Escape to Death Valley N.P.

While our original plan was to spend the day at Death Valley today, the escape from rainy weather and world problems made it an especially delightful experience! About the only disappointment for the day was THE WIND! Gusts of 25-40 mph (40-65 kph) discouraged us from any of the exploratory trails - indeed at Ubehebe Crater they felt like they could cause dermabrasion and catch us off balance at any time.

Funeral Range to east of Death Valley 

Panamint Range to west of the park

Water on the highway into the Park

(rain the last few days left flooding & snow)

Leaving the Park, we saw a vehicle hydroplane in this water - 

we watched it leave the road in front of us, landing upright 

after it passed through the fence into a slough

Harmony Borax Works historic mining/refining site

20-mule teams hauled the refined borax

165 miles south to Mojave and a railhead in the late 1880s.

The water tank carried 1600 gallons for the mules.

Watching folks on the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes

High winds on the dunes

Only found a few wildflowers in bloom as yet

Most were close to the pavement (warmer? wetter?)

like this beautiful orchid-type bloom

Ubehebe Crater formed about 2,000 years ago.

Would have enjoyed the hike around the perimeter,

or into the crater, but the wind just about blew us over on the rim!

Visitors walking to the water at Badwater basin,

 the lowest point in North America at -282 FT (-86 M) below sea level 

Didn't walk out here either!

Our last activity before leaving the park was a scenic one-way loop through multi-hued hills on Artists' Drive. 

As we drove in, through, and out of the Park, every corner delivered a new sight to behold. The colour, shape and panorama of the landforms was jaw dropping; for those who have driven through the badlands of Alberta you might say that Death Valley is like the Drumheller valley on steroids!!