Death Valley Click Bait Await - Yours Truly Dazed

[DeathValleyDazed]

Typing from slow wife at Stovepipe Wells while I gas up for two more days in DEVA which will make my longest visit ever, nine complete days. Due to my own exhaustion and limited cell and wifi I won't be posting my video trip reports until I return home mid next week. I'm excited to display some great shots of the rain, snow, and wind storm of Tuesday 12/14, 12/15 for which I specifically rented a Farabee Jeep so I could drive right into the event and I was not disappointed.

Besides Blue Mountain I've got videos on: Geologist Cabin, Niter Beds, Tucki Wash Exploration, Post storm drive from Panamint Spring Resort to Darwin on the old Toll road, Big Bell Extension Exploration and Trail Loop Back Through Keane Wonder, and Thursday 12/16 Annual Bird Count With NPS staff and volunteers (while looking up for birds I nearly stepped on a bobcat, I was so startled I failed to capture an image as the gorgeous cat retreated into the mesquite bushes. LOL) I had no idea of he bird diversity in the park.

My second King Midas Mine Exploration this time including A Real Time Phone Call With Jim Harris, age 91, who worked the mine with his father, Jim Harris. Jim was astounded I speaking with him on my cell phone from his old gold mine. LOL

Plus lots of misc photos from around DEVA and Darwin. Except for the storm (which I loved) the days have been perfect for exploring and hiking. I'm keen to catch up on all of your cool trip reports and news when I get home.

[Kauri]

Awesome!! That sounds amazing about your phone call with Jim Harris while actually at the King Midas Mine.

I'm especially looking forward to your Tucki Wash exploration video. Did you hike in from the valley or from the Telephone Canyon Road? There are a lot of interesting canyons in the Tucki Wash area I don't know much about.

Seeing a bobcat at the bird count is a surprise, I don't know many folks who have seen one in the park.

[DeathValleyDazed]

I'm especially looking forward to your Tucki Wash exploration video. 

Seeing a bobcat at the bird count is a surprise, I don't know many folks who have seen one in the park.

Kauri, as usual I underestimated the expanse (of the Tucki Wash in this instance) and overestimated my hiking capacity.   So I hiked 'straight outta the ranch" across the flats and up the wash to the first large black basalt spine, around it and back to the ranch (approx 8 miles round trip and well worth it) as the sunset. I got some fantastic images. BTW portions of this were through several inches of clear salt water but I expected this, thus I completed the entire jaunt in my $19.29 Walmart Steel Toed Waterproof Green Plastic Work Boots. They worked like a charm and with insoles and thick woolen socks I wondered why I ever bothered purchasing my Columbia muckers. 

I've only seen one other bobcat in the wild and that was a mommy bobby with three kittens in tow above me twenty yards on a mountainside above my home where I was pick axing a horse riding trail for my wife's horseback riding. Too this day that trail is named "Bobcat Trail." 

Speaking of bobcats, one of the NPS staffers present at the bird count shared how once he was caving in a tight spot and came face to face with a startled bobcat which totally startled and scared him. During the long face off the ranger was praying and pleading for the bobcat NOT to scratch his face off. For some reason the cat just remained calm as the ranger squeezed himself out of the pinch. That's getting yourself stuck between a rock and a cat spot. 

The birding event was really cool and I highly recommend it to anyone, especially novices like me. I had done another migration count in eastern Nevada with Hawk Watch International where they actually netted and banded birds. Another great experience! BTW, peregrines have been sited in DEVA. We saw a red tail hawks this count. Did not see a single turkey vulture this time which surprised me. We enjoy a flock of wild turkeys at home on my small horse ranch. 

Note: High speed internet still failing at The Ranch, tech support is clueless and not helpful, the guy actually hung up on me as I was explaining how a simple note on their site with an apology about the power outage would be great customer service. 

[John Morrow]

Typing from slow wife at Stovepipe Wells while I gas up for two more days in DEVA which will make my longest visit ever, nine complete days. Due to my own exhaustion and limited cell and wifi I won't be posting my video trip reports until I return home mid next week. I'm excited to display some great shots of the rain, snow, and wind storm of Tuesday 12/14, 12/15 for which I specifically rented a Farabee Jeep so I could drive right into the event and I was not disappointed.

