Kathleen's Window: Death Valley and Ash Meadow

March 20-22, 2019

Once again, the weather was turning. Another storm was due in off the Pacific Ocean bringing rain and cooler temperatures. Death Valley looked like the only place that might escape, so since we had been hopeful to make it there this trip, we packed up and left Hole-In-The-Wall as the rain and cold came in. By the time we reached the northern side of the huge park at Baker, California, the sun was shining and the temperatures were warm. We struck off across the barren desert for Death Valley. This would be our third trip into the park and we were hoping to finally see parts of it that are only accessible with our four-wheel-drive truck. Driving the View motorhome around the park had limited us to paved roads and crowded parking at trailheads.

The sun was still shining as we reached the valley floor. We headed for Texas Spring Campground above Furnace Creek. We've had no problem getting in there in the past. All but part of one of the Death Valley campgrounds are first-come first-served. Texas Spring is generator free. This time there were no campsites available there. That was when we realized it was Spring Break! We drove back down to the main road and reluctantly checked in to Sunset Campground. It is a huge gravel parking lot marked off into campsites. No hook-ups here either, but we could get water and dump. Once again we were stuck beside all the big rigs running their loud generators from 7 am until 9 pm.

"Scenic" campsite in Death Valley

The temperatures remained fairly comfortable, but the rain started and went on all night. The next morning we had planned to drive out of the valley and visit Ash Meadow National Wildlife Refuge on the east side of Death Valley. We wanted to introduce ourselves to the volunteer coordinator and inquire about volunteering next winter. Change of plans, the road out was closed due to four feet of mud blocking it! The road south down the valley to Badwater was closed for the same reason. All the unpaved back roads were closed. Since we had no connections in the valley, we had to rely on the visitor center weather forecast. It read high of 78 degrees, partly cloudy with a 50 percent chance of rain. Okay, we decided to drive the paved roads and get out and see what we could, and try to do a hike. On the way to Stovepipe Wells we found a flooded road, but could drive through it. At Stovepipe Wells we got fuel, wandered the gift shop, and ate our picnic lunch in the truck as the rain started again. There appeared to be huge sheets of rain falling between us and the campground, so we gave up and drove back again before the road flooding got worse.

Road flooding in the land of few storm drains

Rain Showers advancing across the valley. Temporary lake formed.

We spent the rest of the rainy day in the trailer listening to our neighbor's generators. The weather cleared overnight, the sun came out, and the roads were open, so we drove out of the valley to Ash Meadow. It was a 45-mile drive and then we drove the last five miles on gravel roads after we left the pavement and entered Nevada. It sits in the middle of a wide valley, or basin, since this is Western basin and range topography. The water flowing down from the surrounding mountains emerges here in crystal clear springs and streams and creates the last oasis in the Mojave Desert. There are many plants, flowers, and wildlife which only exist in this place and nowhere else on earth. The visitor center and exhibits are only five years old and top notch. We walked the one-mile-long boardwalk behind the center and visited the gorgeous blue spring pool that surfaces there.

Spring outflow getting lost in the desert

The stream flowing out of the Crystal Pool.

Nice new visitors center

Crystal Pool

On the boardwalk to the pool and looking back to the visitor center.

Not too much chance of getting lost on the way in.

We met the volunteer coordinator and are excited to have a phone interview coming up soon for positions next winter. It's our kind of place; remote, small staff, and a place of environmental importance where we can make a difference helping to maintain it, and educating visitors. We took time for a picnic lunch there and found out we had cell connections, so we stayed awhile and caught up before we descended back into connectionless Death Valley.

We drove the long way back to come into Death Valley from the south. We've never driven it before and it gives another perspective to the barren, yet beautiful park. The backroads were still in bad shape from the storm, so we stayed on the paved road. Hopefully our next visit will give us a chance to explore more. The next morning we left the valley. We had been 25 days dry camping with no connections and were ready for hookups, groceries, showers, laundry, vacuuming out the gravel and sand, and topping off the batteries. So, we hauled the trailer back up the mountains out of the park and drove to Pahrump, Nevada to plan our next moves.