Into The Valley Of Whatever


Just when you think you’ve finally cracked it - mastered, say, a new skill - something happens to keep you humble, to remind you that perhaps you should have read Boondocking For Absolute Morons after all, and that relying on Internet Acquired Techniques for gauging the level of propane in your tanks - involving hot water and the laying on of hands (full disclosure, there were two sets of hands participating here) -  was perhaps not the wisest move, and that unnecessary oversights can, in fact, spoil an otherwise wonderful, breathtaking and uplifting experience.



Yes, we ran out of propane during a bitterly cold night on the flanks of California’s  highest mountain.  And the fully stocked fridge, which definitely does not use propane, went out on strike in solidarity the heating system, which does. So there we were, huddled in bed with the dogs for extra warmth, like Scott of the Antarctic (or was it Shackleton?) waiting for dawn so we could saddle up and get the hell out of there.  No food for the humans other than the handful of nuts the pantry yielded, no showers of course, not even a Pits And Bits wash in the trickle of icy cold water, and worst of all, NO CAFFEINE.  Again.

We set off full of self-recriminations, cold, tired, hungry, smelly and with a massive caffeine-withdrawal headache looming for me.  Perhaps not the best frame of mind for entering Death Valley which, to be clear, was never on my bucket list.

I do not like hot weather.  It makes me anxious.  And irritable.  But “everyone” says you must see it and I figured one night at an RV park - with electricity! - at the imaginatively named hamlet of Furnace Creek mid-Fall would be okay.

I expected we would be driving into a boring flat expanse of desert with a few hills either side - it is a valley after all.  What I didn’t expect, nor was I warned about, were the perilous roads I had to navigate.  These weren’t hills, they were mountains!  Nor was it mentioned anywhere that there was more than one valley!
Before the first descent, and before I knew I had to go up the mountains in the distance.


First we went down a very narrow twisty road 4,000 ft to a boring flat bit, then we had to go up 4,000 ft and descend AGAIN to reach the next boring flat bit.  At this point I felt if there was one more mountain range I would just get out, lie down in the desert and die. Dan gamely tried to keep my spirits up by pointing out the geological marvels all around us.  Really?  He wisely gave up and we remained married.


Fully air conditioned.  We went from 38 to 88 degrees in just a couple of hours.

The RV park appeared like an oasis. There was electricity, propane tanks were refilled, the fridge crossed the picket line and lo! there was caffeine followed by food followed by gin followed by a long nap, and peace was restored to the Marital Valley.  I even ventured out of my sanctuary long enough to take a photo or two but as far as I was concerned, Death Valley was over.
Sunset from our campground - meh!

Escape From Death Valley Day dawned with relentless clear skies.  Happily we had a very comfortable night, unlike these poor buggers who slept in pup tents on dirt and gravel before getting on their bikes to go for another 70 mile ride in Death Valley.  And they paid good money to do this!  This is their idea of a holiday!  They weren’t all crazy young people - there were some crazy older ones too, one of whom we spoke to.  A lovely man from Albuquerque whose wife was off at a quilting convention, so he came to ride his bike through Death Valley.  Neither hobby appeals to me but I’d say one has a distinctly smaller chance of dying while pursuing it.  

As my friend Louise’s sister says: “What some people do for fun.”  

Getting out of Death Valley was a lot easier than getting in.  I was so relieved to be almost done with it that I agreed to stop at a supposed scenic overlook.  

Well, I’m not ashamed to admit it.  I was wrong.  Death Valley IS amazing.  Who knew?

See them?  Now watch closely as we once again scale out.














 





Sure!  Let’s go hiking through the hottest place on earth!  Hikers - marginally less crazy than cyclists?  Tough call.


Dan remembers watching a tv show as a kid, sponsored by 20 Mule Team Borax. It ran for 18 YEARS so I expect he’s not the only Boomer who remembers it.  Clint Eastwood, James Caan, Carrol O’Conner and Robert Taylor appeared in it, as did Ronald Reagan, whose next job was Governor of California.




I  can’t believe anyone could survive out here, let alone work, and do mining work at that, but they did.  For 128 years.  Poor miners and poor mules.  And it’s still sold too but thankfully no longer mined using mules.















So, yeah, maybe I’m glad we came here.  It’s good to be proven wrong.  Occasionally.






Comments

  1. What a fantastic way to see Death Valley through your eyes! It looks lovely, but being from Washington State, the heat for you there must be absolutely unbearable for a prolonged time. Stay safe and watch out for sticks on the ground; they might not be sticks. ❤️

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    Replies
    1. Sticks on the ground, yeah. Another reason to not get out of the air con.

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  2. That's Zabriskie Point. Made famous by an Ansel Adams photograph and a movie by the same name. If you took that photo, you did a good job.

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    1. Thanks Steven. It was Zabriskie Point. Credit for that photo goes to the husband. I will google Adams’ photos right away.

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  3. You showed us the geological scale well. I thought that region was only ordinary hills surrounding flat, baked, empty, desert valleys--good for finding recent meteorites. Even if you do not have a magnet there, you can test ones you get at home. Here's a good video about it:

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qdTMYcUsuuw

    I appreciate the effect of the denser air bringing the sky blue down onto the mountains in the distant in the picture with Dan.

    "Death Valley Days" was a favorite TV show of mine. I remember Rosemary DeCamp doing the commercials for 20 Mule Team Borax. Here are some retro YouTube videos of her in that show.

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qC0H6mPyfZA
    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rN_V7ynq7dw

    Actually, the extreme 4000' climbs/descents sounded interesting--well, if you were not the driver. :)

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    Replies
    1. Thanks Jim. The descent was made more perilous by the fact that I had 15,000 propelling me down - and when the road straightened it took a long time to level out and was full of dips and humps. These might have been fun in a car but I was constantly having to use my brakes to slow down our risk being launched into space.

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  4. A good small propane coleman stove (individual canister) and a french press can solve alot of the pain and suffering. But then again the pain and suffering makes for a good story and a triumph over the elements! Love reading about your journey.

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    Replies
    1. Good advice Marilyn - thanks! We seem to insist on learning the hard way.

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  5. That was a brave move to go into Death Valley. Very beautiful!

    Our frig requires propane when not on shore power or generator. My trick on propane is the same a aviators. Run on one tank and when it is empty quickly switch to tank two, even if it is in the middle of the night. When that happens you have a chance to refill the empty tank and you know your halfway out of propane.

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    Replies
    1. Yeah, we learned that one too now, having been told to keep both tanks open by the salesman.

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  6. I have been through Death Valley, once, if I had been through more than once, I'm sure I would have remembered! John and I left Las Vegas, early one HOT summer morning, about 4:30. We were on our Harley, all leathered up. By 10:30 we had stripped down to tank tops, no leathers, but always wearing helmets. We stopped at almost every gas station along the way to soak our shirts, after about ten minutes, at each stop, we were dry as a bone! Our destination was Mission Bay, San Diego. Let me tell you the Pacific oceannever looked so good!!

    You did well, I give you an A+

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    Replies
    1. Correction, I am wrong Mohave, not Death Valley, so I never have been through Death Valley, and have no desire to do so.

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    2. Wait a minute Jill - you were a biker chick? How did I not know this!!? You wild woman you!

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