Category: Death Valley

Two days in Death Valley in February 2012 – Part 2

Feb. 21 Camping, Death Valley, National Parks 4 comments

This is a continuation of Two days in Death Valley in February 2012.

Morning in the Panamint Valley was cold and very clear. After an unbelievably starry night, the dawn was gradual and brilliant. The best reason for going to sleep soon after dark is to be able to enjoy a very gradual dawn. The first purple gives way to blue, which grows lighter until the sky is entirely consumed by the color. The source of blue becomes the source of increasingly golden tones until the sun makes its first appearance.

We had our customary coffee before packing our tent and gear and making our way into Death Valley proper. The drive starts with a considerable descent down a long canyon from Panamint Valley. As Death Valley stretches out in full view, the road becomes flat and passes the first campground and cabins come into view.

Stovepipe Wells isn’t much, but it is far more than anything around it. To call it an oasis would be a stretch. The winds were blowing as well, a bleak landscape for tents and campers alike. We had to take a moment, of course, to check out the used car lot that we came across.

Dunes

Beyond the excellent view of the valley, the first attraction on the route is Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. The high mountains on each side of the Valley combine with powerful winds to bring tiny grains of rock from the mountain tops to this particular spot. We were fortunate that it was early in the morning and the tourists were still sleeping. This gave us a chance enjoy the moment without buses and flocks of photo seekers.

Furnace Creek

A great brunch is one of the most valuable ways to enjoy a day without taking too much time to eat. We stopped at Furnace Creek Visitors Center and watched a movie about Death Valley before moving on to breakfast at the nearby restaurant. Jeanne complained of suffering the opposite of altitude sickness…”low-titude sickness”. The symptoms included laughing, energy, healthy appetite and absolutely no headache. She hasn’t recovered since we we left Death Valley, leading us to wonder if this isn’t a chronic condition for her. Only time will tell.

Badwater Basin

No visit to Death Valley is complete without a stop at the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere. There are lower places, like the Dead Sea, but the proximity to Mt Whitney, the highest point in the Lower 48 States, makes Death Valley all the more interesting.

Hole-in-the-Wall

Based on great advice, we decided to camp at Hole-in-the-Wall, a remote area accessible by four wheel drive. Soon after starting down the dirt road we had a great warning…a stream of oil that a previous vehicle leaked as it drove. We were very careful to keep the center of the care away from the occasional rocks to avoid the same fate. We saw few other cars as we made our way back into the interior of the park. It was wonderfully quiet, in fact.

We found a great spot far from anyone and set up our camp. We wanted to be sheltered from the infamous Death Valley winds, have an early view of sunrise (so no mountain to the southeast, and peace and quiet. We found all of those things and had an extraordinary time in our cozy campsite.

Two days in Death Valley in February 2012

Feb. 20 Camping, Death Valley, Dog fun, National Parks 1 comment

Part 1 of Two Days in Death Valley in February 2012

Sometimes places are so close and accessible they become a less urgent destination. Death Valley has been that way for me. Jeanne has been in the US for eight years and has been there five times, where I’ve lived here all of my life, and in California twelve years and never made my way there. It isn’t my first experience with that phenomenon. I grew up in Western New York, an hour and a half from Niagara Falls but never made it there until my late teens.

An Un-sort vacation

We packed quickly on a Saturday morning using our trusted checklist. We knew this would be no-frills camping (‘un-sort’, the opposite of ‘resort’, in Jeanne’s words) on a holiday weekend with no reservations. Death Valley allows camping anywhere two miles from the main roads, but that also means no water, showers, or easy access for last-minute supplies. “Dry camping” as it is called in the West, and our trips to Johnson Valley, CA camping prepared us well for this…bring lots of water.

Of course we brought the dogs along as well. Mitch and Gwenn love every part of camping from the ride, to the new sights and smells, to sleeping in a tent, usually on top of our sleeping bags. Dogs can’t hike on trails in National Parks but we always find ways to have an adventure off the beaten track.

Mojave Desert

Not too far out of Los Angeles the horizon opens, the land dries out and the Mojave Desert takes over. Getting to Death Valley is much of the same route as heading to Mt Whitney or Mammoth, and we know the best gas stations, restaurants and each turn by heart. This time, however, we wouldn’t be passing the turnoff for Death Valley and commenting yet again that we should go there ‘sometime’.

Death Valley

Once on SR190, the main highway through the Valley, we filled up our gas tank and were given the advice to camp near Panamint Dunes on Lake Hill Road. This took us down a dirt road for a couple of miles until we found and excellent, sheltered spot at the foot of a small mountain and near sand dunes and a dry lake bed. We immediately began our routine of setting up camp with both of us knowing exactly our part. Dinner was beef stew and bread, and we were in The Babymaker by 6pm., just as it became truly dark outside.

Up Next: Part 2 of Two Days in Death Valley in February 2012