Jan 22-30, 2011 Shoshone

The 21st we went with Judy and Ryan to Ash Meadows to do volunteer work. We hacked out cat tails from Crystal Spring warm spring. I have always loved that one and when it is hot have just wanted to dive in it looks so refreshing.

Here are two before shots, with a volunteer hacking, and John hacking. An after shot. Lots of cattails. These are shots of the run out from the spring. Below is an after shot of the spring itself. As a reward they let us swim in the spring, they even had goggles and snorkels for us. So here are Judy and I,’ The Women who swim with pupfish’ Pupfish are a small fish that only lives in the salty springs in the desert.

the next day we hiked with Cynthia who owns the bed and breakfast at China Ranch date farm. We hiked down Armargosa canyon to a mine. Above is Cynthia, Judy and John having lunch and Bob, Cynthia's puppy. We went to the wild hot springs out side of Tecopa the next day.

The wild hot spring outside of Tecopa. John has his back to us and some snow geese in  Grimshaw Lake.
We had Jim and Laura , Judy’s neighbors over for dinner. We set up tables on the cement foundation for the house that used to be across the street from Judy’s and had a BBQ.

The next evening Judy  gave a talk at the museum on Louise Grantham. George was the master of ceremonies. Mostly he told bad jokes!

Jan 19-20 2011 Death Valley

It was a very windy day in Death Valley, that means dust storm. We went up to Dante’s view for a view of the valley. Then back down to photograph the dust storm

view from Dante’s, dust storm, sun setting in dust storm

Dust over Furnace Creek Ranch, two road runner shots. They come up and beg for food. They are really cute, but they are  pretty dangerous. Sharp claws and beaks and they are pretty big.
Our last day in Death Valley we took a tour of Furnace Creek Inn. I have stayed there many times, but never took the historical tour.

Here is the pool, with the valley behind it. My favorite part of the Inn.

Jan 17-18 2011 Death Valley

We stayed one more day at Stove Pipe. I went over to the pool and sunbathed. It was 80 degrees. The next day  we headed back to Furnace  Creek.

Thermometer at the pool at 80 degrees, pool, and the full moon rise behind the Inn. We hiked up to the observatory house behind the Furnace Creek Inn for the full moon rise, in the sunset.

up, and up. Looking back at the observatory house on the ridge

moon on the way down , palm tree , fountain sunset, the full moon over the Inn

Moon and observatory hut from the bottom

Jan 14-16 2011 Death Valley

We moved camp to Stove Pipe Wells for some variety. We hiked out onto the sand dunes at sunset.

views of the sand dunes and John silhouetted

wind texture, sand dunes with mountains in the background and the kangaroo rats tracks in the sand

more views and a kid who had been surfing on the dunes.

We drove up the 4 wheel drive road in Cottonwood canyon. It was not the best thing to do in the Subaru. Here are petroglyphs, John looking up a dry fall, and me climbing one in a side canyon

Another Dry fall, colors in the rocks. The next day we tackled Grotto Canyon. I have been up it a couple times before with Judy, but we could never make it up very far.

John climbing the first dry fall, looking down what he climbed up and me trying to climb the last one we could never make it up.


Dry fall, sand dunes from the mouth of Grotto and sunset

the bus in the campground at Stove Pipe Wells at sunset.




Looking up the dry fall, patterns in the rocks. John in Grotto Canyon climbing the dry fall

John looking down the dry falls to the exit from the canyon. Did not want to climb them back down, we went around. the dunes from the mouth of Grotto canyon