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Category: Death Valley National Park

Death Valley National Park Natural Bridge Canyon

Natural Bridge Canyon Death Valley National Park CaliforniaLooking into the mouth of Natural Bridge Canyon
After leaving hell, oops I mean Furnace Creek, we attended an afternoon guided Ranger walk to learn more about the geology in Death Valley National Park Natural Bridge Canyon.
Ranger Bob Natural Bridge Canyon Death Valley National Park CaliforniaRanger Bob at mouth of Natural Bridge Canyon
Ranger Bob is a retired geologist working summers at Yellowstone and winters at Death Valley for the last 10 years.  He not only knew his stuff, he got everybody into it.
View west of Death Valley and Panamint Range from Natural Bridge Canyon Death Valley National Park CaliforniaView west of Death Valley and Panamint Range from Natural Bridge Canyon
Although Death Valley itself is young in geologic time, formed a mere three million years ago, some of the rocks that makes up the rugged mountains to the east of the valley date back to around 1.8 billion years old.
Gneiss rock Natural Bridge Canyon Death Valley National Park CaliforniaGneiss old rock
Uplift began about 8-10 million years ago but most of the drastic elevation change occurred in the last 3 million years.
Natural Bridge Canyon Death Valley National Park CaliforniaNatural Bridge Canyon
Four mountain ranges to the west of the valley create such a strong rain shadow that the average precipitation is less than two inches a year.  Death Valley is considered the driest place in North America.  Yet during unusually heavy storms, rain washes rocks, sand and gravel off mountainsides and down into canyons.
Alluvial fans Death Valley National Park CaliforniaMultiple alluvial fans
Where a canyon opens onto the valley floor the water spreads out, losing velocity and depositing the water-carried material at the canyon mouth, or beyond, creating an alluvial fan.  As the mountains lift the valley sinks.  Yet erosion can’t keep up as the valley sinks faster than it fills.  Even after millions of floods, nearly 9000 feet (2750 meters) of sand, silt, gravel and salt fill the valley basin.
Natural Bridge Canyon Death Valley National Park CaliforniaWater erosion on canyon wall
Because this erosion process has been going on for millions of years some rock layers are concentrations of rock, sand and gravel compressed by more layers into an interesting conglomerate like was seen in Mosaic Canyon.
Natural Bridge Canyon Death Valley National Park CaliforniaRanger Bob at Natural Bridge
And then there are numerous faults as this land known as the “Basin and Range” spreads apart fracturing along parallel fault lines creating the Panamint Mountains to the west and the Black Mountains to the east with Badwater Basin in between.  A large earthquake could cause the valley in between to drop a few more feet below sea level.
 
California, Death Valley National Park, National Parks and Monuments , 30 Comments

Death Valley National Park Furnace Creek

Some folks called it hell.
Furnace Creek Inn Death Valley National Park CaliforniaFurnace Creek Inn
Originally built as a working ranch in the 1880s it is now a complete resort complex including 224 guest units, three restaurants, a saloon, a general store, an airstrip, gift shops, gas station, post office, three campgrounds, horse rides, carriage rides, golf course, tennis courts and swimming pool.  This is as close as I got to Death Valley National Park Furnace Creek.  Way too swanky for my budget and a major difference to the lifestyle at Harmony Borax Works where we’d just visited.
Old locomotive Furnace Creek Death Valley National Park CaliforniaOld locomotive
After the closure of borax mines in Death Valley the Pacific Coast Borax Company from 20 Mule Team fame encouraged tourists to use their narrow gauge railway to visit Death Valley.  The Furnace Creek Inn was completed in 1927 but the railroad closed in 1930 because tourists preferred the freedom of driving their own cars.
Inside Borax museum Furnace Creek Death Valley National Park CaliforniaInside Borax Museum
In 1926, the company promoted the idea of Death Valley becoming a national park to the director of the National Park Service Stephen Mather.  But because of his prior employment with the borax company and to avoid favoritism he suggested media support and thus the successful radio program Death Valley Days was created.  Finally in 1933, President Hoover created Death Valley National Monument and in 1994 Congress designated it as a National Park.
Old stagecoach Furnace Creek Death Valley National Park CaliforniaOld stage coach
Springs in the Amargosa Range created a natural oasis at Furnace Creek which according to a US Geologic Survey report has subsequently dwindled due to diversion of this water to support the developed area.  Who’s surprised about that, it’s a damn desert.
Old grinding mill Furnace Creek Death Valley National Park CaliforniaOld grinding mill
Furnace Creek has the distinction of holding the record for the highest ever recorded temperature in the United States reaching 134 °F (57 °C) on July 10, 1913.  Elevation is 190 feet (58 meters) below sea level.  No wonder this place gets called hell.  But the 2000 census only showed the population as 31.
Furnace Creek Inn Death Valley National Park CaliforniaFurnace Creek Inn, an oasis in the Funeral Mountains
The visitor center was very interesting, so much so that I got sidetracked and didn’t take any pictures.  But I picked up a Junior Ranger book.  Then we went on a guided Ranger walk into Natural Bridge Canyon.
California, Death Valley National Park, National Parks and Monuments , 27 Comments

Death Valley National Park Harmony Borax Works

20 Mule Team Borax box Sodium borate, or borax, known as the “White gold of the desert” once ranked as Death Valley’s most profitable mineral.  And after a visit to Death Valley National Park Harmony Borax Works you’ll know why.  There’s salt everywhere.
Harmony Borax Works Death Valley National Park CaliforniaHarmony Borax Works
Harmony Borax Works was one of the first mines operating in California from 1883-1888.  Owner William Coleman also mined borax in Nevada.  Although reasonably profitable, Coleman made some bad investments so when borax deposits were discovered closer to rail lines and new processing technology developed the Harmony closed.
Salt deposits Harmony Borax Works Death Valley National Park CaliforniaSalt deposits
Salt minerals, or borates, deposited on ancient lake beds uplifted and eroded into the yellow Furnace Creek badlands.  Then water dissolved the borates and carried them to the Death Valley floor where they recrystallized as borax.
20 Mule Team wagon Harmony Borax Works Death Valley National Park California20-Mule Team Wagon
Crude shelters and tents once dotted this flat where Chinese laborers slept and ate.  They scraped the borax off the salt flats with shovels and carried it by wagon to the refinery.  They received $1.30 a day less lodging and food bought at the company store.  Certainly not an easy life.
Interpretive sign for 20 Mule Team wagon Harmony Borax Works Death Valley National Park CaliforniaThe giant wheels were protected with steel tires eight inches wide and an inch thick which had to be replaced regularly.  Two men rode the wagons, driver and swamper, and traveled 15 to 17 miles (24 to 27 km) a day.  Waterholes were 50 miles (80 km) apart with dusty, rocky, sandy ruts for roads in between.
Boiler at refinery Harmony Borax Works Death Valley National Park CaliforniaBoiler at refinery
Workers refined borax by separating the mineral from unwanted mud and salts.  The borax crystallized on iron rods suspended in large vats.  However the borax won’t crystallize in temperatures above 120 F (48.9 C) so Harmony Borax Works closed during summer.
Interpretive sign at Harmony Borax Works Death Valley National Park CaliforniaBorax has long been used for every kind of household cleaning from windows to tile grout.  It is also a component of cosmetics, insecticide, glass, pottery and enamel glazes.  It is used as a food additive or preservative in some countries yet is banned in the US.
On the road Death Valley National Park CaliforniaSome of the workers from Harmony Borax Works lived in nearby Furnace Creek. Which is where we headed next.
California, Death Valley National Park, National Parks and Monuments , 20 Comments

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