Santa Ynez Valley

Santa Ynez Valley
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Saturday, January 12, 2019

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


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