Forum Index > Trip Reports > Death Valley National Park Dayhikes Nov 25-28, 2017
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John Morrow
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Joined: 03 Apr 2007
Posts: 1526 | TRs | Pics
Location: Roslyn
John Morrow
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PostTue Dec 05, 2017 7:01 am 
Wish I could have spent at least another week in the Park but I had to head to SeaTac to fly to the east coast for a family concern. No backpack trip for me this whole Mojave tour. All dayhikes. Here are a few more, somewhat off the radar for the busy Death Valley known dayhikes. Nov 25: Greenwater Canyon is located in the Black Mountains, the range that rises off Badwater valley to the east. These mountains trend south to north and terminate at Furnace Creek. The northernmost portion contains Zabriske Point and Manly Beacon. It is not the most dramatic landscape, typical Mojave Desert. But the Park lists it as an archaeologic District...so there's bound to be "stuff" right???? My interest was obviously piqued. Why not tack on a prominent highpoint and make it a loop, eh? I began at Greenwater Canyon parking on the Furnace Creek (ie: Greenwater) road. Good free dispersed camping one mile up this gravel road and goes for 10 more miles. The more well known petroglyphs in a basalt constriction of the canyon were right off.
GW1
GW1
GW2
GW2
GW3
GW3
GW4
GW4
GW5
GW5
GW6
GW6
From there I went downcanyon. It turns to the north and parallels the access road with Ryan Benchmark separating the two. Pleasant country ensued and I went searching for some little known alcoves. Knowing that I'd need a different rock type to find alcove formation, I started getting excited when I reached the start of the tuff formation. That's my only hint. These are sensitive.
Upper Greenwater Canyon
Upper Greenwater Canyon
Tuff like rock appears
Tuff like rock appears
Bat Mountain beyond
Bat Mountain beyond
After my fill of pictograph searching I started up the east side of Ryan Benchmark. Mostly slope walking up then back down a southern ridge to the location of my car. My kind of day. Zero people.
East shoulder of Ryan BM
East shoulder of Ryan BM
Looking down on Greenwater; Death Valley Natl Park
Looking down on Greenwater; Death Valley Natl Park
Ryan BM summit view east
Ryan BM summit view east
Summit view toward Spring Mtns
Summit view toward Spring Mtns
Camped at a pull out one mile up the Greenwater Road, I was left with time and locale to drive up to Dante's View and walk over to Coffin Mountain for the sunset over Badwater, 5000 vertical feet below.
False Coffin Pk view down Black Mtns
False Coffin Pk view down Black Mtns
Death Valley Wilderness
Death Valley Wilderness
Coffin Canyon to Badwater
Coffin Canyon to Badwater
Nov 26: 20 Mule Team Canyon and Corkscrew Canyon are well known at the northern end of the Black Mountains south of Zabriske Point. They kind of parallel each other. Short out and backs. How 'bout connecting them? Hmm, a route would include going over a named benchmark, Borax BM 2430'. Perfect...if it goes. Fortunately I already scouted upper 20 Mule Team Canyon on a trip up Monte Blanco Peak 2191' last year. So I had an idea of a re-entry at its head. This starts and ends on the 20 Mule Team scenic road. First I went over a little divide into Corkscrew Canyon, visited its side slot canyon, and continued to the head...goes nicely with a bit of arduous gravel gully scrambling.
Death Valley National Park, CA
Death Valley National Park, CA
Bottom of Corkscrew Canyon
Bottom of Corkscrew Canyon
Up Corkscrew Canyon; Death Valley National Park, CA
Up Corkscrew Canyon; Death Valley National Park, CA
Neat in Corkscrew
Neat in Corkscrew
Death Valley National Park, CA
Death Valley National Park, CA
Death Valley National Park, CA
Death Valley National Park, CA
Corkscrew bridge
Corkscrew bridge
windy
windy
heading back out
heading back out
Into main Corkscrew Canyon
Into main Corkscrew Canyon
Arch at head of canyon
Arch at head of canyon
Climbing in Corkscrew
Climbing in Corkscrew
The Corkscrew exit route
The Corkscrew exit route
Looking back
Looking back
Once on top it is a fun easy ridge run to the summit of Borax BM. There looks to be access to a very remote and untravelled upper basin area above Artist Palette. An area that forbade me access from below last year due to dryfalls. But that will have to wait for another year.
Rim of Corkscrew
Rim of Corkscrew
Death Valley National Park, CA
Death Valley National Park, CA
North view to Furnace Creek
North view to Furnace Creek
Corkscrew saddle far left
Corkscrew saddle far left
Toward Artist Palette
Toward Artist Palette
Monte Blanco Peak
Monte Blanco Peak
Death Valley Wilderness, CA
Death Valley Wilderness, CA
Artist Palette Peak...another time
