Death Valley to Joshua Tree (Day 3)

 The musing this morning was "what will be my last meal?"  How will I fill my belly and soul with final views, experiences and thoughts of this most beautifully unforgiving place?

Dante's View - my pick for sunrise. Death Valley's highest place and with it, a long 80 minute drive in the pre-sunrise darkness.  At at elevation over 5000' and with a wind of 50-60 mph, it was nothing short of frigid. 

I tottered out onto the spit, high over valley, my tripod tucked under my arm and found a spot where I could wedge myself between rocks and hug my camera close. Even with ALL of my winter gear on, it was a mental game to stay the course and enjoy watching the environment light up. 

In the parking lot, I watched a dozen little birds darn near fight over a tiny puddle of water on the asphalt. I hadn't seen fresh water ANYWHERE so the struggle was real. I tipped a bit out of my water bottle onto the ground for them and watched their delight and gratitude... 

Mosaic Canyon - A good place to stretch ones legs and there may have been a picture or two but it really was more about the walk! (And still no animals.)  This is technically a slot canyon... but fast forward to my post around Day 11 and slot canyon takes on a whole new, much more claustrophobic feel!

And then there was driving out through Panamint Springs... SHUT THE FRONT DOOR! I did not leave enough time today (or in a lifetime) to do justice to the glorious drive. 

Majestic scenery, beautifully smooth roads that are perfectly cambered and really, hardly anyone sharing it with me!

Beast and I were very happy to let slow campervans pass us, to stop willy-nilly and to breathe the last of our delicious Death Valley air - a gusty warm wind with no hint of smoke. Long may it last. 

At Father Crowley overlook to Rainbow Canyon there were no daring fly-boys practicing low canyon maneuvers in hyper-expensive military jets. Windy. Way too windy today. So windy in fact, that the metal barrier was singing like a Himalayan meditation bowl!

Google was routing me to southern California along roads that were not part of the original plan... keeping me safe from raging wildfires and unhealthy air quality. It was a long drive and I was simultaneously pleased to arrive at Joshua Tree and get out of the car. Most grateful for the cute and friendly hotel that I had landed at. 

Due to the wind event, the hotel had no power; no lights, no wifi or tv and no hot water. The owner greeted me from reception under flashlight conditions. His computer was down but he found my reservation on his phone!  He was happy to light tea-candles in my room and reassure me that power would come back on soon - But admitted it had been off 10 hours already. I, in turn, reassured him that me and my bottle of wine would be just fine in the dark room! What would be, would be. 

I booked a second night with him after realizing that cleaning and laundry were among the things that were most stressing him out. In return, he let me park in the disabled parking space nearest my room for easy unloading the dark as my room door remained open... because I didn't have a room key-card yet. 

I was grateful for a warm, comfortable, safe space. A clean bed. A friendly face and kind conversation. 

The power did come back on eventually. :-)

A Tale of Two Cities... And Two Seasons! (Day 1)

Here I go:

Road tripping around the southwest for 14 days, solo is the plan. Me, my rental car, accommodation booked on the fly and enough camera and cold weather gear to make any adventure possible. Did 50 year old Dallice still possess the bravery and tenacity that 25 year old Dallice used to have? Let's find out!

I'm not going to lie to you; departing DIA was not a piece of cake!

4am wake up call (but I had already been awake since 3:15am)

5am bus ride - full bus - in the snow and dark.

8am flight not technically delayed but due to blizzard conditions, near zero vis, blowing snow and complications getting flight crew to work on time, we were #50 (exaggerating of course) in line for deicing.

Deicing was fascinating though. I wasted LOTS of battery and memory documenting ground staff drowning us in orange spray; then coloring us green. Drowning themselves too. 

As we waited in line for takeoff, my anxiety was being cultivated and overfed by weird screeching run-up noises, a strong smell of vinegar in the cabin and deteriorating conditions outside. I've flown a wee bit... And this was the first time I felt almost compelled to ditch airplane mode and send a last minute "in case I don't make it" message. The engine nearest me screamed like a wild animal just about to die as we climbed aggressively toward the west. Triggering? Just a bit. 

Later, thousands of feet up in the sky over the Rockies the engine now "normal sounding" and the sun shining into my porthole, life seems back on track - mentally! <3

Rental car fears turned out to be unfounded and before long, I was headed out of Vegas in 'Beast' the 4-runner and driving into super interesting Beatty NV. Burros greeted me as I drove down main street... so I stopped to chat! FRIENDLY little buggers! 5 for the win!

Death Valley, just 8 miles up the road was cool at 58F. 

Windy too. When you wish for a breeze to fling some sand and make it appear the sand dunes are dancing, but you get this... 

... Is it a disappointment? No! It's what over-achievement looks like!

Regardless of whether I was downwind or upwind, every time I opened Beast's window/door, a sand dune hitched a ride. He's going to need a spa day at the end. As will I.

Santa Ana gusts from that wind event in Southern California today? Likely. A little more problematic than it played in my head, but by no means vicious. Just insidious. I had packed for most conditions but didn't imagine this and even if I had, I didn't own a haz-mat suit.

A half mile from Mesquite Flats there were road works - for flood damage. It was the last thing I expected here and yet there was ample evidence of the destructive path of sudden and heavy rains. Where does it go, though?  

Even if/when it saturates Bad Water Basin and pools like a mini representation of the lake 2000 years ago, it's reconstituting pillars of salts and minerals. Undrinkable and I imagine toxic for the plants too.

Death Valley is aptly named.