A study in contrasts

Death Valley NP, California December 2012

Merry Christmas!

The morning started off at -190 feet elevation and about 60°F. Half an hour later we were at nearly 5500 ft elevation and 34°F. The view from Dante's Peak gave a stunning image of the valley. From this height the breadth of salt flats at Badwater Basin is striking and the flatness of the valley is notable.

The ridges on either side were created by the shifting and uplifting of the earth along fault lines. The steepness of Dante's Peak is disorienting in much the same way as the Grand Canyon. For the movie buffs, several scenes from the planet Tatooine in "Star Wars" were filmed here, including shots from Dante's Peak.

As with much (most?) of the West, mining was a significant industry in creating wealth, history, and folklore. Death Valley was mined extensively for borax. For six years, the borax was transported by 20-mule teams. Subsequently, the mules were replaced by steam engine, much to their relief.

There are over a hundred mines in the park and some have active claims being reviewed by the federal government. Throughout the park, there is evidence of these mines.

In the picture above, the nearly vertical layers clearly show the lift caused by the shifting faults.

Leading off the valley floor are scores of slot canyons. By their very nature, they are not someplace you want to be in a rainstorm. After leaving 5500 ft, we journeyed down to -100-ish for a trek through Golden Canyon.

This relatively short (3 miles round trip) takes you up to the base of red cliffs aptly named the "Red Cathedral." The walls of the canyon are a pale yellow gold color with lots of green bands from the oxidized ferrous minerals.

I've been tracking our hikes with a pedometer app on my phone. The GPS is remarkably accurate, staying within about 25-30 feet elevation. From the parking lot for the Golden Canyon to the base of the Red Cathedral was approximately 1000 feet.

The view was tremendous and not a soul around. (We did see snow, albeit from across the way, on Christmas Day.)

Of course, what goes up must also come down.

Back safe in our room.