January 14-17, 2019 Shoshone, California

59 degrees and cloudy with some rain.

We had another great dinner at Steak and Beer in Tecopa with Susie , Lorraine and Liz. In the photo we are with Eric the owner and cook. Fabulous cook, good dinner.  It rained all day yesterday. These are clouds at sunset time, but no pink.

Sun came out this morning. We did a hike with the Tecopa Hiking Crew into Cowboy Canyon. Roger leading the way with Toni following. Descending down the narrow canyon we had to climb down a few dry falls. Toni coming down the fall while Roger, Michael and Susan wait below.

Looking up the canyon. Looking down the canyon with Toni and Susan. 

Continuing down the canyon. Toni and Roger below another fall.  

Michael, Susan and Toni scrambling over boulders. We made it into the main canyon. Kelly, Allison, Kristen and Kelly.  

Cowboy Canyon. Climbing back out of the canyon toward home. 

Roger with Duck Rock. Roger and Toni came to dinner. John cooked a great meal. Roger is showing off the stuffed mushroom appetizers. 

Mushroom in the desert, a lone palm tree in the canyon, phragmites or common reed, clouds above Shoshone after the rain and a cool rock. It sticks up like leaves on a head of lettuce. It rained all day. At the end of the day the clouds pulled out and the sun snuck under. 

Sun on the Resting Springs range  to the east and Tecopa.  

Sun on the Greenwater Range to the west. 

January 11-13, 2019 Shoshone, California

We did a short hike on the trail on the other side of the river from town. I love the white from the salt deposits.  

This cool little california gopher snake was hanging out in the rocks. Judy and John picking their way through the rocks and bushes.  

Sunset started with a glow in the west and turned into fire in the sky. 

Sunset burst out to the east. We hiked in Death Valley on a cool cloudy day. Lorraine, Lynda, Susan, Judy, John and I.

Partly cloudy day on the long drive to the trail head.

Judy, John and I continued and spent the night. Judy and John hiking, it rained a little on the way in. John resting in a cave.

We found a campsite sheltered from the wind. It was so cold that Judy crawled into her sleeping bag after she set up her tent.  It was not ideal camping weather, but Judy has a tight schedule and this is when she could go. It was cloudy to the west, but there was a window of sunset color to the east.

It got down to freezing during the night. We went to bed as soon as it got dark, too cold to sit around. I read 2/3's of a Perry Mason book. First light the next morning. John enjoying tea in the morning sun. Beautiful sunny warm day on the way out. 

The trail was a little rocky. The rocks were holey in spots. Almost like they were watching us. This last rock has a  petrified zipper. 

Bright lichen on a rock. A cute little 3 inch hedgehog cactus, a metate or indian grinding hole in the rock, cute larger hedgehog cactus, cool cave, blue and green lichen, and old bottles. 

January 8-10, 2019 Shoshone, California

Drove the bus to Tecopa and did a dump, then soaked in the hot springs.  Came home and made fruit cake for the 2022 fruit cake festival.

Sunset tonight. Today the high was 67 and sunny. We hiked with friends. Here we are heading out into the desert. 

Toni walking in front of one of many cool formations. Looking out over the washes. 

We hiked to the 'Holes'. Lots of weird sinkhole kind of things. We had lunch on these benches. 

More cool formations and Toni wondering where we all were. We hiked 4.1 miles.

Judy came back this afternoon. We went off on another 3 mile hike right at sunset.  

After sunset was over all of a sudden these couple rays of color shot up. Today we hiked down Amargosa Canyon to clean up the trail for the Beatty to Badwater hike. Judy and John in the canyon.

Beautiful canyon walls. John and Judy hiking down a wash out in the trail. 

Hiking Amargosa river canyon along the old Tidewater to Tonopah railroad bed.  John and Judy on one of the two remaining bridges left on the old Tidewater to Tonopah railroad bed.  

Views of the canyon walls. 

John and Judy in Amargosa Canyon. We went to clean up a couple areas in advance of the Beatty to Badwater hike through here next month.  Judy and John trimming brush, sawing branches, and hauling a log over to a water crossing. I got to drag cut branches out of the way and haul rocks.  

John and Judy walking back along the old railroad bed. Rock spires on the canyon walls.  

Judy on the trail back. Hikers you must be responsible for your own safety. The Amargosa River is listed as wild and scenic. A lizard and a balanced rock. Hope it stays there, it is above us.