Hi Igor
@Youssef_Ismail has given a great breakdown about the way the eye moves in the picture. The panorama would work in the right wall at home but the gorgeous red LLC is rather too dominant which is why I personally prefer your original crop - but personal taste is varied 
For me , the textures and subtle colour palette is what I love about the picture.
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Igor as so many have already said, this is a tremendous photograph that captures a mood of serenity to my eyes. The light perfectly prepares you to take it all in… well done!
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Thanks Igor, good to know.
I’m late to this but I have a little to add.
First: Nice shot Igor, I feel you cropped it right…paired it down to the essentials well. And, I think the darkening is good. The shadows add nice depth to the image along with the dappled light (mostly centered). The early morning shadows follow the land contours nicely. I have been out to the Painted Hills a couple of times and will probably go back sometime. Well done.
(If the editors peek in…first time with this new format…I am liking it!)
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Such a novel take on a familiar location. I really don’t have much to add that others with keener eyes have pointed out to you. I like both the dark and the lighter image, though the tonal contrast is more vivid in the latter. I’ve always felt this was a location I need to visit one day.
I’ve bee out of town with my wife and the three dogs for a month so I’m way behind . However, when I saw this image, it stopped me in my tracks.
It is the darkness of the image that captured my attention. The low contrast and modest coloration. The shadows creating depth. Everything is subdued and that is exactly what attracted my eye to this scene. So, to answer your question, is it too dark…NO! Would it look better if it were brighter? I’m not sure but it would look more like the thousands of other images from the area and it wouldn’t be as unique as this is.
I love the title of this because I immediately thought of the feet of some giant THING. This is a very creative composition that I think most wouldn’t see while in the field. Using the foreground berm to add foreground interest and to also lead the eye is creative.
My only nit is the upper right corner. There is a little triangle that grabs my eye. All you would have to do is dodge that so it’s about the same luminosity as the rest of the hill side. Lovely image, Igor.