| | -
-
-
-
-
-
| 1 label |  |
|
|
-
-
| 1 label |  |
|
|
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
|
| | |
| |
| |
| Linked |
|
none
[ show ]
| no linked trail guides |
| Partners |
|
none
[ show ]
| no partners | | Death Valley 2022
Initial car camp off hwy 395 on the way in; per my usual find a dirt road to drive down and camp. Cold 19 degrees in the am. Some of the water bottles left outside lightly frozen.
Gas up at Trona and a top off at Panamint Springs ( gas just under 6 bucks a gallon) then over the South Pass into Saline Valley. A little snow and ice so 4wd for like 2 minutes.
I've been visiting this place over the years and hiking the Inyo canyons and other attractions. I had a short canyon hike for this day. Parked and down the canyon, ended up making a loop of it. I love it when you read a "guide" for something and then you realize this person never hiked this, went on hearsay. The canyon was beautiful and had some springs but no "narrows" at least by my definition. Some nice large rock faces for sure. The springs were brushy but good trails thru were found. I also found 3 work sites with beautiful obsidian chippings and other delicately worked chert. Once I left the canyon bottom to walk the fan nice to have minimal brush back to the Jeep.
On down Saline to car camp off a dirt road at the foot of an old mine road. Went up that the next morning; I had been here before but a neat old mine with lots of workings and a real work out to get up. Thought provoking remnant trail down where you are facing in and walking small portions with toes into the wall and at times air under your heels. Penalty points for falling here.
Drove on to park to backpack into a canyon I had not been. I loaded up and walked down the barren rocky wash. A harsh dry environment for sure. Then as I approached some real narrows a tiny stream was entrenched in the gravelly sand. A small pool to pass at a rockfall! Special in this desolate place. Then the fun began, the serial springs were jammed up with willows and brush, so ducking and bushwaking and bypassing. I chose a campite on a narrow fin in a U turn in the canyon out of the bottom. I was cowboy camping and the weather was near perfect. I had water just below me and a nice star sky with no moon.
I dayhiked up to more springs and a small forest. At one spot the volume of water was enough for a small waterfall, again just completely enshrined with the greedy plants. Just feet away only rock, too dry for much of anything to grow.
Decided to hike out, and then drove on out of Saline valley to camp on Lee Flat.
Leaving was buzzed by two jets, one coming right over me at several hundred feet; I was looking up his tail as they climbed out to go over South Pass. It would be good training I would think to practice locking on to moving vehicles in this valley.
Camped on Lee Flat by a huge Joshua Tree, next morning drove out and down into Death Valley proper. Gas at Stovepipe was mid 5's and the rip off at Furnace Creek 7.50 a gallon. I had brought 8-9 gallons of gas so provided my own fueling for part of the trip.
I decided to do my one tourist hike; that of the Keane Wonder Mine. Highly recommend if you like old mining structures and if you like a steep hike that gets you some really good views of the valley. It had been closed for a few years for rehab and to close some mines because someone fell to his death in one of them some years back. I had been here many years ago and been in most of the adits before all that.
The intact tram line and workings still pretty neat to see. One car in the parking lot when I arrived and I met two hikers coming down from the first tram structures. I went on up. Steeper than I remember ( of course I was a lot younger then too!).
You can hike on old trails up to the Chloride Cliffs if you are so inclined. Lots of mining debris, old mine carts and buckets still hanging on the cables.
After this I headed south, having more to do of course. Back to an area I had hiked to many years ago but this time to explore a nearby canyon. Great car camp off the rough approach road in a side wash with wonderful boulders to sit on. The aviation highlight was the next morning as I was getting my act together. A low droning tone and I looked up and ran for my zoom camera. Dead battery but shoved another one in and hopefully the shots turn out. The distinctive shape of a Stealth Bomber approached with another plane which I believe was it's refueling tanker. I had read contractors still flew a few of the planes of course which are decommissioned.
I hiked up the canyon which had some wonderful geology. Some tiny springs up this one too and a very few flowers. Hiking back some tiny little poppy like flowers struggling to bloom in the gravel wash, smaller than my fingernail and short. Maybe they will grow some more. I saw no one on this hike, also no one in the Saline Valley hikes although vehicles on the roads.
South again, very happy on the Harry Wade road, good driving and saw no one else. Some water in the Armagosa at the crossing. I swung onto the side road to Ibex Dunes area, probably here and Saline are my favorite areas of the park, although the west side canyons of the Panamints are close runners up. I car camped all by myself off the road with magnificent evening light making the dunes glow and the surrounding colorful mountains seemingly change colors with the minutes.
A bit stormy in the night and 5 min of rain. Morning I was out with the camera to walk the dunes. While small I think these are some of my favorite dunes to photograph. You have a good chance here if during the week to being first tracks on the sand and to see no one. And so it was for me. Interesting wind and sand carved rocks here too.
From here I headed home. Details-- Brought about 10 gallons of water, 8-9 gallons of gas, food for about 12 days if stretched, all this because my plans can change on a whim and I want to be self supporting; especially if I have some sort of vehicle problem.
Reading material-- " Death Valley in '49" by William Manley, " Collapse" by Jared Diamond ( depressing but one of his more thoughtful although limited works), " Prairie Companion" published 1845-- good advice on how to take care of your oxen when crossing the plains, how to preserve food and make moccasins.
A good trip, no cell service in Saline Valley and not a lot in other areas. Up the trail on Keane Wonder mine got enough from a tower to do some texting but not impressed with Verizon here for sure.
Come prepared and you'll have a wonderful time. |
| _____________________
| | |
|
|
|
|
|
| |
Route Editor
Route Scout
