On my last night in Death Valley, I was awakened by the sound of rain on my tent...this is an extremely rare occurrence here and I made the immediate decision to return to the dunes for another sunrise. The hike out was still challenging, but much easier than the first time (even though I was still feeling the effects of my first visit) because the sand was compacted from the rain. I headed out in the pitch black and ended up a couple miles further into the dunes. My breath caught in my throat when the sun rose...the rain washed away all signs of human life and I witnessed perfectly curated dunes with crisp lines and fascinating shapes created by the rain and wind. Still makes me breathless thinking back on that morning, and it was a wonderful end to my visit.
