Camp Host Life, Below Sea Level

 

Training week is in the rear view mirror and we have several 72 hour shifts under our belts.  And an equal number of 72 hour off periods.  Early on it was uncomfortably hot day and night and we didn't get out unless we had to.  Same goes for our co-hosts but the rangers that have been here all summer think it's sweater weather when the thermometer gets down to 99.  There are a lot of factors that add up to make this spot, Furnace Creek, the hottest place on earth.  But the most prominent is its elevation.  Specifically here at Furnace Creek, 190 feet below sea level.  And that is not even the lowest point.  Just a few miles away at Badwater Basin the elevation is 282 feet below sea level.

We've also been here long enough to need to make our once per month grocery run a couple of times.  Being in Furnace Creek that means getting across the state line to Pahrump in Nevada.  Of course it is uphill the whole way.  We're going from -191 feet to a little over 3,000 feet in 50 miles.  Fuel economy is terrible going to town but it's fantastic on the way back because you essentially coast the whole way.  What you have to be careful of is the use of your brakes.  You can get in trouble in a hurry if you don't learn to stay off the brake pedal and use the transmission instead.

Case in point:  About once a month there is a vehicle fire, usually an RV or 18-wheeler, just about where the road from whichever direction they are coming from hits the valley floor.  Some roads are actually off-limits to commercial trucks for this very reason.  The fellow below decided to take one of these restricted roads and paid the price.

The above picture was taken at about 5:00am.  Chad and I were headed between canyon hikes and drove by this scene at about 9:30am.  They had torn the whole side of the truck open and doused the flames but there were piles of chickpeas all over the road.  A front-end loader and two large dump trucks were standing by waiting for the all-clear that the fire was out to start scooping the chickpeas.  The trailer was, later that day, broken into pieces and loaded into an eighteen wheeler scrap truck.

Since I mentioned his name I should explain.  Our son, Chad, works for the concessionaire in Death Valley.  He is in the maintenance group that is responsible for all the The Ranch's facilities, utilities and mechanicals.  His stories about life out here is what motivated us to sign up with the National Park Service for Furnace Creek.  So we've got a great job in a phenomenal National Park and getting to spend time with our son for the winter.

Other than passing by the truck fire our hikes had no unwanted drama.  We first headed south, down Badwater Basin Road to the turnoff for Natural Bridge.  From there it was a couple miles of dirt road ending in a dirt parking lot at the mouth of a wash.  One thing that Chad made me aware of right away was that there was no hike in the valley that didn't go up.  There are no flat spots and there certainly are no downhill spots, unless you are returning.  And to top it off, the trail usually includes a lot of walking up a wash where dirt and gravel are so loose it's like walking in loose sand on a beach.  We hadn't gone a hundred yards and I was ready to call it a day!  But glad I didn't, the canyon was a good hike in itself
but the payoff of seeing the natural bridge made it even better.

Mouth of the wash to enter the canyon where Natural Bridge is.

Daytime moonrise from inside Natural Bridge Canyon

Like I said, the canyon hike itself was worth it.  Lots of things, big and small to see.  And it is important to remember to stop every so often and look back.  You miss some great views if you don't.

Looking back the way we came

That white rock on the left is marble!

Even more marble.
The lighting is exceptional in this shot.  Click
to enlarge and see the mountain of gold in the background.

Part of the Natural Bridge hike passes through a 
small slot canyon.

And now for the payoff. Natural Bridge.

This is no diminutive feature.  Click and enlarge, or squint 
real hard to see the two people under the bridge.

Changed my angle so the thickness could be seen.
It is 35 feet thick.

There's more in Natural Bridge Canyon than the bridge.  Just a few dozen yards past the bridge, uphill of course, are some pour-offs or dry falls.  Once upon a time there was significant water flow coming off of these mountains.  They contributed to the raging waters that cut the very canyons we hike today.

A large pour-off in Natural Bridge Canyon

That's Chad standing at the bottom of the pour-off.
It's amazing how the water has cut a smooth halfpipe.

Okay, I got to writing about a grocery run but somehow ended up with a truck fire and canyon hike.  Back to the grocery run!  Pahrump has a Walmart, Smith's (Kroger) and Albertsons for groceries and a Home Depot and Tractor Supply for everything else.  We shopped Pahrump before entering Death Valley and now we have day tripped for groceries and hardware.  All of these businesses have been busy beyond belief every time we have gone in.  And we have had to go to each one every time because no one store had everything we needed.  It's like scavenger hunt to get everything you need.  But I confess, there is one "store" we make a special stop at.  It's the Pink Box, a donut shop right inside the entrance of a casino.  To get in line you walk past a whole room full of large slot machines with their colorful lights and graphics and electronic pings, dings, bongs, and trills.  Then there is the cigarette smoke.  It's bad but the donuts and fritters we get are worth running the gauntlet for.

Gauntlet ran, I will exit the building with something they call a 'dirty twist', a couple of fritters (apple and blueberry) and cinnamon rolls.  We're set for an incredibly unhealthy breakfast for the next three days.

Back at the campground we were walking our rounds when I looked up and saw light on the mountains behind our rig in a way that struck me.  I took a picture of course.

This same day I had occasion to get on the roof of my rig, that sorry outfit satellite system needed maintenance again.  But anyway, while up there I took a pause and looked around.  Furnace Creek looks different just twenty feet up.

Overlooking the tent-only section.

Looking north up the valley.

And I'm going to end this with one more pic.  The heat has finally backed off enough that Cyndee has taken down the heat reflective foil from our rear picture window.  We have a great view to enjoy from inside now.