The Famous Five go to Death Valley

With Nina in town, our campsites reserved, and four days, everything was set.

Day 1: On an evening hike in Mosaic Canyon

Japanese lanterns add cheer to our Furnace Creek campsite

Ubehebe Pk, left of center, and attendants (Mark Ammerman)

Day 2 was our longest day, 170 miles R/T to Racetrack Playa to climb Ubehebe Peak in the southern Last Chance Range. 54 of those miles are on the world's worst washboard. After a stop for a photo at Teakettle Junction we parked and began our 2000' climb. The route to the saddle on the right is on an old miners' trail, then we followed a CL2/3 use path to the summit.

TJ, with the snowcapped Inyo Range to the west. (Mark Ammerman)

A giant  dust devil swirling across the lakebed behind The Grandstand

On the miners' trail (Mark Ammerman)

Looking down on the playa from atop the ridgeline

On the summit, looking north

Heading back down (Mark Ammerman)

The Grandstand is a remnant outcrop surrounded by sediment from the surrounding mountains, forming a surreal island  in the middle of the Racetrack, and its most haunting feature. (Mark Ammerman)

(Mark Ammerman)

Views from the summit are pretty amazing, even by Death Valley standards. The Last Chance Range forms the divide between vast but utterly empty basins. 

We return to the valley as Ubehebe Peak's shadow crawls dramatically across the playa

We spent the other days doing other hikes, and we even found a waterfall in one canyon. But this hike was our favorite.

March 10-13 Hiking Club in Death Valley

Hiking in Gower Gulch, Zabriskie Hills

Roadrunner

In Natural Bridge Canyon (Mark Ammerman)

Group photo at Zabriskie Pt (Mark Ammerman)

The valley floor got a rain shower Friday night, dropping snow down to about 6500'. Here we are as we start up the fan to Redwall Canyon. (Mark Ammerman)

Climbing a big pouroff in Redwall Canyon

Everyone made it!

Redwall Canyon Narrows #1

A lot of gold poppies came out this year

Redwall Canyon narrows #2

Flowers were everywhere, many tiny and delicate like these (Tohru Ohnuki)

Thanksgiving in Death Valley

Thanksgiving week this year was in Death Valley with Nina, Mark and Jerri. Weather was perfect for this four-day trip.

Sunday in Mosaic Canyon, where gravity was weird

Monday we hiked into the narrows of Redwall Canyon

We climbed this pouroff

Hiking back as the sun sets behind the Cottonwood Mtns

Crescent moon

Tuesday we rented a Jeep and drove Titus Canyon

Along the way we climbed 6300' Thimble Pk

The summit offers an outstanding view of the valley. From here we could even see peaks of the High Sierra

Wednesday we hiked to Zabriskie Point

We looped back to the trailhead in Gower Gulch

Rhyolite, Nevada

Rhyolite is a worthwhile Death Valley side trip.  It's an early 20th century ghost town / art display.  I don't know, it's tough to describe. I think it's popular with European tourists.

The old bank building

Spooky

Oct 25-28: Hiking Club at Death Valley NP

In the 2nd narrows of Redwall Canyon

On our four-day trip to DV with the Honda Hiking Club, we hiked in spectacular Redwall Canyon, the Zabriskie Hills, and the Black Mountains. Weather was perfect - highs in the 80's, nights down to 50 degrees, and no wind. Watch a video here.

Group photo

Afternoon light on the hike out

Hiking Club at Death Valley NP

Our club met up again with the Honda Hiking Club, this year at Death Valley. We based at Furnace Creek and hiked for four days, including one day driving up to Racetrack Playa, where the rocks move around on the lake bed. I took this group photo along the way at Teakettle Junction (not to be confused with the website Teabagger Junction, or Dishwasher Junction, which is an entirely different kind of place just beyond the city limits of east Palmdale.)
The other days we hiked in Fall Canyon, Natural Bridge Canyon, Mosaic Canyon, and Golden Canyon.
Watch my video, or see Honda Hiking Club's photos here. I also visited the remote Racetrack Playa once before, in 2002.

November in Death Valley

Just spent three days in DV with my old buddy Steve. Camped at Furnace Creek CG and did 5 different hikes in the park. Weather was perfect for midday canyon hikes. Here's a shot of Steve and me at Badwater, and I also posted a 4mb video here.