Mojave National Preserve

Before we start our own episode of Death Valley Days, we stopped off at the Mojave National Preserve. For you youngsters, Death Valley Days was a TV series from 1952-1970 hosted for a while by Ronald Reagan – yes, that Ronald Reagan. What we pictured the Mojave National Preserve to be and what we found are two different things. We figured on there being sand dunes, but we didn’t expect the canyons, mountains, mesas, and the largest Joshua tree forest in the US. Our original plan was to stay 2 or 3 days and then move on. But when we got here and saw the uniqueness and diversity of the untamed wilderness here, we tacked on a couple more days.

Hiking

There are several hiking opportunities here. Some we had to drive a ways for. The preserve is 1.6 million acres, after all. Others started at our campsite.

Barber Peak Loop Trail

We started with a hike within walking distance of camp. The Barber Peak Loop trail is a relatively easy walk around the base of Barber Peak, which is the view from our campsite. The trail starts at the end of the campground. The trail passes through open range cattle land and there is plenty of evidence of that on the trail. Away from the trail, Todd, away! That’s right use the bucket! (Seinfeld fans will get that).

As you gain elevation on the first turn, you come across some interesting formations of ash from a previous volcanic eruption..

The back side of the peak is dry and dusty with the trail sometimes following a Jeep trial. We had to keep a sharp eye out for the brown trail markers as they blended in with the surrounding landscape. Still, the views of the peak were impressive. There were some moments of greenery and flowers. There were also some trees that were the victims of lightning strikes.

Things get much more interesting once you round the bend and head towards the home stretch. This side shows much more of the ash formations from volcanic eruptions exhibiting large cavities on the cliff faces. In addition, there is more vegetation, including yucca trees and cacti as you climb over the rise. Dropping down the backside of the rise brings you to the Banshee Canyon. This is the hardest part of the hike and the most fun. The canyon is quite unusual. It’s a short slot canyon enclosed by volcanic rocks worn smooth by occasional floodwaters. There’s a nice, shady spot for a rest before you climb through a narrow slot with metal rings attached to the rock to assist in the climb. If you aren’t up for the challenge of the Banshee Canyon, you can loop around on the Rings Lop Trail to the other side.

Teutonia Peak Trail/Cima Dome

One would think that Joshua Tree National Park contains the largest Joshua tree forest anywhere. Not so. The Teutonia Peak Trail passes through part of the Cima Dome, which features the densest and largest Joshua tree grove in the US. That is until August 15, 2020 when a lightning strike started the Dome Fire and burned almost 44,000 acres, including 80-85% of the Joshua trees here. I’m not a Joshua tree-ologist but I’m told these trees will not come back. Extraordinary natural circumstances created this grove and are extremely unlikely to replicate themselves. Invasive grasses like red brome will probably populate where natural blackbrush used to be. It’s an other-worldly looking landscape right now. It’s extremely sad to see.

The trail begins in the burn-scarred Joshua tree graveyard. Amazingly, the trail passes by an un-burned section of the forest on one side of the trail with burned trees on the other. Here you can get a good idea of what the landscape looked like before the fire.

After about 1.5 miles, the trail begins to climb Teutonia Peak. Following the switch backs around the back of the mountain opens up a nice view of the Cima Dome. The dome 1,500 feet tall and covers seventy square miles. This is a geological oddity. The Dome is a 15-mile wide, 1,500 foot tall mound of granite that has weathered from its original craggy mountain profile into a smoothly sloping mound. You get the impression of looking at the horizon through a fish-eyed lens. It’s the most symmetrical dome of its type in the United States. If that bit of intelligence doesn’t float your boat, the views from the top are fantastic.

The Cima Dome and the burned remnants of the Joshua tree forest

White Cross WW I Memorial

Across the road from the Teutonia Peak trailhead is the White Cross WW I Memorial. A group of veterans who erected the cross in 1934 on Sunrise Rock to honor those killed during the war. Of course, a religious symbol like a cross on public land can’t go unchallenged in court. The cross was boarded up in 2002 after a lower court ruling cited constitutional issues with the separation of church and state. After more court battles, Congress transferred ownership of Sunrise Rock and the surrounding land to a veterans group in 2012, removing it from the Mojave National Preserve and eliminating the separation of church and state argument. The monument was rededicated on Veterans Day, 2012.

