Death Valley day 1

 Lots of hiking today in a wide variety of places. 

first was Golden Canyon. A walk through yellow and brown canyons up to some dramatic red cliffs. The trail ends at the cliffs. Saw ravens flying around. 

next was Badwater. This is the low point of the park at minus 280 feet. It is a large area of salt flat with mountains surrounding it. Telescope peak at 11,000 feet goes up from the flat. There is water less than a foot under ground here and this was a large lake a long time ago. Roughly every 10 years it will flood and a ranger had a picture of someone kayaking in it! It is a vast area and you feel pretty small walking out into it.

I had lunch under these shaded parking spaces at the visitor center. Temp was 85 and of course full sun. After lunch it was on to Mosaic Canyon. This is a good one! Steep narrows and walls to climb around. Yet another strange area to visit. 

finally I went to the sand dunes near sunset. Large area of sand dunes where you can walk wherever you want for as far as you want.

Gas station in Furnace Creek wanted 7.50 for gas! Later I got gas at Stovepipe wells for 5.50. I guess this is a preview for the rest of the country.

This was a big day but went by fast with so many new and different things to check out.

Golden Canyon. The sun didn't hit the rocks until near the end of the hike.

Badwater Basin. -280 feet. That is water in the first picture.

Natural bridge hike.

Artists palette drive

Borax mining stuff

Mosaic Canyon

Sand Dunes

Pretty dark by the time I got to Stovepipe Wells camp ground.

 

Lake Mead, Hoover Dam

 Travel to Death Valley. Drove too close to Vegas for my liking. Big big city now. Stopped for Hoover Dam and bridge walk. Lake Mead is obviously low from the old water marks. Driving out here always takes a lot longer than the initial Gps prediction. Joshua trees on side of road and very interesting 40 miles before the park which was a salt flat area with black mountains. 

got to Death Valley at about 4:30. 85 temp when I got there but goes to comfortable 50 fairly quickly after sun down. Nice camp grounds fill here. Large camp grounds like Sunset and Stovepipe Wells have plenty of room but they are large flat open areas. 

no cell service! I talked to a person with Lots of electronics to grab signal and a 20 foot post and still nothing! 

Screens for van windows and sleeping bag liner are key for this park. Kind of nice to have 50 to 55 nights after some cold ones recently.

Vegas

Sunset campground. Not great but reasonably quiet.