December 22, 2018 Death Valley, California

Yesterday we tried to find Stretched Pebble Canyon. The directions were so vague that we found a couple others, but not Stretched. I googled it and got the GPS readings and we found it.

John hiking to the mouth of the canyon. It was right next to the two other canyons we tried yesterday. Looking out at the valley from the mouth of the canyon.

John silhouetted in a narrow section. John taking a photo around the corner.

This was around the corner. The canyon was blocked by a dry fall and a chock stone. It looked impassable. John climbed up to see if he could find a way down. But it is too exposed and sketchy so he climbed back down. Here he is in a chimney climbing down.

We had lunch at the end of the canyon. I sat at the top of a dry fall and John was below. It is called Stretched Pebble canyon because there are bunch of rocks that were flattened by heat and pressure during the earths evolution and look stretched. These ones are eroded and polished out by the water in the canyon. These are some of the stretched rocks at this narrow corner.  Not sure why they didn’t just call the smashed rocks. But they are cool.

Climbing up here the stretched rocks were steps up. It was hard to climb up because there were so many cool rocks to look at.  John caught me  walking down a very narrow portion of the canyon.  and starting down  the dry fall. 

John at the bottom of a dry fall. Cool passages.

John took this of me walking in a narrow section.  John hiking out near the mouth of the canyon.

Some of the stretched rocks. They were flattened by heat and pressure during the earths evolution. In this canyon they are exposed and polished by water. These  looks like a fossilized vertebrae.  A layer of quartz  or something sandwiched between layers.  The telephone lines used to run along here. All that is left is two wires side by side. More stretched rocks.

This raven was by the car when we returned. I think he thought we would feed him. We drove to Furnace Creek to get some propane, but got there after their propane hours. We went to the Inn to check out the renovations. Looked pretty tasteful. This building was damaged by fire years ago, they restored it with a mission style front.

The grass and fountain are where there used to be a parking lot. There are lots of new palm trees too.  At the pool they added some shade structures and a spa. Behind the pool are 24 new casitas.

The new dining room is a little weird with the 4 booth thing in the middle. The lobby is retiled.  Meanwhile down at the Ranch this garden and fountain are where a parking lot was in front of the new registration building.  I do not like the new bar at the Ranch. It is too modern.

Pre sunset in front of the Funeral mountains and sunset.