Yea, Though I Walk . . . Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park

April 29, 2014

Soundtrack:

• Robbie Robertson
• Alice in Chains -- Jar of Flies / Sap

Panamint Dunes, Death Valley National Park, CA

Tuesday proved to be another beautiful day in Death Valley.  Again it wasn't too hot, eighty-five degrees or so, with bright, clear skies.  Not so great for taking pictures, but a wonderful day to be outdoors nonetheless.

Death Valley National Park, CA

Flame Skimmer

The first stop of the day was Darwin Falls.  It's an oasis in this mighty desert.  Darwin Creek flows year round and provides water for the people of Panamint Springs.  The trail to the falls is about a mile long.  No evidence of the creek's lively waters exists at the start of the trail aside from the dry creek bed and the pipe leading from the source to Panamint Springs.   Proceeding up the trail, the end of the creek can be found.  It simply runs dry, ending in a shallow patch of mud after being reduced to a trickle.

Darwin Creek, Death Valley National Park, CA

  Darwin Creek provides enough water for trees and green shrubbery.  The lush vegetation and water draws wildlife.  I saw birds and lizards on the walk, as well as evidence of bighorn sheep.  It wouldn't be impressive on most places of the world, but in Death Valley the lushness of this little ravine is striking.

Darwin Creek, Death Valley National Park, CA

Of all the places I've visited so far in Death Valley, I'd name Mosaic Canyon as my favorite.  The hike up into the canyon proper is less than a mile, but for some reason most people turn back before reaching it.  Of those that go past the first few hundred yards, most don't proceed beyond the opening.  I don't understand that.  The beauty of this place is astounding.  The peacefulness of the air and the quiet surroundings mystify me with every visit.

Mosaic Canyon, Death Valley National Park, CA 

Mosaic Canyon, Death Valley National Park, CA

Mosaic Canyon, Death Valley National Park, CA

The entrance into Mosaic Canyon is a narrow slot canyon lined with polished marble.  A couple of minor scrambles are required to get up the canyon.  They are smooth and slick, making descent over these sections a couple of short slides.

This canyon must be impressive when water flows through it.  I've read that flash floods still occur here from time to time.  What a sight that would be to see!

I missed a flash flood by a few days when I was in Death Valley last September.  It took out part of the road between Furnace Creek and Badwater Basin.  That flood was from the same storm that wreaked so much havoc in Colorado last year.

Mosaic Canyon, Death Valley National Park, CA

Mosaic Canyon, Death Valley National Park, CA

The next part of the trip was a bit of a mess.  My plan was to drive North to the Ubehebe Crater.  However, I wasn't able to gas up at Stovepipe Wells and got nervous about running out, so I turned back after driving about 25 miles and headed over to Beatty, NV instead.

Death Valley National Park, CA

Why Beatty?  Well, for one I was out of ice and neither Panamint Springs nor Stovepipe Wells seem to stock it.  There is also a nearby ghost town, and one of my goals for this trip was to see one.  Beatty is an old Nevada mining town.  It has a casino and wild donkeys roaming the streets.  The casino I half expected, not so the donkeys.

Rhyolite, NV

Rhyolite isn't all that old by ghost town standards, dating back to the first decade of the twentieth century.  There's a paved road through the town and some of the buildings are fenced off.  It's maintained now as a park.  There's a nearby art outdoor art exhibit with some interesting pieces.

Rhyolite, NV

Rhyolite, NV

Rhyolite, NV

After spending some time admiring the art and decay, I drove back into Death Valley to romp around a bit on the dunes at Mesquite Flats.  I took off my shoes and enjoyed the sensation of the crusty sand cracking beneath my feet.  These are the sands of Tatooine.

Mesquite Flats Dunes, Death Valley National Park, CA

I'm hopefully optimistic about the new Star Wars movies, by the way.  The prequels were abominations, but with Lucas out of the way things might turn around for these new ones.  I don't much like what Abrams did with his Star Trek movies, but my big beef there is that they were too focused on action.  He made Star Wars-like movies with Star Trek characters.  He seems to be the right guy to take the helm, if you ask me.

Death Valley National Park, CA

I closed the evening out at Panamint Springs, listening to the Giants beat the Padres to the chagrin of the Padres announcers.  I drank some wine, smoked a cigar and watched the stars make their slow movement across the skyline.  Not a bad day.