This is the Kelso Dunes.

The Kelso Dunes are named after the tiny ghost town of Kelso in the California Mojave Desert. The town exists primarily as a train depot and switching yard. A historic depot is still there as a museum. The dunes themselves are a lot bigger than they look in this photo.

I love sand dunes because they are just amazing to photograph. I've attempted dune photography in a number of places, including Death Valley and Pismo Beach.

There's only one problem. Dunes, really good dunes, are incredibly difficult to get to. These particular dunes are out in the middle of nowhere (the Mojave). It took me a couple of hours drive off the main road to get to them, and then after parking, there was a half hour hike to get to where the sand began to build up.

I was alone. The sun was setting, it was cold, there was no one around, and hiking on sand is really, really hard.

I imagined large scorpions attacking my feet and ankles. Rattlesnakes joining in.

It was going take me another hour to get to the top of one of those suckers, and I wasn't going to risk it. I imagined my bleached bones half covered with sand years in the future, picked lean by birds but undiscovered by humans.

So I hiked halfway, took a few photos, and walked back to the car.