Ultimate Desert--Death Valley

[RedRoxx44]

Death Valley Again---well once I decide to get ahold of a place it is hard for me to stop exploring. After my initial trip many years ago and several subsequent ones I again, courtesy of my weird work schedule, managed to put together 5 days off. And to top it off my friend Brian was able to go with me.
We dashed off Wed nite after work, I picked him up in Phoenix and we settled down to drive. Grabbed a spot on a dirt road, up early, then rolled into the southern end of Death Valley in a timely manner. It was hazy at times, but as the skies cleared and clouds boiled up the sky was an award winning blue. We poked around the Ibex Dunes area, then headed up to our first car camp in the Valley up Trail Canyon, which runs off the side of Wildrose Peak. Telescope and Wildrose had a decent snow load and I thought--- gonna be hiking in snow again, somehow funny in this King of Deserts.
The drive up Trail was steep and rocky and slow. The poor loaded Cherokee struggled but made it. We camped at the old Broken Pick Mill Site, I picked this due to the rain/snow forecast. An old building had a porch with a dirt floor, high enough pitch to the roof and long enough to back the vehicle under and access to the first room of one of the mining houses left standing, so we could cook and sort camp stuff in dry conditions, as the roof was still good.
My first trip here I had hiked to a very scenic old mine camp high on the flanks of Wildrose. I wanted to take Brian there and experience this hike again. It's a keeper.
The evening we strolled up a side canyon, amazed to find a big horn sheep carcass in the wash, the skull, horns and hooves just massive indicated the size of this ram. The horns and head to pick up must have weighed 25 lbs easy. We left him to his rest.
It started to sleet and snow just a little as we headed back. The morning dawned clear and cold, we drove the short distance to the Morning Glory mining camp, one of the best preserved in Death Valley. At the spring we parked and went afoot. Big clouds started drifting over. We broached the steep mining road and started climbing a steady 1400 feet in a few miles. The views over Death Valley become pretty spectacular. We made it to snow level, not deep and crunchy. It started again snowing a little. Trail Canyon deepened below us, a tramway of cable and towers still in place in areas and easily viewable. Soon we could look down to the cabin roof at the mine itself, in a narrow now snow filled canyon. We descended and found a partially filled in tunnel entrance. On go the headlamps and in we go. The veins of rock were beautiful in a milky quartz shot with bright blue (azurite) and some green ( possible malachite says the mine expert). We went deeper and were rewarded with gypsum growing in fine clumps of hairs and rope, more usually found in caves. When we came out all was bright sunshine. We chose to take the canyon down. My guidebook said no problem---hahaha!! Good to have a climber along. We encountered at least 6 pour offs, most were bypassable but two were downclimbers, but both not high. One I had coaching from Brian, a stern taskmaster---"Now turn and address the rock, jam your toes in this crack" "Don't lay on the rock!! Stand up and quit looking down" ---I am proud to say I made it down the water polished rock via cracks without killing myself which I was sure I would do, with a heavy pack, cameras and all. I won't say I am now a climber.
The canyon was so beautiful all the hassle was worth it. The upper part we floundered across boulders in snow, slid down chutes of multicolored rock and walked twists and turns. Before we knew it back at the Jeep, then off to find our next camp.
We gassed up at Furnace Creek, the next destination a good drive. The park is huge and you can cover a long distance, up to 75 miles on dirt roads easily. My next place to see was the Eureka Sand Dunes and Saline Valley, an area I was unfamiliar with. We drove up the road, found a short dirt road to drive and camp. Next day we started to the dunes, 45 miles one way mostly on dirt. The great desolation of this wonderful area gripped us as we drove along in companionable silence. We drove over the gap in the Last Chance Mountain range, then down a long straightaway, seeing millions of miles out it seemed, common here, then turned seeing the tall dunes 10 miles distant. These are some of the tallest sand dunes in North America, and are also known as rare "singing" dunes; when the sand drifts or is pushed a low humming can be heard sometimes. "Sand Mountain" at the tallest point rises some 800 feet from the desert floor.
Quite a few cars at the combination pull out camping area. We drove around the backside, and parked to ourselves. I was like a little kid, grabbed my camera, fanny pack, some sandals and ran out there pell mell. Brian caught up to me taking a zillion pictures, and we decided to climb the mountain. It was steep and fun, and a good workout. Once up on the ridge line as we trudged along the dunes decided to sing for us. It is a low sound almost like a low slow airplane or a deep base instrument. You could feel the vibration beneath your feet, and the sand slid away slowly like a landslide, then it would fill and stabelize itself. It was wonderful, special and fascinating. We looked at each other and said "did you see and feel that!!"
We decided to run/ski down a steep long slope, it was really fun. I just wandered about the dunes, and the sky and the mountain backdrop made it such pleasure.
Getting the sand out, we were back in the vehicle to continue the journey. I had planned a big loop through Steel Pass to the Hot Springs and Saline Valley and out by the Lippincott mining road. Things would be altered a little in that plan.
We found the supposed "experienced 4wd driver" road and made the slow tight rock crawl thru Dedeckra canyon, awesome after the huge expanse of space we had been used to. Out of there the road became quite good and 2wd. We rolled along looking at the colorful mountains, the road etched out in a massive alluvial plain. I dreaded the "ledges" at Steel Pass, but there was a bypass, the map did not indicate that. They looked doable but I didn't want to do it in my street Jeep. Over the pass and down the other side was a view I will never forget. The valley opened up , the salt playa of Saline Valley with it's lake and famous Salt Tram to my left, the dots of Palm trees of the Hot Springs far below in the fan, and the great, grand Inyo mountains, jagged and snow capped rising in a line across the valley, stunning right out of the flat looking playa.
It was truely breathtaking, you could see so much as we descended the road gradually. The Upper Hot Spring is fenced to keep out burros but not developed. We stopped here to soak in the small pools, very hot, over 100 degrees easy. We took several gallons of water in a solar shower, went well away from the spring and hung it on a tree limb to wash hair and clean up a little. The mineralized water left my hair very soft and silky, opposite the effect I expected.
We drove on to the Palm Hot Spring and the Saline Hot Spring. The last developed and clothing optional. Interesting, before this area was included in the park volunteers cared for and kept up the Hot Springs area. When the park came in, most everything was left alone, they erected some toilets and signs and that was it. Now people camp and soak and walk about au natural, and the springs have a library, a mechanic, sat phone, when we walked in a huge bag of popcorn to snack on, and some fresh water showers. Pretty plush. Nothing enclosed except by Palm trees or other plants.

