Entering Death Valley from the east side on highway 190 you descend sharply from an elevation of 5,000+ feet to sea level on a winding road with breathtaking vistas around every turn. I did manage to get the driver to stop a few times at turnouts....
The array of colors and formations in the mountains and rocks is purely astonishing !
Tomorrow morning we'll be at Zabriskie Point for the sunrise, so off to bed for me now; our day started at 5 a.m. today for the long drive to Death Valley.
© 2012 Jill Clardy
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We were one of the first to arrive in the parking lot at Zabriskie Point in Death Valley and take the short steep hike up the hill to the vista point. Early risers continued to arrive, though many of them stood on the opposite side facing the mountain behind which the sun rises. But the real show is on the yellow striated sandstone rocks and the distant mountains on the other side of the valley. This is actually about 20 minutes before sunrise; the bright pre-sunrise colors behind us bathed the western sky with soft pink light. A rare sight as it is usually bright blue sky here !
We were there for about an hour watching the colors change and shivering in the chilly wind on the hilltop. Then back to the Furnace Creek Ranch for several mugs of hot coffee and a fortifying breakfast.
© 2012 Jill Clardy
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On the road to Badwater in Death Valley, there is a small signpost that points to Golden Canyon, and not much mention of this trail on the park literature or maps. We walked in through a narrow canyon lined with rock formations in hues of red, gold, brown and green and at the end of the canyon about 1.25 miles from the main road, you round a bend and are presented with the awe inspiring view of the "Red Cathedral".
Tried to get my husband to climb up there to provide some scale, but he declined - the red rock cliffs are probably 300-400 feet high.
© 2012 Jill Clardy
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We arrived really early at the vista point and it was still nearly dark. Watching the rising sun paint the colors on the point and on the distant mountains was awe-inspiring. This is the best free show in Death Valley. If you ever visit, don't miss it !
This is by far my favorite image of the trip - so far...
©2012 Jill Clardy
One more image in the top comment box below.
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On our way back from Scotty's Castle, we got caught in a sand storm kicked up by the high winds in Death Valley today and at one point were creeping along at 10-15 mph hugging the white line. The sand was especially thick near the vicinity of Mesquite Dunes. We planned to visit the dunes tomorrow, and several of my contacts had commented on how far you have to walk to find dunes with no footprints, so I casually said that I wished for the winds to kick up a bit and erase the footprints.
So this is all my fault !
The high winds are expected to last most of the night but dissipate by dawn. If so, we'll be one of the first out there to put OUR prints on the dunes....
Photos were shot thru the windshield; I didn't even want to roll down the window for fear that the sand would fill up the car and the lens and the camera....
© 2012 Jill Clardy
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