Almost every year, Dave and I head down to the desert for Thanksgiving. This year we spent four days in Death Valley. Although we’ve been to the park many times before, this time we tried to see things we hadn’t seen before.
Thursday, November 24: Eureka Dunes
We left the Bay Area after work on Wednesday. The traffic was bad until we got to 120, but that was expected, being a holiday weekend and all. By 7:30 we reached Groveland where we stopped at Cucina Michoacana for dinner. It was a half hour wait, but there wasn’t anything else open. The restaurant was tiny and there were more people waiting than it could fit inside. With our bellies finally full we headed through Yosemite and over Tioga Pass – the lack of snow this year makes the drive to Death Valley much faster thanks to the pass being open. We headed down 395 a ways and pulled into the Glass Creek campground at 11 pm. Dave pitched the tent while I dozed off under the stars in my new cozy -20 degree sleeping bag – I needed the warmth since it easily got down into the teens overnight. We were the only people in the campground.
On Thursday morning (it was so cold!) we quickly packed up and headed down to Bishop. We made a few quick stops – the ranger station to fill our water jugs for Death Valley, Schat’s Bakery for breakfast, and the Shell station to fill the tank and the gas can so we could get through Death Valley without worrying about our gas supply. On the way out of town we stopped by Keough Hot Ditch to soak, make some coffee, and eat our Schat’s Stollen and Danish apple fritters (mmmmmm…).
Then it was on to Death Valley. Since we approached in a different direction than normal (due to the pass being open) we drove in using the road from Big Pine. At Eureka Dunes we turned off and headed 9 miles down the washboard to the parking area and mini-campground. There are four sites at the parking area – and relatively well developed considering it isn’t listed as a campground on the park map. There is a pit toilet, fire rings, and picnic tables. There was one family already settled in – we chose the site furthest from them and set up camp at about noon. No one else pulled into the camp that day or night, except for people on day trips to the dunes or pulling through to further undeveloped sites down the road.
After setting up camp we hiked the dunes, and it was awesome. The Eureka Dunes are the tallest in California and rise about 700 feet over the dry lake below. They are known for the noise they make when the sand blows over the top, but on this day there was no wind. It was disappointing not to hear the ‘singing dunes’, but it was nice that we were able to enjoy the hike without stinging and blowing sand (ew, crunchy). I spent the whole time barefoot – it was cool but not hot, so the sun kept the sand warm and comfortable for my feet. We hiked the crest of the ‘dune mountain to all four summits (all at approximately the same level), then ran down them and walked back to our campsite through the lower rolling dunes.
We had a leisurely afternoon back at camp before starting the fire and cooking tacos for dinner. We had seen many animal tracks on the dunes during our hike and were looking forward to meeting the resident wildlife when the sun went down, but no one came out to visit us. I guess the Death Valley coyotes don’t like the smell of tacos.
Friday, November 25: Last Chance Mine, Ubehebe Crater, Scotty’s Castle, and Red Wall Canyon
We woke up a bit later than intended but packed up quickly and hit the road to head into the main part of Death Valley. After a quick stop by a geocache near Hanging Rock Canyon we drove down to
Crankshaft Crossing, taking the less-travelled turnoff toward Last Chance Cabin and Mine, a few miles down a 4WD track. The Death Valley hiking book describes a relatively well preserved cabin that can be used as an overnight shelter, but we discovered that it seems to have burned down since the book’s publication. We walked up the small canyon and explored the open mine shafts, a spring with running water and lush green plants (a rare sight in Death Valley), and up toward a dry fall. I heard some bighorn moving on the rocks above me (including the rocks they knocked loose) but never saw any.
Then it was finally time to head down to the main part of the park. We came out near Ubehebe Crater and decided to stop by for the view. And that’s where we found the crowds. The place was packed, and it was also incredibly windy. We took a brief stroll along the crater rim and then drove down to Scotty’s Castle for some caches, a bathroom stop, and a look in the gift shop for books. Dave picked up a Death Valley Geology book – I’ll have to look at it before our next trip down there.
