Death Valley 2022/23

[MojaveGeek]

Actually the placement of Marble Bath is simply a mistake.  On the old forum, one of our members (forgive me for forgetting who - if you are here please raise your hand!) found some notation of correction, I think at the USGS office in Menlo Park.  And I ran into what I suspect was the real "Marble Bath" in a canyon in the Last Chance range off the Steele Pass road - a rather infrequently visited place, but one that had a clear old two track showing that it was known enough that it might have had a name.

At the risk of stating the obvious, the marble bath is a water polished depression in the narrow canyon floor?  I've seen photos of that canyon.  Long approach for none 4x4ers.  I woudn't be able to make it in a day RT that is for sure.

Right. I saw a nicely polished depression at the base of a dryfall, and someone had pecked in a "petro" in the rock spelling WATER with an arrow pointing down into the gravel in the depression. I assume water could at least at times be found there, and maybe the gravel kept it from evaporating. It was off the Steele Pass road, which I was on because someone I knew with a small wheelbase 4WD wanted to go in there, so we could ascent Dry from the north. It is a VERY lonely place

I have no photos of the site; that was back before digital cameras were something you could carry around the back country.