Hello and some trip reports Jan 22

[TacoLand]

Nice photos & reports, thanks for taking the time to share!

[MojaveGeek]

Yup, Mummy is short but sweet. But as you clearly know, what you see along the way is as important as getting there.

[DeathValleyDazed]

Thanks for this fun filled trip report and photos. Love those butterflies!

[John Morrow]

Keane Wonder Mine

SO MUCH FUN.

Enough said!

Fantastic, Daymoth!  Keep 'em coming.

[Daymoth]

Right I  managed to find some time for more DV photos.

Red Wall Canyon.

So after Mummy canyon we had some hours of daylight to spare. We had no plan, no guidebook,no internet. I sugested we go to Mosaic since we havent done it in years. We drove all the way to the trailhead to find like 20 cars there and husband NOPEd the hell out and turned around ignoring my protests.

So next thing we tried was to check out Marble wich is in my to do list. But even if this time we rented an SUV for the trip, the road started to get sandier and sandier so we turned around.

I was getting quite frustrated because with 2-3h of light is not like we could just go on an exploring mission. But I started looking in my downloaded folder see what was saved from my previous readings on DV. And yay! I had a gps pointer from birdandhike and a report from Kauri up to the first obstacle of Red Wall.

Well lets check it out.

The approach was an awful slog. The type you have to constantly concentrate not to trip and roll your ankle. We got to the canyon right at sunset.



We explored during twilight and it was gorgeous. After a week of red canyons in Utah this one still managed to have us wooing and aaahing.





We met a guy near the chokestone, his buddy was exploring the narrows. I think its the first time we meet somebody in these offtrail canyons. But DV seemed busier than ever. When we got to the chokestone it was headlamp and return to car time.

The way back on the wash suuuucked. But I really want to go back and try make it pass the obstacle ( if there is a rope still there), despite the shitty wash.

[DeathValleyDazed]

When the light and scenery is gorgeous like this you want the Sun to stop so you can soak it all in like a long hot bath.

[Daymoth]

Unrelated note. What the f are these temps right now? I was hoping we could squeeze in the long weekend in DV but its already 85F???

The DV hiking in nice temps season cant possibly be finished

[DAW89446]

I don’t know what current temps are. But in my decades of exploring DVNP year round, I’ve learned and have taken advantage of latitude and elevation. As the lower valley warms up, I head north and up. Plenty of goodies to find, even those not in the guidebooks and forums.

[MojaveGeek]

Sounds like you had options in mind.  Once I walked up Titus in rain from the lot, and on the way back down encountered a school bus (literally) worth of people!  But it is beautiful when the walls are wet.

Redwall... You really didn't like the approach, did you?    I don't consider that one too bad.  It is getting more use, based on my infrequent visits. Glad you liked it.  People say "never trust a rope that has been hanging out in the elements for unknown amounts of time".    Well I've never seen a rope there so never risked my bones on one.

If you pass the chockstone, things are very narrow, pretty, and twisty, but only for a short time.  



There is a bypass, which was posted on the old forum by Talus Jack.  I went over it once.  Go back downstream from the dryfall until you can see a route going up a rocky ramp on the south side.   It drops down steeply on the other side.   Looks scary but it actually isn't.   We are near the top of the pic below.   My son was 12 at the time.



Finally, as DAW says, you can always find some fun there, but you need to pay attention to temps and wind.  If windy, go in a canyon - the dust won't be sand blasting your skin in there.   If hot, go high - think Towne Pass area, Wildrose etc. area, Dante's view / Greenwater valley area.   As long as you get a breeze, you're usually OK.   Or, if hot, get out really early and hike some place with a bit of mid day shade - canyon walls, steep walls of a wash, etc.

I'm going to be out last week of March.  Yes, it could be rather hot!  But I wanted to sleep at SPW and it was all booked up earlier, months ago. Suggests heavy usage this spring, in part pent up demand from last spring I bet.

[DAW89446]

An example of what I was speaking of with altitude and latitude. From my field notes May 2, 2000.

Two other authors and I had camped overnight near the Inyo Mine in Echo Canyon. Temperatures at that altitude were comfortable. The morning of the 2nd we hiked to the ghost town site of Schwab. It was cool enough for a sweatshirt. Returning uphill to our trucks, one of the authors, from the Portland area, started getting a heat induced migraine. It was warm enough exiting Echo Canyon that I turned on the AC. It was 92º at Furnace Creek at noon when we arrived. After some discussion I suggested spending the afternoon and camping the night in the Gold Mountain area, camping at Stateline ghost town at 6,000 feet. Wildflowers were in heavy bloom in the Crankshaft Crossing area and lower Tule Canyon. It was in the upper 60s at Stateline when we arrived at 4:00. It was pretty chilly by sunset and the water in my coffee pot on my Coleman had ice in it the following morning.