The first two days in Saline Valley were deceptively mild and too comfortable for late December. After roasting ducks over an open fire and some digestive soaking in the Wizard Pool the wind picked up and temperatures dropped on Christmas Eve. The moon was reflecting enough light to see the few 100ft high wall of dust move in from Eureka Valley and I was lucky enough to reach the shelter of my humble tent before the storm hit my location. In the following days we had strong winds and a dust-hazed sky.