Death Valley National Park
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Golden Canyon Death Valley National Park |
November 7, 2016
Having already visited the Trona Pinnacles today, Gary and I are heading to Death Valley. Having driven through here only twice previously, I never have done any hiking in this park.
An unconcerned coyote approaches at a highway junction
Off to the left, another coyote seemingly is anticipating a possible handout. I didn't know they did that sort of thing now.
Spectacular colors for a desert
As we arrive in Furnace Creek — the social hub of the park,
we have dropped below sea level. Our stopping place a few miles
farther south is at -100 feet.
At the trailhead
Getting started
Red Cathedral dominates the view so far
The path over to 'Brown Hill' is worth investigating
Had I read the big sign at the trailhead, I would have known what to
expect; but no. At about the 1-mile mark, an unanticipated
trail junction appears. From here we either could continue to the
base of Red Cathedral or head off to the right. Apparently Gary
knows something, because he promptly starts up the side route.
The signpost says "Golden Canyon Trailhead: 3.3 miles"
This will double our overall walking distance, but that's okay
It so happens that Gary had previously come this far with his partner Sharon some years ago. She had continued the loop and has highly recommended it, so here we go.
Manly Beacon beckons
Look at the trail! Are we really expected to go way up there, in this heat?
Across the valley is the Panamint Range
The trail skirts the side of Manly Beacon
At the trail high-point
Gary and I are somewhat relieved to be starting down now —
not because we are tired, but because we want to head downward.
This sort of trail is unique in my experience
I guess we aren't lost
Presently we encounter a junction of sorts. Although as far
as I am concerned the main route clearly continues straight ahead,
that is in the opposite direction from the trailhead.
Gary wants to try his luck in the inviting wash to the right, though;
I am happy to follow, always game for an off-trail venture.
"There are footprints over here."
Down and around we go
Of course there is the possibility of running into a dropoff too high to negotiate, which would force a retracement of many steps, but after about ten minutes we emerge into a much bigger wash and meet up with a visible trail again.
Gower Gulch should be a cakewalk; we'll see
There is a signpost indicating that the Golden Canyon Trailhead is to the left. Excepting our little shortcut, that's where we just came from, however; so we turn right instead. Downward has to be forward.
Red Cathedral
Red gravel
From red rocks to gray rocks
The dark stones resemble sprinkles on a cake
The canyon walls are most interesting
A long-defunct borax mine
What an array of colors
It is somewhat eerie back here, being the only hikers on what purportedly is the most popular trail in the park. Not bad, but strange.
The easy walking appears to be over
It this a dead-end? Not likely.
Scrambling required
This is fun
The second drop is about four feet
Nearing the end, we presume
The wash terminates abruptly
The appearance of a 30-foot dropoff just ahead puts Gary off a bit at first, but surely the Park Service would not leave us high and dry here.
There is an escape route
Getting back to the car is just a formality now.
The last mile is obstacle-free
The signpost we didn't read earlier ⇔
On our way out of the park
§: Well, my first outing in Death Valley was a roaring
success. The landscape provided a range of colors that I had
not anticipated, so my camera was very happy today. Had I been
aware that the loop would be as long as it was in 82-degree
heat, I would have packed more water just in case.
| Scenery |  |
| Difficulty |  |
| Adventure | |
| Solitude |  |
Our 'shortcut' is shown in dark red
