Kit Fox and Echo Canyons, Feb 2021

[Bluegreen kayak]

On my last solo day before my nephew flew in, I visited the Mesquite Dunes via northeast day use road. Although the dunes there are much smaller, it has two features I like better then the usual viewing area: fewer people, and more dried mud flats between the dunes, so I can walk around without as much sand in my shoes. Is the stovepipe in the well the original one that suggested the name, or a replacement? Either way, it was impressive.

[img=2x1]The Stovepipe Well by Patricia Boylan, on Flickr[/img]

Great dunes patterns as well.  With all the gusty nights we had, I expect the dunes were refreshed several times. Makes me think of my old Etch-A-Sketch.
[img]Mesquite Dunes northeast by Patricia Boylan, on Flickr[/img]

According to Digonnet, the Kit Fox canyon was right across the street from the day use road, so I went up it. I took the left passage at what I thought was the fork, but now I'm not sure. It was a nice hike, not much exciting scenery but great views of the mountains to the north and plenty of curious small rocks.
[img]KitFoxCyn by Patricia Boylan, on Flickr[/img]

I came across a number of downed poles and smashed insulators like these, as well as tracks of a road that seemed to go impossible places sometimes.
[img]KitFoxCyn elec pole by Patricia Boylan, on Flickr[/img]

Nephew's flight into Vegas was early enough that we had time in the afternoon to hit some of the touristy places: Badwater, Natural Bridge, and Artist's Palette. He had a great time scrambling up walls and rocks while I watched (and sometimes worried).
[img]Checking Badwater by Patricia Boylan, on Flickr[/img]
[img]NatBridge dryfall partway up by Patricia Boylan, on Flickr[/img]

What he was mostly interested in was backpacking overnight, so the next morning we headed out to Echo Canyon (and thanks again for everyone's advice on handling roads). I drove about three miles in, but choked when I saw the rock steps you need to go over to proceed, so we parked there. He had brought his trumpet, so I suggested we walk in, leaving his backpack by the van, and try out the acoustics. Then, while I continued up slowly, he returned to the van, stowed the trumpet, and caught up with me, easily.
[img]Trumpet in EchoCyn by Patricia Boylan, on Flickr[/img]

While I was ahead, I looked back and spotted this picturesque arch behind me. Since I didn't know how far back he was, I used one of my hiking poles to mark a message in the dust: "Look/back/arch" Amazingly, he caught the message, saw the arch, and erased my marks for me. What a good kid!
[img]EchoCyn arch by Patricia Boylan, on Flickr[/img]

As we hiked up (and up and up), we couldn't help noticing a dark line of liquid running along the center of the track. I guessed oil, nephew thought water, but later we ran into the owner of a red van we passed on the side of the road in the midst of the narrows, and he said it was his transmission fluid. He had tried hiking up canyon to get help, now was heading toward 190 instead. (When we returned the next day, the van was gone, so I guess he "self-rescued" as our camp host put it.) Eye of the Needle was stunning; nephew tried to climb up but I got nervous and called him down. Oh well.
[img]Eye of Needle by Patricia Boylan, on Flickr[/img]

Reached Inyo Mine eventually; after setting up tents across the road, hiked further up but not all the way to the overlook. Nephew had his first meal cold, as I couldn't find the lighter for the stove and my emergency matches turned out to be duds. Then I found it and he ate a second one with hot water. No complaints though - he's pretty hardy. Amusing incident later - I replaced my duds with matches that claimed to be windproof, and they were, as nephew found out while trying to blow one out. I had a cold night without my second sleeping bag, but was grateful that the wind was nothing like the night before, when we had to use the van, suitcases and totes to form a windbreak for the tents down in Texas Springs. In the morning we explored Inyo, with some great morning sun for lighting.
[img]InyoMine ore bin& chute by Patricia Boylan, on Flickr[/img]
[img]InyoMine machinery by Patricia Boylan, on Flickr[/img]
[img]InyoMine wheels by Patricia Boylan, on Flickr[/img]

I'm impressed by the range of colors in these rocks, and how well the house is holding up.
[img]InyoMine stone house by Patricia Boylan, on Flickr[/img]

The hike back down went much easier; I noticed this splash of color on one of the canyon walls.
[img]EchoCyn splashy wall by Patricia Boylan, on Flickr[/img]

And a look at Telescope as I reentered the narrows.
[img]EchoCyn Telescope by Patricia Boylan, on Flickr[/img]

We got back early enough to catch showers and swimming at Stovepipe Wells, and some Dutch oven shrimp pasta for supper, along with sushi that my son brought us from the Xin Bowl in Ridegecrest. And another windy night, but we're getting to be experienced with those. More to follow.

[MojaveGeek]

I'm assuming that sushi was brought in fresh and hadn't been sitting in your van overnight That was how I first read it.

Sounds like a nice way to backpack. Glad you had a good time. Did you hike far enough on the old RR grade (past the road closed barrier) to see the petros on the way back?

No that's not the original Stovepipe well, In fact that must be since the last time I was there, maybe 15 years ago.

Assuming you went up the canyon immediately opposite the Stovepipe dirt road, you were following the canyon which had the old road from Daylight Pass, and the poles you saw were from the Rhyolite / Skidoo telephone line. If you'd gone up the right main fork, you'd eventually have come across some intermittent pieces of the old road, a rusted out car body or two, and the, once above the main hills, the old road runs pretty much straight to around Hells Gate.

One of the earliest hikes I ever did was to go up a canyon right across the pavement from the historical marker for the wagon wheel ruts, pop up to the flats above (any fork gets you up there), then head north till picking up the road trace, and back down to canyon with the poles. It was just myself and my 3 1/2 yr old daughter on my back, and one of my first hikes ever in DV, so very memorable!

Nice pix, thanks for the TR!

[Bluegreen kayak]

Thank you for the information on the pipe and Kit Fox canyon. Yes, I did see the petroglyphs - a first time event for me - but I wasn't sure how much to mention, as I know sometimes people do dumb things. For instance, I noticed that someone in 2020 wrote their name and the date inside the ore chute, which was saddening. I found the petro images to be odd; not so much animal or people shapes as these rounded rectangles with lines through them. The only inference I've been able to draw is perhaps some form of marking time? Very curious.
[img]EchoCyn petroglyphs by Patricia Boylan, on Flickr[/img]

And yes, the sushi was that day's delivery. My son works in Ridgecrest and so he joins me on the weekends when I visit Death Valley. I save my more challenging adventures for when he's with me.

[MojaveGeek]

Yes, you are right to keep unpublished petros out of public view.  In the case of these, though, they are well known and I have definitely seen them in at least one pub.  But easy to not see when you are walking up.  Those ones are strange, so many the same shapes, I have no idea how to read them.

Ah nice to have fresh sushi delivered out to DV!

Eight years ago there was a nice ram skull in the wash near the petros, hope it was still there when you went through but not so likely  You might have made your nephew pose like I made Ben

[netllama]

Thanks for some more fantastic photos, plus the lovely trip report!

[Bluegreen kayak]

Mojave Geek, that picture of Ben is so delightful. Alas, I didn't see any skulls around.  My nephew did find a fuzzy live caterpillar on a rock near his tent, not the kind of wildlife I normally associate with Death Valley.

[TacoLand]

Thanks for sharing the great pictures & trip report! Can totally relate to your Echo Canyon rock steps experience ... more than once have I driven somewhere in DV and found myself saying, "nope!" That's all part of the adventure though and looks like you and your nephew made the absolute best of it. Thanks again for both of your reports.