A Night on Highway 58

All Star  :::::  Almost every business on Old 58, along Barstow's northern approach, is closed now.All Star ::::: Almost every business on Old 58, along Barstow's northern approach, is closed now.
Mercury Julep  :::::  Bypassed by a freeway for decades.Mercury Julep ::::: Bypassed by a freeway for decades.
Dixie Dreamscape  :::::  The Dixie Inn still watches, but no one stops.Dixie Dreamscape ::::: The Dixie Inn still watches, but no one stops.
A Sigh is Just a Sigh  :::::  Rick died back in '57.A Sigh is Just a Sigh ::::: Rick died back in '57.
Minn-Iowa  :::::  We're in the borderlands now.  The fringe of everything.Minn-Iowa ::::: We're in the borderlands now. The fringe of everything.
Living in the Pink  :::::  Hinkley, between nowhere and nowhere else.Living in the Pink ::::: Hinkley, between nowhere and nowhere else.
Metal Eater  :::::  The only thing Hinkley is suited for today is dirty work.Metal Eater ::::: The only thing Hinkley is suited for today is dirty work.
Scenic Santa Fe  :::::  Junkyards, recyclers.  Hinkley is where machines go to die.Scenic Santa Fe ::::: Junkyards, recyclers. Hinkley is where machines go to die.
The End of Things  :::::  A metal cesspool.The End of Things ::::: A metal cesspool.
Suspended Inanimation  :::::  The end of your dream vacation.Suspended Inanimation ::::: The end of your dream vacation.
Suburban  :::::  The end of the road.Suburban ::::: The end of the road.
Rat Fink  :::::  That would have to be my nickname, if it were me.Rat Fink ::::: That would have to be my nickname, if it were me.
Bringing Up The Rear  :::::  The owner of the yard came home just after I finished this exposure, so I quietly slipped back through the fence.Bringing Up The Rear ::::: The owner of the yard came home just after I finished this exposure, so I quietly slipped back through the fence.
The Dry State  :::::  Further west and even more remote is Harper Dry Lake, where a few hearty post-war souls made a go of it.The Dry State ::::: Further west and even more remote is Harper Dry Lake, where a few hearty post-war souls made a go of it.
Ghost Tree  :::::  Everything in this parched place was stripped clean and ready to crumble.Ghost Tree ::::: Everything in this parched place was stripped clean and ready to crumble.
Welcome Home  :::::  The clouds began to get too heavy for shooting.  Time to hit the road.Welcome Home ::::: The clouds began to get too heavy for shooting. Time to hit the road.
White Goatee  :::::  But 30 miles later, at the North Edwards exit, the skies opened up.White Goatee ::::: But 30 miles later, at the North Edwards exit, the skies opened up.
Edwards Whisp  :::::  In the intense wind this cloud disappeared in the space of about 10 minutes.Edwards Whisp ::::: In the intense wind this cloud disappeared in the space of about 10 minutes.
Petrofoam  :::::  Surrounded by dense, churning storm clouds, I was in a quickly closing eye of the storm.Petrofoam ::::: Surrounded by dense, churning storm clouds, I was in a quickly closing eye of the storm.
Into the Storm  :::::  Drivers stream west,  deep into the night.Into the Storm ::::: Drivers stream west, deep into the night.
Look Bird  :::::  Storm clouds boil over the Tehachapi's in tumbling waves.Look Bird ::::: Storm clouds boil over the Tehachapi's in tumbling waves.
Bent Willows  :::::  The wind picks up intensity as the storm closes in.Bent Willows ::::: The wind picks up intensity as the storm closes in.
Extroverted Sky  :::::  Arms of clouds quickly enclosed me.Extroverted Sky ::::: Arms of clouds quickly enclosed me.
White Out  :::::  As the wall of clouds raced towards me, its immensity became overwhelming.  It was like being caught in an avalanche of clouds. White Out ::::: As the wall of clouds raced towards me, its immensity became overwhelming. It was like being caught in an avalanche of clouds.
17657  :::::  The full moon was flickering behind the edge of the clouds as this exposure ended, and then everything went black.  Time to jump in the car for the 6 hour ride home, in a driving rainstorm.  I pulled into my driveway at 5:30 AM.17657 ::::: The full moon was flickering behind the edge of the clouds as this exposure ended, and then everything went black. Time to jump in the car for the 6 hour ride home, in a driving rainstorm. I pulled into my driveway at 5:30 AM.
  • All Star  :::::  Almost every business on Old 58, along Barstow's northern approach, is closed now.
  • Mercury Julep  :::::  Bypassed by a freeway for decades.
  • Dixie Dreamscape  :::::  The Dixie Inn still watches, but no one stops.
  • A Sigh is Just a Sigh  :::::  Rick died back in '57.
  • Minn-Iowa  :::::  We're in the borderlands now.  The fringe of everything.
  • Living in the Pink  :::::  Hinkley, between nowhere and nowhere else.
  • Metal Eater  :::::  The only thing Hinkley is suited for today is dirty work.
  • Scenic Santa Fe  :::::  Junkyards, recyclers.  Hinkley is where machines go to die.
  • The End of Things  :::::  A metal cesspool.
  • Suspended Inanimation  :::::  The end of your dream vacation.
  • Suburban  :::::  The end of the road.
  • Rat Fink  :::::  That would have to be my nickname, if it were me.
  • Bringing Up The Rear  :::::  The owner of the yard came home just after I finished this exposure, so I quietly slipped back through the fence.
  • The Dry State  :::::  Further west and even more remote is Harper Dry Lake, where a few hearty post-war souls made a go of it.
  • Ghost Tree  :::::  Everything in this parched place was stripped clean and ready to crumble.
  • Welcome Home  :::::  The clouds began to get too heavy for shooting.  Time to hit the road.
  • White Goatee  :::::  But 30 miles later, at the North Edwards exit, the skies opened up.
  • Edwards Whisp  :::::  In the intense wind this cloud disappeared in the space of about 10 minutes.
  • Petrofoam  :::::  Surrounded by dense, churning storm clouds, I was in a quickly closing eye of the storm.
  • Into the Storm  :::::  Drivers stream west,  deep into the night.
  • Look Bird  :::::  Storm clouds boil over the Tehachapi's in tumbling waves.
  • Bent Willows  :::::  The wind picks up intensity as the storm closes in.
  • Extroverted Sky  :::::  Arms of clouds quickly enclosed me.
  • White Out  :::::  As the wall of clouds raced towards me, its immensity became overwhelming.  It was like being caught in an avalanche of clouds.
  • 17657  :::::  The full moon was flickering behind the edge of the clouds as this exposure ended, and then everything went black.  Time to jump in the car for the 6 hour ride home, in a driving rainstorm.  I pulled into my driveway at 5:30 AM.

