Death Valley National Park - Day four

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Geo: 36.6001, -117.128

Up Sunday Morning and drove to Death Valley NP via Twentynine Palms and Amboy, CA, through the Mojave National Preserve to Baker, and on to Stovepipe Wells in the park. Very interesting trip with lots of varied topography. Between Twentynine Palms and Amboy we passed through a valley with a large dry lake, Bristol Lake, which had a layer of salt crystals that looked like snow. Beyond Amboy and at Kelso, CA, in the middle of the Mojave Preserve we stopped at the Preserve Welcome Center, an old railroad station converted into a very modern looking building. Overall a very pleasant drive to Death Valley. Thanks, Rosa.



Arrived at Stovepipe Wells around 3:00 PM and were able to check into our room, change into some suitable hiking clothes, and hike into the Mosaic Canyon where we had hiked 17 years ago with our two children. With the exception of us, not much had changed. Very interesting hike along a canyon where the width varies from a hundred or so feet to just a couple of feet. The canyon walls are frequently made up of a conglomerate of stones and solidified sediment called breccia that does look like a mosaic pattern. Other types of rock found are slick rock, polished marble, granite, and sandstone. We hiked about 2 miles into the canyon before encountering a rock wall where we turned around and returned to the village.







Had a decent dinner at the restaurant there in the village. We had been considering hiking to one of the high peaks in the park but had been told they might still be too snow-covered. We asked our waitress who told us that some of her customers earlier in the week had hiked Wildrose Peak without any problems so that was our destination for the next day.

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Photos

Bristol Lake
The road went right through this dry lake between the Bullion Mts and the Bristol Mts. It was a huge expanse of desert covered in salt crystals. We did see a few spots that actually had water in them but mostly just the dry white salt covering.

Mosaic Breccia
This is the type of canyon wall that gives Mosaic Canyon its name.

Mosaic Canyon
One of the narower spots in the canyon.

At the turnaround
A not very complementary picture (of me at least) of us at the spot in the canyon where we had to turn around.

A Wallflower
It is nothing short of amazing how plants can survive in the most inhospitable places. This beautiful purple flower is clinging to life by growing in a crack in the canyon wall.

Death Valley
This was taken from the mouth of Mosaic Canyon where water that flows from the canyon into the desert has created a fan shapped delta extending into the desert. The gravel road to the canyon parking area is on the left.

Saloon
The Saloon at Stovepipe Wells Village. The restaurant was next door on the right. David, do you remember this place???