Grand Canyon - Boucher, Tonto, Bright Angel - Thimble Peak & Titus Canyon Road - April 2010

Return to alavigne.net home

NOTE: You have javascript disabled in your browser. This presentation will continue to function, but with only basic capabilities. In order to view this presentation will full capabilities, please enable javascript in your browser, then refresh this page.

[< Previous Page]

[page 1] [page 2] [page 3] [page 4] [page 5]

[Next Page >]

Descending the Dunes

Ripply Texture

Mud flats and dunes

Click to view full-size with photo points

Interactive Trackmap, Stovepipe Wells Sand Dunes Walk

Stovepipe Wells Dunes Walk

Start Time: 6:58a.m.

End Time: 8:36a.m.

Duration: 1h37m

Distance: 3.66 km (2.27 mi)

Average Speed: 2.3 km/hr (1.4 mph)

Start Elevation: -46ft (-14m) *

Max Elevation: 76ft (23m) *

Min Elevation: -81ft (-25m) *

End Elevation: -21ft (-7m) *

* : +/- 75 feet

Total Elevation Gain: 152ft (46m) *

Total Elevation Loss: 126ft (38m) *

* : +/- 75 feet

Elevation Graph

We headed further south along Death Valley's main north-south highway, gradually descending lower and lower below sea level. We were entering the world of the evaporite basin, where mineral and salt-laden waters flow down, dry up, and deposit their load in wide, flat sheets.

Ahead and Behind

Blooming Desert Sunflower

DV cycle event

Along the way we stopped to take pictures of the many blooming flowers (we were lucky enough to have arrived during the spring bloom), the remnants of the old mining days in the park (for example, at the old Borax Works site), and other curious phenomena.

Borax Works

20-mule team wagons

We turned off onto a short dirt side road to visit the Devil's Golf Course - a fascinating spot where a large plain of salt has been differentially uplifted and eroded into a sea of sharp, jagged foot-high mounds and towers, stretching away as far as the eye can see. Do not fall while walking amongst this hummocky terrain, or you will get wounds -- with salt rubbed into them automatically as a bonus!

Devil's Golf Course

Sharp Salt Formations

courtesy PChen

Devil's Golf Course Formations

Salt Formations Closeup

We next moved on a short ways down the road to Badwater. Badwater is a spot on the eastern edge of the floor of Death Valley that marks the lowest point of elevation, at 282 feet below sea level. I once thought that this was the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere, but it turns out that there's a slightly lower spot somewhere in South America. Still, it's the lowest point on the North American continent.

Badwater

Badwater view

From this low point, a wide salt flat extends out miles and miles to the west. Death Valley had experienced rains the month before, causing the intermittent streams that feed this basin to flow for a short while, creating a wide, shallow lake of water. This had recently dried up, and a fresh new (and blinding white) layer of salt was laid down. It was upon this slightly damp layer of fresh salt that we took a stroll out into an untouched area of the flats.

courtesy JInnes

Badwater Sign

Heading out onto the flats

Heading to whiteness

There's a heavy use path made by the many tourists who stop to check out Badwater. However, if you walk more than half a mile or so, you reach beyond the point where most people turn around. We did this, reaching a point where the footsteps stopped and the fresh, white salt extended out in all directions. It was blindingly bright out here, as much or more than a pure white snowfield, and it was quite painful to take off one's sunglasses, even for a moment. I'm sure we could have gotten a good reflective tan here, had we stayed for a long time.

Snow and Salt

Bob takes it in

[< Previous Page]

[page 1] [page 2] [page 3] [page 4] [page 5]

[Next Page >]

Send feedback or leave comments (note: comments in message board below are separate from those in above message board)

send feedback |

homemade custom message board

(7 messages)
(last message posted on Mon. Dec. 07, 14:52 EST 2020 by Andrew)