Day 10: Touring Furnace Creek and Golden Canyon

April 3, 2011

This morning I will rest and recuperate in the shade at Furnace Creek. Then in the afternoon I will hike in Golden Canyon.

Texas Spring campground has a stunning sunrise view of the Panamint mountains.

Furnace Creek is downtown Death Valley. It has a luxury hotel, cabins and motel rooms, 3 restaurants, 2 swimming pools, general store, bike shop, gas station, golf course, airport, Jeep rentals, and museum.

And those are just the things run by the concession company Xanterra Parks and Resorts. The Park Service runs a visitor center and 3 campgrounds. And nearby is the housing area of the Timbisha Shoshone Indian tribe.

It's the hottest and driest (low rainfall) place in the continent, but Furnace Creek spring flows millions of gallons per day, sustaining a very large oasis.

Date Palms and a huge photovoltaic array under construction at the Furnace Creek visitor center.

The hottest and driest place on the continent has a golf course lined with water-sucking Tamarisk trees. The golf course looks flat and boring.

Exceptionally high fuel prices at Furnace Creek.

At 2 PM I pedaled up a hill to sea level, then coasted down to the Golden Canyon nature trail. The sun angle is best in the afternoon. I've hiked here before-it's my favorite place in Death Valley. The trail follows a dry wash in Golden Canyon. At first the canyon walls are vertical hard rock. But after 1/4 mile the eroded multi-colored sandstone alluvial fans begin.

Swirling uplifted hard rock formations near the mouth of Golden Canyon.

The alluvial fans are a giant playground. You can go anywhere you want. No fences, few signs. Numerous trails follow side canyons or climb to the top of the sandstone hills.

One of many inviting side canyons that wind among the eroded sandstone alluvial fans in Golden Canyon.

The main trail goes up the wash for a mile to the base of a rock formation called the Red Cathedral. I also walked up a steep trail that goes over the flank of an imposing yellow peak called Manly Beacon. The trail continues up to Zabriskie Point but I didn't go that far.

Shade is a precious commodity in Golden Canyon, below sea level.

Panorama of the Red Cathedral and Manly Beacon. The Golden Canyon trail is in the lower left.

Looking into the sun from the same place the previous picture was taken.

From the flank of Manly Beacon I followed a well-traveled side trail up a sandstone formation to a stunning 360 degree view. I had never been on that trail before.

Panorama of Panamint mountains, Death Valley, alluvial fans, Red Cathedral, and Manly Beacon.

Leaving Golden Canyon, now with much more shade.

Back at Furnace Creek I had a deli sandwich for dinner. Cooking dinner just doesn't appeal to me when the temperature is 95F (35C).

Furnace Creek Inn from the road to Texas Spring campground. If you have to ask how much it costs, you can't afford it.

After sunset the temperature rapidly dropped into the 70's. Cooler than the previous night, but the strong wind continued after sunset. Last night's wind blew on the end of my tent, pressing the bottom of the rainfly against the inner tent. Very little sand blew in the tent. But tonight's wind blew on the long side of the tent which has a triangular vestibule. When taut, the rainfly is about 2 inches off the ground, allowing sand to blow underneath and into the inner tent which is mostly mesh. After getting a huge accumulation of sand in the tent I found that it's best to let the upwind vestibule be limp so that the wind presses the rainfly flat against the bottom of the inner tent. That stops most of the sand infiltration. With two sturdy guy ropes on the upwind side I was pretty sure my tent would survive, but the extreme noise and shaking of the tent was very annoying. I was glad to be in a quality tent (Mountain Hardwear Skyledge 2). At least one other tent in the campground got shredded.

Distance: 10.4 mi. (16.6 km)
Climbing: 628 ft. (190 m)
Average Speed: 8.7 mph (14 km/h)
Maximum Speed: 35 mph (56 km/h)
Hiking: 4.5 mi. (7.2 km)

Today's ride: 10 miles (16 km)
Total: 356 miles (573 km)

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