Lowest point in Death Valley and the lowest point in the American continent. It’s nearly 300 feet below sea level.
There’s a sign on the cliffs marking sea level to does make me feel a little weird. The basin itself is a big field of salt, worn to white where everyone walks, but dusty elsewhere.
There are two parts to the golden trail, there’s a lower part that goes up to the cathedral and then there’s a higher part that leads to a view out over Death Valley similar to the view from Zabriksie point, but you’re actually in the rolling chalky hills
On the walk to the cathedral, I start seeing different characters. There are tall proud cliffs standing to attention, there are droopy hills that are flatter like a fried egg, there are hills like thick blankets tossed into heaps so they undulate and the sun is a character acting in the landscape too. The sun changes how all the other characters look: the proud cliffs can be dark and silhouetted, menacing; or they can be strong and deep red. The undulating hills can look flat when the sun is high in the sky, but look so soft and smooth and gentle when the sun casts its shadow across them
The red rock of the cathedral has been the backdrop of the walk so far, but as we clamber through openings in the rocks ahead of us, we now at its feet
A little scramble and we’re perched on the side of a hill under the cathedral, still underneath it, but no longer at its feet. And now we have a view of the valley below…
From there is a longer walk back down, the around the valley walls. Then up and over the rolling chalky hills. We are much higher than before and the views stretches further out and around us
Amazing
We meant to get up early to see the dunes at sunrise, but we accidentally set the alarm late. So we get up with the sun rather than before the sun. But it gives us a chance to see our camping spot in a different light as we watch the sunrise over the mountains through the windshield.
Our plan for today is to do the Golden Canyon and Lower Gulch walk, then Badwater Basin, Devil’s Golfcourse and Artist’s Pallette. For sunset we plan to go to Zabriskie Point
It’s about a 3 hour drive into Death Valley from he RV park where we stayed. We’re still feeling a bit out of sync, so we decided to have a long sleep and a slow start, heading off at 9am.
Most of the drive is pretty simple, boring highways, getting used to driving on the right (wrong!) side. It’s the last stretch where I start sensing somethings changing. More interesting scenery and signs that warn to turn off air conditioning to avoid overheating.
We climb up and up (not what I expected when heading ‘down’ into Death Valley!). But then the road plateaus and a sign suggests a brake check. We start to descend having passed up the offer. Maybe I was tired, but at first I wasn’t stuck by what I saw: a huge flat expanse with lofty mountains either side (a valley, right?), it didn’t look that cool at first.
We drive to the visitor centre first. As we continue the scenery begins to hint at how cool this place is: the sand dunes in the middle of the valley, huge mountains of all sizes – and colours – all around.
At the visitor centre the thermometer was reading 105° (40°C). That’s pretty hot, for a standard spring afternoon.
Now we drive to our campsite for the next two nights at Mesquite Springs. Our final stop is Ubehebe Crater for sunset.
It’s super windy at the crater! And the colours of the rocks and the sun create warmth and shadows in amazing ways. It’s too windy for us to be comfortable walking the whole way around, so we go up to a vantage point with a couple of beers and watch the sun set.
(The crater we formed a couple of thousand years ago when some magma made its way to an groundwater and caused a superheated steam explosion. The crater is 200m deep and 600m wide!)
After the drama of getting to the airport, everything else runs pretty smoothly.
The flight was good, but a little bit late. Once we land in LA and get phone working the camper van rental place is open.
Initially we were going to get our van in the afternoon, so we head over to drop our bags and look about, but when we arrive it’s ready for us. So let’s get this trip on the road
First stop is super close, only a 5 minute drive to Pann’s Restaurant for our first American diner experience: fried chicken and waffles for me, grilled cheese and ham for Anna. Really hits the spot!
Then we start proper: an easy hour-long drive to an RV park outside LA (a place called Astor).
After checking in it’s out first Walmart experience to stock up before Death Valley tomorrow. More on big Walmart things another time
Mexican beans and a beer for dinner
Below: Anna at the RV park, dinner, and view from bed in the morning
Sunday: Death Valley
