Trail head:
Hike Info:
Type:
Hiking
Trail:
Mosaic Canyon Trail
Destination:
About a quarter mile up the trail, at the first anticipated obstacles
Actual
Destination: About 1.4 miles up the trail, at a large boulder fall.
Distance:
2.81
miles
Start
Time: 10:27
End
Time: 12:33
Travel
Time: 2:05 (1.35 mph)
Moving
Time: 1:42 (1,65 mph)
Elevation
Rise: 726'
Descent: 562‘
Maximum
Elevation: 1,506'
Description:
Today
is the day we leave Death Valley. Since we went to bed a bit early
last night, I woke up early-around 5:30. It felt cool out, so I stay
in my sleeping bag until about 6:40 when Sherri opens her eyes.
At
this point, we start moving around and get up. Breakfast is granola,
which has the benefit of quick prep time and cleanup. But something
which slows us down from leaving is we talk with our neighbors. They
are backpackers from Texas. We ask about where do you backpack in
that state? Mostly at Big Bend. That gets us going for a good half an
hour or more.
 |
| Borax Wagaon |
Packing
up takes about an hour-the usual stuff-take down tent, pack sleeping
bag. Pads, food, stove, and other things. Somehow the car looks full.
And that is for five days and two people. Guess we will need to
figure out this camping thing better.
 |
| Remaining Borax Works |
But
we are off. Our first stop is at the Harmony
Borax exhibit. This area talks about how borax was mined and some
of the importance it had on the park. It is interesting and we take
about 30-45 minutes to take things in.
 |
| Entrance to Mosaic Canyon |
 |
| Breccia |
And
then it is onward. We do stop at Stovepipe
Wells to pick up trinkets for the kids. Then onward to Mosaic
Canyon. We go up a dirt road about 2+ miles to the trail head. We
are hoping to do a quick hike up to the first obstacle and then turn
back. The
wash is pretty wide for the first 200 yards or so. Then it narrows.
When it narrows, is where the formations gets exciting, at least for
myself a non-geologist. The walls become polished like marble with
layering which makes it looks like lamented wood, or more like
pressed together-layered stone. (According to ProTrails
, this is called Breccia, an Italian for 'fragment', is pronounced
'brecha')
This
has us in awe. Wonder if the pictures will come out.
 |
| Island in the wash |
 |
| Boulder stopping point |
We
then come to the first obstacle. It is not huge and is not abrupt,
about 7’ rise. But what makes this interesting is that it is
marbled and slick from the many floods through time. The first
attempt leaves us sliding backwards, so it looks like we may go back.
But I take a running start and am able to get up. Sherri is content
with remaining there until I return. But others encourage Sherri to
go up. Success! and onward we go. You would think after yesterday’s
success, this would be a piece of cake for Sherri.
 |
| Wide space before the side canyon |
This
next section is a bit narrow, but quickly opens up. Underfoot is
gravel, while easy to walk, there is a fear of turning an ankle, it
is a bit more strenuous on a pair of legs which sorely need to be
strengthened. But I guess that is how you do it. I would say the
wider part of this wash is not as spectacular as what we went
through. Still it is good to be walking it. Such as what looks like a
20’ tall island in the middle of it. Wonder what that will be made
into in another 15 years? Which is the main thing about walking
these washes. What is here today, will not be there in a short, that
is short geological time-frame. This is not the Sierra where the
granite takes centuries to be shaped into a form.
 |
| Sherri in the middle of Mosaic Canyon |
We
walk for another 25 minutes or so when we come to the next obstacle,
a set of boulders is blocking our route-like our guide book says it
would be. A family comes up and scampers through the boulders. So
evidently there is an easy enough way up. But we have another 5 hour
drive once we get back to the car. So we figure it is a good excuse
to turn around. But first, we partake of a Luna Bar before heading
out.
Because
we are going down a slight slope, all of a sudden I am bounding a
head of Sherri. So I guess if I want to show my vitality and supposed
superiority, I need to be going downhill. That is probably the thing
I am taking away from this trip, that is besides the kalon of this
place-both in terms of heart and the beauty.
 |
| Is Gary really climbing the side canyon wall? |
We
had passed a side canyon a little ways down. Since I was ahead of
Sherri, I went up it-only about 20 yards. Then I came to the bane of
our canyon travels-a stone vertical wall. Oh well, it was fun for the
short time. Sherri catches up and we continue our travels down Mosaic
Canyon. It is just a reverse of our trip up.
 |
| Re-entering the narrow |
Of
course, when you are going in the opposite direction, you see things
differently. Like the wide area with the gravel. The gravel is still
there, but instead of noticing the air island, we notice all of the
sides of the canyon, including some paths along the tops of the
walls. Interesting. I am beginning to see that this is someplace like
my beloved Sierra which you can come back and explore so much there.
We
pass through the narrows of Mosaic Canyon and into the marbled
area. Remember the area which was a bit difficult to come up? It is
now time to go down it. I find going down something harder than going
up it. But not this time. There is a half of a culvert pipe made of
marble which happened to be about the width of my hips. So I sat down
and just slid. Wheee! Why can’t this happened more often? Feels
better than a water park, just shorter, a lot shorter. Sherri on the
other hand is not as confident of this venture. She tries a couple of
ways down, before taking my method. Not sure that she had as much fun
as I did. Which begs the question, why does she like roller coasters
and I do not?
 |
| Rainbow Canyon |
It
is back to the car and a long ride back to Fresno. We stop at Father
Crowley Point, where we came in last Thursday. Had lunch-still no
jets in Rainbow
Canyon. Then off for about five hours. When we hit highway 395,
Sherri drives to Tehachapi where we fill up with gas and have a
burger at McDonald's-first time in years.
About
the only other items of interest on our drive back to Fresno. First,
coming into Bakersfield from Tehachapi, we got a record 56.9mpg. Of
course, it is almost all downhill that way. Still something which I
doubt we will beat ever in the lifetime of our new car. The second,
is we stopped in Bakersfield. We felt that we had to have a dinner of
sorts, so a hamburger in Tehachapi fit that bill. But now for a
Black&White
sundae
at Dewar’s.
It was well
worth enduring the hamburger. Now we can head home and enjoy a shower
after a good trip.
Breakfast
|
Lunch
|
Dinner
|
Snacks
|
Granola
|
Sandwich, Peanut Butter,
Nutella
|
McDonalds
Dewar’s Black&White
Sundae
|
Clif Bar, Scratch, Coffee
Candy, Jelly Belly
|
What was my favorite day on our trip? I would say when we went up Golden and Gower Canyons on November 23rd. It may have been because it was the only day of extended hiking, or because it was just down right interesting.
Our total walking was 13.85 miles, Our "average day was 3.5 miles with an ascent of 1,841'. Nt much when you consider what we have done in the Sierra.
