Travelogue

Along the long drive to Lake PowellThe first day we drove 470 miles, fortunately most of it on I5, to a KOA in Barstow, California. We, especially Herb the driver, were exhausted, but spirits were high because we were so excited at the thought of being in Lake Powell in 2 days.

We felt quite luxurious having two bedrooms to choose from - we could sleep in the cuddy cabin of the boat or on the very comfy sleeping platform Herb had created for us in the back of the 4Runner. Both areas were pretty cluttered right now with our stuff, so I slept in the 4Runner and Herb slept in the boat.

Travelogue

Day 1 - Arrival in time to catch the alpenglow

Arriving just in time to catch the alpenglowWhenever we drive to Yosemite with the motorhome, we take the more southern route up through El Portal on Highway 140 as it is a bit more gentle an approach than Highway 120 through Groveland. That being said, Google Maps decided to automatically change our route to the slightly faster (by 5 minutes) 120 route and we didn’t notice that until we had driven about an hour beyond the decision point.

We were in no mood to turn back so we continued onto Groveland. Hmm...there seemed to be a little snow on the ground here. When we got to the Park Entrance, we were told that we could not continue without chains because the roads between here and Crane Flat were not yet plowed. She said that Highway 140 up through El Portal was clear. Great. This made our stupid mistake, even stupider. I felt largely responsible, because I am the navigator and am supposed to be paying attention, but I still blame Google Maps for changing our selected route. Herb was taking this extremely (almost frighteningly well).

Catching the last bit of light by Sentinel BridgeNot having chains with, and not wanting to deal with snowy, nail-biting roads, we asked the Ranger how we could best recover from our mistake and go around to the El Portal entrance without going all the way back to Stockton. She gave us a route that went back through Groveland and down the Priest Coulterville Road, which she said was perfectly fine for motorhomes such as ours. Besides adding another hour and a half to our trip, she was right.

We got into the Valley around 4:30, just in time to catch the Alpenglow on Half Dome from Sentinel Bridge - and to make it even more perfect, the meadows and peaks (but fortunately not the roads) were covered with a lovely blanket of snow.

Day 2 - El Cap Meadow, Cathedral Beach, Valley View, and chasing the alpenglow

More El Cap ReflectionsHaving been to Yosemite Valley so many times, we didn’t feel compelled to rush around seeing all the sights, incredible as they may be. Instead, we took a leisurely drive around the Valley Loop in the motorhome, stopping at various favorites along the way. We used it as a base camp for making lunch, taking naps, getting warm, etc.

One of our favorite things to do is park near El Cap Meadow where the unobstructed view of El Cap in all its massiveness is humbling. I still can’t believe that our son Tommy and his now fiancee Erin, climbed the Nose, spending 3 nights sleeping on narrow ledges on its face. My palms still sweat at the thought of it.

From the meadow, we like to wander across the road and along the Merced River over to Cathedral Beach, where the reflections of El Cap in the river are astounding. No matter how many times we come to this spot, this view always takes our breath away.

Valley ViewOur next stop along the loop road was the very popular Valley View near the end of the Northside Drive, where El Capitan, on the left, and Cathedral Rocks, on the right, frame a magnificent valley view. Usually there is a crowd here, but because of Covid there were no big tour buses in the parking lot today.

I had been so enamored with the alpenglow last night that I told Herb I wanted to be positioned well for tonight’s show. Back in 2018, I had experienced a very beautiful alpenglow on Sentinel Dome so I wanted to see if I could repeat that tonight.

Maybe some alpenglow?We parked along the Southside Drive near Swinging Bridge and set off on foot. I made Herb come with me to show him the spot where we could watch Sentinel Dome light up during Alpenglow. Not wanting to just stand there in the hopes that it would do a repeat performance, he set off to wander about on his own.

After about a half hour, a couple came up to me and asked what I was looking at. I explained to them that I was waiting for the Alpenglow to hit Sentinel Dome, fully assured that this was a phenomenon that occurred every night.

Herb capturing alpenglow reflectionsI waited and waited and finally an orange-red glow lit up the top of the ridge. Oh, here it comes I thought, as I waited for it to move down the face and paint the entire rock a bright red, just like last time. But, poof. It just went out. What?

Meanwhile, I looked to the left off in the distance and saw Half Dome fully aglow. Darn it! That’s where Herb had headed. I started running that direction but didn’t get there in time. Herb said he had met the couple I had been explaining alpenglow to. They made the connection between the two of us because of his tripod and camera equipment.

Lessons learned. Apparently, a really spectacular alpenglow only occurs during certain atmospheric conditions.

Day 3 - Church Bowl, Ahwahnee Hotel, Ahwahnee Meadow, and more wanderings

Ahwahnee MeadowThe days are pretty short in November, especially when you are in a Valley with those tall rock cliffs blocking the sun on both ends of the day. The campground doesn’t get sunlight until late morning, so we usually like to get out of there early and drive it over to the Church Bowl Picnic Area along the Ahwahnee Drive, where there is lots of morning light. From there we could make breakfast, have coffee, read, and venture out whenever we felt like it.

Ahwahnee MeadowCoffee done, we headed out on the path that ran alongside the meadow towards the Ahwahnee Hotel, just a half mile away. The morning light was already streaming through the trees and onto the snow-covered grasses of the meadow. What a lovely morning to be in the Valley.

Whenever we are in the Valley, I always feel a yearning to stop in at the beautiful historic Ahwahnee Hotel, with its rustic wooden-beamed ceiling and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooking Royal Arches. We have so many wonderful memories here of nights spent playing cards and reading books by the fire or in one of its many nooks and crannies.

It was much quieter due to Covid. We debated whether we should get take-out dinner some night and eat it in one of the sitting areas in the Grand Lounge, but when we mentioned that to our overprotective sons, they said, “Are you crazy!” Darn.

As we usually do, we strolled out behind the hotel and walked along the path to the Merced River before returning back across the meadow. By this time, much of the Valley was lit, so we took a drive and parked on the other side of the Valley near the cute little church, which served as our base camp for the remainder of they day.

The rest of the day was spent wandering, taking photos, more wandering, more photos, etc. Not a bad life.

Day 4 - Hike up to Glacier Point

Glacier Point after hiking up from the ValleyThere aren’t any hikes in and from the Valley left that we haven’t already done, but doing them in different seasons sort of makes them new again. We decided to do the Four Mile Trail up to Glacier Point, with a 3,200-foot elevation gain. I have a bone to pick with the person who named this trail. If they can rename the Ahwahnee Hotel the Majestic, I can rename this 4.8-mile hike the Five Mile Trail.

This is a great hike, but a very strenuous one as well. We started from the Valley Floor and after a brief flat area wandering through some boulders, which we had played around on with the boys in visits past, we began to climb. In fact, from that point on, all we would do is climb, as we had a lot of vertical feet to gain.

There were already some patches of snow on the trail before we started the climbing part, so we sat on a log and put on our Microspikes. We used to use Yaktrax but Herb likes Microspikes better because they have better grip and they pack down smaller. They are kind of like the chains you put on your car tires and just as hard to put on.

Hiking down from Glacier PointThey really do work though. Everyone we passed on the trail was half our age, but we were passing them. I felt like the little engine that could, steadily plugging away up that hill, while the young’uns were slipping and sliding all over the place. Very empowering.

The scenery started slowly, since we had to get above the Valley trees first, but once we did, all the icons of the Valley come into view - Yosemite Falls, Cathedral Rocks, El Cap, Half Dome, Clouds Rest, North Dome, and more. It was like a tour of Yosemite’s greatest hits. The tremendous views were a great distraction from the fact that we were climbing and climbing along a continuous series of switchbacks.