Kelso Dunes

On our Drive to check out the Kelso Depot, we saw these sand dunes standing out in the middle of nowhere. It seems odd but evidently, there is a good geological reason. So here’s your geology lesson. The story of the Kelso Dunes begins between 2 and 5 million years ago when the Mojave River started flowing from west to east. The river, carrying sediments from the San Berdino Mountains, filled Lake Manix.

About 25,000 years ago, the lake drained for some reason, with the rushing water forming Afton Canyon. As the land got drier and hotter, more and more sediment was exposed. The crosswinds and eddies caused by the nearby Granite and Providence Mountains blew the newly formed sediments here. Most North American dunes formed the same way. Winds deposited sand in lakes in interior drainage basins and then blew into dunes. You are now smarter for having read this post.

Another interesting tidbit – Winter and summer bring predominant winds from different directions so the shapes and patterns of individual dunes varies daily and seasonally. On the Kelso Dunes, crests travel back and forth within a zone of 30-40 feet wide, like sea waves. It just happens too slowly for people to notice. The geological knowledge you’re gaining here is unparalleled.

Only seven known sand dune fields in North America produce booming, and the Kelso Dunes are one of them. It’s a deep, eerie, rumbling sound you can feel through your entire body. The best way to hear the booming is to have a big group all on the crest at the same time trying to shove off as much sand as possible, like an avalanche. For dunes to boom, the grains of sand must be smooth and uniform. Since the sand traveled 35 miles to get to the Kelso Dunes, the individual grains here are extremely well-rounded and smooth. The sand must also be dry. Visitors will have more luck with this if they are on a crest no one has walked on for awhile. There is a trail out to the dunes for those who want to give this a try.

Granite Mountains Natural Reserve

Before we got to the Kelso Dunes, we passed a scenic pull-off looking out at these rugged, granite mountains that seem almost out of place. The mountains turned out to be the Granite Mountains Natural Reserve. The Reserve is a research and teaching center managed by UC Riverside on 9000 acres of land sitting in the Mojave National Preserve. I’m not sure what they research or teach but the view was nice.

Mitchell Caverns

There are a number of other, non-hike related activities to check out in the Mojave National Preserve. Among them are Mitchell’s Caverns, a trio of spectacular limestone caves hidden in a hillside at Providence Mountains State Recreation Area. After being closed for seven years, Mitchell Caverns reopened in late 2017. It’s closed again right now due to Covid. Yet another reason Covid sucks. When open, there is an hour-long guided tour to see the caverns and their remarkable dagger-like formations. Tours are by reservation only and take place Fridays through Sundays and on holiday Mondays.

Kelso Depot

Kelso Depot seems like a strange location for a railroad stop. It’s in the middle of a desert with nothing much around. But for the Union Pacific, it was a necessity. Since its inception in 1862, the Union Pacific wanted a foothold on the West Coast. After reaching Portland, Oregon, the company wanted to tap into the markets in California, especially those around Los Angeles. The Union Pacific needed to construct a railroad line across the Mojave Desert to make that possible. Kelso was crucial to reaching that goal.

The two percent grade from Kelso to the summit of Cima (formerly Kessler Summit) doesn’t seem like much. But in the age of steam, that climb meant that extra “helper engines” needed to be stationed nearby to help them up the grade. Also, water was essential for steam locomotives. Kelso, being located at the bottom of the hill and having a reliable water source from a nearby spring, fit the bill perfectly. The first depot at Kelso opened in 1905, quickly followed by a post office, an engine house and a lunch room for railroad employees and passengers on trains with no dining cars.

The population of Kelso grew to almost 2,000 with he help of a nearby iron ore mine. The mine closed in 1944 and with diesel engines started replacing steam, The usefulness of the Kelso Depot diminished. The depot function ended in 1962, although the restaurant and boarding rooms were still in use. In 1985 the Union Pacific decided to close the Kelso Depot entirely. The depot has been restored and would be a great place to spend some time and learn some history except it’s closed due to Covid. Have I mentioned that Covid sucks?

