The Furnace Creek Inn was nice, albeit a bit pricey. But, the food was good and the ambiance was a pleasant change from the camper. After dinner and a bottle of wine, we toured the grounds and checked out the pool. The next morning was bright, but a bit overcast. The wind was blowing strongly and raising dust in the valley. Our plan for the day was to eat breakfast at the Inn, then take in the sights that were within easy driving distance of the Inn and return before sunset for cocktails. The photos below are what we saw.
I got diesel at the only filling station in town at about $4.89 a gallon. It took several credit card transactions to fill the tank since they have a $100 limit on each transaction. Just south of the station was this cool steam tractor that was used to pull borax wagons. I cannot imagine how hot this job must have been: stoking a boiler on a tractor in the sun in Death Valley. Since temperatures in the valley exceed 130 degrees, this job must have been hellish.
We drove up to Dante's View and took in the view. The panorama was breathtaking. We stayed as long as we could, but ultimately, the wind won. The gusts were strong and cold and there was no place to hide. Above is central Death Valley as seen from Dante's View.
The northern portion of Death Valley from Dante's View.
A very wide angle shot of Death Valley including Telescope peak on the Panamint Range.
Many of the lake areas in the salt flats had active water. The water is so salty it is not of interest to plants, algae or animals.
The central portion of the valley had these mini-lakes.
This section of standing water had pools that were less salty than the main body of water. These are visible as the dark spots near the right of the photo above.
There was heavy mineralization in the rocks due to the uplifting that occured along the fault lines that underlie Dante's View.
The eastern flanks of the Panamint Range, underneath the still snow covered Telescope Peak, have world class gravel fans. These fans result when large rain storms cause flash flooding and movement of the gravel to the floor of the valley.
On the return path from Dante's View, we got a great look at another active mining area within the Park. Note the uplift of the beds on the ridge in the distance.
Our return path took us by 20 Mule Team Drive where these odd-colored rock formations can be seen.
One side route took us to a place called "Hole in the Wall". This is actually a ridge that rose and was eroded at the same rate as the uplift, thus cutting a slot in the ridge.
The tilting and uplift is clearly visible in the actual cut.
Because the ridge blocks the prevailing wind, the hole acts as a vortex and the winds howl through the area cutting wind caves into the rock and making odd noises.
There was one brave soul camping near the slot. We drove by and all their tents and stuff were anchored by large rocks to prevent them from blowing away.
The uplift caused substantial folding of the uplifted rock. Note this nearly 90 degree bend.
From Hole in the Wall, we headed to Zabriskie Point. Parts of the lower valley were visible.
Note the dark ridge in the center of the photo. This is a volcanic dike intruding into the lighter colored rocks.
Zabriskie Point is a nice contrast to the pale blue colors of the distant ridge lines. From Zabriskie Point, Kathleen and I headed back to the Inn for a shower, cocktails and another nice dinner at the local steakhouse.
The day was warm, but quite windy. On the top of Dante's View at 5475 feet, it was downright cold. But, it was nice back at the Inn. Tomorrow, we would fully re-supply and head north to the Ubehebe Crater, the Eureka Sand Dunes and the second significant off road portion of the trip.
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Photos and Text Copyright Bill Caid 2008, all rights reserved.
For your enjoyment only, not for commercial use.