Death Valley 2019 - Part 2

Another day we revisited a few favorite spots accessed off the Emigrant Canyon Road.  First we headed to the site of the mining boom town of Skidoo.

A couple of old structures near the road into Skidoo

There is nothing left at the Skidoo town site except an interpretive sign.

Just a little further down the road and around the back of a hill is the Skidoo Mill where ore from the mines was processed.

Trail from parking area to mill

Interpretive sign for the mill

Current condition of the Skidoo Mill

Ten of the fifteen stamps in the mill that crushed the gold ore

Business end of the mill stamps where the ore got crushed

The remains of an old car in the canyon near the mill

One of four jet fighters that passed overhead

After returning to our car from the mill, we spotted this bighorn ram who came down the hillside we had just walked along and proceeded to cross the canyon.

Our next stop was Aguereberry Point.

Parked at Aguereberry Point

Looking towards Badwater Basin

Looking northeast

Our last stop for the day was the Wildrose Canyon Charcoal Kilns. These beehive shaped kilns were built in 1877 for converting local Pinon Pine logs into charcoal.  The charcoal was used in two area ore smelters.

Death Valley 2019 - Part 1

With the federal shutdown affecting national parks, we decided to book a site at the concessionaire operated RV park at Stovepipe Wells.  This turned out to be a good choice, since the day after our arrival, Death Valley National Park decided to close all of the park campgrounds, except the one in Stovepipe Wells which is being maintained by the concessionaire.

The Mesquite Dunes

On this trip we finally found the historic Rhodes Cabin which we have been wanting to visit for several years.

Another stop was the home of the very endangered Devils Hole Pupfish.   This opening is the only known surface exposure of a large underground natural reservoir.  The pupfish survive by eating the algae growing around the rim of the opening.  Access to this hole is protected by substantial fencing and electronic monitoring.

One of our favorite drives is the road through Titus Canyon.

The road starts across a large flat plain in Nevada and then approaches the Grapevine Mountains.

The approach to Red Pass

Looking north from Red Pass

The very colorful mountainsides

After entering Titus Canyon, the road reaches the site of Leadfield.

Further down the canyon, we were very lucky to spot a small group of bighorn sheep.

Driving in the canyon

In the lower canyon narrows, the sheer rock walls have some interesting formations.

A very tenacious plant

Sunset with interesting rays