dorocks
Senior Member
My son and I went to Death Valley since we had never been there. The wife could not go this trip
http://keithbarnes.smugmug.com/Vacation-Photos/Death-Valley-Day-One-2011/15905945_Pxu9H#1192834991_ASuYM
My boy and I arrived midday Wednesday and We entered the park from the south on Harry Wade road. It was a very windy day and the the sand was blowing briskly as you will be able to see in some of the pictures. We stopped at Saratoga Spring. The clouds made for some pretty good picture opportunities. We crossed a little stream and headed to Badwater. It was getting late so we stopped at Furnace Creek for a little bit and headed up the Echo Canyon entrance road to spend the night two miles off the road.
It was a bright moonlit night and was quiet as could be. The wind stopped completely. It was in the 30s somewhere. 39 degrees when we hit the road again. Good temperature for hiking about.
http://keithbarnes.smugmug.com/Vacation-Photos/Death-Valley-Day-Two-2011/15906737_g4aoM#1192927792_Gn5qM
In the morning, we went up the canyon to Inyo Mine. We hiked up the hill and looked down some mine shafts. The ones that went straight down freaked me out a bit. Did a couple camera shots that revealed more than my eye could see. Then we headed down the mountain and went to the Artist's Palette loop. I really enjoyed the pastel colors. We stopped by Golden Canyon Trail. It was interesting but not nearly as colorful. Gold was its primary color for sure. We stopped at Furnace Creek to look at the stores and museum. Put a little $5.11 diesel in the Dodge to make sure we got around the loop
We headed up the Beatty Cutoff and camped on the road to Chloride. We only went up a little distance since the road narrowed and the edges of the road were a little washed out. Did not want to get the truck and Four Wheel Camper in a jam I could not get out of. It was chilly and more windy the second night. But for the second night we had no company except for a rabbit in the morning.
http://keithbarnes.smugmug.com/Vacation-Photos/Death-Valley-Day-Three-2011/15906711_ibsr3#1192924651_geKU9
We headed Friday morning out to Rhyolite to get to the Titus Canyon trail. Rhyolite was not much. However I found the cemetery was amusing since there was a picnic table there and what looked like bear boxes. Thought I was at Yellowstone for a moment.
The Titus Canyon Trail was a sleeper. First part was fun. Just easy hills and brown desert hills. But once you crested the pass so to speak, it was quite breathtaking. The hills were like the Artist's Pallet but bigger. And the road there is narrow and fun. Ian told me to make sure to stay to the inside edge because the drop-off would be a doozy.
We stopped at a couple of mines before we got to the Leadfield Ghost Town. Took another inside the shaft shot.
When we got to the deep canyon walls it was really awesome. Pictures fail to do it justice. The scale of the walls was massive. When we got out we headed to Ubehebe Crater. I must say I have never been in a stronger wind.
First thing I got pelted by lava pellets in the face. And Ian and I literally could lean into the wind and not fall over. We frequently got blown sideways and I do not know how I held my camera still enough for a picture. We visited quickly and hit the road to the Racetrack.
A few miles down the very washboardy road (you guys warned me about the washboards) we were unable to move forward
because a rent-a-Jeep was trying to change a tire, right in the middle of the road. He took out a sidewall trying to let someone pass. He was trying to lift the Jeep by the body and not the axle. Once we told him that does not work with high articulation vehicles and we helped, we got them cleared so we could move on. We got to the Racetrack fairly late. Only half of the Playa was lit. So we headed to the south side to get those famous moving rock shots. Very fascinating!
We decided to head south and ended up going up Hidden Valley Road and up the Hunter Pass. It took longer than we thought and it started snowing a bit as we went up the pass. It was getting dark and we did not to stay on the pass in case the weather got worse. The road started getting crunchy as things started to freeze.
We finally ended up somewhere on Saline road where there was a place to pull off and camp. It even pinged a little snow off the camper there at lower elevation. It turned to rain and high wind after a bit. Kinda noisy to sleep, but we eventually did.
We took off in the morning, headed to Panamint Springs. Got a coffee and talked to the nice informative clerk.
We decided to head home and went the Trona route to Ridgecrest. Trona is a mixed bag town. Decrepit houses along with regular ones. Closed businesses with one of the largest chemical companies - Searles Chemicals.
Very enjoyable trip. Better than I expected photographically speaking.