Hiking down from Glacier PointAt about 3 miles we came to the turnoff for Union Point, where there is a great viewpoint. Many hikers use this as a good turnaround point, but not us - we were going all the way!

As we came around to the northeast side of the valley wall, Half Dome came into view. The switchbacks were now done and the trail became less steep. One more mile to go.

Once we came off the Four Mile Trail, we continued left down a paved trail to what is one of the best views in Yosemite, and we pretty much had it all to ourselves. So different from summer when bus loads of tourists line up for selfies.

Although we were retracing our steps on the way down, the views were completely different in this direction - Half Dome, Yosemite Falls, those miles of switchbacks, and finally to my favorite view of all looking out over El Capitan and the western Yosemite Valley during Golden Hour.

I would like to give my special thanks to my Microspikes, that allowed me to hike up like a little tractor and hike down without slipping and sliding and hurting myself.

Day 5 - Reflections

Reflections of Half DomeToday was all about reflections: reflections of rock formations in the Merced River and reflections of life during Covid.

I’ll start with reflections of life during Covid. I think it would be safe to say that we will all in some way be changed by the experience of 2020, hopefully for the better -- more compassionate and generous to others, more introspective and thoughtful, and definitely more appreciative of what we used to take for granted.

Secondly, I think it has taught us that we are not just individuals responsible for ourselves, but part of a vast network of family, friends, neighbors, and strangers who are healthier, happier, and stronger because of each other.

Reflections of North DomeThirdly, I think I, anyway, have learned to treat life’s simple moments as precious times to be savored: a hug from our grown-up children, a glass of wine with friends, a trip to a museum, and on and on.

So today I was thankful that Herb and I were healthy and once again in Yosemite Valley together, a place that has been so special to us over the years, and to still be able to get so excited about experiencing its beauty.

Enough with the waxing philosophically. Here are two images of reflections of Yosemite in the Merced River, one taken by each of us. Both of them are shot directly down into the water. Mine (the second one) became much more interesting when I flipped it upside down, revealing a watery sky filled with leaves.

Final Day - Ahwahnee Meadow, El Cap Meadow, and Inspiration Point

Nature's ornaments in the treesOur last day in the Valley had arrived. As with every other morning, we left the dark campground early to find a spot in the sun. There are so many good choices, but we decided to return to El Cap Meadow and wander around there. We took off towards the river where the morning light was streaming through the trees.

We met a guy about our kids age, just sitting in a beach chair staring up at El Cap. He told us that he was going to climb it tomorrow and that he had done it three times in the past. Of course I had to tell him that our son had done it as well.

During our wanderings,we came across a large log which we swore was the one we had sat on during our first visit to Yosemite back in 1986. Maybe not, but close enough. Herb set up the tripod and we took a photo of the two of us with El Cap as a backdrop. We looked so tiny.

We look so tinyWe needed to get some exercise, so we decided to do the hike up to Inspiration Point, which started from the Wawona Tunnel overlook parking lot. We had done this hike in the past, but then again we pretty much had done every hike in the Valley at least once, but they are all worth a repeat.

As usual, the parking lot was busy, but not as much as pre-Covid when tour buses dispense dozens of camera-clad tourists at the overlook to capture this iconic view of the Valley. It is a phenomenal view, rivaled only by the view from Glacier Point overlook, which we had hiked up to the other day. We had to work much harder for that one.

Feeling the need to earn our photo, we set off on the Inspiration Point trail, which started right from the parking lot. It’s pretty steep, gaining over 1,100 feet in just a little over a mile.

Once again, we learned that Yosemite secret: you only have to hike about a mile from the road to leave the crowds behind. And, if the trail is steep, as this one was, you will practically have it to yourselves within the first 100 yards.

The trail was a bit snow-covered, but not enough to warrant putting on our Microspikes. At 1.3 miles we reached “Old Inspiration Point,” which is where the road to Yosemite Valley used to go in the days before the Wawona Tunnel was built.

View from Inspiration PointThe views are now mostly obscured by trees, but as we discovered in the past, if you just hike a short distance down to a lower granite shelf, the views of El Cap, Half Dome, and Yosemite Falls are unobstructed and breathtaking. In fact, this was the site of our 2013 Gaidus Family Christmas Photo.

The views might not have been objectively better than those from the parking lot, but it certainly felt like they were from the solitude of this ridge.

Our escape to Yosemite Valley had been a wonderful break from the confinement at home, because it was so easy to socially distance and feel safe when traveling in the motorhome. For the past week, life had felt almost normal.

Goodbye for now Yosemite. We will be back!

Travelogue

Day 1 - Arrival in Bishop

We arrived purposely after 5:00, so they could finish their work day without us distracting them. They made a nice dinner for us and we spent the night chatting and catching up. Oh, and lots of long overdue hugging.

Day 2 - Herb and I entertaining ourselves while they worked

Herb running along the Bishop Creek CanalI managed to convince Herb to go with me for a run along the Bishop Creek Canal which is just a short distance from Andrew’s house. In my opinion, it’s the perfect running trail - flat, nice dirt surface, and unbelievable views. We ran 5 miles out and back, having to occasionally wait for cows to get out of the way.

The rest of the day was spent doing laundry, loading thousands of photos to our laptops, and food shopping.

That night friends of theirs came over to join us for a BBQ. They have met so many really interesting and like-minded people that any fears I had of them being lonely and missing their friends in SF were put to rest.

Day 3 - Off-road motorcycling and bouldering in the Buttermilks

Off-roading on the Bishop trailsSince they moved to Bishop, both Andrew and Celeste have bought off-road motorcycles to enjoy the hundreds of miles of off-road trails in the area. Herb has ridden motorcycles for years, but almost exclusively on asphalt, so Andrew wanted to give him an opportunity to do some off-roading with him.

Andrew and Herb set off from the house on the motorcycles, and Andrew took him on some of his favorite trails before heading over to the Buttermilks to meet up with Celeste and I, who would drive over with the truck. Herb had a blast. Not sure if he is ready to buy an off-road bike yet, but it certainly will be fun to borrow one when we visit.

We all met at the parking for the bouldering area and entered the second phase of the day - bouldering.

First, a very brief primer on bouldering. Bouldering is a form of rock climbing that does not use ropes because it is done on “boulders” that are not too high. To protect from injury, crash pads are placed on the ground to soften the climber’s fall. In addition to the pads, other climbers stand at the bottom with arms extended upward to catch or slow the climber down if he falls. However, in the Buttermilks, the boulders are pretty darn big, some as high as 45 feet.

Andrew bouldering in the ButtermilksBouldering is not Herb and my thing, so for this portion of the day, we would just be spectators - not a bad thing as the landscape is amazing, with hundreds of huge boulders (or more technically, glacial erratics) strewn across a vast hillside with the snow-capped Sierra in the background.

After doing that for awhile, we moved into phase 3 (their lifestyle is exhausting), in which Andrew and now Celeste would ride the motorcycles and Herb and I would follow them in the truck. Herb said that the roads they went on into the Foothills of the Sierra were a lot rougher than what Andrew had taken him on. I can’t believe how good Celeste has gotten on that bike in such a short time.

Finally it was time for Phase 4 - cocktail hour and dinner at the Mountain Rambler, finally an event I could participate in.

