Album Death Valley from RHH

The Racetrack

nobody@ipernity.com (RHH) — Sat, 01 Mar 2025 15:05:12 +0000

RHH has posted:

We are home again after two weeks of traveling, 3675 miles (5914 km), of traveling and eight states, Washington, Idaho, Montana, Utah, Arizona, Nevada, California and Oregon. We left Death Valley early yesterday morning and arrived home late last night after driving sixteen hours, stopping only for petrol and food. We were in three National Parks, Arches, Canyonlands and Death Valley, and numerous other places, Goblin Valley and Moonscape Overlook, Monument Valley, Navaho National Monument, Pipe Spring National Monument, Antelope Canyon and Rhyolite Ghost Town.

The photo is of the Racetrack a playa (a lake bed that is dry most of the year) in Death Valley National Paek. The playa is noted for the stones that move across its surface when the playa is wet, leaving tracks behind. These tracks can be very long and often show that the stones have changed direction. For many years this was a mystery but was finally solved. The stones move through a combination of water, ice and wind. The photo shows one of these stones, about the size of my boot, and the track it has left behind in the dried and cracked mud of the playa.

The Racetrack is reached by traveling twenty-seven miles over very rough and unpaved roads in a remote part of the park. We visited the Racetrack many years ago with our van, but a four-wheel drive vehicle with high clearance is really necessary, especially since the road is even rougher now than on our previous visit. We rented a 4WD Jeep for several days and after spending time at the Racetrack for photos, went on through Lippincott Pass, an even rougher road through the mountains south of the Racetrack. We were with our oldest daughter who had never been to DVNP.

Mining Equipment

nobody@ipernity.com (RHH) — Thu, 29 May 2025 12:29:18 +0000

RHH has posted:

This old mill used for crushing gold ore is located in Warm Spring Canyon in Death Valley National Park near Warm Spring Mining Camp. The camp was built in the early 1900's and was the center of gold and talc mining in the area. The old buildings from the camp still remain and the spring for which the area is named is in the hills behind the camp.

Warm Spring

nobody@ipernity.com (RHH) — Thu, 29 May 2025 12:23:16 +0000

RHH has posted:

Warm Spring is an important and historical spring in Death Valley National Park. It was originally the site of a winter camp of the Shoshone Indians. In the 1880's a ranch was established there which was later destroyed by flash floods. In the early 1900's a gold and talc mining camp was located there, of which the buildings still remain. The site is now the property of the National Park Service.

Cactus

nobody@ipernity.com (RHH) — Tue, 27 May 2025 13:39:44 +0000

RHH has posted:

From the archives: after spending the night near the Racetrack in Death Valley National Park, we drove north, stopping along the road to photograph the cacti on a rocky hillside, this photo and the inset both taken there.

Racetrack Road

nobody@ipernity.com (RHH) — Tue, 27 May 2025 13:38:15 +0000

RHH has posted:

From the archives: taken from a rocky hillside along the Racetrack Road in Death Valley National Park, where we stopped and hiked around to photograph the cacti, one visible in the foreground. Our vehicle is parked along the road in the distance.

Death Valley Sunset

nobody@ipernity.com (RHH) — Mon, 26 May 2025 14:50:37 +0000

RHH has posted:

We were on our way to the north part of Death Valley National Park and stopped along the road for our evening meal and the sunset when this photo was taken. Not the most spectacular sunset but worth posting or so I thought.

Death Valley Sunset

nobody@ipernity.com (RHH) — Mon, 26 May 2025 14:49:38 +0000

RHH has posted:

We photographed this sunset along the Scotty's Csstle Road in Death Valley National Park. We had stopped for a late meal before going on to find a place to camp for the evening.

Panamint Valley

nobody@ipernity.com (RHH) — Sat, 24 May 2025 13:01:12 +0000

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This is another photo from our recent trip to Utah, Arizona and California. We spent several days exploring the backcountry in a rented jeep and this was taken on the evening of the last day as we watched the sunset and had our supper in the Panamint Valley.

Zabriske Point

nobody@ipernity.com (RHH) — Sat, 24 May 2025 13:00:43 +0000

RHH has posted:

Taken on our recent trip to Utah, Arizona and California, this was Zabriske Point in Death Valley National Park. We watched the sunrise and had our breakfast there before going on to other activities. The mountains in the background are the Sierra Nevada.

Natural Arch

nobody@ipernity.com (RHH) — Fri, 23 May 2025 12:44:33 +0000

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This is Natural Arch in Death Valley National Park. The arch is reached by a short hike up a canyon, but the trail continues past the arch and we hiked it until we came to a dry falls that the ladies did not want to climb (shown in the inset photo).

Natural Arch Trail

nobody@ipernity.com (RHH) — Fri, 23 May 2025 12:43:33 +0000

RHH has posted:

After hiking to Natural Arch (a short hike) in Death Valley National Park, we hiked on up the canyon but ended our hike at this dry falls which the ladies did not want to climb.

Devil's Cornfield

nobody@ipernity.com (RHH) — Sat, 10 May 2025 13:29:11 +0000

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The Devil's Cornfield is along the main road through Death Valley and near Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. In this area the wind has blown the sand away from around the plants leaving them looking like shocks of corn, hence the name for the area.

Twenty Mule Team Wagon

nobody@ipernity.com (RHH) — Sat, 10 May 2025 13:30:19 +0000

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There was a lot of mining in Death Valley before it became a national park and among other things borax was mined there and hauled out of the valley in these huge wagons drawn by twenty teams of mules. Because of the difficulty in getting the borax out of the valley the venture was never very successful. This wagon is parked at the Harmony Borax Works near Furnace Creek where the borax was gotten ready for shipment.

Sunset at Mesquite Flat

nobody@ipernity.com (RHH) — Thu, 10 Apr 2025 13:27:32 +0000

RHH has posted:

Mesquite Flat Dunes are along the main road through Death Valley and near Stovepipe Wells. We often watch the sunrise and sunset there when we are in the National Park.

Devil's Golf Course

nobody@ipernity.com (RHH) — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 13:31:16 +0000

RHH has posted:

This area of Death Valley, covered with salt formations is known as the Devil's Golf Course. The salt formations are very hard and difficult to navigate and will tear up your shoes if you are not careful. The salt is mostly ordinary table salt and some of the formations can be seen in the inset.

Salt Formations

nobody@ipernity.com (RHH) — Tue, 08 Apr 2025 13:30:17 +0000

RHH has posted:

These salt formations are in an area of Death Valley National Park known as the Devil's Golf Course. Their composition is mostly the same as ordinary table salt and they are very hard and difficult to navigate.

Natural Bridge

nobody@ipernity.com (RHH) — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 12:56:34 +0000

RHH has posted:

Natural Bridge is in one of the many canyons in Death Valley National Park. The bridge is an arch in the canyon, a short hike from the parking area. It is possible to hike beyond the arch which we did, but there are several dry falls that require some climbing and we were stopped by one of those, the ladies unwilling to do the climb.

Natural Bridge

nobody@ipernity.com (RHH) — Tue, 01 Apr 2025 12:56:26 +0000

RHH has posted:

Natural Bridge is an arch in a canyon in Death Valley National Park. Seeing it requires a short hike up the canyon, and it is possible to hike beyond the arch to the end of the canyon, which we did.

Striped Butte

nobody@ipernity.com (RHH) — Sat, 29 Mar 2025 13:46:25 +0000

RHH has posted:

While in Death Valley National Park we rented a four-wheel-drive Jeep for two days in order to explore some of the backcountry. One area we explored took us through Warm Spring Canyon, to Butte Valley where we saw several old prospector's cabins and Striped Butte, one of the striking features of this beautiful valley.

Geologist's Cabin

nobody@ipernity.com (RHH) — Sat, 29 Mar 2025 13:46:02 +0000

RHH has posted:

This cabin is in Butte Valley in the backcountry of Death Valley National Park. It is called the Geologist's Cabin but was built by a a prospector. It is available on a first-come, first-serve basis and is a rather comfortable and attractive accommodation. We had hoped to stay there but it had already been occupied. In the end that proved a good thing for us since we had rented a Jeep to exp;lore the backcountry and were able to see a lot more than we would have seen if we had spent the rest of the day in the area of the cabin.