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Death Valley National Park Mesquite Sand Dunes

Mesquite Sand Dunes Death Valley National Park CaliforniaAfter exploring Scotty’s Castle, Ubehebe Crater and some of Titus Canyon on our third day at Death Valley National Park we stopped at the Mesquite Sand Dunes on the way back to camp.
Mesquite Sand Dunes Death Valley National Park CaliforniaThe sand is a product of erosion from the Cottonwood Mountains to the west and northwest and is made up of light colored grains of quartz and dark grains of magnetite.
Mesquite Sand Dunes Death Valley National Park CaliforniaThe evenly spaced ripples forming perpendicular to the wind are made up of the larger grains that fall behind.
Animal tracks Mesquite Sand Dunes Death Valley National Park CaliforniaI don’t know who’s who. Do you?
There is evidence of creatures that venture onto the sand like the sidewinder rattlesnake, desert kangaroo rat, kit fox, lizards and beetles.
Animal tracks Mesquite Sand Dunes Death Valley National Park CaliforniaMesquite Sand Dunes Death Valley National Park CaliforniaThe day waned.

taken by Jeremy
This was Jeremy and my last night camping in Death Valley and we were rewarded by a full moon. The next day he started his long journey back to the Chicago area and I headed back to my winter home in Yarnell, Arizona
California, Death Valley National Park, National Parks and Monuments , 32 Comments

Death Valley National Park Titus Canyon

 

Road to the west end of Titus Canyon in Grapevine Mountains Death Valley National Park CaliforniaRoad to the west end of Titus Canyon in Grapevine Mts
After the wind buffeting at Ubehebe Crater (I love that name), we continued our explorations of Death Valley National Park and drove to the mouth of Titus Canyon for a hike into “one of the largest and most scenically diverse canyons in the park” according to the park’s newspaper guide.
Entering Titus Canyon Death Valley National Park CaliforniaEntering Titus Canyon
A single lane gravel road in the dry wash can be traveled by foot or, one-way east to west 26 miles (41.84 km) by high clearance vehicles. Not us.
Mosaic of rock Titus Canyon in Grapevine Mts Death Valley National Park CaliforniaMosaic pattern on canyon walls
We drove to the canyon’s mouth from the west on a short section of two-way road. I say road, when really it’s just the packed rock of the alluvial fan spreading infinite rounded pieces of the mountains beyond carried by water.
Titus Canyon Death Valley National Park CaliforniaJeremy in canyon
Our hike would be opposing traffic through this narrow 1.5 mile (2.4 km) canyon, down to 20 feet (6 meters) wide. It continues past a spring where Bighorn Sheep are often sighted, petroglyphs, and a ghost town called “Leadville” that only survived one year. But we didn’t get that far.
Bird's nest Titus Canyon Death Valley National Park CaliforniaBird’s nest in erosion hole
Imagine the power of water moving rock, described as a cement slurry, that it took to carve this canyon during the last 3 millioin years.
Titus Canyon Death Valley National Park CaliforniaWater carved rock and Jeremy in background
How I would love to be somewhere safe, watching a giant flood pour through and feel the towering cliffs tremble. (Ok, so maybe I got carried away with the tremble.)
Titus Canyon Death Valley National Park CaliforniaEarth Art
But then what about going back in geologic time some 1.8 billion years to see the settled multi-colored volcanic deposits and watch a fast forward of the mountains uplift followed by the erosion and carving of the canyon that left earth art upon the walls.
Titus Canyon Death Valley National Park CaliforniaGneiss rock
Titus Canyon Death Valley National Park CaliforniaWe saw no vehicles and very few people after entering the canyon. I could barely imagine driving thru this narrow cut.
Gaelyn in Titus Canyon Death Valley National Park CaliforniaWe probably walked about a mile in and turned around as it was getting late in the afternoon and we still wanted to stop at the Mesquite sand dunes.
California, Death Valley National Park, National Parks and Monuments , 19 Comments

Death Valley National Park Ubehebe Crater

After touring the opulence of Scotty’s Castle we headed out to Ubehebe Crater in Death Valley National Park. (Say it out loud, all long vowels, a very fun name with an unknown origin.) It was very windy on the crater’s rim so we opted not to hike around it.
Ubehebe Crater Death Valley National Park CaliforniaUbehebe Crater
A few thousand years ago a tremendous explosion occurred in Death Valley leaving behind a crater .5 mile (.8 km) across and 500 feet (152.4 meters) deep. A rising plume of molten basalt came in contact with the overlying watertable causing a violent release of underground steam pressure that left volcanic cinders and ash up to 150 feet (45.72 meters) deep covering the ground from 2-5 miles (3.21-8.04 meters) in every direction.
Interpretive sign Ubehebe Crater Death Valley National Park Californiaphoto of sign
There are actually several explosion craters in the area; some may be younger than Ubehebe.
Gaelyn and Jeremy at Ubehebe Crater Death Valley National Park CaliforniaGaelyn and Jeremy
We really wanted to visit Death Valley’s famous rock Racetrack but it requires a high-clearance vehicle over 27 miles (43.45 km) of rough gravel road. Large boulders weighing up to 400 pounds mysteriously move across a dry lakebed leaving gouged trails behind. No one has actually seen the rocks move but scientists speculate that very strong winds blow the rocks when the surface is slick from occasional light rains. I’d rather believe they just go for a st-roll.From Ubehebe Crater we headed to Titus Canyon for a hike.
California, Death Valley National Park, National Parks and Monuments , 22 Comments

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