Today's temperature was to be 76 degrees, sunny, and windy in the afternoon. (A much better forecast than the very cold rain back at home!) After breakfast, we drove a short distance to Zabriskie Point for scenic morning views.
It is named in honor of Christian Zabriskie who led the Pacific Coast Borax Company that conducted mining for six years at Death Valley in the late 1800s. A short walk up to an elevated overlook, the maze-like badlands of yellow and brown hills have been shaped by water. The darker portions at the top are exposed lava.
Three to five million years ago when lakes filled the valley, silt and volcanic ash washed into the lakes creating a deposit of clay, sandstone and siltstone. The layers tilted (and still do) from seismic activity and pressure that is folding the ancient valley floor. As the layers uplift, rainstorms cause powerful gullywashers that erode the soft rocks into strange forms
Next, we drove to nearby Golden Canyon for a hike. If one chooses to, Golden Canyon connects to Zabriskie Point in a much longer hike through the maze. Fun fact, Golden Canyon was used as a filming location in the first Star Wars movie from the 1970s (one of our favorites), notably the opening scene where the jawas zap R2D2 with an ionization blaster. The park rangers' children played the jawas.
A popular trail, all of the parking spots were full, but we found a spot just off the pavement. The wind was starting to gust hard as we made our way to the trailhead. We figured the canyon could either provide shelter from the wind or create a wind tunnel, or both. There were other couples hiking, but it was not crowded.
What makes this hike unique is the towering walls, colorful side canyons with mysterious paths, ripples in the rock formed by ancient water, and evidence of flash-flood events.
In the distance we could see the impressive Red Cathedral, aptly named for its color of exposed rock and its eroded pillars.
This deep red rock wall towers 600 feet above and behind the yellow and brown slopes of Golden Canyon.
After the one mile mark, we continued the remaining half-mile to the base of Red Cathedral. The trail quickly became rocky and involved minor rock scrambling. At the base of Red Cathedral looking up, we realized the view was much better from a distance on the flat trail.
So, we took a picture of ourselves there!
Over the course of the last 1.5 miles, we gradually gained elevation of 479 feet. The walk back was quick and easy as it was entirely downhill.
Back at the car, the wind was so intense that it was blowing salt from the valley floor.
We drove back to our hotel and enjoyed a leisurely lunch at the buffet. After lunch, the wind was a constant 20mph with 40mph gusts. We decided to relax in the room and see what the wind does before making a decision on more sightseeing today or stargazing tonight.
Just before 5pm we drove to the Artists Drive Loop and stopped at the Artists Palette. The colors are from volcanic deposits rich in iron oxides and chlorite which create a rainbow effect.
Back in the car we finished the rest of the Loop and got to see the fiery sunset across the valley behind the mountains.
Since we were just 11 miles away, Rob wanted to scout Badwater for possible astrophotography tomorrow night before sunset. Badwater Basin is the most famous spot in the park, home to the lowest point in North America at 282 feet below sea level! The salt flats cover almost 200 square miles. Badwater Basin was once home to an ancient lake that evaporated, leaving salt deposits behind.
It was quite dark when we arrived, the moon being obscured by the clouds. The wind was intense. With no cover on the salt flats, we were blown around. We walked out a half-mile until Rob saw the famous geometric salt polygons. He captured this photo with his phone with very little moonlight to help. The long exposure makes it look brighter than it was.
Michele was ready for dinner so we walked back in the dark, guided by a few remaining cars in the parking lot with their lights on. A 60 mph wind gust knocked us sideways.
We had dinner at the hotel buffet and came back to our room to do laundry. We were pleasantly surprised to learn that our cottage has a 2-in-1 washer/dryer, as customer service told Michele before the trip that there were no laundry facilities in the entire park!
Tomorrow is our last day of exploring the park. We plan to visit a few more sights and hope the wind will improve for night photography.
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