Day 4 - Sport climbing in Pine Creek Canyon and 4WDing to the Warm Springs

Celeste sport climbing in Pine CreekToday we would tag along with the kids to watch them sport climb in Pine Creek Canyon, a stunningly beautiful canyon nestled between Mount Tom and the Wheeler Crest, less than a half hour from their house.

This is just one of the many climbing areas near Bishop. It alone has over 630 routes, including multi-pitch trad climbs and one of the largest collections of sport climbs in the state. Just the hike into the canyon itself was worth the trip, even if I personally didn’t get to climb. I just love the beautiful scenery and watching them do what they love.

They usually try to get Herb and I on a climb that is less difficult than what they do, but neither of us had climbed in almost a year and a half because the climbing gyms had been closed because of Covid. I declined, but they did get Herb, who has climbed a lot in his life, to agree to give it a shot.

As must be done in sport climbing, somebody (Celeste in this case) has to lead the climb and set up a top rope on top for the rest of us to use. Herb managed to enjoy the climb. He was surprised that he had not lost that much strength during the hiatus, but did say he had very little endurance.

After watching them climb a few more climbs, we left while they joined some of their friends. Before going back to the house, Herb and I decided to take a 4WD trip back by the canal behind their house to try to find the Warm Springs, where another species of pupfish lives. We were really into pupfish this trip. This would be our third species - kind of like collecting Pokemon cards.

It was a very bumpy, sandy, and longer than we expected drive, but we finally found two very pretty small ponds that did have pupfish in it. It also had a family in it as well. They told us that the pupfish liked to nibble on people. Eww!!!

Day 5 - Andrew and Celeste work and we hike the Druid Stones Loop

Lolo of the Druid StonesOur last full day in Bishop. The kids had to work (they are so jealous of us retirees), so we went off on our own for the day.

We decided to hike the Druid Stones Loop, a hike popular with locals both for hiking as well as bouldering on the stones. We had been up to the stones once before to watch them climb. This time we planned to continue on past the stones and do the entire loop.

The trailhead was only 10 minutes from their house. There were a few cars in the parking lot along Bir Road, but since we had a 4WD with high clearance we were able to drive in another quarter mile to a closer parking area.

The trail starts strong with about a mile of switchbacks up a steep slope, climbing about 1,700 feet in a little under 2 miles. At a fork we took a left and continued for another quarter mile or so until we came to a distinct boulder field on the left with one prominent one sticking up above the rest. This is the Druid Stone. Actually I thought they were all collectively called the Druid Stones, but in any case, they all had Celtic-themed names. This is where we had been a few years back to watch them climb.

Hiking down from the DruidsFrom here there was a great view of Bishop and the Owens Valley, the White Mountains to the east, and the Sierra Nevada mountains to the west.

Rather than go back down, we added on the almost 3-mile loop. I confess that we got a bit lost in the beginning of the loop because we wandered too far into the Druid Stones, but a leprechaun led us back to the trail.

This was definitely our day for getting lost, because once we hiked the switchbacks back to our car, we thought it was a no-brainer to get back to Bir Road. Well, we must not have been paying attention because we drove for a lot more than a quarter mile on dirt roads.

One of the more interesting graves at the Paiute CemeteryEventually we came out to a Native American cemetery called Sunland. It was different from any cemetery I had ever been to, perhaps with the exception of Baja. It was so personalized, with photos and objects important to the deceased laid atop the graves, which by the way were not below ground level but a raised mound. It was upsetting to see how many young people there were.

However, the one that made us smile was that of “Buz” Rogers who had a funnel at the foot of his grave with a sign above it. reading, “Dying of Thirst, Pour Bud Here.” I am not sure if I am proud or embarrassed to admit it, but Herb did have a Bud in the truck refrigerator, which he did retrieve and pour down Buz’s funnel.

Hiking up to the DruidsAnother wonderful home-cooked meal back at the ranch on our last night in Bishop.

Travelogue

Along the 4WD Papoose Flat RoadAfter leaving Eureka Dunes our next stop was Andrew and Celeste’s house in Bishop, but we didn’t want to arrive too early because they were working until 5:00.

I suggested to Herb that we should do the Narrows and Papoose Flat 4WD Road which would take us from the Big Pine / Death Valley Road up and over the mountains and into Big Pine - a 26 mile, 3 ½ hour adventure. We had done this ride before and it was very fun and scenic.

The first part of the drive took us up through a long, narrow canyon to the Narrows, a high-walled gap in the dark laminated rock. The ride wasn’t too bad, but I wouldn’t exactly call it Easy. Also, the route can get pretty confusing because the Forest Road names in the 4WD Guide we were using didn’t always match the ones on the signposts along the way. Fortunately, Herb had our old tracks from our last time through on Gaia, a mapping application, so we could pretty much follow our breadcrumbs.

Papoose FlatThe highlight of the ride was arriving at Papoose Flat, a unique and otherworldly landscape with granite spires somewhat randomly strewn throughout the desert scrub. One of the granite outcrops even had a large arch, which I thought looked like a map of the U.S. with Florida on the wrong side. You could see the Sierra Nevada mountains through the arch.

The Flat, which lies at the crest of the Inyo Mountains which separate Saline Valley from the Owens Valley, was once a food gathering place for the Paiute Indians, who spent the summer and fall in the Inyo Mountains gathering pinyon nuts and killing game for winter.

After leaving the Flat, we descended through a series of switchbacks back to where we started. Some sections were so rocky that we had to get out and construct, or repair, existing rock ramps to smooth things out a bit.

Along the 4WD Papoose Flat RoadReally interesting ride, but if this was classified as Easy, I’m not sure how anxious I am to get on a Moderate. Plus, I think that the road conditions had gotten worse since the last time we did this.

We got to Big Pine with still some time to kill, so we went to our favorite truck wash in Bishop and washed away the inches of sand and dust we had accumulated during our last week of off-roading.

Once that was done, we texted Andrew that we were on our way. He was so excited to see us that he was actually waiting outside at the end of the driveway for us. The feeling was mutual.

Travelogue

Along the Harry Wade Road - Saratoga Springs Marshland and Ibex Dunes

Along the Harry Wade Road to Ibex DunesWe had been to Death Valley many times and pretty much thought we knew it all, but on our last visit to the Park, Herb purchased “The Explorer’s Guide to Death Valley National Park” at the Visitor Center gift shop. We have found it to be an invaluable resource for finding the more remote and isolated gems in Death Valley.

It was from this book that Herb discovered the Ibex Dunes, located in the remote and scarcely visited southeastern part of the Park, just south of the Saratoga Springs marshland. One of the reasons it is scarcely visited is that the road to get to it is very rough and requires a 4WD vehicle with high clearance.

After leaving Barstow, we drove north of I15 and then in the town of Baker, we took Route 127 north for 30 miles to the barely obvious Harry Wade Historical Monument, and the start of the Harry Wade Road.

Saratoga Springs in Death ValleyWe stopped at the historical marker to read the tale of Harry Wade, who with his family and 100 other wagons, was part of the Death Valley ‘49ers, a group of pioneers from the East who foolishly tried to take a short cut through Death Valley to get to the Sutter’s Fort gold prospecting area in the Central Valley.

Well, things didn’t go so well for the party in Death Valley, which is often the case, so Harry set out and found an exit route for his ox-drawn wagon, saving his and his family’s lives. Today that exit route is known as the Harry Wade Road. It was designated a California Historic Landmark in 1957.

Well, if it was good enough for Harry, it was good enough for us, so we turned left on Harry Wade Road and drove along a well-graded road with lovely views of colorful rocks to our right. I named them “Charlie Brown” rocks because of the zig-zagging pattern of their colorful layers, similar to the shirt Charlie Brown always wore.

