Death Valley Again! - March 2021 - Part Two

 

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Click here to go to - Part One

 

Let Me Tell You a Story Continues

 

Please allow me to back up a bit from where I ended Part One. The Lady and I were descending Hanaupah Canyon Road, slowly bumping along. We had seen the Ford F-150 with a FWC the night before camped about a mile below us. As we approached this morning we watched the theatrics of the top teeter tottering front to back as the occupant was trying to lower the top.

"This guy needs some help," the Lady directed to me.

I stopped and helped by explaining there was no way the top was coming down with the wind blowing in the back door. It is usual procedure to have the back door open when lowering the top, necessary to have an escape route for all the air inside. It does not work with a stiff wind blowing in the back door. In this scenario the top is never coming down as the intrepid camper we were about to meet was finding out. For some reason this guy was incredibly nervous. I have never been called "Sir" so many times in my life. As directed, he climbed inside and shut the door, turned the exhaust fan on high blowing out, and slowly lowered the top, allowing time for the air to escape.  I got the outside latches for him.

 

"How long have you had your camper?" the Lady asked.

"I picked it up four weeks ago," he answered.

 

We were headed to Marble Canyon, an old friend, a place we have visited many times. We were excited about our return and the opportunity to hike further up this canyon. We filled up with gas and water at Stovepipe Wells, surprised how quiet it was and without crowds. It felt like the old Death Valley we know so well.

 

There are few good dispersed camping spots up the road to Marble so the lack of crowds at Stovepipe and little traffic on the long dirt road calmed us. Our favorite spot at road's end was empty and waiting for us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a relaxing mid day snack outside the camper, the Lady announced, "I've always wanted to go up that side canyon!" She pointed across the wash. "Let's go up there now!"

 

Although just a short, steep canyon, the rock was outstanding. There was something exciting to see around every bend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lots of climbing was involved.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We topped out in a steep bowl and the Lady glassed for bighorn with her ever present see mores.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The down climb was fun, challenging enough to make us feel good about our abilities.

 

 

After dinner and chores we watched as night came, a favorite pastime for us.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Cottonwood Canyon - Marble Canyon Loop has become a popular backpacking trip. There were numerous vehicles parked at the confluence of Cottonwood and Marble canyons, the usual beginning and end to the trip. From our high point across the canyon, we watched two backpackers exit the mouth of Marble Canyon and drop their packs. One fellow had business to attend to. Pro tip - a big roll of white toilet paper almost glows in the dark. The chore took a long time but he finally rejoined his friend. Still, they did not start down the canyon. I became concerned they had troubles and the Lady and I, now in the dark, walked up to talk with them as they pulled their packs on. They were whipped. They hurt. What a story they told, getting lost on the divide, taking the wrong canyon, getting help from other groups. They could make it to their vehicle. We wished them well.

 

Our objective for the next day was exploring up Marble and into Deadhorse Canyon (classic "Death Valley" isn't it?)

 

 

We entered Marble Canyon and reacquainted ourselves with the wonderful first narrows with thick layers of limestone with inbedded black chert nodules.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And fossils.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The narrows open into a wide corridor with an exposed layer of limestone with chert making the north wall of the canyon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The canyon narrows again.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A huge quartz monzonite chockstone blocks up canyon progress. There is a well worn bypass.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are several historic inscriptions inside the beginning of the wondrous second narrows dating back to the mining boom of the early 1900's.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were sickened and speechless. Look closely for the recent scratchings, the circle around the 1906. Many were far worse. Initials have been crudely added. This precious place, this cathedral is being defaced. Both of us wanted to take action and add to that bone pile I mentioned in part one.

 

 

After a deep breath, we stepped inside the second narrows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This place is pure magic.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's a ritual of ours to always take a break in the warm sun after exiting the cold shadows of the narrows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The canyon opened up. It was so nice to feel the sun's warm embrace.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We reached the Goldbelt rock. Goldbelt Springs was a small mining camp at the top of Marble Canyon. This large quartz monzonite boulder was inscribed to point the way.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The inscription has faded much since our last visit seven years ago. Shortly after our last hike up a massive flood brought a wave of mud and debris down canyon. This boulder was submerged. Mud still covers portions of the rock.