On we drive. We choose a campsite in a copse of winterized mesquite, greasewood, near an old settlement off the roadway.
We are almost at the foot of the mighty mountains, as Brian said, makes the San Francisco peaks look like molehills.
Its a great night, clear , not too cold or windy. We explore the old homestead, and I nickname it "Brian's Place" as he is taken with the small "A" frame fronted house, with it's old yard with the fence falling down, signs of a garden. We find the well, still with some water in it, and an old arraste, used in gold mining, with two huge rocks in it and the set up to be pushed by a motor or pulled by burros walking in an endless circle.

The next day we make very little time early, as soon as I see the magical expanse of water in the salt plain I want out of the vehicle. It's fantasy time, walking along the path, seeing huge salt crystals, by the old tramway towers still standing. I skirt the lake and just wish it was warmer so I could wade a little. No one here but us. We find an old road and drive it a little until I fear for my tires, then we park and walk about a mile and a half up a hill. Here the Salt Tram climbs the side of the Inyos to approximately 7,700 feet to a pass before it went another 5100 feet down the other side. Towers still stand on the almost vertical slope, with cable, and you can trace it to several stations along the crest. The engineering is mind boggling. According to research it took 1.3 million board feet of lumbar, 650 tons of nuts and bolts, and 54 miles of cable. Construction started around 1911; completed by 1913. Many tons of salt was mined before prices collapsed and it became not a viable venture.
Saline Valley is a magical special place. Another one of those keepers, to return to again and again.

