Diet Taco... trying to keep things light

Vicariously thrilling. Thanks for taking the time...

 

Interactions with people were in general super easy language wise. Most places I'd visit had staff with at least some English. The country has lots of non-Arabic speaking expatriates in the construction, agriculture and hospitality industries so in some ways broken English is the glue that holds everything together. I'd say communicating with people was as easy as in Europe.

Culture wise everyone was quite friendly but just remember it is a very conservative place compared to the US so dress appropriately to get the best reaction from folks, especially in the interior and even more so in older villages. I wore long pants and long sleeves the whole time because that's just what I always wear in sunny places. The general recommendation for men and women is to always have the shoulders and knees at least covered. Sleeves at least to the elbows even better. No expectation of a head scarf for women though most Omani women wear a scarf and most Omani men wear some sort of head covering. On a beach or hiking in a wadi where wading or swimming is expected the standards are different and western swim wear is not unusual. Even on hiking trails not near water I saw plenty of Omanis wearing typical western athletic gear but never tank tops and if shorts usually to the knee. At the same time I saw plenty of Omanis on the very same trails wearing traditional dishdashas (ankle length robes).

Oman is historically very culturally diverse and was built on extensive international trade until the 19th century. The country itself is composed of a handful of rather distinct cultures. So they are in general quite used to seeing folks dressed and acting all sorts of different ways. But again overall conservative dress.

If you are visiting a village just think of it as visiting an Amish community in the US. You wouldn't wear a thong around Dutch Pennsylvania because it'd be a dick thing to do. You don't need to dress exactly like them but just be aware of what are polite standards. In Oman since they are trying to increase tourism and include their culture in that tourism without overwhelming it at the same time they actually put these large brown "Dear Tourist" signs at the head of every village laying out expected cultural norms. In general it is just to not be loud, wear appropriate clothing, don't take photos of people without asking their permission first and respect private property.

They are all very used to German, French and British tourists. An American was clearly a bit more of a novelty and I was mistaken for Irish a few times due to my last name and pasty skin. I got many enthusiastic hellos and handshakes on some of the more popular trails.

The only cultural downsides I'd say are that the Omanis aren't used to plastic or increasing population density and so litter is a distressing problem in many outdoor places and there is a large income disparity between the interior villages and the cities meaning there is somewhat insistent begging in a few places.

I had no guide, took no organized tours and mostly adapted my itinerary on the fly. It was that easy.

Temperature variations were pretty mild. Even in late November it is warm by the coast, usually high 80s but with far more humidity than in our desert SW of course so it feels quite a bit warmer. In the mountains you are usually only up at 6,000 or 7,000 feet unless you are specifically trying to climb one of the few peaks higher than that. I never needed more than a sweater, windbreaker and a hat when outside at night around 5,000 feet. Most of the time if I was hiking I was actually a bit hot just because of the humidity. Just like in our desert SW the biggest weather threat is flash flooding and you need to be just as cautious about it in Oman.

 

Amazing photos and report.
There must have been another top secret reason for this trip.

 

BEA..U..TIFUL!!

 

Spectacular! What a great adventure. Thank you so much for sharing. Guess where I want to go now?

 

While I will miss your usual winter trip reports, it looks like you had a great time on this one. Looking at your pictures brought back my memories from that area of the Arabian Gulf. Thanks for sharing.

 

Sigh... Going back through my helpful inventory photos to recreate the "Kitchen" and "Other" Action Packers that someone lifted from the back of the truck in the past day. While removing a bunch of luggage I must have forgotten to lock the topper which made the whole operation take someone all of 45 seconds to grab them along with a large duffel bag. Pretty much everything they took will likely end up in a dumpster as they obviously just grabbed without looking. Get to spend the next day or two putting it all back together. Grrrrrr..... I love CA.

Oh and in the duffel they grabbed was my favorite day pack that is no longer made Well my wife had picked up a even lighter weight one recently so I guess I'll be swapping to that. I'll make REI happy at least.

Well, at least they didn't make much of a mess because I kept things so well packed and easy in/out for them! And they kindly stole everything a few days before the camping part of our trip begins so I have time to get the essentials back together.

 

I hate thieves! Sorry it happened and especially to you.

 

bummer on the loss of gear...but have a good rest of your trip

 

Outstanding. Thank you.