Our last planned stop for the day was Red Wall Canyon. This hike requires that you park along the main road at mile marker 19, then hike 2.5 miles cross-country about 1000 feet up an alluvial fan. At the apex of the fan is the entrance to a spectacular canyon. The intimidating cross country approach kept most people away, and we only ran into one couple that never made it up the fan (they turned around before reaching the canyon) and two guys who were on their way out of the canyon as we entered. So we had the place all to ourselves. Unfortunately we didn’t get started on the hike until late in the day so we didn’t have a lot of time to enjoy the canyon. We got back to the car just around sunset.
From there we drove up to the Chloride City road, where we planned on meeting Joe, John, and Sooz at a pre-arranged site. They were already there when we pulled in, so we were all able to enjoy some food and conversation before heading to bed. I threw my bag out under the stars and watched several shooting stars before finally dozing off. Unfortunately, overnight a big nasty wind picked up. Dave had to get up and stake his tent, and I had to bail out and sleep in the car.
Saturday, November 26: Thimble Peak, Leadfield, and Titus Canyon
We woke up at about 7 am after the long windy night. It wasn’t the best night of sleep I’ve had. We drove toward the Titus Canyon road and headed down it at about 8 am. Our group was three cars and we planned on parking at Red Pass for our hike up Thimble Peak. Unfortunately, there wasn’t much room there, especially with the two trucks that were already parked there (and not in the most efficient way). Fortunately Joe had a solution and we were all able to squeeze in.
Once the parking nightmare was over we hit the trail. I was expecting a short and simple hike and was a bit surprised when Thimble came into view. My first reaction: How the hell do we get up that thing? Fortunately it looked much worse from a distance than it actually was. Our route was no more than a class 2 scramble, with a bit (about three feet, hee) of class 3 thrown in for good measure. The summit register dated back to 1979, but there were plenty of recent entries. I wonder how many people turn around when the peak first comes into view, thinking that it’s unhikable?
Anyways, we signed the register, enjoyed the views, took the required group photos, and ate lunch before heading back down. It was cool but not cold so we were able to linger comfortably on the peak. Overall it was an awesome hike – much more interesting and challenging than I expected, but lots of fun.
On the drive down the canyon we made quick stops at Leadfield to check out the ruins and by the petroglyphs to snap some photos. Then it was on to Stovepipe wells for a gas top-off (only $2.61/gallon) and beer, and Dave and I said goodbye to the SoCal Hikers and drove up to Wildrose Campground. Once again it was windy, but not quite as bad as the night before. We made hobo stew packets for dinner over the fire, then escaped from the wind into the tent to watch a movie on Dave’s laptop (yep, really roughing it).
Sunday, November 27: Telescope Peak
Up at 6:30 for a quick packup, coffee, and breakfast before hopping in the car and driving up to Mahogany Flat. We were the only car up there and we hit the trail to Telescope Peak at 8:10 am. Every time we visit Death Valley we talk about hiking Telescope, but it’s always too snow covered or buried in the clouds. This time, the trail was snow free and it was a sunny and clear day. The temperature was not perfect, however. When we hit the trail it was a balmy 22 degrees outside. We bundled up and our packs were filled with layers to add and subtract as conditions changed over the 7 mile, 3000+ ft gain one way hike.
Overall we made decent time, especially considering how often we had to stop and add/subtract layers. Since the hike snakes over a ridge there were times when the wind was blasting and times when it was sunny and calm. The temperature (with windchill) probably fluxuated between 10 and 45 depending on what side of the ridge we were on. Dave reached the summit at 11 am and I joined him shortly after at 11:20. At the peak the wind was gusting but the sky was clear and sunny. What a view! Unfortunately the cold made me turn around quickly, and we headed back down at 11:30 am.
The hike down was fast and easy – we were back at the car by 1:45. It was a great hike that I am finally glad I accomplished – I just wish it hadn’t been quite so cold so I could have enjoyed it more. But it was still good to get up a peak that is usually covered in snow and clouds when we are in the area. A couple of hours later and we were down in Ridgecrest stuffing our faces with fast food. We then joined the hoards of holiday traffic and were back home at 11 pm. All in all, it was a very successful and fun trip to Death Valley. Almost everything we did was new, and I enjoyed every single hike. It’s time to start the planning for next Thanksgiving’s trip…
