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FALL 2017 ISSUE 02 / VOL. 02
Left: The Racetrack Playa is a dry lake bed nestled within a small valley in the shadow of 5,678-foot Ubehebe Peak. Rising up out of the billiard-table-flat playa is The Grandstand, a large outcropping of dark dolomite. The easiest way to get to The Racetrack is by riding down a 20-mile gravel road that’ s often so washboarded it will rattle your fillings loose. Along the way you’ ll pass by Teakettle Junction( above), its sign adorned with dozens of teakettles decorated with names, dates and messages left by visitors from all over the world. Top: Rocks tumble down from the surrounding mountains and end up scattered on the wide-open playa, which is made up of fine-grained sediment. Over time, the rocks mysteriously slide across the playa, leaving long“ racetracks” in their wake.