Friday, April 5, 2013

THE Trip, THE Encore' :: Drive From Stovepipe Wells to Panamint Springs, Death Valley

Copyright 2013, CABS for Reflections From the Fence

March 11, 2013.

Since we arrived in Stovepipe Wells around noon and since we really only had 2.5 days and 3 nights to see Death Valley, as soon as we got Tana all set up on her campsite we went for a ride.  We drove over to Panamint Springs, a distance of 26 miles one way.

I take photos of the GPS units frequently, this one, in Jolly's dash shows we really are here!  It helps me know it was real, there is the photographic proof.  LOL  Can I stop pinching myself yet??


On the trip west on 190 towards Panamint Springs, I took a LOT of photos of the other GPS, which shows elevations.  Here are the recordings, first the elevations, then, the time the camera recorded the shot.

1537  feet  @  1:58
1793  feet  @  1:59
2020  feet  @  2:00
3003  feet  @  2:03
3534  feet  @  2:04
4070  feet  @  2:05
4487 feet  @  2:07
4989 feet  @  2:10

WOWSERS!!  I'll admit it, I cannot imagine toting Tana over this "hill".  That said, we had contemplated it early on in the planning process.  Due to weather conditions where we had hoped to go, we changed our plans and those changes had us going back east and south, not west then south along this route!  No doubt Man and Jolly could have handled it.  Me, well, jury is out on that one!

Pretty much at the top, narrow, no shoulder.


Looking down, wayyyy down, there is a bit of a white streak mid photo to the right, we will go all the way down there and then some - -


Here you can see the road cutting that band of white.


This land form looks as if it is surrounded by mist.  It is not.  It is stunning, all that dark structure surrounded by the lighter materials.


Down on the flat area (the white strip from above), you get different perspectives, with a land form here and there popping up out of the ground to surprise and delight.  (Quite a bit of delight lately, can we say, wahhooo?)


We stopped at Panamint Springs.  This will almost make your heart stop, look at those prices.  Considering how far they have to tote fuel in and the hills and the dales and the ups and the downs, I understand the price, but, GULP!  WOW!!  No, we did not need to fill up here, I'll show you what we did pay in a few days.  Highest we have ever paid for fuel, ever!


Cross the street, beautiful - -


Turning back on 190 towards Stovepipe Wells, another look at that road crossing the valley, and if you look close you can see the heat rising off the roadway. Yes, in early March, it was already hot enough to send up those mirage heat thingys!


And, turn our heads a bit and off in the distance, up several thousand feet, snow.  A bit mind boggling, isn't it?  Mirage heat thingys and snow.


We found a pull off and I got out and took a number of photos without having to fight the reflections/glare or dead bug spots and all the normal stuff I fight with to get any photos at all.  I have been trying to get a good shot of these rocks/stones/small boulders.  They fascinate me, do they result from volcanoes or are they left behind after softer materials melt away?


Out of Jolly, look at the "reds", and the "designs".  Mother Nature and her paint brushes at work again.


Here is that black land form again, and if you look at the top edge of the mountain range, way way back, yes, snow!


The road curves back and forth, the muted colors, the lines of color, layers and layers of a strange beauty.


I'll leave you today with this "sand art" design wondering as always, just how does this happen??  The forces of nature astound.


We will take a drive up another canyon road before we head back to Stovepipe Wells for the evening.  More on that soon.




.

No comments: