Death Valley Initiation

My brother Dan and I started  talking about visiting Death Valley last year after his All Terrain Bobcat was delivered. We got serious about doing a trip last December. Between us, I was the only one who had been there before - just driving through from the airport in Las Vegas to the eastern Sierra for a backpacking trip about 10 years ago. Since we did not have any experience in Death Valley and from recommendations from posters on Wander the West, we decided to spend the first 2 nights in a campground and then disperse camp for another few days. So we made reservations at Furnace Creek for February 22nd and 23rd. We had no idea at the time what a terrific choice of dates those would be.

We met in Reno on Sunday the 21st and made it to Beatty for the first night. We had intended to disperse camp but ended up in an RV park just outside of town. It was not the ideal camping location but was fine since we planned to leave early the next morning.

After gassing up in Beatty, we entered the park. Since we would be driving right by the start of the Titus Canyon road, we decided to do it right away. It is a long drive but turned out to be a great way to start a visit to Death Valley. As you get into the canyon, the rock formations and colors start to get interesting.

The driving starts to get interesting too. Neither of us had a strong background in off road driving so the 'pucker factor' was definitely in play for some sections of the road. I was very glad to have spent the money to get our Tacoma/Fleet ready for this kind of travel.

We took a long break in Leadfield along with some bicycle and motorcycle riders. It is difficult to imagine how people got to and built out remote places like Leadfield.

Then it was time to drive through The Narrows, definitely the coolest part of the road. The only downside is that the road is so narrow there are not many places to pull off to take pictures. We were able to get a few though.

And then it was over. This is the exit from The Narrows.

This is the view right when you come out. An amazing change in just a few yards.

Titus Canyon was a terrific introduction to Death Valley. Highly recommended, just make sure your vehicle is ready for it.

It was mid-afternoon when we came out. We were ready for a break so headed to Furnace Creek to check in. It is an okay campground, at least it has a few trees unlike the other two campgrounds which are basically parking lots. Furnace Creek was filled with an amazing variety of recreational vehicles. 

After a stop at the Visitor Center we headed out again on the road toward Badwater. On the way from Titus Canyon to Furnace Creek there were some very nice wildflowers but on the road to Badwater we realized that this was a special time in Death Valley - the abundance and variety of the flowers was just amazing. Through sheer luck we had arrived in time to be there for a Super Bloom.

After a short stop at Badwater we headed back for a loop through Artist's Drive. We got there a bit late for the best light but knew we could come back the next day so did not worry about it too much. Artist's Drive is spectacular even with the large groups of people who were there.

 
We had a quiet and very restful night at Furnace Creek. Our plan was to get oriented with the areas that are close to Furnace Creek prior to some dispersed camping so headed out to see Zabriskie Point, Dante's View and the canyons that go up from the West Side Road. It was a spectacular day due to a small cold front that had come through over night. A few shots from Zabriskie point.

A few from Dante's View

After Dante's View we headed toward the West Side road which is at the base of the Panamint range on the above picture. Our target was the road up Johnson Canyon which is some 20 miles down the road from the intersection. It was a slow drive. We passed Trail Canyon, Hanaupah Canyon and then turned right up Johnson Canyon.This was slower going than the West Side road and it was getting to be mid-afternoon so we turned around about 4 miles up. Johnson Canyon is another spectacular area that is supposed to get even better further up. We intend to get back there to on another trip.

On the way back we stopped at Shorty's grave site. Definitely an interesting choice of places to rest his bones.

Our final stop was at the bottom of the basin to view the salt formations. It is stunning to realize that these deposits are thousands of feet deep.

At this point the day was running out so we headed back for another loop through Artist's Drive. The flowers and views were excellent.

It had been another fantastic day. The plan for the next day was to find a dispersed camping spot on the Cottonwood/Marble canyon road and then explore Marble Canyon. We were fortunate to find a very nice spot close to the entrance of the canyon. We were a bit concerned about being able get to the end of the road in Marble Canyon. A very nice gentleman, who had stopped by to talk about our pop-up campers, told us it would not be a problem. He was correct - it took some time to get there but Marble Canyon was definitely worth the effort. The layers in the rock formations were like viewing geologic history and the color and texture of the rock was just amazing.

Due to my on-going health issues we did not get as far up the canyon as I would have liked but it was a great hike even if it was too short. We got back to our camp right as the sun was setting.

The next morning was clear with perfect temperatures again. A few shots of our spot with the campers.

Our original plan had been to disperse camp on our last night somewhere on the east side of the park to give us a jump start on getting back to Reno on Highway 95. On the way to Marble Canyon though, we realized that we were only about 80 miles from Lone Pine and the Alabama Hills. When we got back to Stovepipe Wells, we sat on the rocking chairs in front of the store by the gas station and discussed whether to go left and find another dispersed site or right to the Alabama Hills. I had been by them once when going to/from Whitney  Portal and had always wanted to go back. It was on Dan's bucket list of places to go so we headed out to the right.

After lunch we had a short tour of the Alabama Hills. They are still as beautiful as I remembered them.

There are many spots for dispersed camping in the Alabama Hills but we decided to head north to position ourselves to get back to Dan's home in Auburn California the next day. We will both be back to the Alabama Hills though. It is a stunning place and an excellent stop on the way to Death Valley.

We made it to Mono Lake just as the sun was setting. I have spent a lot of time around this area - it continues to be one of my favorite places on our planet.

The next morning was beautiful but very cold.

Sadly, it was time to head home. We opted for breakfast at Nicely's restaurant in Lee Vining. I started stopping at Nicely's in the late 1970's but had not been there for about 10 years. It was great to be there again. We made it to Truckee California for a late lunch with our son. Then it is was off to Dan's place in Auburn and then home to Oregon for me the next day.

This was a fantastic trip. We feel extremely fortunate to have been in Death Valley for the Super Bloom. The only 'do-over' might have been to spend less time driving and more time capturing images of the flowers since the Super Blooms are so rare. On the flip side though, we obtained a lot of knowledge and experience that will be very helpful in future visits. It is easy to see why people come back year after year. Now that we are initiated, I suspect we will be joining that club too.

Safe travels and thanks for reading!

A Little Fall Color and Carnage From Wyoming

This is a follow up to a post from earlier this year about the Big Sandy Opening area of the Wind River range in southwestern Wyoming. I made it back in late September for a short visit with my son who is working there for the Forest Service this summer and fall. Unfortunately, due to schedules and continuing issues with my knee, we were not able to hike in to see the Cirque of the Towers - the goal for the summer. We will try again next year if he is working out there again.

The weather was warm and dry which was a nice change from the first trip. We spent most of our time checking the Forest Service back roads around the Big Sandy Opening area as hunting season was just getting started. We met some very interesting people and saw some unusual things but I did not take many pictures for a variety of reasons. Below though, are a few that hopefully represent the beauty of the area and the wildness that is still there.

Fall colors on the way to the cabin.

Temple Peak from Muddy Ridge.

We traveled one day over to see Square Top mountain. Lower Green River Lake is in the foreground. I would like to hike up into the valleys below Square Top some day.

Fall colors from the Irish Canyon area.

Now for the carnage. Irish Canyon is used for cattle and sheep grazing earlier in the year. While traveling through it, we came across the remains of a lamb. We could not determine what took it out but, according to a local rancher acquaintance, there are wolves, mountain lions, bears and coyotes in the area. It was amazing to see the skin and fur just peeled away and the vertebrae and rib cage nearly intact. We looked for the head but never found it. I am sure that finding remains like this is not uncommon for some people but it was definitely something new for us.

Some color from the front yard of the cabin.

And finally a view up the Big Sandy river toward the southern end of the Winds.

It was an excellent but too short trip. The dispersed camping in the Big Sandy Opening is really good, especially in the upper valley. We will be going back to explore more of the Winds whether the kid is working there or not.

Thanks for reading!