Gasoline became a pressing concern as I was not carrying any extra and we were at least 50 miles from anywhere. I scapped the plans for the Lippincott loop, retracing by the Racetrack and out. Decided we would go out via South Pass over Hunter Mountain, and take our chances it not being too snowy. This drive was punctuated by a neat healthy Joshua Tree forest, excellent views from high of the Panamints and Panamint valley, hazy in a wind sand storm, and we drove down to Hwy 190 and to Panamint Springs and a gas station. We had some time so hiked another short couple of miles to the Darwin Falls area, another new place for me, a riparian area with a total of 9 waterfalls in a rough rocky canyon, we had only enough light to make a couple.

Time I always feel gloomy about, the return back. It was very windy and cold on the Mohave, warm and sunny in Arizona, so that made it a little better, plus having a partner in my ventures, a nice change for me.
I guess I need to work on my pics, got lots as per my usual.

Death Valley, a great, great place. Who'd a thunk it????
_________________
You can rest when you're dead

[Hikngrl]

Awesome Letty! I can read the glee and thrill in your words as you describe your trip to us! Thank you so much for sharing with us!
_________________
~~~Diane~~~

I want to shine!

[paintninaz]

As usual Letty, it's a pleaure reading your adventures! But I always feel like I'm tagging along spying on you!

...I'll patiently await the accompanying photos!!
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~Tracy

“Friends make the bad times good — and the good times unforgettable.”

[desertgirl]

Thanks for sharing your adventure ...exciting to read about the singing dunes! Oh-I am so looking forward to the pictures - They sure will be uniquely you!
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Photos: http://www.pbase.com/desertgirl/galleries
Life is but a dream ...there is no end to what you can dream!

[BoyNhisDog]

[beckett]

Wow...you really are my hero! I love reading your write ups!
Linda
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"A real friend is one who walks in when the rest of the world walks out."

-- Walter Winchell, American newspaper commentator

[Arizonaheat]

I'm jealous. LOL

I'll get there one of these days and have your trip reports to guide me, like in Anza Borrego.

[paintninaz]

Just as I expected, your photos did not disappoint!!
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~Tracy

“Friends make the bad times good — and the good times unforgettable.”

[Davis2001R6]

Letty those were 2 of my favorite albums yet. Not sure which I enjoyed more, the diversity of your photo's or your captions to go along with them. Just awesome!

-TIM-

[RedRoxx44]

Thanks ya'll-- still have Saline Valley pics to process. This was a special trip, I know I say that about all of them, but boosted my desire to make an effort to return again next year.
_________________
You can rest when you're dead

[Arizonaheat]

Absolutely awesome photo's. I also loved the captions.
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Our lives are not determined by what happens to us but by how we react to what happens, not by what life brings to us, but by the attitude we bring to life.

[Hikngrl]

Oh my goodness Letty, thank you so much for sharing your talents with us! We are so blessed by those on our site who can express such beauty with words and pictures....I am always finding new places I NEED to go!
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~~~Diane~~~

I want to shine!

[Lizard]

Just had a look at the photos. Thank you for taking the time to try to share your experience.
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"Men wanted for hazardous journey. Small wages, bitter cold, long months of complete darkness, constant danger, safe return doubtful. Honor and recognition in case of success.”- Sir Ernest Shackleton, newspaper classified.

[evenstar]

Another amazing trip, photo album and writeup!
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John Richardson and Richie Rich, El Perro de Playero
http://members.tripod.com/~evenstar/index.html
http://www.arizonahikers.com
When the Man waked up he said, "What is Wild Dog doing here?" And the Woman said, "His name is not Wild Dog anymore, but the First Friend, because he will be our friend for always and always and always. Take him with you when you go hunting."
--Rudyard Kipling, from Just So Stories, 1902

[BoyNhisDog]

You do have the "eye" for this. Very compelling photography, powerful scenes of wind and space, light and shadow, the desert as it must be seen.
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Seize from every moment its unique novelty and do not prepare your joys
- Andre Gide