Exploring Death Valley National Park

Dec 2014

Death Valley National Park (DVNP) has been on my 'most wanted' list for some time.  From early Spring until late Autumn temperature often stays on unbearable level. December being announced as a 'low season' offered good reason to spend a long weekend there (among motivation in low temperature). Overall it was not too far away, some 5 hours by car.

It's a wast, really large area to explore all interesting point of sights at one visit. During the first trip wanted to explore the most important places there to get overall understanding of the nature and rank some importance of sights. This (among long distances, unknown distances of lack of water, high vertical differences etc.) excluded hiking trip being the very first visit the National Park (NP) overall.

Long road trip from San Diego, Highway 15 to Las Vegas. At Baker, off from 15 to 127 north. Fancy road. Still some 200km to go up north. Driving the first time the road itself felt nice in addition to naked scenery. High mountains everywhere. Some snowy top mountains far off north east, obviously in Nevada (Charleston Peak in NV, obviously?).

At Amargosa (village/city), a junction to 190, still some 50km to go. At first glimpse of being nowhere, a sign of ''Opera House" at Amargosa CA,  appeared to be really good one Opera House. Just, Wow!

Last three days there's been heavy rain in the DVNP. Floods been obvious in so many places within the NP. Was expecting closures, which became very true.

The Death Valley National Park was, and still is, the home of Shoshone Indian Tribe. They've been living there over thousand years. Hope they going to live there at least another thousand years.

Welcome!

Highway 190 towards Panamint Springs

Sagebrush

Dante's View

Once arriving at a border of the NP, decided to see the whole Death Valley, Salt Sea etc. on one sight. Dante's View was perfect for it. Being over a mile above on a peak (nearly 1700m above the sea level) the valley offered great view. Some clouds hung in the valley, as well as along the mountain tops near by.

Telescope Peak (3366m above sea level) on Panamint Range mountains across the Basewater Basin appeared few times as clouds ran in fast speed. Great view.

Clouds covered most of mountains on Panamint Range in the west. The sun brought short appearance every now and then.  It was surreal to think and see Basewater Basin (292ft below sea level), the lowest point of America, was just under your feet, 1700m namely. Lots of 'white something' was down there. Couldn't distinct humans on valley. Following days revealed what it was actually.

Panamint Range at Sunset

Dante's View at Sunset

Furnace Creek

The heart of civilization of the park, so to speak. Meaning Visitor Center of the NP, gas station, a store, Pubs and a Ranch offering classy rooms for staying.  Kind of mandatory place if one is on a vehicle. Visitor Centers at NPs are often offering crucial information for visitors, as well as background information and history of the NP itself. Really appreciated this one too, presuming paid by tax payers money. This was the place to rent a Jeep for the real Backcountry roads.

The Ranch at Furnace Creek

Basewater Basin

292ft below the sea level, being the lowest point of North America. Absurd feeling there as had just passed mountains before reaching there. Vast flat valley, Death Valley. Bright white something in the valley. Thick, polygon formed white salt. A dried lake. Heavy rains had brought floods which had broken polygons into random formed objects. Most of the dry salty land was grey coloured, not pure white. This was (one of) the most visited place within the DVNP. No wonder. Worth walk on salt.  Had a lucky day, premier snow had just come overnight and covered Telescope Peak, providing a nice view from the Basin in the morning.

Badwater Basin (-292ft) seen from Dante's View (5476ft)

Telescope Peak (11050ft) got snow last night.
Salt polygons on Badwater Basin (-292ft)

Devil's Golf Course

Closed. Floods.

Zabriskie Point

Perhaps the most wanted place to see was a Zabriskie Point. A classic view. Antonioni's film, another classic. Closed for nature renovation until Mar 2015. Hard to describe disappointment not to allow to walk around and shoot photos from there. Well, perhaps high motivation to return? Well, from Golden Canyon one could have walked up to Badlands. Didn't do it, being lazy, sort of. Would have been number one visiting point.

Natural Bridge

A mile rough backcountry road and a 5min walk. Didn't raise wow level. Next.

Artist's Palette

Didn't know what to expect. Appeared to be a twisted road with all sort of forms of rocks. Their colours were striking, red, amber, magenta, cyan. Really strange. From sand stone to sort of granite. Got better understanding of the titles within the DVNP, well thought. Absolutely worth drive through and walk.

Artist's Palette

Titus Canyon

Closed. Floods and preparation to becoming marathon race.  However, its west side was open for walking. Straight vertical rocks narrowed tiny road to even more tiny. This would certainly be on the agenda (as well as its neighbor, Fall Canyon).

Devil's Cornfield

Strange looking bushes here and there.  Didn't dare to walk there, not sure if it was allowed. Photographic.

