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| All Day |
Hike Info:
Type:
Hiking
Trail:
More of a wide path where people ventured out onto the salt flats
Destination:
No destination, just a walk onto the salt flats
Distance: 1.34
miles 1
Elevation
Rise: 49'
Descent: 46‘
Maximum
Elevation: -275'
1No
GPS, only reckoning and approximation from Google Earth.
Description:
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| Morning Light on Panamint Mountains |
I
woke up about 6:20 to two things: 1) The sky was lite up with an
early morning sunlight, and 2) our neighbors were getting up. With
three children and thin tent walls and close camps, you can hear
every noise. I do not think they were being that noisy, just close
by. They also came in last night after we went to bed. But then again
this morning about 4:00am when I went to the bathroom, the crunching
of the gravel was such that I would not have been surprised to have
woken up others.
This
morning, clouds are still up in the sky, but do not appear to be as
thick. The white we saw last night I think is some light colored sand
on hills. It is french toast and bacon for breakfast. By the time we
get cleaned up, it is around 10.
We
head out to Badwater,
the lowest point in the United States. Some one asked me what is
there to do there? My response is that it is mostly just being
there. At Badwater, there is mostly salt flats. I use the term flats
a bit loosely as
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| Pool at Badwater | | | | | | | | |
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While
from a distance it does look flat, it is like ice in the Arctic. As
the water recedes, the salt drives into clusters, forming small
ridges and crags. Visitors have created a wide path which stretches
at least a mile. We walk a little bit beyond that and turn around. If
there is any incline, it is hard to say what it is.
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| Artist Palette |
We
get in the car and are off up the road. We go on the Artist
Drive
loop. This area’s claim to fame is that much of the hills and domes
have a degree of color to them. It is a pleasant drive and one which
we get out and walk in a couple of places. Hopefully the pictures
show the attractiveness of the area. At least, that is how I am going
to explain what we saw.
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| Is this Wil E.? |
A
coyote shows its self at the end of the loop. We stop and take
several shots of it. There is a dog in a car a little ways away which
the coyote seems to be interested in, but does not approach.
Eventually the coyote turns away.
Hike Info:
Type:
Hiking
Trail:
Desolation Canyon Trail
Destination:
As far as the canyon will let us go.
Actual
Destination: Up to an 8’ dry waterfall.
Distance:
2.97 miles 2
Start
Time: 2:05
End
Time: 3:46
Travel
Time: 1:40 (1.78 mph)
Moving
Time: 1:36 (1.86 mph)
Descent: 1,564‘
Maximum
Elevation: 429'
2I
did nor start the GPS until we were at least a quarter mile into our
trip. At the start, it looked like it had the elevation was being
recorded. Seeing a -61 on the GPS is coming thing new for me. But
then the elevation disappears from the GPS.
3The
elevation readings came from what Google Earth showed. Hiking
Death Valley showed
a lot more reasonable elevation gain of 325’. The excursion up a
side canyon probably had another 50’ of gain.
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| Entrance to Desolation Canyon |
By
this time, I am tired. When we drive a short distance to the
Desolation
Canyon
Trail Head, I am ready for a nap. And nap I do. Sherri has lunch
while I am asleep. Finally the sun gets to her and going into the
back seat wakes me up. I do not blame her. Looks like I slept for
over an hour. Still not totally energetic. Still we get out and walk
it. We meet some of the people coming out and a young woman passes us
by. It is a bit of a climb going into the canyon. More pictures I
hope shows that this is a good walk.
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| Cracked Mud floor |
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| The dry waterfall where we turned around |
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| End of side canyon |
One
more note: when we stopped at an 8’ high wall, our campground
neighbors came up the canyon. We talked for a few minutes and then
they scampered right up where we decided to turn around. Impressive.
We leave shortly afterwards, going down the canyon. On the way out,
we go up a side canyon-only a short ways. We are stopped by a 23’
wall.
Just
saying, coming out was a lot easier than going in.
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| Evening light above desolation Canyon |
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| Badlands from Zabriskie Point |
Our
last stop of the day is Zabriskie
Point.
This is beyond Furnace Creek Inn, about 2 miles-an easy drive. The
view is good. That is of some of the terrain around it, but not so
much of Death Valley. It keeps us occupied for about 30
minutes-enough to see the sun go down.
We
get back around 5:30. Sherri gets dinner ready-tortilla’s, re-fried
beans, cheese and stuff. I am a bit tired, so Sherri also does the
wash. Thank You. By this time our neighbors are back. We talk with
them for awhile before they eat. While they are eating we go off and
star gaze. This is just outside of camp. We find a little slope to
lay down on and gaze. Magnificent. The Milky Way is in full view. But
then it gets cold
By
8:00pm, we are ready for bed. Funny how that is when you are
outdoors. The sun sets and it is time to sleep. In reality, we stay
up a bit longer to read and write. Then off to bed.
Breakfast
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Lunch
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Dinner
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Snacks
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French toast and bacon
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Sandwich: Peanut Butter,
Nutella
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Burrito of refried beans,
cheese, sour cream, and stuff
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Clif Bar, Scratch, Coffee
Candy, Jelly Belly
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Animals
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| Coyote |
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