Race Track Playa, photo by Harold Davis. View this image larger.

The Race Track is a dried lake bed in the back country of Death Valley, named because of the rocks that seem to travel across the surface of the playa, leaving tracks as evidence of their motion. No one has actually caught the motion of these rocks on camera. Geologists have a theory—involving freezing temperatures, near ice conditions on the lake surface, and massive, howling winds. Did I mention this place is really remote, and subject to savage weather? But come on folks—it has to be quite a storm to move a 100 lb rock.

If scientists seriously think that natural forces are moving these rocks, then come on suckers lets get some proof and documentation. Why hasn’t this been recorded? At least, the quants could do some decent modeling to make the whole thing seem plausible.

So my working theory is that the apparent rock movement—and paths this movement creates—are artifacts of a group of disciples of Andy Goldsworthy. As art, there’s not much out there that touches the Race Track Playa.