Death Valley National Park – February 2023 – Part Two

 

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 One

 

“Big Boulder Canyon”

 

Wind woke us a couple of times during the night. A front was passing through. Clouds moved over the crest of the Panamints in the morning.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As it does, the light quickly changed.

 

 

 

 

 

Our morning dawn wander took us to the top of most of the close by high points.

 

 

 

 

 

Here’s a telephoto shot of Matthew’s camp that we visited the previous night.

 

 

 

 

 

The sun was fully up when we returned to camp for breakfast.

 

 

 

 

 

In answer to our prayers, the white van left as I was doing dishes. We were again alone. We headed back up canyon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After a mile and half, we turned into a side canyon.

 

 

 

 

 

We noted that, in places, the canyon was cut parallel with the rock layers. The canyon quickly tightened into narrows.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The canyon was choked with boulders and the Lady’s reaction was, “I’m naming this Big Boulder Canyon!”

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

  

Another cut parallel with the rock layers.

 

 

 

 

 

There were several dry falls to scramble up.

 

 

 

 

 

And more big boulders.

 

 

 

 

 

As always, the Lady was unstoppable, anxious to see what was around the next bend.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

As I watched the Lady scamper over everything we came upon………..

 

 

 

 

 

………I could not help but think about the physical therapist at the hospital back in August of 2021 when Julie had the surgery for her second total knee replacement. The protocol is for the patient (Julie) to spent one night in the hospital after surgery for observation. Julie also needed to be seen by a physical therapist to make sure she could stand and walk a few steps to the bathroom, check range of motion, and to start a few rudimentary beginning exercises. I was with Julie in her room when the therapist arrived, a woman in her 50’s, lean, very fit and attractive. Remember, this was the second knee, Julie had been through this all with the first total knee replacement. The woman had “the goal” scenario well-rehearsed.  

She started in. “Now, you need to think about where you want to be in a year,” she explained. “What’s your goal? What do you want to be doing a year from now?”

“I want to be hiking,” the Lady quickly answered.

“How far do you want to be able to hike, your goal?”

“I don’t understand how far.” the Lady asked. “I will be hiking.”

The woman replied. “How far? Let’s say in a year from now you want to be able to hike a mile. That’s a good goal.”

“I want to hike more than a mile.”

“Okay, let’s say more than a mile is your goal but never, ever more than two miles.” The woman was quite serious about this.

 

This part of the conversation was over. “Well then,” Julie changed the subject. “Get me on my feet, get me taking steps so I pass all the tests and can go home.” I was almost in tears holding back laughter.

 

This woman’s admonishments to severely limit distances was, of course, contrary to all discussions with the surgeon and his staff.

 

So, you can understand how my mind occasionally wanders back to that physical therapist.

 

We reached a dry fall blocked and topped with an enormous chockstone. The Lady had given the canyon a fitting name.

 

 

 

 

 

Julie is looking up the left slot, a possible climbing route. It can be climbed with a tricky first move, but without packs, as it ends in a tight squeeze, at least as far as we could see without starting up. We decided not to risk it. There was the possibility of a bypass. We climbed to the top but the other side was a vertical cliff face. We snacked and rested at the base of the dry fall, not disappointed at all. This was a fun canyon to explore.

 

We thoroughly enjoyed the scramble back down the canyon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

After returning to the main canyon, we moved across the broad wash and poked into a couple of short canyons on the north side.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We came upon the remains of an old campsite on a bench mid canyon.

 

 

 

 

 

We returned to camp just as the sun had left. We were now in evening’s shadow.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This was the night of the full moon.

 

 

 

 

 

The moon’s light broke through the clouds and sent light streaming across the landscape. It was mesmerizing to watch.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

The next morning, right on cue, the new full moon slipped below the western horizon as the sun topped the mountains in the east.

 

 

 

 

 

We wandered and took it all in as first light washed over this wonderful landscape and our camp.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

It was now Monday morning and time to move closer to home. The wind was whipping up dust in the south end of Death Valley proper. Where we ended up for the next couple of days would depend on what we found with wind conditions.

 

Before we move on to the final Part Three of this story, I must backup to Sunday evening as the Lady and I sat out in the night. An idea occurred to me. I ran it by Julie. I sent this message via our InReach device to our friends, Barking and Ma Spider –

 

“Retired? Want to book a tub at Benton Wednesday and Thursday nights? A couple were open including tub 4 when we looked last week. We’ll join you and pay our way.”

 

We wondered what their response would be. We only had to wait twenty minutes. The InReach chirped that a message was received.

 

“We will meet you at Benton Hot Springs Wednesday tub 4. Reservations are confirmed with Jimmy.”

 

Our adventure continues. Please click here for - Part Three.

