Camping Trip to Death Valley

Went camping in Death Valley last weekend. Camped for two whole nights — an adult personal best!

Lowest Spot in North America

The lowest point in North America. Yes, that pot hole right there.

Pros:

  • The roller coaster roads, featuring many inversions.
  • Taking the Emigrant Road way back to civilization — brilliantly washed out and steep.
  • My new flannel-lined sleeping bag passed its test. No more nylon strangulation sacks for ol’ bkd.
  • Ubehebe Crater was cool.
  • I get to cross this off my cross-country road trip list.
  • Campground neighbors were not visited by the police.

Cons:

  • Campground neighbors were not visited by the police.
  • No two scenic points are within 50 miles of each other. Seriously.
  • Fire wood cost $9 a bundle.
  • I kind of don’t think deserts are all that pretty; I imagine any run of the mill missile testing range has similarly spectacular oddities hidden in it.
  • On the way home, traffic at Kramer Jct. was backed up for five miles.

And if you ever go there yourself, keep in mind that everything at Stovepipe Springs is 20% cheaper than it is at Furnace Creek (e.g., Gas was $3.10 rather than $3.60, soda was $0.75 instead of $0.89, etc.).

Y’know, the first time I ever went to a desert was when I was in college and I thought it was amazing. Weird colors, cactus, scrub brush: amazing. The second time it was a little less amazing. Third time less. Fourth time less. Und so weiter. Just that I’m sort of over the desert by now — I don’t know if it has anything left to offer. Tja. It was a fun trip, the camping was good, the company was good, offroading to avoid the five miles of traffic at Kramer Jct. was good. But if I had a choice between going to Death Valley again or going to Kauai again, I’d go to Kauai every last time.

More photos if you care:

DLF and DDF skip along the Ubehebe Crater

DLF and DDF tempt imminent death as they skip along the crater’s edge.

Titus Canyon

 Yours truly in Titus Canyon, yearning for some faraway slot canyon that actually has water in it.

Artists Drive at Death Valley National Park

 Artist’s Drive — featuring all the colors of the rainbow, everything from brownish gray to grayish brown!

 Mesquite Springs Campground

The campsite at Mesquite Springs campground, located a scant 90 miles from the park entrance… Was unable to locate named springs and it seemed that this particular spot of vacant earth was designated a campsite by virtue of it being particularly windy. Just guessing, though.

Oh well. It really was a reasonable use of a long holiday weekend.

Happy Pearl Harbor Day.

bkd

 

8 comments

  • bkdunn

    Thx! As for me, I’m attracted to any photo that has a road or trail in it. Except that then I start thinking there should be a *person* on that road, and then things start falling apart.

    bkd

  • telkontar

    “All the colors of the rainbow” you claimed, without even knowing Roy? Hard to believe the insolence — that’s OK, I need insolence to survive (or maybe it’s insulin).
    Is DLF “dear little friend” a la Prince Caspian?

  • bkdunn

    I also contended that rainbow runs from gray to brown, so I don’t think I set any unrealistic expectations for the readership. Both of you.