Return trip to northern DV

Lighthawk

Lighthawk

Weekend warrior
Joined
Jun 22, 2010
Messages
3,334
Location
Nevada City, CA
We really enjoyed our visit to Saline Valley last year and decided to spend the week 'tween Christmas and NY to revisit favorite spots and explore new terrain. We knew Gene would be there and also hoped to see other WTW friends.

We left on Dec 26th after properly entertaining our offspring on Christmas. The camper was packed and we were off early the next morning. The drive around Tahoe and down 395 was easy in the cold but clear weather. The West Walker River was heavily wreathed in ice and Bridgeport reservoir was a solid sheet of ice. A quick dip at Travertine Hot Spring rejuvinated us for the rest of the six hour drive. The springs and seeps all around Travertine were mounded with sheet of ice. I remarked that any rancher wanting to know where the springs were would do well to tour his land during freezing temps.

A final gas up at Big Pine and we were off on Death Valley Rd., not to return for seven days. :D We went directly to the Eureka Dunes as the sunset illuminated the colorfully banded Last Chance Range. The campground was empty when we arrived, although there was one other party at the camp an 1/8 mile to the east. The temps started falling as the darkness enveloped the valley. The moon was a sliver, hanging over the western horizon as I suited up in a down parka to photograph moonset from the dunes. I made sure to ask Susan to leave the porch light on so I could find my way back in the pitch darkness of the uninhabited Eureka Valley.




The amber light beam in the center of the photo is our camper.


Walking back off the dune I could feel the cold-sink thermocline. It was 22F when I returned and down to 16F before we went to sleep. The low overnight was 10F. We ran the Wave all night and had the reflectix up so we were comfy.

To be continued . . .
 
The morning light on the dunes is not to be missed. I've been lucky to have been here twice to photograph the changing lines of light outlining of angles of repose of these massive dunes. I've read that this sand is not from this valley, but has been transported here by the wind from Fish Lake Valley. This day we had plans for a hike up canyon, so these shots are from the road.







This was my third time through Steele Pass and I got tagged. I caught my right rear quarter panel and bumper on some rock on the third step up the pass. I should have gotten out and looked at what my front tire was doing and had to back up to straighten my line. Oh well, Battle Scars! :cautious:





The high country along Steele Pass is special. I've got an affinity for joshua trees. Maybe it's the way they reach out, supplicating the heavens. And they just look cool and remind me of my southern california days.







We spent the afternoon hiking a side canyon. Credit is due Ski3pin for generously sharing his experiences in this area. It was bright clear December day with a warm sun. As we approached the steep rock walls we shifting into warmer jackets and gloves for the shade. Our hike took us up a forked drainage that eventually slotted with a six foot boulder move. In dry weather it's no problem and soon we were in the upper section which stayed about twenty to thirty feet wide.





The petroglyphs were mostly concentrated in this upper stretch. We exited the narrows to a sunny flat valley that offered several openings to other drainages. You could hike for a week up there and access some ridges and peak bag. The views from there to the Eureka Dunes would be fantastic. We did meet someone later at the springs who described a hiking loop from the upper valley and down a different canyon to the left (north). He referred to it as Inscription Canyon (see last photo).

We did not see any Warter [sic], but did enjoy the rock art:











 
Thanks Gene. It was good to see you at the springs and enjoy the music you and Phil bring to that magical place. Your son Michael shows much promise beyond his years. And yes, we did get up Lippincott to the Race Track :)
 
Continuing . . .

We enjoyed our stay at Saline Valley. We settled into a routine: coffee @ 7am sipped while soaking, a mid-day hike, general lounging and socializing, pre-dinner soak, dinner, wander over to Gene's for music and finally late evening soak. Oh, it was rough!

Actually I am always amazed how many popups I see out there. I wonder if other folks think we are a cult? :p We met Herve with his 2011 FWC, but managed to miss saying hello to LAWNMOWERMAN who was nearby. It seemed like everywhere you looked you could see a popup on the horizon.