 

Death Valley National Park – February 2023 – Part One

 

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

 

“The Middle of Nowhere”

 

After years of drought, this winter has started off with a bang. Storms have rolled through dumping snow. The Lady happily has been putting her arsenal of snow shovels to work. Lil’ Red, the small tractor with front mount snowblower, has been earning his keep and burning diesel. The last couple of storms dropped only a few inches, but it has been cold and icy. Microspikes on our shoes have been necessary for our morning walks for close to two weeks. The weather forecast finally predicted a few days’ break from storms. The truck was quickly packed and we headed out on a Thursday morning.

 

“Colder than a witch’s heart!” is a polite way of phrasing the old saying my Dad often used. It was 13° midday as we drove through Bridgeport on highway 395. The temperature at Conway Summit was 37° but Mono Lake and Lee Vining were enshrouded in pogonip – ice fog - below as we descended the pass. The temperature in Lee Vining was 18°. The cold continued in the high mountain valleys as we continued south. It was 11° at 1300hrs as we drove past Crowley Reservoir.

 

We arrived in Bishop early afternoon and took a break. We enjoy stretching our legs with a walk in the park, especially when it’s been cold enough that we can watch Jesus Ducks. With the large pond frozen over, the ducks are walking on water. After grabbing a Mule Kick sandwich for dinner at Schat’s Bakery, we set up at our comfortable camp for overnight. Yes, it remained cold. After a night time trip outside the camper, a “Juliesicle” climbed back into the bunk and needed warming up. I happily obliged.

 

 

It was an easy drive the next morning and we reached the mouth of Trail Canyon mid-afternoon. We set up our simple camp and took in the marvelous quiet and solitude.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Morning light was subdued but delightful.

 

 

 

 

 

With coffee brewed, we set out on our usual dawn wander. Julie suggested a side canyon to the south. It was rough terrain but no coffee was spilled.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We had returned to Trail Canyon to attempt to find an ancient shelter site. We had notes from field research done in the late 1950’s. Our last visit to Trail Canyon was in 2017. At that time the road up the wash was in very poor condition and hard to find. The road now is in very good shape for high clearance vehicles. For us, it is much more fun to hike and leave our comfortable camp in place.

 

 

 

 

 

The tilted rock layers that are the canyon walls are a geologic wonder. You pass by 250 million years of the Earth's geologic history as you ascend Trail Canyon.

 

 

 

 

 

While hiking up canyon we scanned for possible shelters/caves in the canyon walls that matched the few notes contained in the paper. Our plan was to hike up to the upper point where the canyon splits into three forks and then climb to and investigate the shelter sites as we hiked back down canyon. We stopped, pulled off our packs, and glassed a promising site with the Lady’s see mores. As we were getting our packs back on, the Lady warned, “There’s a vehicle coming down canyon.” We moved well off the road to allow the white Toyota four runner to pass. It was the first vehicle we saw this day. As the vehicle drove by, behind me I heard the Lady say, “It’s Wonderhussy.” I heard the familiar voice reply and then her unmistakable laugh. Wonderhussy is a prolific youtuber. “The middle of nowhere!” is her signature line. She had finally gotten far enough out in “the middle of nowhere” to come upon us.

 

She did not stop. We did not get a treasured group photo. This was all I managed to get.

 

 

 

 

 

Miss Sarah Jane left us a note on our camper along with Wonderhussy memorabilia.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Thus was our brush with YouTube stardom.

 

We’ve located fossil mammal tracks in Death Valley’s rocks on past visits. What were the chances we’d find a fossil track of a small camel in the middle of this primitive road? You see so much more when you take the time to walk.

 

 

 

 

 

We, of course, remove nothing from our national parks. Please do the same.

 

We took a nice lunch break up at the canyon forks. Here’s a midday view down canyon.

 

 

 

 

 

Since we were close, we continued up for a revisit to the Broken Pick Mine. Tungsten was the primary mineral mined in Trail Canyon.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

My Uncle Erv owned and worked a site near Emigrant Wash. He went on to work his tungsten mines in the Mojave. I would suspect Uncle Erv may have known and had contact with the people who worked in Trail Canyon.

 

 

The age of discarded trucks helps date sites such as this one.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We investigated two shelter sites as we hiked back to camp. This was our main target and seemed to match the location in the research notes. I do not believe this was it, though.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We received spectacular views from the two high points we climbed to.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

We found ourselves not alone when we returned to our dispersed campsite. A large white van had set up camp just above us, well within sight, and far closer than we would ever think of infringing on other’s space. Rude, clueless city people. We ignored them – not hard to do, they never ventured away from the van – and we made the best of this marvelous evening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Another Death Valley wanderer had left a note on our truck while we were hiking. He was camped below us along Trail Canyon Road. In the dark, after dinner and chores, we walked down to Matthew’s camp and enjoyed meeting and talking with him.

 

What to do the next day? The Lady and I discussed our options as we turned in for the night. If the interlopers in the white van left in the morning, we’d stay and explore side canyons. If they did not, where would we move to?

 

Our adventure continues. Please click here for - Part Two.