Looking down at the Saratoga SpringsAt 2.7 miles, we passed the turnoff for the Ibex Dunes (for now) and continued on to the turnoff for the Saratoga Springs marshland at mile 5.8, another lesser-known Death Valley destination that we had read about in our “The Explorer’s Guide to Death Valley National Park.” From there it was a 3.9 mile drive to the parking area.

I assume this area was named for the more famous Saratoga Springs in New York, but the similarities ends with the fact that they both have springs. The New York version doesn’t even have any pupfish inhabiting its spring.

The Death Valley version is an extremely isolated and lovely marshland, set at the base of a colorful brown, tan, and white rock formation. It is home to the Saratoga Springs pupfish, or Cyprinodon nevadensis to be exact, one of nine pupfish species that have evolved separately in the springs of Death Valley and the Owens Valley, and the first to have been discovered.

Saratoga Springs pupfishWe set off first to walk along the left side of the marsh, hoping to get close enough to the pools to see some of its inhabitants. However, the shrubs along its edge were too thick and wet to get to the water’s edge.

We noticed a road leading up the side of the interesting, colorful rock formation on the other side of the marsh, so we headed back to where we started and headed to the right side of the marsh, this time finding that we could actually get down to a small beach at the water’s edge.

Herb spent the next hour stalking the little fellas with his 100-400mm telephoto lens, which he later renamed his “pupfish” lens. He hoped to catch them in the act of mating, but apparently they weren’t in the mood right now.

Afterwards, we walked up the road along the end of the rock formation where there was a lovely view of the marshland below.

Ibex DunesWe drove back out to the Harry Wade Road and retraced our route back for about 3 miles to the Ibex Junction and turned left onto a rocky but very passable road. I don’t know how, but after we had driven about 5 or 6 miles, I glanced down at my phone where I had marked the Ibex Dunes, and saw that we had gone too far. How the heck had we missed it.

We got out of the car and looked back down the road towards the east and there they were. We debated whether or not we should just start hiking to them from here, but we would have had to do a lot of navigating through sagebrush and crossing over of dried shallow washes. There really is no one set trail to the dunes. You just have to find some good terrain, set your sight on your goal, and start hiking towards it.

Ibex DunesI hit Find Directions on Google Maps and it indicated that we could start walking towards the dunes from a point on the road about a mile and a half back. We drove back towards that point and sure enough there was a sandy road leading to the dunes. However, it was blocked by a sign that said “Wilderness Restoration - Foot and Horse Traffic Only,” where there was room to park our truck.

As we set off on foot towards the dunes, we noticed several tire tracks from vehicles that had chosen to disregard the sign and find a way around it.

Of course we had timed our hike with the golden hour, and the dunes were starting to put on their evening show, as their dull monotone tans turned to bright beige with deep shadows in their nooks and crannies. The Saddle Peak Hills behind them did their part and took on a reddish glow.

Ascending the Ibex DunesIbex Dunes might not be the tallest in Death Valley - that honor goes to the Eureka dunes - but I do think they very well might be the most stunning.

There are two distinct sections to the dunes. The ones on the left (north) are higher, while those on the left have a scattering of smaller ones leading more gently along the ridge to the top. We hiked in the direction of the one at the very right end, which was also the most brightly lit, but switched directions when the one to the left of it assumed that honor. It felt like we were racing the ever changing light.

As we got closer, we noticed some structures just south of the dunes, which we later learned was an abandoned talc mine. Perhaps that was the reason for the old road. It was interesting to see the juxtaposition of man-made structures with such a pristine natural setting.

Ibex DunesDeath Valley has a rich mining history that went on from the 1850s through 1915, and in some cases even later. Of all the minerals and dreams of riches, borax and talc, rather than the more glamorous gold and talc, produced the most wealth, and there are old mining buildings to be found throughout the more remote sections of the park.

We would have liked to hike to the mine, but with the shortness of golden hour, we had to prioritize how we spent our time. So we picked up our pace and headed to the most beautifully-lit section of the lower dunes on the southern end and started our trek up along the ridges towards the top. An added bonus was that these dunes are so pristine and remote that there was not another footprint on them, and there probably hadn’t been any in days. We had this amazing landscape all to ourselves.

By the time we got back to the car, the sun had dipped behind the hills and the dunes had returned to their flatter monotone tan.

We spent the night camping in that parking spot. Not single car passed us the whole night.

Continuing along the Harry Wade Road - Salt Creek and Eureka Dunes

Salt Creek TrailRather than drive back out to Route 127 and take the asphalt route up and into Death Valley, we decided to continue along the Harry Wade Road which led north for another 30 or so bumpy miles before merging into the paved Badwater Road.

We drove right past Badwater Basin, as it was crowded and we had been there several times in the past, and continued north with our final planned destination for the day being the Eureka Dunes.

After stopping for gas (a very important thing to think about in Death Valley, we stopped at Salt Creek to see if we could see another one of Death Valley’s pupfish species, the Salt Creek pupfish, more formally known as Cyprinodon salinus.

There is a mile-long Interpretative Trail that traces the creek, providing information along the way about this unique habitat and the tiny, yet hardy, fish that call it home. These little 2-inch fish are found nowhere else on Earth.

Herb stalking a pupfishSalt Creek is a remnant of an ancient freshwater lake that once covered much of Death Valley, but dried up about 10,000 years ago. Over the millennia the creek gradually changed from freshwater to saltwater due to the continuous evaporation of its shallow water each summer, thereby concentrating its salts. Along the way, the hardy little pupfish evolved to survive in its changing environment.

Today the Creek is a seasonal stream, forming pools during the spring, where in the heat of the summer, the pupfish can hunker down and go dormant when the main creek runs dry. Then when it rains and their habitat expands, they wake up and come out again.

Salt Creek pupfish working on specie survivalFortunately, we were here during their active season, so we were lucky enough to observe some performing their courtship ritual, which is quite fascinating.

We could tell which ones were the males because they are luminescent yellow, purple and blue, in order to attract the rather bland-looking tan-colored ladies and let them know they are interested and ready to breed. The males are quite territorial and aggressive, chasing other males away from their turf, while simultaneously trying to entice a female into his turf.

Once he has lured one in, they cuddle up beside each other, form an s-shape, and start to wiggle. During this wiggle, the female releases an egg and the male releases sperm, which immediately fertilizes the egg. Sometimes, the female hangs around for another round. The fertilized eggs take about 10 days to hatch. A single female typically lays somewhere between 50 and 800 eggs in a single season.

Life is short for the Salt Creek pupfish, usually just one year, so they have to make the most of it.

Eureka DunesAfter a picnic lunch in the Salt Creek parking lot, we set out for our next and final destination of the day - the Eureka Dunes. We continued driving north towards Scotty’s Castle, which unfortunately is still closed from the damage done during a 2015 flood when the area received close to its annual average rainfall in just five hours.

At the junction for Scotty’s Castle/Ubehebe Crater, we took a left towards the crater. Actually, we had no choice as the road to Scotty’s Castle was so damaged by storms that it is closed, and expected to be so for quite some time. Rather than going all the way to the crater, at about 2.8 miles after the junction we turned right onto the Death Valley / Big Pine Road.

The dirt-and-gravel Big Pine Road is well-maintained and definitely navigable for a 2WD vehicle. At about the 18 mile point, we came to our first landmark – Crankshaft Junction, named for the castoff engine parts that less-fortunate travelers left at this remote site. It made you think a little bit.

