Road Trip: Day Four, 9:30 AM to 2:00 PM

The 28 mile entry to Death Valley via Leadfield and Titus Canyon.

Further down the road.

Sarah hikes up a side trail for a better view.

Sarah hikes up a side trail for a better view.

Still a ways to Leadfield. It's close to the base of the light colored mountain.

Sarah hiking off looking for a mine. You stop the car for a second and she's out running around.

Leadfield!

View from inside a Leadfield building of that mountain that was in the distance two shots previous. 

Required rusted metal shot. That yellow stuff is a heavy paper liner.

My shadow and some colored rocks. This does not complete the geology requirement.

We pulled over to look at some petroglyphs and found a Common Chuckwalla  (Sauromalus ater (?)). This completes the wildlife requirement. 

The Subaru at the entrance to Titus Canyon and (for Brent) a Desert Stingbush (Eucnide urens?). This completes the botanical requirement. 

The canyon narrows.

Rock wall about 5 feet from the car, shot from the driver's seat. The yellow is a combination of staining and reflection from the opposite wall.  This is a limestone breccia with huge clasts. (If you go here you can see this exact formation with a human being for scale and an explanation of breccias.) Geology requirement complete.

Road Trip: Day 3, 6:30 PM to 7:30 PM

Land forms at Zabriskie Point looking east just before sunset.

Land forms looking east at sunset.

Folks taking pictures at Zabriskie Point.

Some folks brought chairs and a cooler with drinks and snacks. Like the Death Valley brochures say "Know your route. Drink plenty of liquids. Be prepared."

Taking pictures of folks taking pictures of folks taking pictures. He's also working on a good sun burn.

The decisive moment when the sun sets over the Panamint Range on the west side of Death Valley.

This is what they were seeing. Sorry my camera wasn't big enough to get it all.

Serious photographers with tripods shooting after the sun set. These folks got the "wear earth tones" tweet. 

After sunset I fell in love with this bench.

And a more intimate portrait of the bench.

Road Trip: Day 3, 4:30 PM to 5:30 PM

Badwater Basin, somewhere around here is the lowest point in the U.S.

Park your car and go for a short hike.

Out on to the salt flats.

There's some brown lumpy salt crystal stuff.

Put a scarf on your head.

Or a scarf over your head.

To experience this.

On your way back you see a small sign way up on the rock wall that says "Sea Level"

Further up the road is Artist Drive.

 Artist's Palette, a selection of brightly colored dirt.

If you click on the picture you may be able to read the Sea Level sign. Tomorrow, the people of Zabriskie Point.

Road Trip: Day 3, 9 AM to 3 PM

Next to the motel parking lot in Tonopah. 

Most of the last eight miles to Death Valley.

 

From the gravel road down the west side of the valley.

Sarah admires the vast landscape.

A closer view of the vast landscape Sarah was admiring.

Burned earth at an old borax processing area.

Required picture of a rusted water tank ladder.

Required photographic detail of rusted water tank.

Looking west to the Panamint Range from the rusted water tanks.


As before click on the image to better experience the vastness.

Road Trip: Days 1 And 2

    The Frenchglen Hotel at dusk.

The Frenchglen Hotel the next morning.

Screen door at the Frenchglen Hotel.

Looking out across the marsh.

South looking north toward Frenchglen.

One of many looking down the road with lots of sky and dramatic clouds.

Snowy hills.

Dark hills.

Rolling hills and high desert landscape.

In Nevada looking south. The signs read 'Denio 69,  Adel 146, Lakeview 179", "Next Gas 66 Miles", "Speed Limit 70" 

Winnemucca, city park, playground, homes and desert hills. 

  Most of these will look better large so if you click on the pictures they will magically get larger. Use your browser's return icon to get back.