Red Wall Canyon

Red Wall Canyon is just a few canyons north of Titus Canyon. It is known for its fine narrows that wind through beautiful red walls. You can hike more than ten miles up it while gaining over 7,000 ft., but we set off with a late start so we only hiked the first three miles. Just like all the other canyons in Death Valley, it was a beautiful hike with unique characteristics.

It is a forty-five minute walk up the alluvial fan to the mouth of the canyon.

We saw lots of small flowers on our way up the alluvial fan. We didn't take pictures of all of them because we have seen them in the past. We did get a couple of new toys for our cameras a few weeks ago---extension tubes---so we stopped and played with those on a few flowers.

Scented Forget-Me-Not

Lesser Mohavea

Nearing the mouth of the canyon.

Desert Tobacco

Beautiful red walls indeed!

This is the first of three falls that we were going to encounter in the first three miles. This one was by far the most challenging. It is a twenty-five foot fall that is climbed in three stages. Our hiking book says most people find it difficult, but it doesn't say it's impassable. It would have been impassable for us if someone had not left a rope there.

After Andrew climbed up, we hauled our backpacks up with the rope, then I followed next.

After that we decided we had earned some lunch. So we laid back, ate and rested.

And looked at the cool rocks. The layers are amazing.

Continuing on...

Nice narrows!

We found some very cool crystal pockets in the rock wall. This pocket was one of many that was the size of my fist.

Back to the narrows.

Another smaller crystal pocket (that we couldn't get a very good picture of).

The rock layering and bending in the walls was incredible here.

Then the canyon opened up.

Then narrowed down again.

This was the third fall. I didn't take pictures of the second one. We didn't go much further past this one.

Wildrose Morning

Britt and I tagged along on one of Andrew's wild and crazy adventures recently. A midnight hike up Wildrose Peak. There was a ton of snow up there, much more than when Andrew and I were there in January. There was so much snow that we lost the trail about a mile past the trailhead. We knew where we were supposed to be so we made our way, post-holing, up the mountain. It was so time consuming though that we only made it up to 8,500 ft. We watched the sunrise from there, then made our way back down and back to work later that afternoon. The coolest thing about losing the trail was walking the ridgeline and finding mountain lion tracks in the snow! An awesome night all in all! Thanks Andrew!

Lake Manly down below at Badwater Basin.

Darwin Falls

My friend, Sarah, and I hiked out to Darwin Falls one day a couple of weeks ago. It's about an hour and a half drive from Furnace Creek and then a good twenty minute hike, but well worth it. Andrew and I have not been here since our first season in 2007. It's amazing a lush place like this exists in Death Valley.

The trail leading to the falls.

Beautiful Darwin Falls

I've been told that if you climb up the rock walls behind the falls there are several more cascading falls. Hopefully, we'll get to those one of these days. I want to go back and check the area out more in a couple of more weeks because there is supposed to be a Stream Orchid that blooms here.

Sidewinder Canyon

Sidewinder Canyon is south of Badwater about fifteen miles. It is well known for its slot canyons. We were only able to explore one slot canyon this day because we had to work that evening, but it is definitely somewhere we want to go back and explore more. It's hard to tell in the pictures but the canyon is so narrow in many places it appears like it's about to end abruptly, but it continues further.

A group shot. There are four of us in the picture.

Amargosa Horses

We got these photos a while back, I just forgot to post them. These are just two of the five wild mustangs that live in the Amargosa area between Death Valley and Pahrump, NV. When we see them they are normally hanging out behind the Opera House at Death Valley Junction. Beautiful Mt. Charleston, the 12,000 ft. mountain dividing Pahrump and Las Vegas, is in the background.

Badwater Sunrise

Our latest and maybe greatest pictures from a Badwater sunrise we caught a week ago. We have driven down there for sunrise several times in the last few weeks trying to get a nice reflection of "Lake Manly" that now exists again from the three inches of rain we've gotten this year.

There really is an amazing amount of water down there right now. What a beautiful morning it was!

Rain Update

We are up to 3.09 inches of rain since January!!!

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NPS Update

March 2, 2010

The rainstorms keep coming to Death Valley with perfect gentleness and frequency. A storm at the end of February brought 0.44 inches of rain to Furnace Creek and 0.29 inches to Scotty’s Castle. The “tiny specks of green” are now proper little plants in many locations, and are growing quickly with the warming air and soil temperatures. Additional seeds have sprouted between the original ones, which promises not only more flowers but also staggers the blooming time. At the current rate, the number of sprouts suggests the bloom may be thicker and more spectacular than anticipated earlier. The peak bloom should be at the end of this month into mid April.In canyon mouths and washes where extra water has flowed, shrubs and perennials are showing early growth and flower buds. On alluvial fans, the creosote bush have lush foliage and their yellow flowers add a subtle touch of color.Lake Manly may still be shallow, but the first kayakers have managed to ply its saline waters. A boat with a shallow draft and a willingness to wade out to launch are necessary for a successful below-sea-level voyage.

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Rainfall Totals 2010

Furnace Creek: 3.09 inches

Scotty’s Castle: 4.22 inches

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Rainfall Totals 7/1/2009 to Present

Furnace Creek: 3.18 inches

Scotty’s Castle: 5.38 inches

Saline Valley Warm Springs

Each year we camp out at least one night at Saline Valley Warm Springs. This year Dannielle and Britt (the animal attractors) came with us.

The north side of South Pass descending into Saline Valley always holds snow the longest. This year we have had a lot of snow, so there was still a lot of snow left on the road. This picture is not a good representation, but Andrew had the truck in four-wheel drive and had to give it gas to go down hill.

The entrance to the Warm Spring area is marked by the Bat Pole.

It's a beautiful place to camp.

Our favorite soaking pool (pictured below) is beside the palm trees behind Andrew.

We had a visitor at camp that night, a cute, little kangaroo rat. The thing that amazes me about them, is that they can go their entire life without taking a drink of water. They are nocturnal animals, and all they get all the water they need through their food. That is desert adaptation for you.

When we all retired to our sleeping quarters that night we listened to the eerie sounds of braying donkeys. That is a startling sound when you are not expecting it. The next morning the burros were still hanging around. There were eleven of them. That is the largest group we have ever seen in the park.

It's Eeyore!

A braying burro.

The burro on the left seems to be the omega of the group. No body likes him. :( The other burros were kicking and biting him.

Poor burro

This one has a few wounds too, including a halfway bitten off ear.

Tres Amigos

We went down to the lower spring to check things out as we were leaving the next day. We always camp and soak at the upper spring, it seems to be a bit more private.

How would you like to take a shower here?

Or a bath here?

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The plan was to make a loop out of the Warm Springs and the Racetrack, so we headed over to the Racetrack that afternoon. Someone left an old bull dozer in the middle of the Saline Valley Road the week before. We heard it took several people four days to dig around the piece of equipment. The path was clear when we passed through the day before, but over night a couple of huge rocks had fallen off the hillside. Andrew and Britt hooked up a chain and tow strap to the rocks and drug them out of the way.

Now the path is clear again.

The Lippencott Road

Even though it hadn't rained in a week and a half, the Racetack was full of water. We were amazed. So, no walking out to see the moving rocks this time.

On our way back to Furnace Creek, we noticed the park service had put up a new Teakettle Junction sign.