 

@DVexile Sorry about the theft.

 

Dislike

 

Death Valley
December 2019

With my Oman trip I hadn't gotten out into the Mojave as much this past fall but the end of our Christmas trip to CA to visit family gave us the opportunity to dart in for a few days. Being with the family this was mostly visiting sites already well known to us so not too many pictures taken but we did get one new trail ticked off.

If you weren't following the news in the area right after Christmas the high desert got hit with one corker of a winter storm. The Grapevine was closed for multiple days, the Cajon Pass closed for a bit too and then was choked with various accidents, the Tehachapi Pass closed multiple times and clogged with multiple accidents, the 395 just south of Ridgecrest was blocked by dual jack-knifed trucks, Mountain Pass on the I-15 near the NV border closed twice and even Kelbaker Road through MNP got blocked by a jack-knifed truck diverted by the I-15 closure. Watching all this from down in Irvine I decided we'd let things clear out a bit and instead of leaving Friday morning to get into the valley Friday night instead we visited with family a bit longer and left Friday evening to just stay the night in Barstow. There was still quite a bit of traffic in the Cajon Pass but we routed around a bit of it and all in all only added about 45 minutes to the trip. In Barstow the hotel clerk said the previous night had been insane with the I-15 shut down to the northeast, the US-395 blocked to the north and the CA-58 shutdown to the west their phone rang off the hook.

Saturday we rolled out of Barstow on a leisurely schedule with our first stop being Spooky Canyon which is a side canyon of Afton Canyon and has been featured countless times in other trip reports. It is always fun and we were treated to a train booming by right as we exited.

After that an early lunch in Baker, which not surprisingly the locals reported was Armageddon the previous day as the I-15N was shutdown at Baker with traffic diverted into town. We then detoured down Kelbaker to get to the lava tube in MNP which somehow I'd never manged to take my daughter to. I'm used to this place being deserted. Not this time, about ten vehicles parked there and lots of people visiting! This did not bode well for the crowds in DV...

We headed back up through Baker and filled up the tank as I debated where we should camp. I decided that perhaps the Saratoga Springs are might not be too crowded especially since the Amargosa River should probably be flowing and would hopefully deter southbound explorers on Harry Wade Road. My wife really wanted to do some more walking and so we stopped at the springs themselves and were a little surprised to discover not a single soul was there! This is what I truly love about DVNP - you can almost always find some solitude someplace.

Saratoga Springs
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We spent about an hour walking here as the shadows grew longer and longer. The temperatures were delightful and just a bit on the cool side. We left to find a camping spot as the sun dipped below the mountains to the west. We saw only one other vehicle camping in the area and headed up the road a ways as I knew there were a number of reasonable spots. We found a nice spot tucked by some low hills in case the evening's light north winds ended up stronger than forecast. Popped up the old Flippac and tossed the girls inside before taking a few minutes for a quick sunset photo.

Ibex Camp
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I fired up the brand new but identical to the old recently stolen stove and cooked some hot dogs. I was happy to discover that in the last minute scramble before the trip to repurchase all the crap that got stolen out of the back of the truck that I had at least gotten enough to successfully make a simple meal. We went through all the bedtime routines and given how early it gets dark were tucked away by a little after 7 (much to my daughter's disgruntlement). I popped out a few times through the evening and the stars were to die for.

Next morning we decided to brave the Amargosa crossing to hopefully shave many miles of the trip. The road was in excellent condition the whole way and the crossing was mild with perhaps a foot of water in the deepest parts. Was very glad I hadn't decided to go around the long way! Our first stop was to revisit Room Canyon which had been a big hit with my daughter last spring. There was already one vehicle parked nearby when we got there. Indeed we found one couple hiking out as we were about mid-canyon. We ran into two other groups during our exploration which was a bit of a surprise for a relatively unmarked place.

After Room we headed north and looked for a spot to eat lunch. West Side Road was closed by the park service (mud) so our options were limited. I decided the Sidewinder trailhead might be the best bet as it was at least off the highway. There were a lot of cars at this now rather popular spot but it made a good lunch spot. From there we continued north and as I was expecting Badwater was a seething mass of humanity. There was an ephemeral lake a bit out and the tourons were of course wading through it leaving I assume deep footprints we can all enjoy for the next year or two.