Keith and Ian barnes
La Mesa CA
http://keithbarnes.smugmug.com/
http://keithbarnes.smugmug.com/Vacation-Photos/Death-Valley-Day-One-2011/15905945_Pxu9H#1192834991_ASuYM
My boy and I arrived midday Wednesday and We entered the park from the south on Harry Wade road. It was a very windy day and the the sand was blowing briskly as you will be able to see in some of the pictures. We stopped at Saratoga Spring. The clouds made for some pretty good picture opportunities. We crossed a little stream and headed to Badwater. It was getting late so we stopped at Furnace Creek for a little bit and headed up the Echo Canyon entrance road to spend the night two miles off the road.
It was a bright moonlit night and was quiet as could be. The wind stopped completely. It was in the 30s somewhere. 39 degrees when we hit the road again. Good temperature for hiking about.
http://keithbarnes.smugmug.com/Vacation-Photos/Death-Valley-Day-Two-2011/15906737_g4aoM#1192927792_Gn5qM
In the morning, we went up the canyon to Inyo Mine. We hiked up the hill and looked down some mine shafts. The ones that went straight down freaked me out a bit. Did a couple camera shots that revealed more than my eye could see. Then we headed down the mountain and went to the Artist's Palette loop. I really enjoyed the pastel colors. We stopped by Golden Canyon Trail. It was interesting but not nearly as colorful. Gold was its primary color for sure. We stopped at Furnace Creek to look at the stores and museum. Put a little $5.11 diesel in the Dodge to make sure we got around the loop
We headed up the Beatty Cutoff and camped on the road to Chloride. We only went up a little distance since the road narrowed and the edges of the road were a little washed out. Did not want to get the truck and Four Wheel Camper in a jam I could not get out of. It was chilly and more windy the second night. But for the second night we had no company except for a rabbit in the morning.
http://keithbarnes.smugmug.com/Vacation-Photos/Death-Valley-Day-Three-2011/15906711_ibsr3#1192924651_geKU9
We headed Friday morning out to Rhyolite to get to the Titus Canyon trail. Rhyolite was not much. However I found the cemetery was amusing since there was a picnic table there and what looked like bear boxes. Thought I was at Yellowstone for a moment.
The Titus Canyon Trail was a sleeper. First part was fun. Just easy hills and brown desert hills. But once you crested the pass so to speak, it was quite breathtaking. The hills were like the Artist's Pallet but bigger. And the road there is narrow and fun. Ian told me to make sure to stay to the inside edge because the drop-off would be a doozy.
We stopped at a couple of mines before we got to the Leadfield Ghost Town. Took another inside the shaft shot.
When we got to the deep canyon walls it was really awesome. Pictures fail to do it justice. The scale of the walls was massive. When we got out we headed to Ubehebe Crater. I must say I have never been in a stronger wind.
First thing I got pelted by lava pellets in the face. And Ian and I literally could lean into the wind and not fall over. We frequently got blown sideways and I do not know how I held my camera still enough for a picture. We visited quickly and hit the road to the Racetrack.
A few miles down the very washboardy road (you guys warned me about the washboards) we were unable to move forward
because a rent-a-Jeep was trying to change a tire, right in the middle of the road. He took out a sidewall trying to let someone pass. He was trying to lift the Jeep by the body and not the axle. Once we told him that does not work with high articulation vehicles and we helped, we got them cleared so we could move on. We got to the Racetrack fairly late. Only half of the Playa was lit. So we headed to the south side to get those famous moving rock shots. Very fascinating!
We decided to head south and ended up going up Hidden Valley Road and up the Hunter Pass. It took longer than we thought and it started snowing a bit as we went up the pass. It was getting dark and we did not to stay on the pass in case the weather got worse. The road started getting crunchy as things started to freeze.
We finally ended up somewhere on Saline road where there was a place to pull off and camp. It even pinged a little snow off the camper there at lower elevation. It turned to rain and high wind after a bit. Kinda noisy to sleep, but we eventually did.
We took off in the morning, headed to Panamint Springs. Got a coffee and talked to the nice informative clerk.
We decided to head home and went the Trona route to Ridgecrest. Trona is a mixed bag town. Decrepit houses along with regular ones. Closed businesses with one of the largest chemical companies - Searles Chemicals.
Very enjoyable trip. Better than I expected photographically speaking.
Keith and Ian barnes
La Mesa CA
http://keithbarnes.smugmug.com/