Artist Palette Peak...another time
Death Valley
Death Valley
The colors are incredible. I need to return. Then it was off Borax and back into the head of 20 Mule Team. Some Class 3 dryfall downclimbing and a bypass required but it is fairly obvious. Very satisfying loop!
Head of 20 Mule Team Canyon
Head of 20 Mule Team Canyon
Moon!
Moon!
descending 20 Mule Team
descending 20 Mule Team
in Canyon moonrise
in Canyon moonrise
downcanyon
downcanyon
great moon
great moon
20 Mule Team colors
20 Mule Team colors
BoraxBM Corkscrew-20Mule Team
BoraxBM Corkscrew-20Mule Team
Overview: Black Mountains
Overview: Black Mountains
Nov 27: Red Wall Canyon is a well known canyon for its beautiful narrows and crazy red color. Most stop at a 20 foot dryfall/chockstone. It is a mid Class 5th climb that I struggled with. A 10 foot rope hangs mid way up but there are moves required to reach it. A twisted ankle here would suck. A ranger gave me beta that the rope was secure. It leads to more beautiful narrows so must be done, of course! Fortunately, a bypass up and over stable scree detuours to the south and reenters so the climbing is not necessary. I didn't want to take that extra time. Like most this trip, I was up early, but leaving camp late, really late for me. So I had thoughts of an untested (in my research) connection to a canyon to the south know as Palmer (good beta that it is non-technical). But it was 1:00 PM by the time I got through the third narrows of Red Wall and my mapped exit. Too concerned for short daylight to try. Two smaller canyons separate Red Wall and Palmer and they are technical. It'd suck to be down in there in the fading hours of daylight. Another time. Red Wall, in too many pics:
Death Valley Wilderness, Death Valley National Park, CA
Death Valley Wilderness, Death Valley National Park, CA
Red Wall Canyon.  Death Valley National Park, CA
Red Wall Canyon. Death Valley National Park, CA
Red Wall Canyon.  Death Valley National Park, CA
Red Wall Canyon. Death Valley National Park, CA
Death Valley National Park, Death Valley Wilderness, CA
Death Valley National Park, Death Valley Wilderness, CA
Death Valley Wilderness, Death Valley National Park, CA
Death Valley Wilderness, Death Valley National Park, CA
Death Valley National Park.  Death Valley Wilderness, CA
Death Valley National Park. Death Valley Wilderness, CA
Red Wall Canyon.  Death Valley National Park, CA
Red Wall Canyon. Death Valley National Park, CA
Red Wall Canyon.  Death Valley National Park, CA
Red Wall Canyon. Death Valley National Park, CA
Death Valley National Park, CA
Death Valley National Park, CA
2nd narrows slickenside
2nd narrows slickenside
little scramblin'
little scramblin'
Redwall Canyon, Death Valley National Park and Wilderness, CA
Redwall Canyon, Death Valley National Park and Wilderness, CA
what colors are your stripes?
what colors are your stripes?
Top of 3rd narrows
Top of 3rd narrows
Death Valley National Park, CA
Death Valley National Park, CA
cave with hanging garden
cave with hanging garden
returning to 2nd narrows
returning to 2nd narrows
Death Valley National Park, CA
Death Valley National Park, CA
dark inside
dark inside
nice narrows
nice narrows
long 2nd narrows
long 2nd narrows
Death Valley Wilderness, CA
Death Valley Wilderness, CA
Death Valley Wilderness, Death Valley National Park, CA
Death Valley Wilderness, Death Valley National Park, CA
upcanyon view
upcanyon view
Red Wall Canyon.  Death Valley National Park, CA
Red Wall Canyon. Death Valley National Park, CA
Death Valley National Park, CA
Death Valley National Park, CA
the "chockstone" that stops some
the "chockstone" that stops some
Time enough in the evening to view the sunset from the top of the Kit Fox Hills 883'. About a mile and 800 vertical to get to a view over Stovepipe Wells and the Mesquite Dunes.
Kit Fox Hills at sunset
Kit Fox Hills at sunset
Corkscrew Peak and Grapevine Mtns
Corkscrew Peak and Grapevine Mtns
Mesquite Dunes from the Hills
Mesquite Dunes from the Hills
Death Valley National Park and Wilderness, CA
Death Valley National Park and Wilderness, CA
Redwall Canyon
Redwall Canyon
Nov 28: Time to drive. Out of the park to US95 via Daylight Pass Road, Hwy 374. But, to say goodbye Ill get one memorial view of the park and the highest and lowest points in the Lower 48 states, simultaneously, from Daylight Peak 5510'. Too short, too quick but an apt ending to the trip.
Daylight Peak from Pass
Daylight Peak from Pass
Corkscrw Peak appears
Corkscrw Peak appears
View NE
View NE
Lower 48 States highest point snowy distance
Lower 48 States highest point snowy distance
Lowest point in Lower 48 States
Lowest point in Lower 48 States
Big Dunes are mobile!
Big Dunes are mobile!
Mojave atmosphere
Mojave atmosphere
East ridge Class 2 scramblin'
East ridge Class 2 scramblin'
DaylightPeak
DaylightPeak

