California 1st November, at last we reach Death Valley and visit Mosaic Canyon

We drove back down to Lone Pine and took the 136 across a bare, windwept, dusty plain passing Owens Lake. At this level there was no glint of water in it but just sand stretching as far as the distant hills. In the early part of the 20th century Los Angeles built an aqueduct from the lake and pumped all the water out of it so by 1920 the lake, which was once 900ft deep, was completely dry. The Owens Valley had been an area of farms and pasture but now the sandy bowl has to be watered in order to damp down the dust storms.

Driving on for about an hour and a half, the ground rose past strange coloured hills. We came through Panamint Springs where there is an area of green and saw two coyotes sunning themselves on the side of the road. Unfortunately we had been caught up by some other cars by that stage and could not stop.

We arrived in the small community of Stovepipe Wells where there is a campsite. I had actually booked a pitch in Furnace Springs, about 20 miles away, but we were there a day early so we thought we would ring the changes and do the things around this part of the valley. Death Valley was not quite what I expected. I though it would be flatter but it is circled by mountains, Telescope peak is 11.049 ft high. 

We struck it lucky at the campsite as it was a 'free' day to commemorate some anniversary of the park, so we claimed our pitch at the edge of the site, which is not very attractive, where we could see the dunes of Mesquite Flat. This is one of only 2 sets of dunes in the park, when I think desert I think sand but Death Valley is mainly rock. It was pleasantly warm at about 75° and it was strange to think we had been on the snow line a few hours ago.

We had a mooch around the shop which was full of tacky souvenirs and no food, again. In the land of plenty we always seemed to struggle to find the basic necessities.

After a quick lunch we were ready for adventure so drove to Mosaic Canyon, a short hop away. Here we walked through narrow marbled walls which broadened out into a rocky valley. Light streamed in through the roof of the canyon giving lovely effects. Death Valley is a geologist's dream.