Ascending the Eureka DunesWe continued on for another 12 miles before turning left onto the South Eureka Road to the dunes. From there, it was another 10 miles along the 4WD South Eureka Road to the primitive campground near the base of the impressive Eureka Dunes. At 700 feet, it is the largest dune in California and the second largest in the entire U.S.

The campground was dry (no water or flush toilets) and had only four designated sites, all of which were already taken. Thankfully, further down the road there were more dispersed campsites, so we grabbed one not far past the official primitive one, with the outhouse. Last time we were here, there were only 3 other campers in the area. This time there were at least 30. I think there is a lot of pent-up demand for camping during the pandemic.

Late March/Early April is a great time to visit the dunes, because even in the afternoon it is usually not too hot to hike them. Around 4:00, we set off towards the northern end of the dune and then started our slog up. I always find hiking in deep sand so grueling - 2 steps forward, 1 step back.

Lolo avoiding a black hole on Eureka DunesThere were portions of the hike that were so steep that I actually had to bend my body forward into the incline and use my hands as well. I looked like a gorilla. Meanwhile, each step on the really steep parts set off what looked like a river of sand, starting about 3 feet above us and continuing right below us for another dozen or so feet. The patterns we created were beautiful.

Besides the intriguing visual effect, we were also making the dunes “sing.” Singing sand dunes are quite rare and there are only about 40 of them in the entire world. The singing is really more of a booming sound, and it is triggered by an avalanching movement of sand.

It was actually a little tricky finding the summit, as each time we climbed to the top of a ridge, we saw another one higher. We had reached the summit on our last visit, but as we were now cutting into cocktail hour, we declared victory on the ridge below the summit and started the much more fun trek down. I felt like I was running down a hill of pudding. All in all, the hike was a very rewarding, and exhausting, 2 mile round-trip.

Eureka Dunes in morning lightBack at our campsite, we made dinner, sipped wine, and watched the sunset.

Before leaving the next morning, we got in the truck and drove to the southern end of the dunes, which was just starting to be lit by the early morning sun. We didn't even have our coffee yet. Behind them were the equally impressive colorfully striped limestone walls of the Last Chance Mountains, which rise 4,000 feet above the valley floor.

This was an exciting day for us. We were headed to Bishop later today where we would see our son Andrew and his wife Celeste for the first time in 5 months. An overabundance of caution during the pandemic had kept us apart. Today they were going to get some pretty long hugs.

Description

In 1994, the Desert Protection Act added an additional 1.2 million acres to Death Valley National Monument and upgraded its status to National Park, making it the largest national park outside of Alaska. The park is located on the eastern border of a remote section of California with some small portions extending into Nevada. Despite its remoteness, it is one of the most highly visited parks in the national park systems. Many of these visitors come all the way from Europe and Japan to experience the extremes of this stunningly beautiful desert.

Death Valley received its name from the unfortunate forty-niners who were forced to cross the burning sands here in order to avoid the severe snowstorns in the nearby Sierra Nevada on their way to the California Gold Rush. Many perished along the way, and those that survived remembered it as a place of suffering and death. The current names of many of the places in Death Valley reflect its harshness: Dead Man Pass, Funeral Mountains, Furnace Creek, Hell’s Gate, Devil’s Golf Course, Starvation Canyon, etc.

The valley itself is over 130 miles long, but only about 12 miles wide, flanked on both sides by unvegetated reddish mountains. From an elevation of about 3,300 feet in the north, the land slopes steadily downward to an elevation of 279 feet below sea level at Badwater, the lowest point in the western hemisphere. In fact, 70 miles of the desert floor is below sea level, accounting for its extremely high termperatures, which can exceed 130°F in summer.

In many ways, not much about the valley has changed since the pioneers first crossed here. Its intense heat, frigid cold, and the driest air imaginable still make it one of the most inhospitable locations on earth. However, today’s visitors can enjoy Death Valley and see most of its highlights from the comfort of their air conditioned cars and stay in comfortable, and even luxurious, hotel rooms at night.

The park is criss-crossed by a network of roads, ranging form washboard dirt ones to paved, well-maintained highways, making the most popular destinations quite accessible. The Furnace Creek Visitor Center, near the center of the park, is a great place to get oriented and to begin an exploration of Death Valley. This greenness of this area is a surprise to most visitors who come to the park expecting to see nothing but miles and miles of sand. Fed by warm springs, this area is a verdant oasis with palm trees as tall as 50 feet. There are also two world-class resorts here: the elegant Furnace Creek Inn and the more down-to-earth Furnace Creek Ranch.

Highlights traveling south from Furnace Creek on Route 190

• About 5 miles south of the Furnace Creek Visitor Center is Zabriskie Point, one of the most spectacular overlooks in the park. A short walk uphill from the parking lot brings you to a panoramic view of Golden Canyon and the surrounding vibrantly colored badlands. The views are particularly stunning in the lowlight of early morning or late afternoon.
• Another 1.5 miles down the highway s the turnout for Twenty-Mule Team Canyon road, a one-way dirt road that rejoins the highway in 2.7 miles. The road winds through Twenty-Mule Team Canyon with close-up views of the same colorful badlands seen from Zabriskie Point. RVs and trailers are not allowed on this road.
• 4.5 miles further south on 190 is a turnoff for Dante’s View (restricted to vehicles less than 25 feet). The road to Dante’s View climbs steeply to an overlook 5,000 feet above the valley floor, where the temperatures average 20° F cooler than in the valley. From this viewpoint, which most consider the most breathtaking in the park, one can see the lowest point (Badwater) and the highest point (Telescope Peak) in the park.

Highlights traveling south from Furnace Creek on Badwater Road

• About 1.8 miles south of the Visitor Center is the turnoff for Badwater Road. 1.5 miles further south on Badwater Road is the parking lot for the popular hike into Golden Canyon. A well-marked nature trail (2 miles RT) leads into the narrow canyon, wedged in by eroded cliffs and the slopes of golden badlands.
• Back on Badwater Road, continue south past Artist Drive (get that on the way back as it is a one-way road going north). Around 9 miles south of Golden Canyon is the turnoff for the unpaved spur road to Devil’s Golf Course. The road leads to an odd and forbidding landscape created by salt and erosion on a lake bed that dried up 2,000 years ago. The result is a jagged terrain of salty white miniature mountains and spires, less than 2 feet high. The name comes from the feeling that “only the devil could play golf on such rough links.”
• About 8 miles south is the Badwater Basin, the hottest and lowest point in Death Valley accessible by car. Surprisingly, its permanent spring-fed pools also make it one of the wettest. Legend says that it got its name from a surveyor whose mule refused to drink it. Although not poisonous, it is similar in composition and taste to Epsom salts. Despite its apparent inhospitableness, it is home to water beetles, insect larvae, and a soft-shelled saltwater snail that slowly adapted to these conditions.
• Turning back north on Badwater Road towards Furnace Creek, in 8 miles you come to the turnout for the one-way, 9-mile paved Artist Drive, which winds through a colorful display of sedimentary and volcanic rock hidden from the main road. It received its name from the rainbow of colors—red, pink, yellow, orange, and brown—that paint these rocky hills. About half-way through the loop is the parking lot for Artists Palette, one of the most colorful areas along the loop. Artist Drive is restricted to vehicles less than 25 feet.

