One week at Furnace Creek in Death Valley National Park…
Why we came…
We had never been to Death Valley but had heard good stuff about it. Winter weather is usually pleasant making it enjoyable to explore the vast park. We also wanted to satisfy our “hitch itch” and add some variety to our winter.
Driving along Death Valley
About Death Valley…
- From the brochure
“Great extremes characterize this hottest, driest, lowest national park. Extremes in temperature and elevation create scenic vistas and ecological niches that host startling biological diversity. This desert supports nearly 1,000 native plant species and harbors fish, snails, and other aquatic animals found nowhere else. To the uninitiated, Death Valley National Park appears to be a vast, empty wasteland, but to the aficionado it is a place of wonder and endless stories. The colorful and rugged terrain shouts tales of cataclysmic forces that thrust rock layers upward and of opposing erosional forces battling to tear them down. Desert winds whisper romances of the past—of the 49ers lured by the glitter of gold and Chinese laborers scraping borax-rich crystals from the valley floor. They spin dust devil yarns of partnership between a teller of tall tales and his castle builders. And, throughout time and into the future, the Timbisha Shoshone people live sustained by their “valley of life”.”
- Temperature table
| January | February | March | April | May | June |
| Max: 67 Min: 40 | Max: 73 Min: 46 | Max: 82 Min: 55 | Max: 90 Min: 62 | Max: 100 Min: 73 | Max: 110 Min: 81 |
| July | August | September | October | November | December |
| Max: 116 Min: 88 | Max: 115 Min: 86 | Max: 106 Min: 76 | Max: 93 Min: 61 | Max: 77 Min: 48 | Max: 65 Min: 38 |
Record maximum temperature: 134 degrees on 10 July 1913
Record minimum temperature: 15 degrees on 8 January 1913
Hottest summer on record: 1996 with 40 days over 120 degrees
Driest period on record: 40 months from 1931 to 1934 with .64 inches of precipitation
The lowest spot in the western hemisphere / In the snow at 9,000 feet
Campground…
Furnace Creek Campground, elevation 196 feet below sea level, has 136 sites. Most of them have no hook-ups, but there are 20 that have full hook-ups. It’s the only NPS campground in Death Valley that accepts reservations up to six months in advance. If you want one of the full hook-up sites, it is wise to make reservations exactly six months before your arrival. There are a couple of small concessionaire campgrounds that have RV hook-ups, but again, reservations for the popular winter months need to be made well in advance.
We reserved a site without any hookups for 7 nights which is about as long as we like to go. There is ample space between sites and some even have shade. Some of the sites are on fairly new pavement, but many are on packed sand and gravel that would be a mess after a rare rain. The campground only has one RV water fill station and one waste water dump station. However, there are at least three other nearby campgrounds that also have a fill/dump station. There are multiple well maintained bathrooms and jug filling stations, but no showers. At night it was quiet and most people honored the 7am-7pm generator hours. However, with hordes of motorcyclists in the campground, it was far from peaceful during the day. The campground is within walking distance to the Visitor Center, Ranger talks, the general store, golf course, and a couple of restaurants. Cell phone service is reliable, but slow in the immediate Furnace Creek area. Do not expect to have a cell phone signal anywhere else in Death Valley!
Adventures…
Day 1…Devils Golf Course, Artist Drive, Natural Bridge
Artist Drive bike route / Huge rock-fall in a side canyon
Our first adventure in Death Valley National Park was very memorable! We started at the “Devil’s Golf Course”. The strange geologic feature consists of jagged crystalized salt mounts for miles and miles across the sub-sea level valley. We had never seen anything like it!
