Ten Days In Death Valley - Volume One

[GowerGulch42]

I'm curious to know what that looks like. Can you (or anyone else reading this) share a picture or two?

I looked into those core holes. They were sampled in 1986 by USGS researchers compiling a map of geologic units across the Mojave Desert (and to fill in some local Death Valley geologic maps). The rocks of that and the neighboring lava-capped hills are a miocene andesite flow correlated to the opening and rifting of Death Valley ~8.6 million years ago. Theres a great resource called EarthChem where the world's geochemists submit geochemistry for viewing and download.

[DeathValleyDazed]

I did cross at the Corduroy Bridge, as much to check it out as anything.  I can’t remember muck being too much of a problem.  I seem to remember a few places where I picked my path carefully. But nothing that got too bad. Maybe it was just really dry?

My theory about the muck and Corduroy Road Bridge as a crossover point is that the Salt Creek is the narrowest at the location making the bridge even possible. I recall from my two visits to the bridge that i wore regular hiking boots ok. However, cross the valley floor in most other parts is why I never regret using the good ol' Walmart Rubber boots. Check out my video reply to GowerGulch below about the Corduroy Bridge for more details.

[DeathValleyDazed]

I'm curious to know what that looks like. Can you (or anyone else reading this) share a picture or two

Andrew, you're wealth of geo information and I'm so impressed you sleuthed out those core samples. I'm lucky enough just to guess that they were "core samples" and not evidence of Aliens mining our planet.   Check out my video of the Corduroy Bridge here:

[MojaveGeek]

Gower, that's amazing detective work, thanks!

Dazed, looking forward to all the videos when I have a few minutes

With respect to Aquereberry Point, I'm glad we have a first hand report of the Wet Fork. There was also, "back in the day", a recognized driveable route down the Dry Fork, which does not go by Blackwater Spring AFAIK - hence the name. I've gone down the dry fork some distance. There's an old road and some junked auto bodies from the Harrisburg site. My companions were sort of mocking my claims that people used to come up the Dry Fork until we discovered an old road sign - just the post - at a key junction in there. And a horse shoe.

BTW we made a nice loop of that by going back up one of the forks headed toward Skidoo, and then following the route of the old pipeline back to Harrisburg on an outrageously windy but fun day.

[DeathValleyDazed]

With respect to Aquereberry Point,

OK, now all of you are adding more to my Aquereberry bucket list for the next DEVA visit, hopefully this spring. Here's why. I had plans for a novel explore of Aquereberry Point area for my recently concluded trip to DEVA but I got timed and weathered out of this plan. Now with all of the new intelligence that my forum buds have just provided I've ramped up my plans and will need to spend considerable more time in the area next visit. I'm chomping at the bit harder than an old prospecting burro in anticipation.

[Bluegreen kayak]

DVD, what a great Christmas present - wonderful videos of some terrific scenery! Thank you very much.