Besides Blue Mountain I've got videos on: Geologist Cabin, Niter Beds, Tucki Wash Exploration, Post storm drive from Panamint Spring Resort to Darwin on the old Toll road, Big Bell Extension Exploration and Trail Loop Back Through Keane Wonder, and Thursday 12/16 Annual Bird Count With NPS staff and volunteers (while looking up for birds I nearly stepped on a bobcat, I was so startled I failed to capture an image as the gorgeous cat retreated into the mesquite bushes. LOL) I had no idea of he bird diversity in the park.

My second King Midas Mine Exploration this time including A Real Time Phone Call With Jim Harris, age 91, who worked the mine with his father, Jim Harris. Jim was astounded I speaking with him on my cell phone from his old gold mine. LOL

Plus lots of misc photos from around DEVA and Darwin. Except for the storm (which I loved) the days have been perfect for exploring and hiking. I'm keen to catch up on all of your cool trip reports and news when I get home.

Looking forward to it!

[trailhound]

John Morrow wrote:

Rain event?   Does anyone ever document these things as they are happening?  I always wonder what places look like when rainfall is significant enough for areas to have water flow.  Would love to see some rearranging of gravels or active water falls, things like that.


Would love to be there shortly after, or even during, in a safe location

Here is a picture made in February 2014 on the west side of Scotty's Castle Road.

[MojaveGeek]

Yes there are vids around of water flow. IIRC Dazed did one of the flow around FC (I think I recall seeing the gas station?) a few years ago.

Glad you're back out there, Dazed, though you're probably back home by now. I look forward to a trip in late March.

[DeathValleyDazed]

John Morrow wrote:

Here is a picture made in February 2014 on the west side of Scotty's Castle Road.

Great shot John. Having just been out there walking around after another rain even, but not so severe, I can say that portions of the old Scotty Castle's Road now serve as a drainage for portions of the larger drainage off of the Grapevines. 

BTW John, is your Death Valley photo catalog available online? You've really capture some fine images over the years and I'm sure I've only seen a small sample of your image files. I still have your shot of the Panamint Dunes from the Panamint Butte area vividly planted in my mind's eye.

[DeathValleyDazed]

Yes there are vids around of water flow.  IIRC Dazed did one of the flow around FC (I think I recall seeing the gas station?) a few years ago.

I look forward to a trip in late March.

Hey MG, your correct about water flow October 2015. Here's that video which has accumulated over 143K views to date. I look forward to your March 2022 DEVA trip report!

[John Morrow]

John Morrow wrote:

Here is a picture made in February 2014 on the west side of Scotty's Castle Road.

Great shot John. Having just been out there walking around after another rain even, but not so severe, I can say that portions of the old Scotty Castle's Road now serve as a drainage for portions of the larger drainage off of the Grapevines. 

BTW John, is your Death Valley photo catalog available online? You've really capture some fine images over the years and I'm sure I've only seen a small sample of your image files. I still have your shot of the Panamint Dunes from the Panamint Butte area vividly planted in my mind's eye.

Huge compliment from a Legend, DVD!  Best way to see my pics is to open my flickr site to albums, then scroll to any Death Valley title:  Or Flickr search "Death Valley Wilderness" as I tag many with that.  Unfortunately I have too many pics and never have picked out my favorites into a smaller catalog.  All taken with various point and shoots, however, that I continue to break on short order.
https://www.flickr.com/photos/23557848@N03/albums

[MojaveGeek]

All taken with various point and shoots, however, that I continue to break on short order.

Yup, I always carry one of the small cameras with good optical zoom, as that's the only way to get a good animal shot, though my son does pretty well by pressing his binox against the lens of his phone. And I always carry a "spare" camera in my baggage because, as you point out, they don't live long. I think fine sand gets into the gearing controlling the lens, and that screws up the stepper motor on the auto focus, rendering them useless pretty thoroughly. Sometimes twisting the lens - makes a grinding noise - gets it back in whack but I figure I'm lucky if I get a year or two out of one of those.