Death Valley Off-Road Adventures

I probably bent the towing electrical receiver on Steel Pass. I've done the pass from both directions and prefer going down the steps.

Stock Tacomas can do it. Either way you're going to have fun

 

Panamint Valley and Death Valley Super Bowl weekend.

Fish Canyon/Escape Trail; Nadaeu Trail (until it was blown out):


Goler Canyon and Goler Wash Road to Geologists Cabin:



Easy wheeling, Mengel Pass is pretty beat up but was able to get down without body damage (some off camber spots were close).

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BvYZKvYciD8

 

Dedeckera really is a pretty canyon.

 

Since we were there, we should have went back up the waterfalls and back down.. . It was too soon to leave..

 

Let's see if this works... Who knew? Mushrooms in DV!

 

There is a particular type of pupfish (yes, that is a species of fish) that only lives in one corner of DV: https://www.nps.gov/deva/learn/nature/devils-hole.htm

DV is quite a surprising place.

 

Pupfish can actually be found in a couple of places in DV.

 

Still ... gotta love that they are in the middle of DV.

 

Yes, but the Devil's Hole Pupfish are a separate species that doesn't live anywhere else. Though actually almost all pupfish are their own species based on location. So the Salt Creek Pupfish and the Cottonball Marsh Pupfish are also their own separate species.

 

I will stick with "any pupfish in the middle of DV" is just cool.

 

Yup. But pupfish they are

 

Goldfish too! But that would be right on the edge of park boundary and not in the middle.

 

If you slowly lower the water level, increase the salinity, and increase the temperature they'll evolve into another species of pupfish.

 

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MmfdJvqHxcQ

 

I’m surprised how few people know about this place … one of my favorite camp spots. Though we almost got swallowed up by a huge flock of bees or wasps hiking nearby, once.

 

Let's keep it that way...

 

Finally had a chance to visit my last (7th) dune field in the park. No hint of footprints to be found.

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Really!? I had no idea they were related to carp! (I never really looked into it.) Cool, and thanks!

 

I was just there in December! Though I only looked from below (was hiking elsewhere in the area):

Sorry, I was just making a joke. They are from entirely different families.