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Tag: california

We Finally Return to Marble Canyon | Following Giants #1

3 It was on the final night of our very first trip to Death Valley that we rushed through Cottonwood and Marble canyons, and we haven't been back since. It was largely the popularity of these places that kept me from returning, our preference to spend time in more remote places of the park outweighing the draw of narrows and rock art that Marble Canyon is known for. Still, it was tough to ignore the description of Marble Canyon that constantly caught our attention in Digonnet's Hiking Death Valley, and when we found ourselves with an extra afternoon at the…

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Ancient Gems of Bighorn Gorge | Cottonwoods #4

1 Knowing that we had a huge hike in front of us, we worked our way high into the Cottonwood Mountains after returning from our hike to Leaning Rock just before 6:00pm, already an hour after dark. Having never driven White Top Mountain Road, the circuitous route remained a mystery as we pulled into a spot that we hoped would have a nice view once when the sun completed its circumnavigation of the globe. Even as we set up the tent for the night it was freezing. Luckily, @mrs.turbodb had already prepped sandwiches - at the same time we'd prepped…

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Hidden Away | Cottonwoods #3

10 For nearly three years now - ever since I met in a Eureka Valley silt bed - there's been a special canyon in the Cottonwood Mountains that I've known I needed to visit. canyon was one that I'd heard whispers and hints of through other sources, but never a name and certainly never a specific location. As we chatted for a few minutes - after a small tug freed his pickup from the silt - our shared love for Death Valley was immediately obvious. He shared the joys of his trip that was coming to an end; I excitedly…

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Thanksgiving at Leaning Rock Peak | Cottonwoods #2

14 Our night in the southern flanks of the Cottonwoods was chilly but with a couple down comforters and a replacement Exped Megamat that did a great job of holding air and keeping us toasty warm, we slept well. It helped that it wasn't windy, too! Good morning mountains. (White Mountain - of the White Mountains - rising in the distance.) The Sierra and Inyo Mountains fought for dominance to our west. We ate a quick breakfast - it had to be, since the milk in our bowls was freezing as we spooned the cereal into our mouths - while…

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We're In the Wrong Mountains | Cottonwoods #1

4 Winter. You will never hear me share my love for winter in the Pacific Northwest. Here, during the period of the year that lasts from the end of the September until the beginning of July, it is gray, dark, and damp. Still - for the last seven years - I find myself looking forward to the season. Winter, for me, signals the time of year for trips to Death Valley. A vast wonderland of exploration that - every time I visit - seems to reveal additional secrets and endless ideas for future adventures. After 20 trips to this spectacular…

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Visiting the Virginia May | Return to the Desert #4

It was a photo I found online of the Virginia May mine that sold me on a nine-mile long hike into a remote region of the Turtle Mountains. It's not like I really needed a reason to hike in the Turtles. Every time I've ventured beyond their wilderness boundary has been spectacular, my most recent memory being The Perfect Day for Something Stupid. It was the description that went along with the photo that really baffled me (highlight mine): The Virginia May Mine (also known as the Horn Mine) had been on my "To Do" list for years. It was…

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Planting Baby Joshua Trees | Return to the Desert #3

During the summer of 2020 - it is safe to say - the world had its hands full even before a fire began near Cima Dome on August 15. Caused by a lightning strike, it grew rapidly for the first 36 hours, aided by weather conditions and a lack of available firefighting resources. During this period the Dome Fire burned more than a quarter of the Cima Dome Joshua tree forest, one of the largest and densest populations of Joshua trees known in the world. By the time the fire was contained on August 24, there were no human injuries…

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The Second Best Site | Return to the Desert #2

Just as with the Dewey Mine, there's been a rock art site in the heart of the Mojave Preserve that I've known about for several years but have never visited. So, when Mike @mk5 and I were coordinating a couple days of Joshua Tree planting, I was thrilled when - along with all the meals he wanted to cook for @mrs.turbodb and me - he piped up with: Another thing that didn't occur to me until now... but given your interest in historic rock vandalism, perhaps we could track some down up there, as part of a planting hike? m(never-seen-rock-art)k5…

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Cowhole Mountain and the Creepiest Halloween | Return to the Desert #1

I always look forward to winter. Not to the snow - though a day swishing down the slopes is always enjoyable - or for the cozy afternoons enjoying popcorn and a movie, but because they mean that it is time - once again - to explore the desert. Having wrapped up the last of the work on the Tacoma - a new 5th gear and some major repair work to the bed - while it was housed at home, the end of October meant that it was time for the long drive south to escape the cold, wet weather of…

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Out of the Ashes | Sierra #2

Four years ago, the Creek Fire roared through the swath of the Sierra National Forest where a fabulous camp site - nestled into the granite domes alongside - sits unobtrusively, a gem for those who find it. That fire changed many things about the landscape. Much of the undergrowth was incinerated, trees were burned completely or to slender black trunks reaching to the sky, scores of animals were caught in the blaze or forced to leave the area afterwards in order to find food and shelter. Still, only a year after the destruction, life was coming back. Now, four years…

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The Usual Activities | Sierra #1

