Spent Friday night at the charcoal kilns, temperature was 29 degrees in the morning. On this trip I really didn't make any plans. Decided just to drive to Death Valley and make it up as I went along. I wasn't in the mood for any big hikes, so decided to just look around and take photos.
A shot of 7 of the 10 charcoal kilns that are here.
A view of the back side of the kilns.
Driving towards Stovepipe Wells, still don't know where I'll be going
View from the road.
As I neared Stovepipe Wells, the sand dunes came into view. It's been a long time since I been on the dunes. OK, going to check out the sand dunes.
On the dunes making my way towards the larger ones.
A view to the northeast.
Another view to the northeast.
Tracks in the sand.
My tracks.
One last dune photo.
Hills along the roadway. After checking out the sand dunes, I headed for the Devils Golf Course.
More colorful hills along the road. Death Valley has a lot of color.
Devils Golf Course. Looks like the rains washed away all the sharp salt formations.
Looks like the points are starting to grow back.
Close up of some salt crystals.
Don't know what these crystals are.
The boardwalk at Bad Water. Came here to get some shots of the salt formations.
The Bad Water pond.
View from the boardwalk looking to the north.
Was disappointed when I started walking out into the valley. All the cool looking salt formations that were here last year were gone. Wash away with the rains no doubt.
Zoomed in on a cloud covered Telescope Peak 11,049'.
Looking back at the Bad Water parking area.
One more shot of Bad Water.
The clouds finally lifted off Telescope Peak, lots of snow from about 8,000'.
This is the exit road from Artist Drive. The floods covered the road, think it will be closed for a while.
Coming up to the Golden Canyon trailhead. The road to Zabriskie Point was closed, so decided to hike there from Golden Canyon.
At the entrance to Golden Canyon.
Been about 8 years since I've done this hike, it's a lot nicer than I remember it.
There's a lot of color in the area.
Red Cathedral comes into view.
It is easy to see how this canyon got it's name.
The sky to the east was looking like it wanted to rain.
It was still sunny overhead and to the west.
Looking up a side canyon.
Manly Beacon shows it's peak (the pointy one).
I liked the lighting in this shot.
Looking up another side canyon.
A better view of Manly Beacon.
Sign said the trail to Zabriskie Point was closed due to flood danage. I still hiked up it a couple hundred yards to get a shot of Manly Beacon
Manly Beacon
Zoomed in on Manly Beacon, the trail to Zabriskie Point can be seen at it's base.
Looking back towards Golden Canyon from the trail.
Since the trail to Zabriskie Point was closed, I continued on towards Red Cathedral.
Great shapes and colors.
This is as far as I hiked up the canyon before turning around.
Cool looking rock formations, missed these on the way in.