November 14, 2021 -Death Valley

 

 Title:  November 14, 2021 -Death Valley 

Hike Info : Description 

Trail head:Best Western Hotel, Lone Pine

Hike Info:

Type: Car

Description:

Today, we will resume our trek to Death Valley. I get up at 7:30, took my shower, then had my quiet time. Breakfast was the same as yesterday, Cheerios and pancakes. We get ourselves ready and leave the hotel by 10.

I am driving, heading south. A couple of miles south of the hotel, we go off on Highway 136. Later it turns into Highway 190 which will take us to Furnace Creek in Death Valley, about 105 miles away. We pretty much just keep going at the speed limit. I wonder through out the day how the people who originally crossed this area of California thought they could make it through. Where would they find water?

Sherri and I also talked about an email I got from the Central Valley Hiking Group concerning continuing on as an organizer. I need to figure out what I want to do and this talking did help.

Rainbow Canyon

About 11:15 we come to Father Crowley Point and pull in for our first and only stop it turns out. Not many people in the parking lot. We look at the canyon which I think in lower light intensity would live up to its name, Rainbow Canyon. The parking lot is where most people stop, but there is a dirt road which goes farther out-I think that is the true Point. Several vehicle drive down it. We walked it. Not a really a hard or long walk. The vehicles coming out are considerate and do not raise dust. The end of the road gives a different perspective than where the parking lot is. We do our return trip and leave the area.

Rainbow Canyon

 

 

 

Shortly afterwards, we see the road off to Darwin Falls-we will consider doing it when we come out. Panamint Springs is just a mile beyond that. Then the road falls into the Panamint Valley. Easy to gain speed into the flatness of the Valley. That is to prepare you for the 5,000’ climb out of the Valley into Death Valley.

Then another drop, where speed is easily gathered going into Stovepipe Wells. A park maintenance vehicle passes-going above my 60mph. Passing through Stovepipe, we come to highway 190, going south to Furnace Creek. Our trip is about to end today. We go to the Visitor Center, get our park pass, buy stuff from the gift area and continue on our way. It is just another mile to the turn off to Texas Springs Campground. The campground has lots of openings and we find the one from two years ago. But it does not look very good to camp on, but right next door is good. So we grab off site A16 and set up our tent and stuff.

Sherri getting our air mattresses ready

It is over 90 degrees today. The redeeming feature of our site is that we can tuck our camp chairs under a tree into the shade. That is where we hide ourselves from about 2:30 on-wards, until the sun starts to set in the west.

Sherri makes up dinner, a skillet dish of noodles and chicken. It is only 6:00 when we eat and dark. We get cleaned up. I write things up and Sherri plans out what we will do tomorrow. We get to bed a bit early, around 9:00pm.