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 place, we're headed for an area of the park we've never visited before. There, hikes through glorious canyons, and to some of Death Valley's uncontested gems. One - a long, rugged, and isolated canyon - tumbles from pine woodlands and Joshua trees down through tight polished narrows with falls and beautiful fossils to finally open up at the top of its massive fan overlooking the valley. Another - one of those summits that takes you by surprise - but a short but steep ascent over scenic open desert graced with Joshua trees, eerie vistas of the Racetrack Valley and Hidden Valley areas, and eye-filling views of central Death Valley. And finally, a wander - through a slickrock canyon - that takes us back in time, that reminds us of those who came before us.
This is our first real foray into the Canyons of the Cottonwood Mountains.
Let's not get ahead of ourselves, this trip is coming soon...Consider subscribing to be notified when it's here!