A single night of shooting along California Highway 58 in November 2010. Starting in Barstow and heading west into Hinkley, Harper Dry Lake and North Edwards, I was dodging storm clouds all night.

When I passed through Barstow in the early evening, I’d planned on grabbing a quick meal and getting to work, but the city’s water had been contaminated that afternoon by perchlorate from one of the nearby military installations.  Perchlorates are used to make rocket fuel and explosives. Residents were told not to drink the water, from every media outlet, over and over again. Every restaurant was closed and stores were running out of bottled water as frantic citizens stocked up. It was a weird, edgy scene, so I skipped dinner and beelined it for the quiet part of town and started shooting. Almost every business on Old 58, along Barstow’s northwestern approach, is closed now, bypassed by a freeway for over 20 years.  Once bustling, it’s now a dark and desolate stretch of road.

West of Barstow is Hinkley, which has its own long history of water contamination made famous by the movie “Erin Brockovich.” Shooting my way west through town, I slipped through the fence of a huge metal recycling facility.  After getting a few shots off, the owner came home, so I slipped back out through the fence and hit the road again.  The sky was getting too dense to work by moonlight anyway.

At Harper Dry Lake I wandered 10 miles off the highway and found a couple of abandoned homestead ranches and got shooting, but the sky was closing up on me fast.  I was soon rolling west again, thinking the rest of the night would be scrubbed.

Surprisingly, the sky opened up thirty miles later. I had popped into a circular gap in the clouds–the eye of the storm. I knew I had to shoot something, and quickly.  It was obvious I only had a short time before it closed in again from the west.  Remembering the North Edwards exit had an abandoned gas station and a few other derelict buildings, I impulsively hopped off the freeway there, set up in the howling wind and got to work. Methodically, I pounded out a series of short exposures as the arms of the storm enfolded themselves around me. In less than 30 minutes the circle of clouds closed over me and the moon flickered out.  The sky went dark, like flipping a light switch.  It was time to jump in the car for the 6 hour cruise home, in a driving rainstorm. I pulled into the driveway at 5:30 AM and had a glass of cool, clean water before I fell asleep.

 

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