John Morrow Member
Joined: 03 Apr 2007 Posts: 1526 | TRs | Pics Location: Roslyn |
Nov 23: Titus Canyon Road, Thimble Peak 6381', Death Valley National Park.
Kimberly and I decided for our last hike together we'd hit Thimble Peak and tour down the Titus Canyon Road with the benefit of her Jeep. There are just a few parking spaces at Red Pass where a good tread takes off toward the peak. This hike is also well described and mapped in Michel Digonnet's "Hiking Death Valley":
https://www.amazon.com/Hiking-Death-Valley-Natural-Wonders/dp/0965917835/ref=pd_lpo_sbs_14_img_0?_encoding=UTF8&psc=1&refRID=WFB7BJK2PGMJ59CARM77
It is a classic Death Valley peak scramble, with only easy Class 2 and lots of tread.
Dawn moonset over Corkscrew Peak Red Pass; Titus Canyon Road, Death Valley NP Death Valley Wilderness; Death Valley National Park, CA Mesquite Dunes/Stovepipe Wells Cottonwood Mtns across Red Pass vicinity Titus Canyon below ast look at Thimble colors
The Klare Spring Petroglyph Panel is one of the few in the National Park that is freely advertised. For those w/o high clearance/4WD one can hike the bottom few miles of the Titus Road to access the spring and rock art.
Titus Road Titus1 Titus2 Titus3 Titus4 Titus5 Titus6 Titus7
Nov 24: Quick stop Panamint Playa and Lake Hill 2030'.
After a leisurely morning in Stovepipe Wells together, it was time for Kimberly to start home. Shower and Breakfast Buffet done, I needed an easy hike before I would move on to Bishop CA to meet a friend for last hikes.
There is lots to do in the Panamint Playa/Valley area, I'd give it a look for future longer hikes by scrambling up Lake Hill 2030'. It stands out almost like the Racetrack Playa Grandstand rising out of nowhere from flats.
Lake Hill Panamint Valley Panamint Butte towers Lake Hill and Panamint Dunes Interesting canyons there Panamint Dunes Death Valley Wilderness sandy playa point
Nov 25: Paiute Canyon, Inyo Mountains Wilderness, CA.
The Inyo Mountains rise out of the Saline Valley so dramatically it is if we were on another planet. This is the day it all changed. With my friend Jacquie and her dog Quin, we had originally planned on driving north to the Black Rock Desert. A major cold front with significant precipitation potential nixed that idea. We opted for dog friendly local hiking and backpacking (read: no National Park) adjacent to Death Valley. We also made a wrong turn thinking we'd try the Piper Mountains Wilderness and ended up dropping into the Saline Valley...uh, oh back in the National Park! Fortunately, the adjacent Inyo Mountains Wilderness is not in the Park and has many canyons to explore. Most canyons are eventually technical, but Paiute Canyon is an exception. Not the most dramatic, but a pretty day hike.
Paiute Canyon Inyo Mountains beyond baby dryfall Fall color
Nov. 26-27 Centennial Canyon, Coso Range Wilderness, CA:
We originally hoped to backpack up north in the Black Rock desert so we found another local wilderness with opportunity for a scenic and interesting overnight camp. Since snow/rain was forecast on the 28th, I opted to begin the long drive home after this quick overnight. Our route was a very reasonable 4 miles up Centennial Canyon to the joshua tree flats of Centennial Flat. A fine camp it was.
loaded with berries Lower Centennial Canyon Upper Centennial Canyon Afternoon in Upper Centennial Flat Camp evening
Heading out we chose to make a loop with the unnamed canyon to the east. Since it was a jeep road I recommend instead heading west to Joshua Flat and returning by looping around to the canyon exiting NE out of Joshua Flat back to the trailhead.
Jacquie admires a panel Leaving Upper Centennial Coso Mountains Coso overview Coso Loop
And that was that....homeward bound. Let there be snow.
Oh, some rock art:
https://www.flickr.com/photos/23557848@N03/albums/72157676578439418
“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.
“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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