Death Valley Natl Pk Area Rambles Dec. 16-17, 2020

[John Morrow]

From a car camp at the Dublin Hills, I set out for a few peak scrambles over a couple of days.

On the 16th I chose a very long loop from the Greenwater Road.  Heading west up the long sloped bajada I went to the Virgin Spring Divide at Point 1422T west of Epaulet Peak.  It was longish patient going.  From there it was pure fun running the ridge across to and over Epaulet Peak on frequent pieces of fine game trail tread.  Then I continued on to the Calico Peaks and descended back to the GW Road.



Start of a long day by John Morrow, on Flickr



Forever across bajada by John Morrow, on Flickr



First peak in view: Pk 4665'; by John Morrow, on Flickr



Huge gravel bajadas and fans by John Morrow, on Flickr



Epaulet Peak next; Distant Nopah Range by John Morrow, on Flickr



To the Calico Peaks next by John Morrow, on Flickr



gentle canyon by John Morrow, on Flickr



Furnace Creek valley by John Morrow, on Flickr

Camp sunset:


Nopah Range sunset by John Morrow, on Flickr

On the 17th I first drove through Tecopa to the Noonday Mine area for a southside walk up Noon Benchmark at the southern end of the Nopah Range.



Noon Benchmark by John Morrow, on Flickr



Nopah Range by John Morrow, on Flickr



Tecopa by John Morrow, on Flickr


I happened to witness an awesome sandstorm coming up the Silurian Valley sending Dumont Dune sand as far north as my tent (well anchored) in the Dublin Hills 15 miles north!



full on sandstorm by John Morrow, on Flickr



mine site by John Morrow, on Flickr

Later that day i drove up to CA 178 to the Pass where it crosses teh Resting Spring Range toward the Chicago Valley.  The north ridge of Ring Benchmark that begins right on the pass is a very fun scramble on great limestone.



North Ridge Ring Benchmark by John Morrow, on Flickr



nice terrain by John Morrow, on Flickr



along the crest by John Morrow, on Flickr



final ridge scramble a nice look by John Morrow, on Flickr



northern Resting Spring Range by John Morrow, on Flickr



the storm by John Morrow, on Flickr

I decided to make it a loop by descending into the saddle and east wash on solid waterpolished conglomeritic rock.



easy down by John Morrow, on Flickr

The remaining photos:  https://www.flickr.com/photos/23557848@N...7810271398

[netllama]

Thanks for sharing. Your photo trip reports are fantastic!

[GowerGulch42]

Wonderful! That Nopah Range scenery is impressive!

[MojaveGeek]

Thanks, and those are some really nice photos! That distant view of the sand storm is pretty impressive. And speaking of impressive, that's quite a ridge run over Epaulet! I really like that area of Greenwater Valley. There is a closed road that you can follow over from the Greenwater road all the way to the base of Epaulet and its a very scenic route. You went much much further than that, of course!

[John Morrow]

Thanks, and those are some really nice photos!  That distant view of the sand storm is pretty impressive.  And speaking of impressive, that's quite a ridge run over Epaulet!  I really like that area of Greenwater Valley.  There is a closed road that you can follow over from the Greenwater road all the way to the base of Epaulet  and its a very scenic route.  You went much much further than that, of course!

The easy footing of the 2 track road may have been a nice relief, even if a little longer.  Unfortunately, from where I parked I couldn't make reasonable use of it!