Last year Sunman inspired us by hiking Peace Mountain nearby, so we took the stroll across the boulder strewn wash. The red volcanic veneer is a very shallow layer with light colored sedimentary/metamorphic? rock beneath, which bangs right into a granite mountain. I need a good geologist! We were careful to stay on the trail to preserve the Peace :D , but did go off trail to descend the gully at the contact point after our ascent.


Peace Sister!





The locals came by for a visit.







And the sunsets were sublime.





But soon enough we decided to end our decadent lifestyle and take on some more exploration. It was time to give Lippincott a try on our way up to the Race Track.





Stay tuned . . .
 
With all this great weather, it looks like you two had a super trip! Great photos as always. If it weren't for the hats and gloves I could have almost imagined 80 degree weather with all those clear skies.

Wish I was there with you.

Home Skillet
 
Great to see some pix of this route from Eureka Dunes. Thinking of heading this way in Feb sometime in the vicinity or Presidents Day weekend. Looking forward to seeing more from this jaunt.
Thanks-
 
Our next leg was a run up Lippincott Pass to visit the Race Track, a playa (dried lakebed) famous for it's moving rocks. I think I first read about this place in National Geo probably twenty years ago. I never thought I would get a chance to visit this well known phenomena.

After getting damaged going up Steele, we were a bit apprehensive about driving up Lippincott Pass. Most folks said it was no big deal and Ski3pin had done it back in November. My Hawk/Tundra package is wider I think, but we still cleared the pinched washouts by about a foot or maybe less. One section needs rebuilding or it will go one day, if it ever rains there.





Eventually we topped out, noticing the mine shafts across canyon of the Lippincott Mine. We weren't interested in the Homestake Dry Camp, even though we had been 'dry camping' all week. Instead we bee-lined north to the Race Track. Suddenly there were lot's of cars, rental jeeps and groups of people on the playa. It was different after spending four days in quieter locations. The sky was overcast and I was turned off by the crowds, so suggested we run up to the Ubehebe Mine to scope out possible camping and explore. The washboards along the Race Track kicked up vast clouds of dust as everyone did the circuit.

Ubehebe was a lead/silver mine that was apparently fairly successful. We took a lunch break and walked around looking at the collapsed buildings, adits with ore cart tracks still intact, and a tramway running over the mountain. Cool stuff.






If we had more time, we would have jumped off from here to hike to a place called The Corridor. I was biding my time for the light to return for sunset photos on the Racetrack.

We first stopped at the Grandstand, an unusual granitic pluton that erupts through the playa with rounded outcrops.











We weren't alone. I quickly circumambulated the Grandstand seeking rock tracks, being fooled by a fool who had ridden a bike on the playa, which is a big no no for obvious reasons. The shadow of Ubehebe Peak quickly covers the north end of the playa, so we jumped into our rig and jammed back to the southern end where the rocks are known to move. It was a good decision as the light held up until sunset and there were many quality subjects to photograph. If you go there, be prepared to find a dozen other photogs with tripods jostling for position. We just walked farther to find our own space to study the elusive rocks of the Racetrack.













We went north again, briefly retracing our steps past the Ubehebe Mine heading to Teakettle Jct. where we turned north. We crossed Lost Burro Gap, noting a quality camp just inside the gap, occupied by a hard shell camper. We went a mile more and turned left on White Mountain Rd. and boondocked. I think we were the only (human) residents in the vast Hidden Valley that night.

Stay tuned for fossil hunting, Hunter Mountain and more . . .
 
Final chapter: Hidden Valley to Hunter Mountain and back to Saline return loop

We had camped up White Mountain Rd at 5100' according to my Droid. I think we were the only ones in Hidden Valley that night. A future trip up White Mtn Rd to the end is ten miles long, providing access upper Big Horn Canyon; certainly a worthwhile trip.





Looking across at Lost Burro Mine


Looking west towards Lost Burro Gap


Referring to the Digonnet guide, our camp was very close to Perdido Canyon. The Lost Burro and Tin Mountain formations in the canyon are known for fossils. It was an easy walk crossing one major wash system and then we were walking up the wash below Perdido Canyon. Steep slabs of clean grey dolomite buttressed on the left and the right wall was filled with caves. We were there to find crinoid and coral fossils which were known to be abundant in the canyon.