Death Valley National Park

Now onto our episode of Death Valley Days. Death Valley is the hottest and driest place on earth. The hottest temperature ever recorded on earth was 134 degrees in 1913 and averages two inches of rainfall a year. It also boasts the lowest elevation in North America at 282 feet below sea level. The valley itself is a long narrow basin surrounded by steep mountain peaks. The lack of water results in a lack of plant life, exposing the rocks and sand of the valley floor to the constant heating of the sun. The radiant heat cannot escape however, due to the surrounding peaks, trapping the hot air in the valley, where it continually gets reheated by the sun. Not only did you get a geology lesson earlier, but now you got a meteorological one. You are going to be so smart after reading this.

Sunset over the desert near Death Valley.

Now onto our episode of Death Valley Days. We found a place to boondock outside the park on Furnace Creek – Washington Road near Shoshone, CA. There was almost no one there so we had our privacy vs. the campgrounds inside the park that were basically just parking lots. Also, there is very little light pollution here so the night skies are absolutely brilliant. There were a couple nice sunsets as well.

Furnace Creek

The town of Furnace Creek, population 24 at the last census, is at the center of Death Valley. This is where meteorologist recorded the highest temperature on earth of 134 degrees. Springs in the Amargosa Mountain Range created a natural oasis at Furnace Creek, which became the mining and operations center for the Pacific Coast Borax Company and the historic 20 Mule Teams. The village is home to the visitor center, museum, and headquarters of the park. There are also several public campgrounds, basically just parking lots in the desert. There are also a restaurant, café, store, and gas station in Furnace Creek village. The Furnace Creek Airport is located less than a mile west of the park headquarters. The Oasis at Death Valley is a resort complex here and is now the main tourist attraction with two hotels, restaurants, and shopping. There’s even a golf course.

The Furnace Creek Golf Course attached to the ranch claims to be the lowest in the world (definitely in the US) at 214 feet below sea level. Temperatures can exceed 125 °F in the summer but the golf course remains open. The resort established a summer tournament in 2011 called the Heatstroke Open which drew a field of 48. So plan your next golf outing here. I imagine you can get some prime tee times and great rates in July and August.

Harmony Borax Mine

Earlier, I mentioned the TV series Death Valley Days. The Pacific Coast Borax Company, maker of 20 Mule Team Borax and Boraxo, sponsored the series. Which seems appropriate since Death Valley was the site of a number of borax mines in the early 1900’s, the Harmony mine being one of them. Twenty mule teams pulled massive wagons hauling borax from the Harmony Borax Works near Furnace Creek to the Kelso Depot, a grueling 165 mile, ten day trip across primitive roads. Although the teams only ran for the six years from 1883 to 1889, they made an enduring impression of the Old West. Thus the successful advertising campaign for 20 Mule Team Borax soap.

One of the last remaining wagons used to haul borax

Badwater Basin

Not only is Death Valley the hottest and driest place on earth, it’s also the lowest in North America. Badwater Basin sits at 282 feet below sea level. There is a small pool of undrinkable water from a spring near the road. There are stories that a mule belonging to an early prospector refused to drink the water due to the salt, thus earning the basin its name. This used to be the site of the ancient inland Lake Manly. Lake Manly had no outlet, leading to the accumulation of salt and sediment over time. The lake eventually evaporated, leaving behind concentrated salt deposits. You can take a short stroll out onto the salt flats from the boardwalk.

If you take a look behind the sign in the picture below, you can see salt polygons. These form as groundwater rises up and then evaporates , leaving the salty residue. It was a cool 100 when we were there. Not much walking around happening for us. An interesting note: a mere 85 miles west from the lowest point in North America is Mt. Whitney, the highest point in the lower 48 states. Some people make it a personal goal to hike from Badwater Basin to the peak of Mt. Whitney. Well, good for them.

Dante’s View

The surrounding mountain peaks offer spectacular views out over the valley. At a little less than 6,000 feet directly above Badwaters Basin is Dante’s View. Dante’s View is named for the writer of the Divine Comedy where he describes the nine circles of Hell, the Seven terraces of Purgatory, and the nine spheres of Heaven. I can tell you one of the circles of Hell is down at Badwaters. It’s hot as you know what down there! It’s about a 25 degree temperature difference from Badwaters to Dante’s View.

