I JUST FOUND THIS IN DRAFTS. DID I POST IT ALREADY.
I am writing this posting as i overlook the extraordinarily beautful view at Dantes View in Death Valley. This most gorgeous place on earth was never on my list of places to experience, but it should have been, long ago. Somehow, my instincts to pay it a visit on this trip, and to sray for four days, was richly rewarded. Wow, what a beauty it is.
I have sent photos, privided some commentary, and explained some of the logistics, including our good fortune to end up in the site we secured, so i will jot dwell on them. I will only note thise things that come to my well-cleared mind as i sit here with the view as my music, the slight cool breeze as my virtual ink, and my naping dog beside me as additinal insoirztion. I would never have come here without him, nor will i ever take a road trip without my dogs.
We drove about 420 miles through the park these last three days on just about all the roads there are to drive. The return trips were just as exhilarting as thevoutward bound trips because when driving you can onky look one way at a time and because a view from the east is not the same view from the west. Not once durung these 420 miles did i feel indifference to what i was seeing, nor did i take my eyes off these views except when road conditions demanded my attention.
I purposely decided to divide the rides over three days to bask in the glory of these mountains. Unless someone wants to take the half dozen or so short hikes, it is possibke to drive through the entire park in one long day, but i would not advise it.
As for these short hikes, they do not allow pets on thise trails, so i took none of them. I refuse to leave my dogs on these trips as they are for the two of us together. Only once did i regret not being able to hike a trail, the 2-mile round trip to the beautiful oassis Darwin Falls, but i will find find some videos on line to experience throuh others' eyes what i missed.
But while the multitudinous school-marmish No Pets signs kept me off sime trails, the Defender in several places took me to a few places few would dare go, Donner's Cove for one. This vehicle over its 26 years and moon-distance miles have taken me places i never would have ventured with any other vehicke.
The No Pets signs, or the Defender's go-everywhere attitude notwithstanding, no matter how much joy people on these public access facilities, no one, and i mean no one, can experience the full pleasure of this park more than the backcountry hikers. Having taken six expeditions into the backcountry wildernesses of Alaska and Russia, i know that. I am not one for regretting actions or inactions of my own, but i as i sit here admiring this view, i regret not spending time as part of this landscape when i could have. But knowing it is there for others to experience is good enough for me. (Note: i imagine backcountry hiking is limited because of the dearth of watering holes, and one can only carry so much water in a place that requires one to drrink a gallon of water a day with temperatures going up to 124 degrees at times in places.
But the backcountry hiking instincts were still with me during these three days. As i scanned these forever unique mountains to the left of me and to the right of me as we drove by, after my first joys of the beauty were exhausted, my thoughts were always, which is the best pass to take? How difficult would that path be to traverse? How long would it take to hike from there to there? Where would a good place be to biviuace for the night? And what about water? My last expedition (on Kamchatka) was in 1997, but i cannot get these questions out of my mind. In a sense, they are still as useful today as i apply them to my current mode of experiencing nature, the road. But on a scale of 1 to ten, if backcountry hiking is a 10 and watching a video of the same terrain is a 1, the way i am experiencing it now is at best a 4.
As for some additional logistics, the weather really cooperated with us. Except for the first few hours here , the temperature has been tolerable. And the i occasional breezes and winds were welcome, not onky for heat relief, but to keep the fly population under control.
As for snags on this trip so far, it has been as snag free as one could hope for, especially if 2016 is the trip to beat. The latest came yesterday when i could not open the hood on the Defender, but a little ingenuity and an hour of my time succeeded.
Tomorrow we move on to Zion no, 270 miles away. The place is becoming so popular you cannot get a camp site within miles. Since my guess is that it will look like the annual RV convention us being held there, i will just drive though the park in one day, and then move on the the Grand Canyon north rim before the snows arrive there and closes the campground. After that, it is off to Arches, which is only a few miles from I 70, which will take to 2020 miles to almost our front door.
As for campsites at or near Zion, i found a conveniently located KOA in Hurricane where i hoped to rent one of those cozy cabins to save a few hours at each end of the day, but they do not allow dogs. That's onky the second KOA i know of that doesn't allow dogs of the 30 or so i have been in. The first was in Minneapois in 2012 when two nights after Leben became paralyzed on Lake Superior and i had to turn back home, the KOA owner there would not ler me stay there in a cabin, even though the temperature was in the 20s and i had explained my predicament to her. No big deal. We drove on and find another.life on the road.
As for our days here , the pace was far more relaxing than my usual pace. All -if any - road trips in the future will be like this one.
On day 1, we drove the Badwater Road to beyond the basin that is the lowest point in North America. We drive about 10 miles on the very rough dirt West Highway, and then ended the day by a drive through Artistes Drive.
On day 2, we drove a round trip of 160 miles to Father Crowley view and then took a challengung detour up a mountainous and challenging dirt road to what is now officially called Donner's cove.
Today, day 3, we drove to Dantes View (wonderful) and then tested the Defender's mettle and metal on 20 Mule Canyon Road (it passed the test with flying colors).
Our late afternoons were spent doing the usual chores (Donner napping, looking out for dogs, grooming himself, or catching flies). Our evenings were mostly spent chatting with people, a luxury for me in this setting which i enjoyed. I especially enjoyed my long (at times emotional) chats with Ale and Krista, and with Roger, as i did others along the way when i tossed my schedle to the wind.
Ed and Donner, from the road
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