Then we hopped on our bikes and rode a few miles north to “Artist Drive”. The paved one-way, 9 mile half loop, gains 1,300 feet with grades to 18%…it was tough! Each time we stopped to give our bodies a break, we were blown away by the expansive views. The higher we climbed, the more rugged the terrain got. Somewhere near the top of the first long climb, we stopped at the second “Dip” and scrambled up the colorful wash. From there, with kid glee, we enjoyed our first winding decent…oh what fun! We made a quick stop at the “Artist Pallet”. The odd greys, reds, pinks, purples, and hints of blues were aglow in the afternoon sun…it was very pretty. Back on our bikes, we tackled the final 15 minute tough climb, and then held on for dear life with huge grins plastered across our faces as we made the final long winding decent. Cyclists always say “you earn the downhill”, and we certainly did…it was sooooo sweet! Doing it among such unique scenery in a National Park only made it sweeter.
We loaded up the bikes, hopped in the truck, and drove a few miles south to the “Natural Bridge” trailhead. We learned some interesting stuff from the interpretive sign in the parking lot. I found the “wax drippings” to be most intriguing. The walk to the arch is only about a mile, but it’s uphill in sand and gravel, so it’s a bit tough, especially after a tiring 20 mile bike ride! The wash is wide, but walled in by crazy shaped sandstone. The bridge was cool and we had it all to ourselves. We continued another half mile past the bridge and turned around at a multihued polished dry waterfall.
We ended the day with some special memories and sufficiently whipped…perfect!
The Devils Golf Course
Starting to head up “Artist Drive”
It’s a tough climb! Death Valley below and 11,000 foot high Telescope Peak above
Exploring a side canyon / Posing in front of the “Artists Palette”
Headed up to the Natural Bridge / The Natural Bridge
Wax drippings
Day 2…Charcoal kilns, Wildrose Peak, great sunset
Wildrose Peak hiking route / Ladybugs at the top of Wildrose Peak
The temperature in the valley was supposed to hit 77 degrees…that’s warm for us! Instead of melting in the afternoon heat (ha ha), we climbed a 9,000 foot high peak: Wildrose.
The trailhead starts at 7,000 feet elevation at the very interesting charcoal kilns. The kilns were made in 1879 and used for only three years. The patches of snow near the parking area got bigger and deeper as we headed up the trail. Initially, we walked on top of a layer of slushy snow…not too slick, but firm…perfect. Four miles and 2,000 feet higher, we finally reached the rounded summit. The winds were 20-30mph and the temperature was around 50 degrees…quite the contrast from the valley floor over 9,000 feet below us! Amazingly, there were thousands of ladybugs on the rocks. I picked up a couple of rocks and was surprised to see clumps of them. We had no idea that baby making season for ladybugs is late January at 9,000 feet in southern California! We signed the peak register, refueled our bodies, and headed down, eager to get out of the wind. Now, late on a warm afternoon, the snow was not so firm. Occasionally we “post-holed”, sinking into the slushy snow past our knees. “Post-holing” is a bunch of work and no fun! As we descended, we were happy to leave the deeper patches of snow behind. The 8.5 mile hike with about 3,000 feet of total climbing, kicked our butts, but was very satisfying. We even had the entire route to ourselves…perfect!
During the drive home, we were treated to a spectacular Death Valley sunset. It was a great way to end the day.
Charcoal kilns built in 1879
Over 9,000 feet above Death Valley!
A spectacular Death Valley sunset
Day 3…Dantes View, Hole in the Wall, Slit Canyon, Twenty Mule Team Canyon, Zabriskie Point
Dramatic scene from Dantes View, elevation 5,475 feet
The next morning was cloudy as a storm approached. Our plan was to check out a few places and do multiple short hikes.
First, we drove up to Dante’s View. At 5,475 feet, it is one of the best views in the park. We even liked it better than the view from 9,000 foot high Wildrose Peak. The unobstructed vista of the below-sea-level valley extends many miles both north and south. Across the valley, 9,000-11,000 foot high peaks rose straight up from the desert floor. Billowing and darkening clouds made it even more dramatic. A trail extends along the ridgeline both north and south of the overlook. Unfortunately, 40-50mph winds prevented us from exploring it too far.
We headed back down the mountain and sidetracked on a four-wheel drive road to “Hole in the Wall”. The narrow passage cuts through an impressive vertical sandstone fin. We parked near the odd wedge and starting hiking up an alluvial fan to Slit Canyon. The unmarked route was described in our hiking book and sounded interesting. We explored a boulder choked side canyon and had a snack. Then poked our noses into Slit Canyon. Right away there was a 6-10 foot high polished stone, dry waterfall. We made a difficult bypass, dropped back into the wash, and were stopped almost immediately by another polished vertical wall. This one was 30 feet high with no discernable bypass…time to turn around. On the way down, we noticed another bypass that would have probably got us deeper into the canyon, but we headed back.
Next we drove the “Twenty Mule Team Canyon” loop. The storm clouds passed and the sun shone bright. We didn’t see anybody else along the dusty route making it easy for us to make multiple short stops to explore the amazing landscape. The afternoon sun spotlighted the varied terrain and highlighted the bright colors. We really enjoyed this scenic drive.
Our final stop was Zabriskie Point. We caught the tail-end of Ranger Bob’s geology talk and headed up to the overlook. Many Death Valley post card scenes are from this point. It is one of the best views in the park.
Slit Canyon hiking route / We aren’t getting around this one!
Hole in the Wall
First obstacle in Slit Canyon / Second obstacle and our turn-around point
Views along Twenty Mule Team Canyon
Ranger Bob’s geology talk at Zabriskie Point / View from Zabriskie Point…Manly Beacon on the left
Day 4…Mosaic Canyon, Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Hiking route for Mosaic Canyon / Hiking route across the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
Mosaic Canyon is one of the most popular hikes in Death Valley. It has easy access and a short walk to a very cool slot canyon. Within a quarter mile of the parking area, the canyon walls close in. Unlike most desert southwest slot canyons with sandstone walls, this one is polished and striped marble…it is cool! After this amazing short constriction, the canyon opens back up to a cathedral of dramatic cliffs. Within another half mile, the canyon closes again, this time with choke stones. The first round of choke stones is difficult to navigate, and each one beyond gets harder. Our book pointed out a bypass route. The route is not marked and difficult to follow. After a few brief wrong turns, we found ourselves on the proper route, but turned around because we were sore and didn’t want to push our luck. The less explored upper section of Mosaic Canyon will have to wait for another day.
As we popped out of the canyon near the parking area, we noticed clouds building all around… was it going to rain?!? We drove through Stovepipe Wells and stopped at Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes. Our goal was the highest dune, about one and a half miles away. Those were tough miles, up and down the dunes in soft sand…our tired bodies protested emphatically! But we persevered and crested the tallest dune. There were black clouds and showers dotting the mountains in every direction. For awhile, the sun shown brightly across the dunes making a dramatic scene. And then, it happened…We were blessed with a rainbow!! A rainbow in Death Valley over the sand dunes…How rare is that?!? During our hike back, the dark clouds moved over us, and a few big rain drops fell from the sky as we got in the truck.
A slot canyon with marble walls; playing around in sand dunes; a rainbow; and rare rain…it was a memorable day in Death Valley National Park!
Polished and striped marble in Mosaic Canyon / Above Mosaic Canyon
Looking up Mosaic Canyon
Looking down Mosaic Canyon
Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes
A rare rainbow over Death Valley
Is it going to rain? / Yep, it rained!
Day 5…Golden Canyon and Gower Gulch loop, Star Party
Hiking route through Golden Canyon and Gower Gulch / See Arleen by Manly Beacon?
We started the day with a sweet loop hike through Golden Canyon and Gower Gulch. We headed up the picturesque Golden Canyon and detoured to Red Cathedral. Along the way we learned about interesting geologic features from a trail guide. The Red Cathedral juts hundreds of feet straight up. The red and orange colored cliffs contrast oddly against the surrounding striped cliffs. From there, the trail climbed steadily to skirt around the base of impressive Manly Beacon. The yellowish spire is a prominent landmark in Death Valley and featured in many pictures. Back-dropped by bright blue sky, it was really impressive. It was also the high point of the trail, and the view down towards the valley was incredible. We could see Zabriskie point ahead of us, but we started hooking around to the southwest and into Gower Gulch. The scenery wasn’t as spectacular as Golden Canyon, but the hike was nice, down a narrowing wash. In the past, the gulch was an active mining area and there are a couple of old mines we could have poked our heads into, but continued on. As we neared the mouth of the gulch, we had to negotiate a couple of small dry falls, but the final drop was too much for us. Thankfully, a bypass allowed us to skirt safely around the 30 foot drop.
This is a popular hike, but most people do not complete the entire loop. They walk a mile or so up Golden Canyon to the Red Cathedral and turn around. The most impressive view is just a half mile farther near Manly Beacon. Of course that half mile is all up hill, but it’s worth it! Another suggestion…do the loop counterclockwise. First go through Gower Gulch and then loop around to Golden Canyon. This saves the best for last and keeps the best views in front of you instead of at your back.
On the way back, we stopped at the General Store. The Las Vegas Astronomical Society had telescopes set up. It was late afternoon and the sun was still shining bright. We asked what they were looking at and they said, “the sun…do you want to see?”. It was cool! We made a point to check out their star party later that evening.
We showed up at the star party around 7:00pm that night. There were at least 30 telescopes of various sizes set up. Each telescope was manned by one or two passionate star gazers eager to share their knowledge and answer questions. There were probably a hundred other people with a constant flow of folks coming and going. We looked through 3 or 4 different sized telescopes to view the Andromeda Galaxy, Orion Nebula, and Jupiter. We really enjoyed it and were glad we went!
Going up Golden Canyon…Red Cathedral in the background
We found this small arch in the shadow of the Red Cathedral / See Arleen below the Red Cathedral?
The incredible view near Manly Beacon…See me?
Near the mouth of Gower Gulch / Arleen peering over the 30 foot drop at the mouth of Gower Gulch
Arleen looking at the sun through a telescope / The “Furnace Creek Star Party”
Day 6…Super Bowl Sunday!
Remnants of “Harmony Borax Works” built in 1882
We started the day by walking our four-legged friend to the old “Harmony Borax Works” site. It was interesting to see the old relics and ponder the fairly complicated process to extract borax. Then we thoroughly explored the Visitor Center and Borax Museum. The displays at both are impressive and informative. We learned a lot and recommend them to Death Valley visitors.
The Super Bowl was our priority. We have lived in both the Denver and Seattle areas. Coincidently, the Seattle Seahawks and Denver Broncos are our favorite teams! Who would we cheer for?!? We hoped for a close game, but put 55% of our support behind Seattle. Because watching the game in our comfortable home was not possible, we explored our options days prior. Between watching it at the Corkscrew Saloon or getting a room at the Furnace Creek Ranch, we chose to treat ourselves to a comfortable night at the ranch. Not only did we have our own TV, but we had a big bathroom with a nice shower and unlimited hot water…a real treat! Arleen even walked across the street at halftime to get us ice cream…another treat! The game lacked any kind of suspense as Seattle dominated so it was a little disappointing. However, we were thrilled for the Seahawks, Seattle, and the Pacific Northwest. It was great to see a major sporting event that did not feature two east coast teams. It was tempting to hitch up the trailer and head to Seattle to join the celebration! It was a special Super Bowl for us!
Interesting stuff about borax
Kickoff for Super Bowl 48: Seattle vs Denver
Lots of walking in January 2014…
I averaged 10.9 miles each day to total 327 miles. Arleen averaged 9.45 miles each day to total 283.5 miles. That’s just a sliver short of our best month, April 2013, when I walked 334 miles and Arleen walked 295 miles!
Next…
Now we are having a lazy week at a nice RV resort in Parhump, Nevada. We have done some exploring, but our tired bodies are getting a much needed break!
Parting Shots…
A ladybug at the Devils Golf Course?!? / Coyotes serenaded us each night
Fill up before you get to Death Valley! / Lots of noisy motorcycles in the campground
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