Death Valley 2022/23

[Beardilocks]

I'll disclose the location of this one because there's nothing left to protect really.  I stopped by the Coville Rock Shelter in Lost Burro Gap.  It was excavated in the 1950's when the road was re-done to accommodate the growing motor-tourist industry in DEVA amongst fears that the sites would be looted by tourists/artifact hunters.  Dozens of other caves were also checked for signs of habitation and harvested of all artifacts.  

Climbing to these caves is extremely hazardous and, ultimately, I found it rather disappointing.  Most, if not all of the caves have been swept free of anything at all that would have made them interesting and it's really not worth the risk you're undertaking.  But the views were nice at least...

The Coville Structure was literally wiped clean.  I actually thought I was in the wrong place.  It's not a cave so much as a wide shelf with nothing on it.




Truck for scale.


Looking towards Racetrack Valley.


The Racetrack was flooded in spots and totally too wet to walk on.  Luckily it's my 5th or 6th time here so no biggie.


Time for dinner.


Great view of Hidden Valley for sunset.


Racetrack Rd is in fabulous condition for the moment.  No doubt it will be a washboarded mess within a week or so.  When I went up LBG there were 3 tea kettles at Tea Kettle Junction (NPS had just harvested them a week prior).  When I came out 2 days later there were over a dozen.  Crazy.

Hidden Valley Rd is in great condition as well.  The same cannot be said for White Top Rd.  It hasn't been touched since the flooding last summer.  It was easily passable in anything with reasonable clearance up to 6500ft, where large patches of snow still exist.  I was the first vehicle up that far since the last big snow at least, maybe much longer.