Ubehebe Crater

Death Valley National Park

Locate the place.

Our next stop is the Racetrack, but we cannot go past Ubehebe Crater without at least looking at it. It is a large hole in the ground and has similar, although smaller, neighbors, and it is quite the oddity. I look across at layers while a sign assures me it is volcanic in origin. Granite may flake away in layers, but I cannot pick out the edges of them if they are not flaking. I also look across and stand upon a dark layer that seems to have settled upon everything like grey icing. The layer seems to be cinders. The sign explains further about the volcanic action, how water sank down and met magma producing superheated steam that gathered until a weakness blew out this pressure cooker with no safety valve.

Ubehebe Crater.

One trail leads along the edge to the right and to other nearby craters and another leads along the edge to the left and down into the bottom. A circuit may also be made. We have a schedule to keep with no time set aside for these walks (Sung has already done it), so we just take it in with a bit of lunch. The wind is blowing so fiercely on my second foray out that it is difficult to even walk against it.

While the view in front may be compelling, try not to forget to look behind.

©2015 Valerie Norton
Posted 8 January 2015