 

 

A layer of smooth mud now covers much of the canyon floor above the boulder. A small channel has been cut by more recent water flows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It makes for easy walking.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We reached the third narrows. We were now in new territory for us. The narrows are cut through white and blue marble and this is probably the source of the name - Marble Canyon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A very recent rockfall was around one corner.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Notice in the photos of the third narrows how high the flood mud is plastered onto the canyon walls.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We reached the confluence with Deadhorse Canyon. The photo below is looking up Marble Canyon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

At the confluence Deadhorse appears to be the main canyon. An old inscription points the way to Goldbelt, more accurately about 5.5 miles up canyon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We explored a short way up Marble Canyon and then turned around. Here's view down with a cluster of quartz monzonite boulders carried down from high up in the Cottonwood Mountains.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a break we started up Deadhorse Canyon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A series of springs are up this way, the waters the inscription far down canyon was pointing toward.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The trees were just budding out.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our hike ended at the dry fall.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It looked to be fairly easily climbable on the far left side although the rock looks loose and ragged at the lip. It was our turnaround time. This was a good spot to stop.

 

We started back.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Can you spot the slickenside ahead of the Lady - the smooth right wall?

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The top of the third narrows is blocked with a quartz monzonite chockstone that is easy to get around. Again, notice the mud.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Below the narrows the rock remained fascinating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

And more slickenside!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The down canyon hike was just as much fun as the up canyon trek. With the changing light direction and new approach, all is just as fascinating.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

There are two petroglyph panels mid canyon. One we call the flying saucer and pregnant sheep panel.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The second we call the panel of the three shaman.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Even these panels are being defaced, as evidenced by the scratches on the right.

 

Hidden on the dark rock is a very faint 1849.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is believed to be an inscription by the Savage-Pinney party of the Death Valley 49ers. Out of 12 members of the group, only 2 survived and made it to the California gold fields. Here is a surprising article from 1952 in The Los Angeles Times - Rock Date Establishes Route

 

We took a break in the sunshine prior to reentering the shadows of the second narrows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

I came around a bend and found the Lady on her back, looking up with her see mores.

"I'm looking for raptor or raven nests in the cavities high up in the walls," she happily explained.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

A break at the top of the bypass between the second and first narrows warmed us nicely.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As darkness came we were again alone at our quiet camp. All was right with the world. Dinner was simple and good. We were anxious to begin our evening walk, explore down canyon and perhaps see if anyone had camped below us along the Marble Canyon road. We added our headlamps - seldom used and only on red - to our pockets and slowly wandered down the road. Stars grew brilliant overhead, the canyon walls a black curtain against the sky. We were halfway down to the confluence with Cottonwood Canyon when we saw it.

 

A small light appeared on a distant bend in the canyon. Was it a camp? We moved to higher ground. The Lady put her see mores to work.

"Is it an illegal campfire? The light does not look white," I asked.

"You take a look," the Lady said as she handed the binoculars to me.

Since the retinal detachment repair surgery in my left eye a couple of years back, in dim light with see mores it is double vision. So, I of course answered, "No, there are two campfires."

"Do you think it could be one of those propane firepits?" the Lady continued.

"No, I don't think so. Propane produces more of a blue and yellow flame. These flames appear orange."

The Lady took the see mores. "It looks like one person standing next to the light," the Lady reported and added, "Let's turn around and not get any closer. It will only make us mad, somebody out here breaking the rules about no campfires."

We turned around in the dark and started back up canyon. Suddenly all the hillsides around us were lit up in a bright orange but strangely pink hued light. We turned around. Flames were over 20 feet high. An amplified  black shadow of a man with outstretched arms moved in the light. Just as suddenly all went dark and then was quickly repeated. With the assault to our night vision the world was ink black around us. It took a bit for our eyes to recover. There was no noise associated with any of this, no music, no screams, nothing. There was also not a hint of smoke smell. Did someone throw accelerant on a fire? I don't think so as all light went out as if a switch was thrown.

 

What was this bizarre event? We figure someone filming, "getting content" for social media. And of course, Death Valley still has that draw.

 

We were leaving in the morning for our next two search areas. We decided to get an early start on the drive down canyon and maybe find some evidence. What would we find?

 

Please click here to continue to - Part Three