Morning at Cuddeback Lake - "retreated to a drier location"

 Drove through Mojave around 11PM and had an idea to photograph the sunrise at a desert lake. It was after midnight when I turned off US 395 and drove East toward Cuddeback Lake.

 After a few miles the road became waterlogged.

 After another mile on this muddy road I gave up my quest for the lake and retreated to a drier location to set up camp.

 Dawn at our camp near the muddy flats of Cuddeback Lake.

 The higher sun rose behind the clouds the more disappointed I became that my route the night before did not allow me to reach water on the lake bed.  It was time to get my shoes muddy and hike to the water.

 There wasn't much water.

But it was put to good use.

 Found an interesting collection of debris on my way back to camp. I could not put the puzzle together and figure out the story behind these rusted artifacts.

 An old well but no water at the bottom.

 Red Mountain to the NW in the distance and water soaked mud flats in the foreground.

 Our Four Wheel Camper below the clouds and on safe, relatively dry, ground.

 The route back to pavement.

 Southbound on US 395.

Wind turbines West of Mojave.