Highlights traveling north from Furnace Creek on Route 190

• About 1.7 miles north of the Furnace Creek Visitor Center are the remains of what was once the Harmony Borax Works. Borax, which the prospectors called “white gold,” was once a big business in Death Valley. In the 1880s, Chinese laborers were hired to rake borax “cottonballs” from the valley floor and bring them to the Harmony Borax works to be purified. From there the refined borax was loaded onto the famous twenty-mule team wagons and transported 165 miles across the desert to the train station in Mojave. From there it was shipped to processing plants where it was used to make soaps, disinfectants, and food preservatives. Between 1883 and 1927, more than $30 million worth of borax was produced in Death Valley. A short trail leads past the ruins of the old borax refinery and some outlying buildings. More information on the mining of borax in Death Valley is available in the Borax Museum at the Furnace Creek Ranch.
• 12 miles further north on 190 is the turnoff for the 1.2 mile gravel road to Salt Creek, home to the famous Death Valley pupfish. When the lake that once covered Death Valley dried up thousands of years ago, the desert pupfish was the only fish that managed to adapt to the harsh conditions here. Isolated from each other in scattered salty pools, springs, and creeks, nine types of pupfish have evolved. A tenth has already become extinct. They are found no place else on earth. The pupfish can often be seen from the short wooden boardwalk nature trail that crisscrosses the stream and marshes.
• About 21 miles north of the Visitor Center, Highway 190 turns west towards Stovepipe Wells and the west entrance to the park. At this point, you can either continue on 190 or head north on the North Highway another 32 miles to Scotty’s Castle, the major man-made attraction in Death Valley.

Highlights along the North Highway (traveling north)

• The drive to Scotty’s Castle on the North Highway is a very scenic one with desert stretching out on the west and mountains rising to the east. About 10 miles north on the North Highway is a pullout with great views of Death Valley’s renowned alluvial fans. These fans are something like an hourglass with debris from the mountains funneling through a narrow opening and spilling out in a wedge shape into the valley. They come in many shapes and sizes. The ones near this viewpoint are smaller and steeper.
• 25 miles further north in the remote Grapevine Canyon looms the unlikely sight of a Moorish Castle. Construction of what was more officially called Death Valley Ranch was begun in 1922 by Chicago millionaire Albert Johnson, whose doctors had advised him to spend more time in a warm, dry climate. However, the mansion is known as Scotty’s Castle, named after Johnson’s unlikely friend, Walter Scott. Walter Scott was a cowboy that had traveled with Buffalo Bill’s Wild West Show in the 1880s before taking up prospecting. Albert Johnson was one of Scotty’s gullible investors in his “secret gold mine” in Death Valley. After several trips west to see the mine, Johnson realized that he was being duped by Scotty. Despite that, Johnson truly enjoyed his new friend and the tall tales he told. Scotty helped Johnson conceive the idea of this vacation villa in Death Valley and lived in it after Johnson’s death.
• In 1970, Scotty’s Castle was purchased by the National Park Service from the foundation to whom Johnson had willed it. Today the colorful history of the castle is brought to life by rangers dressed in 1930s clothing that welcome you as if you were Scotty’s guests. The one-hour guided tour is excellent, both for its inside look at this unusual mansion as well as for the stories about the eccentricities of the two men that built it. Tours depart every 20 minutes from 9 am to 5 pm. Plan to arrive early because they fill up quickly.
• About 1.5 miles down Grapevine Canyon heading back south on the North Highway is the turnoff for the 8 mile road to Ubehebe Crater. This half-mile wide, 600-foot deep crater was formed by volcanic explosions several thousand years ago. Dark cinders and volcanic fragments cover the surrounding countryside. From the parking area there is a steep trail up to the crater’s rim. Be prepared to battle some very gusty winds.
• Because of its remote location, few visitors get to see the famous Death Valley Racetrack, where rocks mysteriously move across the dry lakebed on their own accord. Although no one has actually seen the rocks move, they are known to move because of the trails they leave behind them. After studying the phenomenon for decades, scientists now believe they have solved the mystery. The surface of the lakebed is a fine clay that becomes very slippery when wet. After a rain, heavy winds as high as 70 mph blow the rocks across the slick surface. A 4-wheel drive vehicle is needed to reach the Racetrack, which is 27 miles past Ubehebe Crater on a rough dirt road.

Highlights traveling west along Route 190 from the junction with the North Highway

• Just west of the junction is the parking area for the surrealistic Devil’s Cornfield. On both sides of the road are odd-looking clumps of brush four to ten feet tall that resemble corn stalks. They are actually arrowweed bushes, whose stems were used by Native Americans to make arrow shafts.
• A few miles further west on 190, pull over on the shoulder by a roadside display where the Sand Dunes come close to the highway. These are the highest of a 14-square-mile field of dunes. Although there are no trails to follow, hikers are free to roam the dunes on their own. The best time of day to visit the dunes is in the morning or late afternoon when the temperatures are cooler and the lighting is more dramatic.
• Two miles further west is the village of Stovepipe Wells, Death Valley’s first tourist resort. The village actually got its name from an historic site about 5 miles north where an old stovepipe was sunk into the sand to form the shaft of a well. For years this well was used by travelers as a source for water. Around 1926 a developer planned to build a small resort near the well. However, his lumber trucks got stuck in the sand before he could reach it. Rather than unload and reload his trucks, he decided to try and dig a well where they were. They struck water and stayed. That spot is the current location for Stovepipe Wells. Today the village has a motel, general store, saloon, restaurant, and campground.

Campgrounds that will accomodate RVs in Death Valley

• Furnace Creek Campground (136 sites, no hookups) – located just north of the Visitor Center. Open year round. This is the only park campground that takes reservations.
• Mesquite Spring Campground (30 sites, no hookups) – located 5 miles south of Scotty’s Castle. Open year round.
• Panamint Springs Resort (40 sites, 12 hookups) – located 30 miles west of Stovepipe Wells on Route 190. Open year round. This campground is privately operated and takes reservations.
• Stovepipe Wells Campground (200 sites, 15 hookups) – located in the village of Stovepipe Wells. Open year round.
• Sunset Campground (1000 sites, no hookups) – located .25 miles east of the Furnace Creek Ranch. Open October through April.
• Texas Spring Campground (92 sites, no hookups) – located near Sunset Campground. Open October through April.
• Wildrose Campground (30 sites, no hookups) – located 30 miles south of Stovepipe Wells off the Trona-Wildrose Road. Open year round.

In addition to the park campgrounds, there are two privately-owned campgrounds in the park:

• Furnace Creek Ranch Campground (26 sites, all full hookups) - located at The Ranch just south of the Visitor Center. Open year round. Guests can enjoy the Ranch’s natural spring-fed swimming pool, shower facility, coin operated laundry, tennis courts, shuffleboard, volleyball, Bocci Ball and basketball court.
• Panamint Springs Campground (37 sites, 12 full hookups) - located at the western end of Death Valley National Park on Highway 190 in the town of Panamint Springs

Travelogue

Along the Rainbow Basin Loop RoadWe had been through Barstow half a dozen times on our way to Nevada and Utah, but had never taken the time to visit Rainbow Basin, just an 8 miles north of town. Well, this time it was our destination for the day, and it was long overdue.

Despite its close proximity to Barstow, it is totally remote and undeveloped. There isn’t even a visitor center. The only evidence of man is the unpaved 4.6-mile loop BLM road that winds through the colorful gorges. Before the start of the loop road is the Owl Canyon campground, which is first-come-first-served and costs $6.

The Basin is part of the Calico Peaks range in the Mojave Desert. Noted for its colorful and interestingly shaped sedimentary rock formations, it was named a National Natural Landmark in 1966.

