April 1, 2012

Here are some selected pictures.  This is the outside of Scotty's Castle.  Named for a man who claimed to have owned it, but didn't.  A rogue and a scoundrel he befriended a wealthy tycoon and his wife who eventually built this palacial estate on top of one of very few freshwater springs in the valley.  Scotty was a cowboy, rode in Wild Bill's exposition, and sold a non-existent gold mine many times over.  The inside is quite nice and filled with Native American , mostly Piute Shoshone baskets and weavings.  Fun history.
Skating Rocks in the Bonnie Clare Playa in Nevada.  A mini-Racetrack.  But still very cool.

Like the Hat.  It flew off my head and wound up flying away all the way to the hills in the background.  A long drive and chase led to its capture.

Dust storms were the norm.  There are mountains of over 11,000 feet covered in background.

Lower left corner are two Salt Pupfish.  They live in a creek with 4x's the salinity of the ocean.  They get about 1" long and are possibly the only fish that actually drink water.

More pupfish.

Yes there are sand dunes as well.  The tallest in North America.  However, these are not them.



Natural Bridge.  The only one in the Park.  A long slow hike up hill.

Do you see the mouse?  This is above the arch.







Well it has been a long day.  Tomorrow some sunrise pic's. 

Death Valley April 2012

March 31, 2012

Well.  A long awaited and postponed trip to Death Valley is in the works.  Originally designed as a chance to see wildflowers, it is now a trip to see no flowers and avoid the 60 mph winds that are blowing through the Valley and causing all manner of chaos.  Arived yesterday around 5 p.m. and ate at the hotel...Stove Pipe Wells.  Up this morning for sunrise and heard a lone coyote wail in the distance.  After breakfast went to Scotty's Castle and took the tour, hiked up a mountain to Scotty's Grave and drove to Ubehebe Crater.  At the crater I could hardly walk 20 feet from the car to the edge of the crater due to 60+ mph winds but got off a picture.  From there I began a drive to the "Racetrack."  Unfortunately the road was not passable so I back tracked to the castle, headed east into Nevada to the Bonnie Clair Playa.  Now, this is a fascinating natural phenomenon, in that rocks slough of the surrounding hills and are blown by winds onto the flat, dry lake bed.  When weather conditions permit and there is some water and cold to freeze the playa, strong winds move the rocks across it leaving a trail like a snail.  They snake all over the playa.  Soo Cool. 
The Racetrack, in the Valley has huge boulders that do the same but couldn't do the 30 mile drive to get there.  Leaving now for sunset on the sand dunes by the hotel.  Hope to have pictures tommorrow.