There are a couple paths taking you out to the edge offering dramatic panoramic views of the valley below and the surrounding mountains. viewpoints Since the park is open 24/7, this is a great spot to view the night sky. A note for Star Wars fans: Dante’s View was the filming location for the 1977 film where the characters overlook the fictional Tatooine spaceport of Mos Eisley.

This gentleman decided to make it a personal goal to ride his bike up the 23 1/2 mile access road to the top. The climb is almost 4,000 feet with the last five miles a steep 17% incline. He arrived at the top to the thunderous applause of everyone there. Well, good for him.

Zabriskie Point

Zabriskie Point is another panoramic overlook of colorful, undulating gullies and mud hills at the edge of the Black Mountains, just a few miles east of the valley. From this viewpoint, the flat salt plains on the valley floor are visible in the distance. This area formed from the sediments of Furnace Creek Lake, which dried up long before Death Valley was a thing. In the past, you could drive right to the edge of the overlook, but the powers that be built a new, larger parking lot lower down. It’s now a short walk uphill to enjoy the view. There are some trails that meander through the dunes for those not content with just admiring the scenery. Also, filmmakers shot several minutes of the movie Zabriskie Point here.

Mesquite Dunes

This is what we imagined Death Valley to be like – a sea of sand as far as the eye can see. A few dried logs scattered about and maybe even the skull of a long dead steer. In reality, only one percent of Death Valley is covered with dunes. As with the Kelso Dunes, there must be a source of sand, prevailing winds to move the sand, and a place for the sand to collect. Here, the eroded canyons and washes provide plenty of sand, the wind seems to always blow, but there are only a few areas in the park where the sand collects due to Death Valley’s geographic features. These dunes are the best known and easiest to visit in the national park. Although the highest dune rises only about 100 feet, the dunes actually cover a vast area.

Devil’s Golf Course

When I first saw this on the map of Death Valley, I thought I should make a round of golf part of my episode of Death Valley Days. Playing golf in Death Valley would make an excellent story. I didn’t realize it wasn’t an actual golf course. Instead, it’s an immense area of rock salt eroded by wind and rain into jagged spires. The formations are so incredibly serrated that “only the devil could play golf on such rough links,” according to a line in the 1934 national Park Service guide. If you’re really quiet you’ll hear tiny pops and pings as the billions of tiny salt crystals burst apart as they expand and contract in the heat.

Natural Bridge

A popular hike in Death Valley is to the Natural Bridge even though there is a 13 mile drive down a rough dirt road to access the trail head. The first part of the trail is a bit tiring hiking uphill on the gravel floor. Hiking back out is much less strenuous. About half a mile in, the canyon walls close in and the 50-foot tall natural bridge comes into view. This is the main attraction of the hike. But around the bend is an impressive dry waterfall. Further on, there is a large boulder lodged in the narrow part of the canyon. You can get around that easily and then climb a sloping marble dry falls. The trail ends at another 20 foot dry falls. Then turn around, go back under the bridge and down 13 miles of jarring dirt road one more time.

Artists Drive

The most popular scenic drive in the park is Artists Drive. It doesn’t take a genius to figure out how it got its name. The narrow, 9-mile, one way road winds through multicolored, eroded hills. Volcanic deposits of different compositions, such as iron oxides and chlorite, formed these colorful hills, giving them a rainbow effect. Artists Drive is beautiful any time of day, but the colors are most dramatic during afternoon light.

There are a couple turn outs to get some spectacular shots. One is Artist Palette with the colors resembling something you might find on, of all things, an artist’s palette. If you’re a Star Wars fan, this may look familiar as filming for parts of Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope occured here. This drive is one-way and has a vehicle length restriction of 25 feet due to dramatic dips and sharp turns so leave your RV back at camp.

Closing Credits

Thus Concludes our episode of Death Valley Days, hosted this time by yours truly. We’re starting our journey east now that the weather is improving back home. We still have some stops to make on the way home. Our next destination is Zion National Park. You can check in on our experiences there by clicking here.

Our Episode of Death Valley Days