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Death Valley Spring 2017

Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2017 10:15 am
by RichardK
We made our annual trip to Death Valley from March 30 to April 1. It was good to see familar sights like the Death Valley Buttes and Corkscrew Peak.


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I thought that our timing was good since the previous two weeks saw temps soar into the upper 90's. It was forecasted to be cooler. Unfortunately, we arrived just in time for a major wind event. Thursday afternoon winds hit 60 mph. Blowing sand was so bad near Stovepipe Wells that the road was closed. We started a hike to a minor slot canyon nicknamed The Crack (see here). We had to bail about a third of a mile from the canyon mouth. The winds were steadily picking up to the point of blowing dust and grit into our eyes. Here is a picture of the approaching sand storm.

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The winds were a bit less on Friday. We decided to visit Mosaic Canyon for three reasons. One, you don't have to hike across two miles of windy desert to reach it. Two, we thought that the canyon would offer some shelter from the wind. Three, we had not been there in 22 years. I had forgotten just how nice this canyon is. Here are a few pictures.

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On Saturday, we headed to Dante's View to hike Coffin Peak. This minor peak is well worth a visit. A Google search will turn up numerous route descriptions.


Heading up the first ridge to point 5410, here is the view back to the parking area.

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Once you are on the ridge system that leads to the summit, nice views start in all directions.

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On the final ridge to the summit, a surprisingly good use trail skirts the rock outcroppings.

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Happy hikers on Coffin Peak with a snowy Telescope Peak in the background.

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Re: Death Valley Spring 2017

Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2017 1:21 pm
by Sean
Very vivid photos. Thanks! I almost went to Mosaic but ended up doing Grotto instead. I guess they are similar.

Re: Death Valley Spring 2017

Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2017 5:06 pm
by Ellen
Howdy Richard :)

Fabulous -- thanks so much for sharing.

Miles of smiles,
Ellen

Re: Death Valley Spring 2017

Posted: Wed Apr 05, 2017 7:54 pm
by Chicken Legs
I have a new destination on my hiking list now, thanks for the beautiful pictures and the motivation...

Re: Death Valley Spring 2017

Posted: Fri Apr 21, 2017 5:16 pm
by JeffH
How was the elevation gain since you've now spent a couple years at sea level? Or was there some acclimation beforehand?

Re: Death Valley Spring 2017

Posted: Sat Apr 22, 2017 5:27 am
by RichardK
JeffH wrote: How was the elevation gain since you've now spent a couple years at sea level? Or was there some acclimation beforehand?
The only acclimation was hours on the stair master. Coffin Peak gains 852 feet. The other hikes were also uphill. We totaled 1934 feet for the three days. Fortunately, it didn't bother us.

Re: Death Valley Spring 2017

Posted: Sun Apr 23, 2017 12:33 pm
by Girl Hiker
Gorgeous pictures. I haven't had an opportunity to hike death Valley this year!
Thanks for the report