We walked for a while before seeing our first fossil, a small doughnut shape on a boulder.

We followed various use trails along the prominent rock faces. It was obvious that many visitors come here. Be advised it a southern exposure and certainly cooks in the warmer seasons.

As we reached the middle canyon we found many examples of horn corals laying in the talus. I followed the rock fall up a drainage about a hundred feet to the bedrock bearing the source of the deposits. Sometimes colorful neon lichens would encrust the fossils. It was beautiful and treacherous as I rock hopped without a hiking stick with a 200mm lens hanging off my neck.





We limited out time since we had a drive in front of us, so turned back to keep our hike to about five miles. The joshua trees and cacti accented the desert feeling of this special canyon.





We decided to pose with some of the J-Trees :p



Coming back to camp



Sadie was a good camp dog while we did our hike


We finished our loop by heading south down Hidden Valley. It was an easy ride except for one easily bypassed section of deep sand. I regret that we were feeling pressed for time and gasoline because there are numerous mines to explore in this region as well as extensive forests of J-Trees. We saw what I thought was a woodpecker on one of the passes before we reached Goldbelt. Our mission was to climb the switchbacks up Hunter Mountain to 7000', which doesn't happen very often in late December. We enjoyed the alpine scenery as pinyon pines began to appear. Giant granitic boulders and grassy grazing land plateaus up high with peekabo views to the low deserts on all sides. We stopped to snatch a mouthful of gritty snow. Icy springs crossed the road and I was reminded of why I carry chains in these mountains.

We junctioned with South Pass and shot photos down of the Panamint Dunes (not posted yet).
A right turn and we were flying down the hill to Saline Valley. It was 230pm in the afternoon and the sun was well above the Inyo's. We might make the springs by sun-shadow if we hurry!

Alas the shadows shaded the dunes before we passed the salt lake, and we watched the shade crossing the lower springs as we turned onto Bat Rock Rd. There would be plenty of light for us to set up for one final night.

We returned via North Pass with a total loop of 240 miles from when we left Big Pine. We saw a lot and also took a few days of R&R. If anything my list of places to explore has gotten longer, not shorter by this visit.
 
Nice report Andy. Loved the moon and fossil pics. It sure does seem that the list of things to see always grows instead of shortens in DV. Thanks.
 
............. If anything my list of places to explore has gotten longer, not shorter by this visit.


You've captured the spirit of this special place. Thanks for taking us along on your adventure through your narrative and always wonderful photos! The Lady has been talking about Hunter Mountain, Hidden Valley, Goldbelt.........................and your enjoyable trip report has her chomping at the bit. I'll happily go along!

We always look forward to the Wanders of Lighthawk, SR, and ole Sadie in her smoking jacket!
 
Thanks Ski, Sunni and others who have commented.
It's a pleasure to share stories and photos with those that appreciate the area.

This site reminds me of one my formative experiences growing up, when my aunt bought me a summer pass to a travelogue series at the Denver Museum of Natural History. My folks would drop me off on Sunday afternoons and I would take in lectures and slide shows from around the world. I loved it. I never imagined I would (much) later be able to do something similar with WTW. After the lecture I would wander the extensive dinosaur collection or prowl the rock shop, saving my pennies to build my rock & mineral collection. I had galena, quartz crystals, iron pyrite, barite roses, petrified wood and a small collection of indian scrapers and arrowheads I had found on the plains east of Denver. Thanks auntie for giving me a good dose of wanderlust!


Aunt Sissy 1925-1977
 


I get to nerd out here. The donut shaped fossil is a Crinoid oscicle. A little to the right, you can see some of the donuts are 'stacked' and laying on their side, that is the Criniod stem. Think of them as a modern day Rose but underwater, floating back and forth in gentle waters.







And this little guy is a Rugose Coral. Common in the Ordovician and Permain Periods (~360 to 245 Million y.a. or ~5000 years ago for the creationists)
 
Thanks, Andy, for the photos and text. :)
The glowing color of this one was amazing:
HDR816456-M.jpg



So much to explore down there...If I lived about 500 miles south of where I do I'd probably make it one of my playgrounds, too.
 
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