January 16, 2012

One Last Look at Death Valley

One Last Look at Death Valley

Our posts from the last few weeks have been a little out of order. Over Christmas, holed up in Las Vegas, we had hoped to catch up on our backlog and get back to the order of reality. Guess what: it didn’t happen, and if anything we’re even more mixed up now than we were before. After a strange Christmas in Las Vegas, where every day feels exactly the same, we visited my parents in upstate New York for New Year’s Eve and a belated Christmas celebration. Then we returned to Vegas, with a few days to blow before we were expected in LA (a place I was prepared to massively dislike, but more on that another day). On the way to LA, I convinced Paul to return to Death Valley for a few more days. Maybe if I share more pics, you’ll all understand why I love the place so much. Or maybe it’s just me. I’m pretty sure that I won’t be able to convince Paul to re-return to Death Valley until we have a 4WD, so drink this in: it’s your last glimpse of the Valley.

In one of the many washes in Twenty Mule Team Canyon.
In one of the many washes feeding into Twenty Mule Team Canyon.
The road through Twenty Mule Team Canyon felt a bit like driving on the surface of the moon.
The road through Twenty Mule Team Canyon felt a bit like driving on the surface of the moon.
Tips for finding car again.
If you are going to leave your car behind in a trail-less land, there are many things you should and shouldn’t do. One of the most important shoulds: remember where you parked your car. Find a landmark that you can see from most places. In this case, we parked near the grey spot in the center of the middle hills.
Goodbye, badlands.
Goodbye, badlands. Where did we park, again?
Darwin Falls
Darwin Falls…insert joke about water in the desert here.
Sunset across Panamint Valley
Sunset across Panamint Valley, where the camping and dining were interesting, to say the least.
The road to LA.
The road to LA. Our first view of the Sierra Nevadas and what I thought must be LA-influenced haze.
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Filed Under: California, Parks
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