Devil's Cornfield

Mesquite Sand Dunes

One of (at least) three sand dunes in the DVNP (Eureka and Panamint dunes). Fantastic looking dunes, which wind forms every day. Nice to walk around few hours. Very photographic, at sunrise and sunset and at night (had a full moon so no milky way shooting this time).  The Eureka Sand Dunes was on the list but experiencing these backcountry roads made plans impossible.

Mesquite Sand Dunes and Grapevine Mountains

Charcoal Kilns

West side of the Panamint Range, or within the range. Fantastic looking old site where wood was burn to make char coils. Swiss design.  It was unbelievable but the Kilns were in the middle of the pine forest. Tough needles and short trees. From here the trail started to the top of Telescope Peak.  Low hanging clouds and -2C weather stopped plans to reach the top. Visibility was about 200 meters.  One of the best places in the DVNP.

Charcoal Kilns

Scotty's Castle

Short stop. Beautiful.

Ubehebe Crater

A crater. Interesting to see and walk around. Fantastic views 360 degrees.

The Racetrack Playa

On Wanted-to-see list, top of it.

A long backcountry road, about 30 miles. They called it a Dirt Road.  Really tough drive. Interesting scenery, different one than in any other valley.  Cactus forest. Coyotes. High mountains, Cottonwood Mountains on east and mountains within Last Chance Range on west. Cannot recommend any other vehicle than a Jeep (with special tires and low pressure in them).

Cactus Forest

Coyote

The Racetrack Playa

Teakettle Junction

Fancy road junction where people have left their tea kettle pans. From there one could see snowy top Sierra Nevada mountains far in the west. Pretty place.

Teakettle Junction

The Grandstand

Range of rocks in northern part of the Racetrack Playa.  Beautiful, black formed rocks on flat dry lake.  Nice place to walk (when the lake is dry. If it isn't, one shouldn't walk there as steps leave traces which will take ages to get vanished).

The Grandstand

Moving/Sliding/Gliding Rocks (you name it)

They looked amazing. How on earth? There's no logic in direction they had moved.  Again, one can walk on Playa only if the lake is dry.   Walked quite a while on the lake.  It was hard to believe what eyes had seen.  Absolute favorite of the DVNP.  Like a coincidence, San Diego Scientists solved their mystery some time ago.  There was a camping site near. Would have been fantastic to stay there overnight. Perhaps one day.

Sliding Rocks on the Racetrack Playa

Epilogue

Such a diversity place; dry salt lake, high snowy top mountains, even some waterfall, sand dunes, colourful rock formed canyons, thick pine forest, cactus forest, wildlife etc.  Sceneries were great. No wonder why some people return there year after year.

Observing nature on Mount Laguna

Nov 2014

Extremely dry season has continued in Southern California. Autumn colours have not shined as they did a year ago.  Oaks and maple trees have changed their colours but lots of them have just dried out.  What about other life in nature, have birds moved off to more moisture lands? Had it rained more in near by mountains and thus been able to grow as before?  Were autumn colours more striking on mountains than near the coast?

These and other unscientific thoughts in mind headed to Mount Laguna, less than hour off east from San Diego. Mount Laguna belong to Cleveland National Forest. Its meadow lies on about 1600m above sea level and offers magnificent trails for hiking, trail running and mountain biking. Have been there multiple times during last two years, previous posts here and here.

Parked along the Sunrise Highway and started to hike via usual route, Sunset Trail towards Water-of-the-Woods pond.  Weather was +5C and partly cloudy. Max temp promised +10C. Long waited rain overnight had made ground wet. Peak of autumn colours on noble trees seemed to be over, but still some striking colours were left. Eventually it was the evergreen forest which made the place so nice.

Ground squirrels had busy time, so did all little birds. Signs of deers on trail were not so common.  Once arrived at the pond, spotted a Great Blue Heron standing still near the pond. Ducks had their own ceremonies on-going and were not bothered by others.

Four different trails left from the pond. Chose to continue the Sunset Trail towards north.  Perhaps the most common sound was a warning sign from Acorn Woodpeckers, signaling to each other that a human being was disturbing their neighborhood.

The Sunset trail had its highest point about 1km after the pond.  From there the scene opened towards west. Low hanging clouds covered some valleys. Great view.

Ascended to the north side of the meadow.  Jumped into a Big Laguna Trail, back south towards Big Laguna Lake.  The meadow was so dry. Ravens yelled somewhere near.  Few mountain biker came across. Fabulous trail.

Soon noticed that the lake was out of water. Completely dry. What a disappointment. Crossed the meadow to east side.

Followed a while trail runners. It was about Mount Laguna Trail Marathon race.

Soon spotted few Red-tailed Hawks. Watched a while their gliding above the trees. Were they hunting? Majestic look when they stayed on top of the woods.

