very comfortable upper 70's and the scenery of the mountains and desert was just spectacular!

Tristan and I had a great time at Death Valley and Las Vegas and are ready to pack our bags to go back!

However, there was of course at least one incident that mars our experience (actually several). But this one has to do with the picture of me at the Salt Lick by Badwater. Tristan and I walked around Badwater exploring the sights (including the salt flats). I got the brilliant idea to get a picture of me simulating licking the salt. I hand my camera to Tristan then bend down (which is tough considering I have the flexibility of the tin man from the Wizard of Oz). I have my fanny pack with two full bottles of water (they warn you of dehydration and I take this seriously!) I finally am really close to the salt and one of my bottles gets ejected from my fanny pack. It slams into my finger at high rates of speed. In fact a few seconds after my pinky is hit it turns black and blue. I am in excruciating pain. I think my finger might need to be amputated. Not only is it bruised somehow my soda bottle scraped off some skin. In getting up I get some salt in my wound. It is TERRIBLE. Tristan mocks me alot for this injury but I would like to point out that it is Five days later and my finger still is tender. And perhaps it will still need to be amputated. I guess I am lucky it was my pinky which is a vestigile organ and not my opposable thumb which is the only thing that separates me from my primate cousins....