Death Valley Report

[vince_farnsworth1]

My wife and I just returned from four days in Death Valley, CA and I thought I would post a few brief comments for those interested in making the trip.

 

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February saw over two inches of rain and there have been four inches since September. That is a lot of rain for this part of the desert and the results are spectacular, turning the region into a wildflower wonderland. The alluvial fans are carpeted with yellow and purple. The surrounding mountains are capped with snow and there is green everywhere. The floor of the valley around Badwater is now a large lake and offers mirror-like reflections of the mountains and sky for postcard images at dawn and dusk. Very beautiful.

 

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We were up before the sun and photographed until dark every day and were always amazed at how quickly the time went. Oh yes, the weather was perfect (mid seventies) so the hiking was fantastic. It helps to have a four-wheel drive vehicle to get to the most interesting places. For photography, the only downside was the occasional contrails in the sky left by the dogfighting jets from the nearby China Lake Naval Weapons Center.

 

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Last year, Death Valley was pretty much like one would imagine, dead. Pretty, but dead. It was a major find to see a flower blooming. This year is just the opposite with life everywhere. At the end of the day we were always covered with pollen (and we were very careful where we walked). My wife put it best when she said that we're ruined forever and will probably never return for fear of disappointment. What could top this?

[stanley_mcmanus]

Vincent,

 

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Was Mosaic Canyon hikeable? The last time I was in DV this marvelous canyon was closed due to some type of slide or washout that blocked the trail.