Continuing on we headed for what my daughter calls the "climbing canyon" which is along Artists Pallet Drive and has been featured in many write-ups in the thread. I was pleasantly surprised that despite the drive itself being crowded and the marked viewpoints overrun there wasn't anyone parked at the head of this canyon. We headed up, my daughter making rapid progress as she's been doing indoor rock climbing for a number of months now. We did encounter one couple in the canyon. It was their first visit to the spot and they had found it in Digonnet's book. I'm sure it is only a matter of time before some Instagram-fuck learns how to read and posts this place to the masses so they can accumulate a whole $1.50 in ad revenue for their asswipe influencer lifestyle but for the moment this is still a quiet refuge.

We continued to Furnace Creek as it was time for me to buy another annual NPS pass and my daughter wanted to get the workbook for her umpteenth Junior Ranger badge. The Visitor's Center was of course packed as it should be during this very popular week so we grabbed our pass and workbook quickly before looking for a camp spot.

With West Side closed and this being a monster busy time of the year I was worried about dispersed camping options. I skipped Echo and went for Hole in the Rock instead. This proved a good choice. We found a nice sheltered spot with no neighbors. There were some fun little hills to climb and side canyons to explore to entertain my daughter as we waited for dinner time. Once again I darted out for a sunset photo before starting dinner but this was a cloudy evening.

Hole in the Rock Camp
​

It was early to bed again though no stars to see this evening. In the morning our plan was to stop by the VC again for the badge and then to do one hike on the way out of the park. We needed to be in Vegas that evening to be ready for our flight home the next day. Early in the morning the VC was much less crowded and my daughter got her badge and participated in some Jr Ranger activities they had related to coyotes.

Our hike for the morning would be a new one for me. It starts along the 190 at a fairly crowded turn out but the hike itself is relatively unknown. It is just a mile or so each way but I ended up making it a bit longer by turning up the wrong wash at first. My daughter got a little complainy as breakfast had been quite awhile ago, she was sugar deficient and she was missing a hat as that had gotten stolen as well. Soon enough though we entered a cool shady canyon and found a special spot to have a snack. Everyone's mood improved and we had a delightful hike back to the truck.

A New Spot
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And that was the end of the trip. Once again DVNP proved to be a delight. With a little knowledge and effort we still found near solitude right in the central most visited part of the park during one of the busiest weeks of the year. That certainly can't last, but I'm going to make the most of it while it does...

 

Sultan of Oman passed away which is not surprising as declining health had been noted for awhile. Obituary does a good job outlining what a remarkable path Oman has taken in the past fifty years:

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2020/jan/11/sultan-qaboos-bin-said-of-oman-obituary

Hopefully the groundwork he laid will keep things on an even keel going forward, I'd certainly like to go back some time!

 

Another great report. I've done two in the past month and the storms before and after Christmas really reduced traffic at the springs. I may get one more trip in before the school semester starts. Maybe I'll finally try the southern end of the park-Owlsheads.

 

Finally connected...

​

Guess who I ran down Titus Canyon with today? Last day of my trip, first of his. Maybe I'll get my trip report out first since I've got a head start...

 

turbo........AMAZING COLORS!

 

Once I get this last kid graduated and out of my house, I’m driving out to DV and spending a month exploring every place you’ve posted about in this thread.

 

Most people drive Titus for the vehicular slot canyon. This photo shows how much more it offers.

Cool that you two met up.

 

Death Valley - Day 1
January 2020

With weather in MD unseasonably warm I was released from any parental duties related to snow days and was allowed to escape to the desert. The usual start of the trip - up early, fly into Vegas, provision truck, eat lunch at In & Out and then head out of town. Weather was near perfect and it was a delightful drive out on the 160 and then over to the 127 via Tecopa to head a little further south to enter the southern end of the valley.

First stop right off the highway was related to a site visited over the summer. See any familiar aspects to this unusual looking cell tower site?