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”-Mary Oliver “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.” ― MLK Jr.
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silence
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Joined: 25 Apr 2005
Posts: 4420 | TRs | Pics
silence
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PostTue Dec 05, 2017 11:41 am 
Love it ... esp Red Wall Canyon ... brings back memories of Hummel and I doing 23-mi loop in from Fall Canyon and out Red Wall.

PHOTOS FILMS Keep a good head and always carry a light bulb. – Bob Dylan
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John Morrow
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Joined: 03 Apr 2007
Posts: 1526 | TRs | Pics
Location: Roslyn
John Morrow
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PostWed Dec 06, 2017 11:37 am 
silence wrote:
Love it ... esp Red Wall Canyon ... brings back memories of Hummel and I doing 23-mi loop in from Fall Canyon and out Red Wall.
It was that TR that got me started in DVNP. Prior to that I thought the Park was essentially a million acres of the Racetrack! I am still in admiration of that trip you all did. Big vert/distance/no water! I keep picking away at the edges. Haven't found a taker for it yet. That third chockstone clogged dryfall in Fall is my only concern now, solo. I did not like downclimbing the steep and loose on that one, on my scouting daytrip, up Fall. Maybe I'll get there yet. W/O car clearance for the high trailead it'd be nice to tag Palmer/Wayghyghe (sp?)/Grapevine on such a trip.

“Tell me, what is it you plan to do with your one wild and precious life?”-Mary Oliver “A nation that continues year after year to spend more money on military defense than on programs of social uplift is approaching spiritual doom.” ― MLK Jr.
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silence
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silence
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PostWed Dec 06, 2017 12:07 pm 
It was a tough trip with a lot of ups and downs (both mentally and physically), but getting over to Red Wall was so exhilarating! We used very few bypasses, instead Jason free-climbed most of the dryfalls and belayed me. Anyhow, next time you should check out the Rock Nettle Canyon. A couple of years ago Robert and I attempted it, but think we missed the right entrance so failed (there are 3 in close proximity). You'd probably have a better chance at it. I can PM you a few more helpful coordinates (Jim Hall was kind enough to share them with us). http://www.panamintcity.com/grapevine/rocknettlecanyon.html

PHOTOS FILMS Keep a good head and always carry a light bulb. – Bob Dylan
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ree
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ree
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PostFri Dec 08, 2017 5:29 pm 
I have not explored Greenwater Valley, except to take the trip up to Dante's View. So great you found some nice rock art. You have an eye for that I envy!! I wonder how many interesting sites I've just walked by not noticing... I flew over Greenwater Valley and Ryan in a small plane once, and saw the narrow gauge RR tracks around the area. Super interesting. There was a major copper boom in the area, but as with most DV prospects, it was the desert rats selling an idea to the rich stock brokers in NY who didn't really check things out. There was a tent city there that evaporated after the boom. (Early 20th century.) So now I gotta go back and explore Greenwater Valley, I see...

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