In some places on the trail it felt like there's no life at all, where as in some other places there's full of life. Birds gathered in small areas, many species. Obviously something good to eat.  Catching these birds into photos would have taken much more patience.

Crossing the meadow last time and headed back to starting point on Sunrise Highway.

Epilogue

Life hasn't gone anywhere despite extremely long dry season. At least not so much when observing visually.  Of course when the lake or pond is without water, waterbirds etc. need to find a new place.  Hawks and Ravens were still there. So where many Woodpeckers and Ground Squirrels.

One the best places in San Diego County.

A few snapshot

Welcome!

Great Blue Heron

Spotted Towhee

Mountain Chickadee

Layered Mountains

Oak Titmouse

Look at the grip!

Downy Woodpecker

Dark-Eyed Junco

Autumn Colours I

Autumn Colours II

Northern Flicker

Big Laguna Trail

California Ground Squirrel

Red-Tailed Hawk I

Red-Tailed Hawk II

Mount Laguna Trail Marathon

In Descending Order

Hanging On

Pygmy Nuthatch

Moss

Townsend's Warbler

Autumn Colours III

Western Bluebird staying still on strong head wind

May I present, a Master Himself and His Collection, Sir Acorn Woodpecker

Autumn Colours IV

Hiking and Mountain Biking on Big Bear Lake CA

Oct 2014

Finally had a chance to visit Big Bear Lake, an outdoor resort on high mountains, some two hours north-east by car from San Diego.  The LA Times notified at the same time that San Bernardino mountains were the best on autumn colours this weekend, too.

Big Bear Lake lied over 2000m above sea level. It's basically a ski resort, having a few ski slopes and offering all sort of winter activities.  Like any ski resort, it offered lots of different activities around the year. The lake itself was a good place for multiple water activities, too. Hiking was not forgotten as the PCT crossed the region (in here it took a swing from east to west before continuing north). There were numerous alternative trails along the region.

Took a mountain bike with me.  Friends riding there had hinted mountains there to be perfect for riding.

Day 1

Temperature was close to zero (Celsius) in the morning, chilly indeed!  Headed early in the morning to Pine Knot trailhead. Had just renewed an Annual Adventure Pass (allowing free parking around the year).  Not too many early birds on the trail. Clear blue sky and some ascending ahead.

Big Bear Lake resided in San Bernardino Forest. Although it's basically a desert on ground level, it's covered by thick conifer forest, with a good and large variety of noble trees. It's those noble trees which shined in bright yellow and red colours. A good contrast to evergreen trees.

First observe was about the trail, it was made more for mountain biking than for hiking, all those twisted curves with ovals, guaranteeing good speed on bike. Well, that fun had to wait until the next day.

After some sweating, reached Grand View Point, the highest point of the trail. Just before it, had crossed another mountain bike trail, Skyline. Countdown for the next day had started.  Grand View Point offered nice scenery towards San Gorgonio mountain and Bernardino valley. Low hanging clouds down there. Pretty view.

Returned the same trail. A lot more fellow hikers came through. Some couraged mountain bikers sweated while ascending the trail. It was not because of the weather.  Easy descending back to trailhead and Aspen Glen parking lot. Worth every inch and second spent there.

Evening at the town center. Beef Brisket at Jasper's. Recommended.

Welcome!

Hey, who's there?

Years of living passed

A break

San Gorgonio

Autumn colours

Trail Angels from Orange County

In bloom

Aspen tree on its best

Low hanging clouds covering Bernardino valley

Day 2

No difference in weather in the morning, close to zero, clear blue sky. Forecast predicted +15C max.
Back to Aspen Glen and Pine Knot trailhead. This time with a mountain bike.  Almost smallest gear started to ascend the trail. Had too much clothes on. Had to stop twice to wear off some layers.  However, short sleeve weather was not in sight.

Once reaching the Skyline trail, headed east. The Skyline trail was made for mountain biking. You'd notice it easily, oval curves, jumps, high speed corners etc. In short: fun all the way long.  The trail stayed high on mountain and never dropped much down neither had any major climbs. Though some difference in altitude was included.

Rode until Snow Summit, a place with ski lifts, and turned back.  The trail felt different in other direction. Strange.  Continued west long enough and then returned back to Pine Knot trail. Lots of hikers on trail now. Slowed down riding, not a bad idea and possibly saved some broken collarbone, so speedy were the trails.

Happily returned to parking lot.  Experienced one of the best singletrack trails for mountain biking with no broken bones.

Exercised GoPro video shooting for the first time ever while riding. Had no idea of the output. The camera was tied into the handlebar.  Have to say that's pretty difficult to create something valuable and entertaining. It was a start anyway.

Hey Big Bear Lake, you impressed me and you hadn't even had any snow yet.


Warning: it's a pretty long and boring video. Don't get sea sick!