Over-engineered cell tower
​

Concrete bunker, hefty tower with a large platform on top and some peculiar openings on the four corners of the platform. It is in fact a repurposed AT&T Long Lines microwave site. The distinctive Hogg horns have been removed in this case to clear space for the spindly little cellular antennas. If you look at the slightly flat topped peak in the distance about a quarter of the way from the left edge of the photo you can see something familiar. A bit easier to see in a crop from the color version of the photo:

Turquoise Mountain Long Lines Switching Site
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That's the huge long lines switching site I visited this past summer on Turquoise Mountain. The delightfully clear air, helpful sun angle and a polarizer made it easy to pick out.

Enough of telecommunications history. The goal for the trip was three hikes, exploring new and old places and putting a new camera through its paces. The hope was to have a bit more focus on photography this trip. Also with any luck I'd be finally meeting up with another TW member on the last day of the trip.

The next day's primary goal was to hike out to Ibex Dunes and so the only important thing to do this afternoon was camp relatively nearby. There are some interesting talc mines in the area that I'd visited a decade or so ago that would be fun to check out again. Heading over to the mines I looked for potential sunset photos but the angles were mostly wrong. I noted some things that might work in the late morning the next day.

Driving about I passed a side road I didn't expect to see. Looking at a few different maps I found a discrepancy in a road not on the USGS 7.5' that I usually use but that by another map appeared to be an open route I'd never been on. It goes exactly nowhere (it appears to have gone to a distant mine in the past but washed out midway). Nowhere is just the kind of place I want to be. At the road's end I popped up the Flip-Pac and called it home for the night.

Camp Nowhere
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One of the things I like about nowhere (besides the usual solitude) is that it often gives different perspectives on otherwise familiar places. I checked out the surroundings with binoculars and picked out a composition for around sunset. This looked like a place to return to in the future at some point to do some exploring on foot.

I had a new camera to play with, one that should do quite well in the very deep twilight conditions in which I like shooting. Tests at home were promising but I was anxious to put it through the paces of some "real" photography. As sunset neared I got the tripod setup and the composition locked in. It was just time to wait. This composition would likely be best well after sunset.

Well unexpectedly some clouds blew in to the north exactly opposite of my chosen composition and those clouds would probably put on a show shortly after sunset. They were already showing signs of catching on fire. Rush around, new location, different lens...

Sunset from Nowhere
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That seemed worth the last minute shuffle. And so back to the original spot to wait for the incredibly soft side light that occurs well after sunset. The results usually end up looking unreal, even painted, but I like them. We aren't used to seeing color or much detail in this kind of light because it is just too dim for us to see well in. The camera of course can bring it all out with a long exposure.

Twilight Painting
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Because of the settings I use when shooting I really can't tell at the time how things will turn out for sure but I was feeling pretty good as I put the tripod and camera away for the night. Afterwards I just stood out in the fading light enjoying the usual magic of a desert evening. A crescent moon was up with Venus nearby. It kept getting darker and more magical.

And then I noticed something odd. Almost directly above me a patch of cloud was looking different from the others. Very slightly pink. I new immediately in this dim light if I could sense any color at all it must actually be pretty colorful. This was what I've termed a "second sunset" in which somewhere over the horizon there is another cloud bank lighting up bright red and reflecting light all the way over here well after all color should be gone from the sky. I wrote about this in the past fall when it happened at sunrise in the Panamint Valley. In this case though things were even more interesting as only clouds at certain altitudes were getting that colorful light while others were forming a twilight blue background.

Well dang. Dig out the tripod again, dig out the camera and get the widest possible lens on it as this was covering a huge portion of the sky. Anchor the composition with the mountains to the east. It is so dim open the lens wide open and still a 30 second exposure is necessary.

Wisps of Color
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Having Orion peak through the clouds in a useful spot was dumb luck. I had no idea it was there and only saw it when I processed the photo later in the evening. I decided I was really going to like this new camera setup...

With it now safely dark enough to put the camera away I had a hot dog dinner and did some reading. I tucked away a few items I had brought with me to replace things that were stolen over Christmas. I did some quick photo processing.

Before finally turning in for the night I got the binoculars out again to check out the stars for a bit. I knew that Neptune was lurking quite close to Venus at the moment and so attempted to find it. I eventually did nail it down but it was actually more challenging because Venus was so close it was masking my ability to see something as faint as Neptune.

Usually my first day is just about getting into the desert and collapsing. In this case it had turned out to be a great start to the trip. I crossed my fingers the rest of the trip would go so well...