In what has become an enjoyable tradition, the end of June marked a few days of fun and relaxation in the Sierra with Pops. Usually, busy schedules keep us from getting up until just before Labor Day, but this year we pulled off our visit early! With perfect weather, we soaked in the sun and surroundings. Visited traditional lunch spots. And trapsed our way through blackened forests of the 2020 Creek Fire. And of course we ate well. This time, I've decided to break up the trip into two parts. The first - our 'usual activities' of lazing around camp…

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Secrets of Crooked Creek | White Mountains #4

Somehow, we'd completed a 16 mile hike to 14,252 feet above sea level in just under nine hours. Figuring that it'd take more than a little longer - especially after eating lunch and hanging out at the top for a while - I'd planned for us to spend a second night at the White Mountain trailhead. Then, we'd spend our final day of exploration winding our way through a few canyons and meadows that I'd heard were well worth visiting. But now, we had options. It was time to work out how to best squander them! Working our way down…

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Our First 14er | White Mountains #3

Unsure of the tenability of the main hike we'd planned for our visit to the White Mountains - a hike to the 14,252 foot summit of White Mountain itself - we proceeded toward the trailhead with a bit of trepidation. A few minutes earlier, we'd been approached by a Spanish-speaking couple who'd asked @mrs.turbodb if we'd been to the end of the road. They'd picked us because our vehicle suggested that we might have been, and the information officers - at the Ancient Bristlecone Pine Visitor Center - told them that they wouldn't be able to make it because the…

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Ancient Bristlecones and the Oldest Tree on Earth | White Mountains #2

There's a reason they don't tell you where the oldest trees are. Having completed two very hot hikes, we hoped that by gaining a bit of elevation, we would find somewhere a little cool(er) to eat our hot dogs and corn before quickly getting horizontal on our Exped Megamat to fall asleep. To do this, Silver Canyon seemed to be the quickest way to climb from somewhere around 4,500 feet in Owens Valley, to more than 10,000 feet along the ridge of the White Mountains, so that's the direction we headed. Hmm, I thought this was going to be a…

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Two Too Hot Hikes | White Mountains #1

For years we've travelled south to explore the Mojave. More times that I can count, we've cruised south - and north again - along US-395 through the Owens Valley or followed US-95 through Nevada. On every one of these, we've passed by the White Mountains, their sharp peaks - often dusted in snow - reaching high into the sky. And yet, even as we've stopped to explore areas near these mountains, we've never taken the time to wander into them. This trip would change all of that. We'd finally discover what we'd been missing, as we wandered the White Mountains.…

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Papoose Flat | Inyo West #4

After thoroughly enjoying the sunrise from the shoulder of Mazourka Peak, everything was packed up and I was on the road by 7:00am. Headed back to the summit and through Badger Flat, it didn't take long to discover that I was headed the right direction. Let's go ... there! Located just a few miles east - if you're coming from town - from the town of Big Pine - and nestled into the northern end of the Inyos off of Death Valley Road, is Papoose Flat. The Paiute occupied this area and most of the Inyo Mountains into the 1930’s.…

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Mazourka | Inyo West #3

Having thoroughly enjoyed my time on the Swansea to Cerro Gordo loop, I had two more areas - or at least, access points - in the Inyo Mountains that I wanted to explore. I didn't know much about either of them, but they centered around Mazourka Peak, which I thought would be a nice, high elevation - so cooler - place to spend the night. Getting there required a bit of pavement and a refuel in Independence, before heading up Mazourka Canyon road and my first decision of the morning. It's always hard for me to drive by Manzanar without…

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Swansea to Cerro Gordo | Inyo West #2

I've been wanting to run the Swansea to Cerro Gordo Road - to visit the uppermost control tower of the Saline Valley Salt Tram - ever since we attempted to hike to the lowest control tower on the Saline Valley side in 2019. While the road itself has its own reputation for a few dangerous and technical sections, it was only a matter of setting aside the time - and figuring out what else to explore in the surrounding area in order to make the trip worthwhile - that'd kept me from visiting. Today though, that would all change. I'd…

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Worth More Than Gold | Inyo West #1

I've done a lot of exploring in and around Death Valley National Park, and have spent many a morning watching the sun illuminate the Inyo Mountains from the east. But, I've spent almost no time exploring the Inyo Mountains from the west - Owen's Valley - side. I'm not sure exactly why this has been the case - there's a ton to experience - but I suppose it's due to the fact that it's nestled between the dramatic Sierra Nevada and my favorite National Park. Regardless, I've wanted to drive the Swansea to Cerro Gordo Road - up past the…

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Before | Before and After #1

Our Spirit Airlines flight touched down in Las Vegas at 11:32pm on Tuesday night. We'd chosen to take a late flight so we'd be able to drive the 10 hours from Las Vegas to the beginning of the Arizona Backcountry Discovery Route (AZBDR) at the Mexico border over the course of the following day, but that was when we assumed that we'd be picking up the Tacoma just before midnight. "Welcome to Las Vegas folks, this is your captain speaking. Looks like they don't have a gate ready for us, so until they can push back another plane, we're going…

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