Death Valley NP, California - Part 3
Furnace Creek Ranch Resort and Campground

Sept 28 - Oct 1; 5,010 miles and 75 days into the trip.

Back to the Summer/Fall 2006 Travel Directory

Mountains, rivers, canyons, and other places have usually been named by the person who discovered it or named it after them self. How Death Valley got its name. In 1849 a band of ‘49ers heading for the California gold fields got separated in Death Valley. It cost them their wagons, oxen, and almost their lives. Two men left them on the valley floor and hiked 250 miles to Los Angeles to get help and back again. After months of suffering a woman member of the party, leaving the lowest and hottest place, looked back and muttered; “Goodbye, Death Valley!” – giving this place its name. How Badwater Basin got its name. The lowest point in the valley always has a pond of water even in the driest time. Miners passing through the area would stop at every source of water and fill their canteens and mules. When they stopped at this pond the water was very salty and not good to drink. They made a sign “Bad Water” and also marked it on their maps. – giving this place its name.

Badwater Basin Mom is overlooking the pond.

The actual lowest spot is about 600 yards behind us.

We are standing near the lowest spot at Badwater Basin. They cannot mark the spot because the salt eats away all of the markers. The salt is up to 6 feet thick. They drilled a test hole (about 8" in diameter) and went down to where they hit mud and rock. The hole filled with water to about 4" from the surface. I took a picture of it but you can't tell what it is. And like ice, the hole will eventually fill up with salt.

Just to the left of the white bar near the top of the picture is a small sign marking "sea level".

Hiking in Golden Canyon. The yellow and golden walls were not captured by the pictures.

We met this Englishman, Gordon, hiking in Golden Canyon. He has seen many of the National Parks also. We hiked together and talked about the National Parks we have seen including those in Canada and some politics.

Back to the Summer/Fall 2006 Travel Directory