Into the Valley of Death

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Tuesday, 4 February, 2014

I was going to wait until tomorrow or the next day to post another blog, but I took so many pictures today in Death Valley that I thought I’d go ahead and post tonight.

First let me say that Death Valley is a beautiful place in spite of its name. This afternoon we drove to a couple of places we had not been before. In the past, we had only driven through, hitting the high spots on the way. Since we are staying here for two nights, we have more time to explore.



We did the usual drive from the south end up through the valley along the Badwater Road, stopping at Ashford Mill ruins, which used to be where they processed gold from the Golden Treasure Mine. We stopped at Badwater, the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below sea level. Here you can walk out into the Badwater Basin when it is dry, which is most of the time. The surface is covered in salt, thus the salty “badwater.” We drove on up to Furnace Creek where the visitor center is and the campground where we are staying. By the way, our campground is at 196’ below sea level. After setting up the camper we drove past Zabriskie Point to Twenty Mule Team Canyon, a 2.7 mile unpaved road through amazing badlands in colors that are hard to believe. There were no other cars in the canyon, so we could stop and take pictures all we wanted. From there we drove to Dante’s View, a drive of 23 miles climbing a mile high into the Amargosa Range. From the top we could see many miles in all directions, and the views of the valley were spectacular. From this vantage point we could look straight down and see Badwater where we had stopped earlier, only this time it was a mile below us. I just love the variety of colors here, unfortunately it was overcast and the photos don’t do them justice.

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Photos

From Dantes View
Death Valley NP

Ashford Mill ruins
Death Valley NP

Death Valley NP
There were two coyotes along the side of the road. This is one of them.

From the valley floor
Death Valley NP

salt flats in Badwater Basin
Death Valley NP

Badwater Basin
You can walk out a boardwalk, then onto the flats.

Badwater Basin
Lowest point in North America

Salt on boardwalk
Badwater Basin, Death Valley NP

from valley floor
Death Valley NP

more colors from valley floor
Death Valley

From 20 Mule Team Canyon
Death Valley

from 20 Mule Team Canyon
Death Valley

from 20 Mule Team Canyon
Death Valley

20 Mule Team Canyon
Death Valley

20 Mule Team Canyon
Death Valley

from Dantes View
1 mile above valley floor, Death Valley

from Dantes View
Death valley

from Dantes View
Death Valley

from Dantes View
Death Valley

from Dantes View
Death Valley

Badwater Basin
from Dantes View, Death Valley

Comments

[Linda]

Death Valley
When the kids were in elementary school, we would go to Death Valley in January...good time of the year to visit. We camped at Furnace Creek.

[Mark]

Beautiful Place
It's been many years since I've been there. I see from your wonderful pics I need to go again! Thanks for sharing its raw beauty.