Photo: Salt Creek boardwalk

This next section that Jac hiked was through the Black mountains and had several tricky pour offs to drop down. We watched her progress via the Garmin mini and she seemed to be doing very well.

We met Jac at Badwater on Wednesday late morning. Though she only had about 6 miles to go it had taken a bit longer as it was a very rocky alluvial fan at the end of the canyon she’d been descending. The going was slow and rough. Even though we could see she was almost to the road we had not seen her yet until she suddenly appeared. She’d been hidden by gullies, so we could not see her. We loaded her up with water and gave her a coke (her beverage of choice) and a banana. Then off we went to see if we could get a space at Furnace Creek campground.

The Death Valley scenery is very dramatic: a stark salty valley floor that radiates heat and the colorful mountains on either side of the valley. Yeti and I both noticed that there didn’t seem to be as many people about – fewer cars than the last time we were here. In fact, part of the campground at Furnace Creek closes down after April 15th. Most people try to visit before the desert gets too hot. Luckily the temps so far have not been too bad, but Jac may start to get highs in the 90s again. Hopefully she’ll get out of the flat valley before it heats up more than that.

Well, we easily got a space with electricity, but these spots had no shade! I walked to the Visitors Center after we set up and stayed there a bit. It was air conditioned and had a good exhibit about Death Valley, explaining its geology, weather, animals, environment, and history. It did get into the 90s. I was not envying Jac that trek across the flat open valley that had no shade! We’d meet her early that next morning along a dirt road and bring her into Furnace Creek for a quick stop and a light re-supply.

There were not as many people in Furnace Creek either. The “village” is quite fancy with an expensive hotel and cottages. The general store is quite good but expensive. We had coffee and ice cream! Jac got a few things to supplement what she’d bought when she stocked up at Pahrump. She decided to wait until later that afternoon to go back to the trail so we drove back to the campground so she could re-pack her pack, water up, and have a bit of rest in some shade. Yeti and I had switched camp spots opting for no electricity but gaining some shade – a good trade off. We drove Jac back to the trail on the West Side Road and off she went!

The next stop for her would be Stovepipe Wells. As there was water there, she said we didn’t need to meet her. However, she’d be facing a challenge for the next sections. We would not be able to get into Racetrack Road where it gets very sandy. So, she’d be on her own there, hopefully able to yogi water from passers-by.

Yeti and I were heading to Beatty NV, but on the way we stopped at Salt Creek. There is a lovely interpretive trail using boardwalks over the creek which is running. An ancient fish, the pupfish, live there and only in Death Valley. It was a really nice walk and I did see the tiny fish.

Then off we went to Beatty, NV and stayed in the Death Valley Inn. Yeti was not feeling so great and so wanted a motel not a campground. Beatty is pretty small, not much here, but fits our needs. No real grocery so any supplies are from a gas station store. They have a few things, but not fresh fruits & vegetables. We are here three nights: May 1-4.

Jac got to Stovepipe Wells on May 1st late afternoon and stayed overnight there. The official campground had closed but she could find a spot to set up the tent. She also needed the time to rest from the heat and hydrate, hydrate, hydrate. The next section for her was a longer one – 36 miles or so. We were worried about water for that long a stretch. In the end, she told us she’d carry 12 Liters! That’s a huge weight. There would be possibility of water in a spring, Dead Horse Spring. She’d be in mountains again and so there is more chance of springs still having water.

Next day, we watched her progress. We were concerned about Jac. I was glad when she got to the mountains away from the flat heat of the valley floor, hopefully she’d find shade there and water. By end of day, she got to the canyon with Dead Horse Spring and it was flowing! She decided to camp there (of course!) and take advantage of fresh water to hydrate as much as possible and re-stock her water supply for the next bit. When she gets to the Racetrack Road on Sunday, we would not be there, so she’d have to rely on what she had and what she might be able to get from cars passing by. It is a popular spot, but you need high clearance 4 wheel drive to get in there. We managed the last time with our Subaru but this van is not AWD. There are a few more possible springs in the section she is in, so I hope she encounters water in at least one more of them (this would be May 3, Sunday). She’ll messenger us via the Garmin mini to let us know. We next meet up with her on Monday evening at Uebehebe Crater.