When we arrived, we decided to take a reconnaissance drive along the one-way, 4.6-mile dirt loop road, scouting at good spots to return to during the golden hour. The first 2 miles were definitely the most photogenic.

What goes up, must come downWe returned to the Owl Campground and took one of the 22 first-come-first-served spots. There were plenty of spots available. After lunch, we hiked a mile or so up the wash that began at the edge of the campground. By the time we got back to our campsite, the wind had picked up significantly, making it a bit difficult to just sit at the campsite.

So, we got back in the truck and set out on the scenic loop road again. What a difference the low light can make. We spent the next two hours, scampering up the now radiant rock formations, or more correctly, Herb made me scamper up them while he stayed below photographing me. My job was to provide a sense of scale. The smaller I was, the better.

By early evening it had gotten so windy that we didn’t know how we could possibly cook dinner at the campsite, so we decided to go back to Barstow to grab dinner and a hotel room.

Travelogue

Herb had a list of quirky desert stuff for us to explore today in the Mojave Desert area near Joshua Tree. I think he found them in Atlas Obscura.

Desert Christ Park

Desert Christ ParkThe first stop on his agenda was Desert Christ Park, located on the grounds of the Evangelical Living Hope Church, overlooking the desert town of Yucca Valley.

The idea for this park was conceived in 1951, when a sculptor named Antone Martone, came up with the idea of creating statues out of steel-reinforced concrete. His dream was to place a 10 foot, 5-ton 'resurrected Christ' on the rim of the Grand Canyon. However, when the Grand Canyon wouldn’t accept this gift (because of issues over separation of church and state), he renamed it “the unwanted Christ” and looked for someone to take it. That’s when the Reverend Eddie Garver, entered the picture and offered up his property on the hill above Yucca Valley to display it. Since that first “unwanted Christ,” more than 40 bright-white sculptures portraying the life and teachings of Christ have been added to the property.

Noah Purifoy Desert Art Museum

Noah Purifoy Desert Art MuseumContinuing our Mojave Desert art tour, we drove about 20 minutes, some of it on dirt roads, to the Noah Purifoy Desert Art Museum in the town of Joshua Tree, where we were greeted by an enthusiastic old woman -- we assumed the caretaker of the property -- who said that she had known Noah before he died in 2004. Wow! That is 17 years of dedication to preserve Purifoy’s works and artistic vision.

Purifoy lived and worked on this 10-acre property from 1989 until his death, creating dozens of assemblage sculptures and installations. He often expressed opinions on social events through his art; being a black artist, social injustice was often a theme.

Noah Purifoy Desert Art MuseumWe spent an interesting and enjoyable hour wandering around, and sometimes into, these large-scale sculptures, or assemblage pieces as he called them, made from junked materials such as burnt wood, castoff metals, old rubber tires, chairs, and bikes, toilets, broken computer keyboards, and apparently whatever else he could get his hands on. I guess, one man’s junk is another man’s art.

Many of the assemblages were in disrepair, which was part of his intention - to display them in their natural environment and let nature take their course on them.I have to admit that although I really liked most of the pieces, there were a few that, in my humble opinion, seemed like something I might come across in the corner of a junkyard, or maybe they were just further along in the process of decay.

In any case, they were very much a part of their surrounding desert environment, which very much added to their impact and our experience interacting with them.

Giant Rock

Giant RockThe last item on Herb’s quirky Mojave agenda was not man-made, but rather a rock - not just any rock though, but a seven story high one covering 6,000 square feet, claimed by many to be the largest freestanding boulder in the world.

Over the years, the rock has attracted scientists studying its electromagnetic forces (a vortex), UFO believers, who believe that the vortex is a portal for celestial spirits, and Native Americans who consider it to be sacred. We came because it is a big rock, like the ones our sons like to climb.

What made the rock even more interesting was the arc-shaped piece in front of it that had split off from the main rock in 2000 revealing a white granite interior. Some say the break occurred due to a bonfire that burned next to the rock, but according to Hopi Prophecy if it split in the middle, mankind would be doomed, but if it split to either side, mankind would have a chance to survive. Whew! Kind of ironic visiting this place during the pandemic.

Herb was feeling pretty smug, having successfully delivered a day full of fun and quirky attractions, but it was not over yet.

Our next destination, and hopefully camping spot, was Rainbow Basin, just north of the town of Barstow.

Travelogue

Ladder Slot Canyon HikeOur drive today took us past the stark and mostly abandoned Salton Sea, a very different reality from the vision that developers had of creating a California Riviera, a place where Hollywood movie stars would vacation. To attract tourists, the lake was stocked with fish, which in turn attracted birds, making it a bird watcher's paradise as well.

However, irrigation runoff from the surrounding agricultural lands brought high quantities of fertilizer, pesticides, and salt into the lake, polluting the lake and killing off most of its fish. Needless to say, the dream of the area becoming a California Riviera never happened, and the area is quite economically depressed today, and pretty much abandoned. The lake is actually beautiful, and if you squint, you can almost imagine what it could have been.

There are some very interesting attractions to see in the area, especially if you are interested in desert art, such as Salvation Mountain and East Jesus. We visited both of them during our trip here in 2017.

Herb coming out of Ladder SlotHowever, today we were just passing through on our way to the Ladder Slot Canyon hike in the Mecca Wilderness outside the small desert city of Mecca, just north of the Salton Sea.

This is an extremely popular hike with Palm Beach area residents, so it was not great that we would be hitting it on a Sunday. Sure enough, the trailhead parking at the end of the dirt Painted Canyon Road was almost full. However, since it was early afternoon, most people were returning to their cars and leaving.

From the trailhead we walked about a quarter of a mile before we came to a small trail sign pointing left to the entrance of Ladder Canyon.

After making our way around a rockfall, we came to our first ladder, where we unfortunately had to wait about 20 minutes while a family of 5, including grandma, two children, and a small dog made their way down the ladder before we could go up. Grandma had to be cajoled a bit before taking that first step. In all fairness, it actually is harder going down than up these ladders. When they were finished, we asked another large family coming down to let us scamper on up before they began their god-knows-how-long descent.

The trail then bends into the canyon itself and we climbed a few more ladders, with less waiting this time. The entire narrow section of the slot canyon continues for about ¾ of a mile, where it then continues up the wash to a ridgeline and an awesome view of the Salton Sea.

I was a bit concerned about warnings from people about getting lost once you got out of the slot because there were so many trails to choose from. My concerns were relieved when Herb pointed to a large 12-foot arrow on the trail built out of rocks, which pointed us in the direction we wanted to take to go down Painted Canyon. He also had the trail loaded onto his Garmin watch.

Hiking down Painted CanyonThe trail went along the ridge for awhile with views down into Painted Canyon on our right, where we would be headed next to complete our loop hike. We passed several more huge rock arrows along the way.

Painted Canyon was lovely, with its multi-colored rock walls. It reminded me a bit of our hike out of Golden Canyon in Death Valley. After two more small ladders to deal with, we were back to the part of the trail where we first turned left into the Ladder Slot. Before we knew it, we were back at the car.

What an Excellent hike!

We drove on to the larger town of Indio where we stayed in a Days Inn in walking distance to a great Mexican restaurant called El Mexicali

There was so much variety in texture and experiences today - just the way we like it.

Travelogue

Day1 – Borrego Springs Resort and Spa

Borrego Springs Resort and Spa dining roomWe got to the park just in time to stop at the Visitor Center to get information about 4WD road conditions so that we could plan our next couple of days. It was a bit late to start looking for campsites along one of the washes, so we decided to spend the night at the Borrego Springs Resort and Spa. From there we would plan our next couple of days off-roading. We must be getting soft.

