Good morning in Death Valley. I decided to take a hike a Canyon about 30 miles back the way I came in. The pictures in the brochure for Death Valley.
First I have been remiss on writing about people I meet. Cropping and editing my pictures and the writing this blog takes at least 2 hours each evening.
I met a group of Jeepsters. My word for them. Yesterday I met them when I was checking out the bathrooms as they were juggling to park their rigs in their spaces.
They had pickup campers, Class C and Class A motor homes all towing Jeeps. The woman I met told me they were from Jelly Belly. The look on my face must have told her that she could have been speaking a foreign language as she came back and said, You know Auburn. I returned with Auburn where and she returned with Auburn, California where they make Jelly Belly candies. I said well I've learned something new today.
So I asked about the Jeep group. They were staying the week and they drive in Death Valley. I said you must know where to go as these tails they travel on are not on a map. She said you learn where you can go and the Rangers will give guidance.
On the way to the trailhead I took some pictures along the way.
The morning light provided for much better pictures giving mor definition to the features of the land.
Snow in them there mountains.
This is called the Devil's Cornfields
Check out the difference between this picture of the sand dunes to the last one.
At the base of this mountain is the trail. 2.5 miles on a dirt road from the main road. The dark center is the canyon.
The picture above is what the canyon is called. Mosaic Canyon was made from water carving it coming down the mountain.
The hike went in about a mile do the hike was not long but it did go up hill quickly.
I met a couple from Idaho who travel a lot. They got stuck in that rain storm I took a picture of yesterday that was in the north part of Death Valley.
He had a Toyota Land Cruiser many years ago that he travel around in for work living in it. He wanted to hear about my Prius setup.
After my hike I needed to get out of Death Valley as weather was headed in this way and with the elevations of the mountains around snow is a possibility. I drove to Pahrump, NV on my way to AZ.
You can see the beginning of the clouds heading in.
The clouds got thicker.
While I'm at explaining things, yesterday's blog came out late as the cell service in Death Valley (in the limited area they have it) is not AT&T and on my phone it comes up as out of network. I learned last year out here that you can't use too much data or AT&T will shut you off. Unpublished rules. Well, I waited to this am to send the blog when I got to McDonalds on Pahrump, NV.
Sitting at McDonalds I was checking the radar and weather reports for a couple destinations in AZ and they still had flash flood warnings issued. I drcided I would not go to Phoenix today or Qiartzsite for flooding concerns.
It came to mind that I get offers for special rate rooms at the Colorado Belle Casino in Laughlin, so I made a reservation and headed there.
The clouds kept getting thicker.
There was snow in the pass on the way to Las Vegas from a past storm. I had some wet flaked on the windshield. The weather service is predicting rain to snow here later today.
Now in Las Vegas I knew I only had to deal with rain now for the rest of my trip today.
I went to Safeway for some snacks in Bullhead City, AZ across the Colorado River. You can see the Colorodo Belle Casino in the distance.
I arrived at the hotel and paid $24.00 including taxes under the special promo for the night.
I settled in the room for awhile and graded the work of my students.
Then walked to the adjacent casino Edgewater for their buffet for $13.99.
At dinner I met a couple from the Los Angeles area who were staying at the Edgewater Casino having visited their family in Bullhead City for the weekend.
We had a nice conversation about our respective families. They were a bit surprised to learn of my solo travels.
The weather forecast calls for this rain not to move out of the area until tomorrow night. I will decide tomorrow if I should stay here another day.
And I passed the 8000 mile mark on this trip and I'm guessing 7000 miles to go.
Brent
macsloney@hotmail.com
How funny, the buffet costs almost as much as your room!!
ReplyDeleteHow funny, the buffet costs almost as much as your room!!
ReplyDelete