On our way to the Mule Tail Mine after hiking Upper Marble Canyon. Pastel skies - and Telescope Peak in the distance - as we searched for somewhere level. After a bit of a struggle to find a reasonably flat spot along the Mule Tail Mine road where we could set up camp, it was pitch dark when we climbed into the tent a little after 6:15pm. We were asleep 45 minutes later, well before a reasonable bedtime. It was also windier this evening than it'd been on the previous three that we'd been in Death Valley National Park. Rather…
9 CommentsTag: After the Rain (Dec 2025)
After a long day hiking Lemoigne Canyon, it might seem that we'd be glad that the next trailhead was less than 12 miles away. Unfortunately - despite all the birdseed I've fed the green machine over the years - the Tacoma has yet to grow wings. Forced to use the Death Valley road system - up and over Towne Pass and through Panamint Valley along CA-190, out Saline Valley Road to Hunter Mountain Road, and a few more miles toward Goldbelt Spring - it would take us the better part of three hours to reach camp, high in the Cottonwood…
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Only a few minutes after reaching the end of the old road that leads up Lemoigne Canyon, we headed to bed. The weather overnight - with temps in the mid-50s °F and a very light breeze - couldn't have been more ideal. Sleep came quickly after our not-for-the-faint-of-heart trek up Pyramid Peak, and we heard Michael @Mr E30 and Stacy just as our alarm roused us the following morning. First look at our surroundings. Morning rays on an unnamed peak in the southern Cottonwood Mountains. This canyon is named after Jean Lemoigne, a French prospector from the early mining days…
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The last quarter of 2025 has not been kind to Death Valley National Park. Major flooding occurred on September 19th, wiping out many roads that'd only recently reopened after hurricane Hillary went through in 2023. The September rains couldn't have happened at a worse time. The NPS - already historically underfunded in my opinion - had been gutted by asinine firings and government cutbacks. Budgets for managing and maintaining our National Treasures had been reduced dramatically. This resulted in cleanups that took longer than ever, a situation that was further exacerbated by a government shutdown - over the availability of…
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