The hotel was very nice and quite luxurious compared to what could have been for this evening. The resort restaurant had just reopened, so we were happy that we could have dinner without having to get back into the car.

It was our very first indoor dining experience, but there was only one other table in the large dining room occupied, so I felt very comfortable. Apparently the etiquette for indoor dining is that you wear your mask until you sit down, but then you can take it off. However, out of habit, any time the waitress came near, I grabbed for it. I just felt it was the courteous thing to do. The setting was very nice and the food was pretty good. The menu was a bit limited because they were just starting up again. It must be really hard for these restaurants to respond to the closures and re-openings.

Day 2 – Coyote Canyon and Sheep Canyon

Alternative to bushwhackingThe next morning, I stepped out onto our patio and saw about a dozen ladies being led in a aqua aerobics class in the pool below us. I was getting a little embarrassed, as we had told our friends that we were going on a remote camping trip in our truck to the desert and the mountains. We would eventually get there. For now, we were enjoying the novelty or normal life.

The following morning, based on a knowledgeable friend’s recommendation, we let some air out of our tires and took the 4WD road through Coyote Canyon to Sheep Canyon, where we were able to get a campsite in the primitive campground. It was about a 14-mile drive of sandy and rocky roads.

One of the prime motivators for camping here was a hike described in the Anza-Borrego Desert Region guidebook (referred to as Bible by the Visitor Center staff). On page 98, the author described a 1-mile (RT) hike which went from the campground to a lovely spring grotto with a 20-foot waterfall and tree-shaded pool. It sounded lovely.

To his credit, he did describe the trail as steep and rugged, requiring several stream crossing, and scrambling over large boulders. Oh, and thorny plants all over, very anxious to poke you in the same of self defense. There was no real obvious trail. Occasionally, we would come across a cairn to encourage us that we were going in the right direction.

Camping in Sheep CanyonFinally we found it, but with the water levels being low this spring, the waterfall was not quite as inspirational as the photo in the guidebook. Still, it was quite nice.

I was not looking forward to bushwhacking through more cacti and climbing over boulders, so we decided to just get our feet wet and follow the stream down to the campground. It was a fairly good plan, with just one minor faux pas, when I misjudged the depth of the stream when stepping off a rock into it and did a faceplant. Fortunately, the only thing hurt was my pride. I was now totally soaked, but the day was warm enough to make it refreshing. Plus, that would be my shower for the day.

We managed to get back to the campsite without any further mishaps, and had a nice evening cooking out and sipping wine while watching the sun set.

Day 3 – Fish Creek Wash, Olla Wash, and the Mud Palisades

Split Mountain GorgeThe next morning we watched the sun come up and then headed back, continuing along through Sheep Canyon and Coyote Canyon back to the Visitor Center.

Our plan for today was to explore and spend the night in Fish Creek Wash, which we had been to and liked on a previous trip, seeing some new things we had not had time for the last time.

From the Visitor Center it was about a 40-minute drive (on asphalt) to the beginning of the Fish Creek Wash. To get there, we drove on Route 78 to the town of Ocotillo Wells. From there, we went south on Split Mountain Road for about 8 miles to the beginning of the Wash. At the entrance, we reset our odometer to 0.0, so that we could follow the mile by mile description of the drive in Lindsay’s “Anza-Borrego Desert Region Guide.”

Along the Olla WashAfter about a mile and a half of relatively easy driving, we entered Split Mountain Gorge, a narrow cut in the mountains where cliff walls, several hundred feet high, towered above us. The split separates the Vallecito Mountains on the right and the Fish Creek Mountains on the left. It’s one of my favorite spots along the wash.

At mile 3.8, we stopped to admire the fascinating anticlines on the canyon walls, where the rock layers had been bent and twisted into U-shaped bows and curves by tectonic activity millions of years ago. They were beautiful.

At mile 4.4 is the trailhead for the very popular 1.3-mile (RT) hike to the Split Mountain Wind Caves, where there is a collection of sandstone formations with wind-eroded pockets, some of which are large enough to crawl through and sit in. It is truly worth doing, but since we had done it last time and wanted to see some new sights, we continued on.

We continued along the Wash, bypassing the choice at mile 7.2 for the Loop Wash spur. At mile 10.7 we came to an interesting sandstone rock formation known as the Layer Cake, because of its multi-colored bands of green and gray.

Lolo amongst the ChollaA little bit further, at mile 12.5, we reached Sandstone Canyon, a high wall, narrow slot canyon that was drivable until 1992, when thousands of tons of debris came tumbling down near its mouth. You can park at the entrance and walk for about a half mile into the canyon. We did that last time, so instead we continued on. This was now all new territory for us.

At mile 13.2, we came to the turn off for the Olla Wash, where we planned to camp that night. For now though, we passed it and drove another 0.4 miles to the Fish Creek Overlook, where we scampered up to an awesome view across the Fish Creek and Carrizo Badlands.

From there we drove back 0.4 miles and entered the Olla Wash, which goes for 2 miles, ending at the very impressive Mud Palisades. The ranger at the Visitor Center had told us that this was one of her favorite places in the park, so since it was something we hadn’t seen, we decided to try it.

During the 2 mile drive, we scouted out possible campsites for the night. This was a very lightly traveled Wash, so there were several good options. We chose one that was set against a colorful rock backdrop with my very own cholla garden.

Morning light on the Mud PalisadesFrom there we walked the mile to the Mud Palisades, but unfortunately they were already in the shade, so we decided to come back at sunrise, during the golden hour.

Back at the campsite, we read, sipped wine, strolled amongst the cholla, and watched a full moon rise over the rocks behind us, without another soul in miles.

The next morning we rose early, skipped breakfast and coffee, and drove the 1 mile to the Mud Palisades to catch the sunrise. As we had hoped, the dull tans of yesterday afternoon had become a brilliant red. I could see how they got their name, as their deeply eroded cliff faces, made of mudstone, made them look like the defensive walls of an old fortress or castle.

Description

Borrego Palms OasisWith over 600,000 acres, Anza Borrego is the largest state park in the California state park system and the largest desert state park in the U.S. Its spectacular and undeveloped Colorado Desert scenery extends from the edge of the coastal mountains east to the Salton Sea and south almost to the Mexican border. The park is located about 2 hours northeast of San Diego

The elevation in the park ranges from just 200 feet near the eastern edge to 6,200 feet, resulting in a variety of ecosystems and a temperature range as high as 30 degrees.

Major activities in the park include:

• Four-wheel driving on its nearly 500 miles of dirt and rocky roads (of varying difficulty)
• Mountain biking along those same four-wheel drive trails
• Hiking along its 50 miles of trails with a variety of scenery palm oases, waterfalls, slot canyons, badlands, desert gardens, etc.
• Wildlife viewing - bighorn sheep, deer, bobcats, coyotes, mountain lions, Jackrabbits, desert cottontails, 50 species of lizards and snakes, hawks, etc.
• Enjoying the spring wildflowers
• Camping – there are 12 campgrounds inside the park, but it is one of the few California parks that allows open camping throughout its 600,000 acres

Layer Cake formation in Fish Creek WashThe small town of Borrego Springs lies at the center of the park and has ample services – lodging, restaurants, gas, grocery store, etc.

The park’s Visitor Center and the Borrego Palms Campground are just 5 miles west of the town of Borrego Springs. Be sure to pick up a copy of their ‘At Home’ magazine, which is a great source of things to do in the park.