Two guys and a Jeep: July 2013

Tuesday, July 30, 2013

Day 38

No Blog post today, just having a day of rest. What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas...

Death Valley is driest place in the USA. It is also the hottest. So imagine our amazement when it not only rains but we find ourselves in the middle of a flash flood! But I'll get to that later. Entering the valley in the morning, we were greeted by a pleasant temperature of 110 degrees. Our first hike was through the Mosaic Canyon, a narrow canyon named for the rocks walls composed of many tiny stones cemented together. Water is vital out here. After Mosaic Canyon, we already went through five water bottles. In the middle of the canyon, we noticed some storm clouds on the horizon and decided we should head back. We didn't think much of it. Next, we saw what I originally thought of as a "desert", the sand dunes. As we walked into them, I just saw endless fields of sand around me. It was amazing to see but it also made me realize how helpless I would be without my car and water. Visiting the nearby remains of an abandoned Borax mine, it was evident how difficult life is out here. The next two places we visited were some of the coolest things I've ever seen- Artist's Palette, and the Devil's Golf Course. Artist's Palette is a rock wall covered in all sorts of different colors because of the different minerals it's composed of. The fact that it recently had rained made the colors all the more vivid. The nearby Devil's Golf Course is an alien-looking landscape covered in rock made of crystallized salt. If you listen carefully, you can hear the sound of the salt expanding and contracting in the heat. On our way out of Death Valley, we saw that the road was completely flooded. Both of us worried that the road would be closed but the traffic official took one look at our Jeep and said "Yeah, you're high enough. You'll be fine". Soon after we saw the best sight of the day, a beautiful rainbow in the desert. How lucky is that! On that note, we're going to be trying our luck tonight staying in Las Vegas.

First view of the Death Valley area

Here we are!

These plants must be tough...

Mosaic Canyon

Hot....

Sand Dunes

The ominous road into the desert

Death Valley is also the lowest point in the USA

Remnants of a Borax mining operation

Gas is expensive here!

Rain in the distance

This colorful landmark is known as "Artist's Palette"

Storm clouds

Devil's Golf Course

Misty mountains covered in rain... a rare sight in Death Valley

Devil's Golf Course close up

More Sand Dunes

Flash Flood! Our Jeep took care of us

Rainbow in the desert! Amazing!

Saturday, July 27, 2013

Day 36

Big trees part 2 - Sequoias. While the redwoods were my first experience with really big trees, the sequoias are truly a completely different experience. First off, they may not be as tall as redwoods, but they are huge! The General Sherman tree is the biggest tree in the world by volume. Standing next to the trunk of a sequoia is like standing next to a mountain, you can't see the whole thing at once- it's just that big. The story behind this largest tree in the world is also really cool. In the late 1800's, the army was sent to be stationed around the tree in order to protect this natural wonder from loggers. After seeing the Sequoias, we experienced our first taste of desert on the way to Death Valley. I saw my first Joshua Tree, which was really cool. To me, it seems like a hybrid between a tree and a cactus. The change in climate in California, from rain forest in the redwoods, rugged hills in sequoia, and finally desert, really shows why California is such a popular destination for nature lovers. On to Death Valley tomorrow. I'll try not to melt!