Photo is Final Climb to Red Cathedral View Point

Friday & Saturday March 22nd, 23rd Death Valley Hikes

On Friday, Yeti and I did a fabulous hike in Golden Canyon/Gower Gulch. It was a loop hike. It began with a gentle but steady uphill in a canyon surrounded by alluvial run-off. It reminded me a bit of the Hayduke. At mile one, we diverted into a side canyon to go to Red Cathedral, a band of red cliffs. To get there, however, you were scrambling through rocks and then going up a steep trail to a lookout. It was great and worth the scramble up there! You go back to the main trail and continue through very interesting Death Valley landscapes – with a steep climb up in barren terrain. The rocks are a variety of colors ranging from reds, browns, sandy, and green as well. After the climb, you drop into a wash which is Gower Gulch for the return part of the loop. Again, we had drops and squeezes through rocks similar to the Hayduke. The loop ends back at the parking lot. This hike had it all.

My birthday dinner was back at the lodge restaurant. They have pretty good food. Both Yeti and I had the veggie pasta dish with added grilled chicken and a decent Zin. I usually don’t have dessert, but I indulged in a chocolate bread pudding. Yeti had huckleberry ice cream! Later, I got up from my stupor and went for a short walk, stargazing as I went down the road. The weather had been really good, warm and sunny, and the evenings stayed quite warm.

Next morning, we checked out of the lodge and drove up to Ubehebe Crater. There is a loop trail that goes all around the rim of the Crater, including a second Little Hebe Crater. You can also go down to the floor of the crater – big, steep, slippery climb out (it’s the ashy, sandy like soil). One step forward, half a step back all the way back up to the rim! Yeti didn’t do this one as he’s done it many times and he didn’t want to do the climbs. Can’t blame him; it would have taxed his heart big time.

Now we are in Tonopah, NV figuring out our next move.