DV 2025 DVII: The Quickening

[Beardilocks]

This was a canyon that I dipped my toe into a couple of years ago with Brice.  We were out exploring an undocumented canyon we ended up calling Glitter Canyon and poked our noses up this canyon that shares a drainage with it.  But we had other goals that day and didn't explore it fully. 

So I decided to make another incomplete attempt at flushing this canyon out after an already full day of hiking and the light fading early as it likes to in January in the desert.

Honestly, my memory of this canyon was that we would likely hit an impassable dryfall very quickly, so I didn't re-document any of the lower canyon.  So the first few pics here are from when I checked out the lower canyon a few years ago.

The first set of falls start a little ways up the canyon after the lower part carves it's way through a gorgeous polished concrete section with large embedded stones that housewives in Salt Lake City would pay a small fortune to have as their kitchen counter tops. 

The wash base then transitions to dolomite limestone that is polished to a white marble that make up the first of a seemingly never ending string of china teacups pouring one into the next up the slope of the mountain.  So I have dubbed it "100 Teacups Canyon".  Until I go back and count how many teacups there actually are. 

The first set of falls is fun to climb and doesn't offer too large of a challenge.






At this point the canyon splits very oddly, with a deep canyon on the left that ends in a huge dryfall, a steep ridge of dolomite in the middle, and then the continuation of the teacups on the right.  The first set of teacups on the right can be climbed or bypassed but eventually you hit a ~15ft fall that is too steep & slick to climb. 





I found the easiest bypass at this point was surprisingly the dolomite ridge in the center.  There are a few steep bits, one or two with some exposure, but the extra-grippy elephant-skin dolomite, makes the going safe & easy. 

Looking back at only part of the ridiculously long string of teacups.





The smooth-carved dolomite is absolutely gorgeous. 





Looking up at the next section after the ridge-bypass.  This section curves to the north and is a series of either easily climbable or bypass-able smaller teacups. 








At this point the teacups are interrupted briefly by a new strata. 


And then another section of dolomite with easily-bypassed falls. 


At this point the rock starts to take on an incredibly pretty blue-green hue. 


Choose-your-own-adventure here: climb or bypass. 


And then you hit this monster.  Around 25ft of smooth green gorgeous dryfall. 


I was very surprised to find an almost too-good-to-be-true bypass on the left side.  It had only one section with some real exposure, but there were solid hand/footholds galore and it was far from vertical. 

Me at the top.


Immediately at the top of the first green fall was this series of two smaller green falls.  Both were rather easily climbed, but shorter folks might need a leg-up.  There was also a possible bypass on the left that I didn't explore. 


Once up the double-green falls you immediately spot this monster a few hundred feet away:


A very steep set of teacups gouged into the terrain.  I would guestimate the height at 50-75ft, depending on where it ends. 


And this where I ran out of time yet again in this canyon.  Lol.  At a glance, with the light fading and on extremely tired legs, this fall looked impassable.  But now I'm filled with doubt.  Studying the satellite pics I can't see any possible bypass that doesn't basically come in from the top or start from miles away.  But the canyon looks deep and impressive above this fall. 

And now, safely in my truck and rested, I look at the photos and think “but IS it really unclimbable??”  I may have to go back a 3rd time to see for sure….


As I started to turn to head back, I saw this across the canyon.  At first I thought it was a group of bundles stored in a cave.  But the best I can tell it's rocks of a different type eroding out of a cave?  What in the geology??


Heading back down from the base of the large green fall.


This is really a stunning canyon.





Gratuitous photos.






This canyon is easily one of my favorite unknown canyons that I've ever explored in Death Valley.  It's stunningly beautiful, 100% unique in the area, fun, just challenging enough, and with fascinating geology.  I think I need to go back, if not to see if that Final Boss of Teacups is undefeatable, but to experience the whole canyon as it's own pleasure and not tacked onto another journey where I'm rushing to beat the sun back to my truck.  It's a very special place.