We had an 11 night trip, sleeping at SPW, starting 10 March. A lot of fun was had, and obscure places visited. It's going to take me a few days to post it all, but I better get started.
Our warmup hike was to the peak just NE of Keane Spring. John Morrow reported on this a few years ago, and based on his description we went to the peak SE of the spring last year. We liked that, with its great views of the Amargosa Valley, so went back. We parked at the place where a road turns down Monarch Canyon for a bit, and walked from there, on an old road to near the spring, which we bypassed on the north, and took the obvious route to the peak. The last part of this hike is all ridge walking so nice views and nice breeze. Some pix:
Looking across Death Valley, Panamints in the clouds![[Image: d23_2870.jpg]](https://web.media.mit.edu/~geek/webpix/dv23/d23_2870.jpg)
Amargosa Valley
![[Image: d23_2871.jpg]](https://web.media.mit.edu/~geek/webpix/dv23/d23_2871.jpg)
Looking toward Beatty. We liked the red hill and went back to that area from the Daylight Pass road later in the trip.
![[Image: d23_2872.jpg]](https://web.media.mit.edu/~geek/webpix/dv23/d23_2872.jpg)
The next day we cruised over Towne Pass to Panamint Valley, and hiked up Revenue Canyon. Digonnet mentions an older miner trail, and in fact we'd walked part of it 11 years earlier. But with satellite images I worked out that there are two trails, which can be combined into a nice loop up onto the high ridge on the south side of the main canyon. It worked out to be fine on the ground.
South end of Panamint Valley
![[Image: d23_2890.jpg]](https://web.media.mit.edu/~geek/webpix/dv23/d23_2890.jpg)
Panamint high peaks straight across the valley, including the Telescope "fish" illusion
![[Image: d23_2889.jpg]](https://web.media.mit.edu/~geek/webpix/dv23/d23_2889.jpg)
And... the rest of Panamint Valley
![[Image: d23_2888.jpg]](https://web.media.mit.edu/~geek/webpix/dv23/d23_2888.jpg)
It blew like crazy that night. Wind (and sand) screaming through the door. Must have scared the critters because we woke up with a visitor in our room. First time I've seen one inside. Photo is when it was captured in a plastic container for transport back to its home environment.
![[Image: d23_2875.jpg]](https://web.media.mit.edu/~geek/webpix/dv23/d23_2875.jpg)
Our warmup hike was to the peak just NE of Keane Spring. John Morrow reported on this a few years ago, and based on his description we went to the peak SE of the spring last year. We liked that, with its great views of the Amargosa Valley, so went back. We parked at the place where a road turns down Monarch Canyon for a bit, and walked from there, on an old road to near the spring, which we bypassed on the north, and took the obvious route to the peak. The last part of this hike is all ridge walking so nice views and nice breeze. Some pix:
Looking across Death Valley, Panamints in the clouds
Amargosa Valley
Looking toward Beatty. We liked the red hill and went back to that area from the Daylight Pass road later in the trip.
The next day we cruised over Towne Pass to Panamint Valley, and hiked up Revenue Canyon. Digonnet mentions an older miner trail, and in fact we'd walked part of it 11 years earlier. But with satellite images I worked out that there are two trails, which can be combined into a nice loop up onto the high ridge on the south side of the main canyon. It worked out to be fine on the ground.
South end of Panamint Valley
Panamint high peaks straight across the valley, including the Telescope "fish" illusion
And... the rest of Panamint Valley
It blew like crazy that night. Wind (and sand) screaming through the door. Must have scared the critters because we woke up with a visitor in our room. First time I've seen one inside. Photo is when it was captured in a plastic container for transport back to its home environment.