Death Valley National Park - February 2022 - Part Four

 

please remember you can click on a photo to see a larger version & highlighted text are links to additional information

 

Please click here for - Part Three

 

Heading Home

 

Song dogs woke us during the night. The group of coyotes' choir box was in the drainage below us. Their song stirred the night. A bit later an ass showed up and brayed, it sounded right outside. "What do you think?" I asked the Lady. The jackass had woke her also. "Is he angry we're here or angry we messed with his stud pile?"

"It's just a dumb ass," she sleepily replied. "Go back to sleep."

 

We got up shortly after the skies began to brighten with the coming dawn. The Lady likes me out of the way as she gets about with her fussing in the camper. I took the camera and walked. It was quiet. I waited for sunrise to watch first light move across the land.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The Lady joined me with our coffee mugs filled with morning goodness. We walked, wandered, and explored until our mugs were empty. Back at camp, the Bagger's weather band radio was warning of a change in the weather including a high wind warning, gusts of 45 mph. It would be an interesting drive home for us and necessitate adjustments in Steve & Deb's hiking plans for the coming days.

 

Camper tops were lowered and it was time for goodbyes. We thanked the Baggers for their kindness in allowing us to join them and wished them safe travels. It had been great  spending Death Valley time with these two.

 

We had one stop to make before we left the Park. The Salt Creek parking area was fairly empty, but even with that, it was so strange to hear so many voices. It was nerve racking and it felt crowded. We hit the trail and got away.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were looking for layering in the hillside deposits. I wanted to look at rock, it was difficult to do, the soft rock was so eroded. We did see pupfish in the water, hundreds of juvenile pupfish. And yes, they were playing like puppies. That's how pupfish were named. We continued our explorations.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our initial plan was to spend the night in Panamint Valley but it was too early in the day to stop when we passed through. We made the surprise decision to drive into the Alabama Hills to see how busy it was. Dispersed camping in the Alabama Hills during the last decade has sky rocketed with startling damage to the land. BLM has been working to repair resource damage. It has designated areas for day use only and legal to use dispersed campsites are now marked with a tent symbol. Information can be found here - Alabama Hills Camping.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We were pleased this section of the Hills was quiet this Monday night. We set up camp as well as we could to be sheltered from the wind.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was the evening of Valentine's Day. I made a special dinner for the Lady and we waited for night to come.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The moon was near full. We walked for a couple hours before bed. The few distant lights we saw from other campers seemed so out of place. We try to keep our camp as dark as possible to honor the spirit of the outdoors.

 

Wind rocked the camper throughout the night but we slept well. It had been a few years since we had last woke up in the Alabama Hills. We woke, as always, before dawn. The coming storm was beginning to roll over the crest of the Sierra Nevada. I had to up the ISO to get these predawn shots in the dim light.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The rising sun began to color the clouds.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Mt. Whitney was bashful.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Lone Pine Peak was not.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The light continued to change as the sun rose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Quickly, light spread across the flats. It is always a happy surprise how fast the light changes.

 

 

 

 

 

 

We wandered in the quiet. The winds had, surprisingly, stilled. The Lady looked for things to climb.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Yes, she had her see mores with her.

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another perspective.

 

 

 

 

 

 

In the last few days the Lady hiked over 45 miles, most of it off trail across rugged terrain. No pain, no swelling around the new knee joints after use. The two knee replacements has been a success. She now wants to be able to touch her heels to her butt. She's not been able to do that for years. She's almost there. Anyone what to bet she doesn't make it?

 

This morning in the Alabama Hills was spectacular.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The drive home from here was impacted by the storm. The wind was brutal. 395 was closed to high profile vehicles. We hit blowing snow at the turn off to Mammoth. Chain controls were up on the snow covered road with a speed limit of 35. We took our time and drove carefully. Yup, there was the usual number of complete idiots on the road. That's entertainment. CHP had one semi pulled over driving without chains. I bet that hurt the trucker's wallet.

 

We arrived home safety in the late afternoon and declared this latest trip of our a complete success.

 

I'll add a few fun additional photos. At the start of one hike we came upon a old mine shaft. Deb was so excited she wanted to bound down the rickety ladder to see what was down in the depths. Steve saved the day with his quick grab.

 

 

 

 

 

 

It's rare we get a photo of Julie and me together. Deb captured a nice one of us. The following photos are courtesy of Deb Fox. Thanks Deb!

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was at one of the hunting blinds we found.

 

 

 

 

 

 

She caught me calling, "Hello, is anyone home?"

 

 

 

 

 

 

And, no trip to Death Valley is complete without an encounter with a tiny dinosaur.