The Martin's Blog

April 14 – drove from Las Vegas to Beatty NV and then west on Rt 374 to the “Ghost Town” of Rhyolite

Gold was discovered in 1904 and by 1908 the populations was estimated at 8,000

Cook Bank Building – erected in 1908 at a cost of $90,000; it had electric lights, steam heating and marble floors

Tom Kelley Bottle House

Cabooses were required on every freight train until the 1980s, this one was used as a gas station

Did I say that this is a Ghost Town?

This is titled “The Last Super” – Belgian Artist

We then took the Titus Canyon Road into CA and Death Valley

We were lucky to find that the eastern slope of the Grapevine Mountains were still covered with wild flowers

91% of Death Valley is designated Wilderness

One lane, one-way, 27 mile long, gravel/dirt road requiring high clearance and perhaps 4WD vehicle

Red Pass (5,250 ft)

Leadfield, another “Ghost Town” – “Many of the mines are open but enter at your own risk.  Loose rocks, rotten timbers, unexpected vertical shafts, and animals seeking shelter are potential hazards.”

Entering Titus Canyon – narrowest point 20ft wide

Canyon exit to Death Valley, 3 hours to cover 27 miles

Heading down to Badwater, lowest point in North America

Harmony Borax Works

Famous 20 Mule Team wagons for hauling borax

Furnace Creek Visitor Center

Badwater

Start of Golden Canyon Trail Hike

One mile to Red Cathedral Trail

The Red Cathedral spur trail was one mile round-trip – “hikers will have to squeeze between and crawl over or under large boulders in order to reach the base of the vertically fluted walls beneath the famous amphitheater.”

Exiting a slot canyon, in all we hiked about 3 miles

Arrived at the Mesquite Flat Dunes at sunset for some good pictures then checked into our room in Stovepipe Wells

April 15 – Woke early to do the Mosaic Canyon hike before it got too hot.  Room was covered in sand/dust.  A strong wind was blowing in around the tiny openings between the door and its frame.  Hiking up Mosaic Canyon wash

Why they call it Mosaic Canyon – this is called Mosaic Canyon Breccia

First set of narrows

Dolomite marble

Beautiful hike

Boulder jam

Climbing up to second set of uniquely carved narrows

Climbing up to third set of narrows – slippery marble

Getting a little help starting the 25 ft dryfall two miles in

Returning to car

Leaving Death Valley National Park

Death Valley from the Inyo Mountains (west)

The Padre of the Desert

Sand storm

Manzanar National Historic Site

World War II Japanese internment camp

In 1942 President Franklin D. Roosevelt signed the Executive Order to remove “any or all persons” (of Japanese Ancestry), over 70,000 U.S. citizens, from the West Coast

Over 10,000 Japanese Americans and immigrants were put into this camp

Located on the eastern side of the Sierra Nevada Mountains

Cemetery Monument – “In the 1980s, a congressionally authorized commission concluded “race prejudice, war hysteria and a failure of political leadership” led to the incarceration of Japanese Americans during World War II.  It recommended a presidential apology and individual payments of $20,000.”

Lone Pine CA McDonald’s with view of Mt Whitney!

Mt Whitney (14,496 ft) is the highpoint of CA and the 48 contiguous states.  I climbed it in one day in 1967 with my friend Jay and in three days with Peter and Chad in 1999.

April 16 – Spent the weekend with Kate

Movie from roof of Griffith Park Observatory

Huntington Beach – Dog friendly part

Breakfast at Millie’s

Kate preparing for Morocco trip

April 18 – Palos Verdes CA, hiked from Del Cerro Park down Portuguese Canyon to the Pacific Ocean with Peter and Heather

Watch your step – slippery, and don’t step on the wildlife!

We then hiked the beach at Abalone Cove Shoreline Park to check out the tidal zone at low tide

April 19 – Peter’s birthday, two mile walk to Redondo Beach Pier

Plastic bags to cover tar on feet from walking beach

Perfect temperature

April 20 – 34 mile bike ride from Redondo Beach to Venice Beach CA

Returning to Redondo Beach

Riding past LAX

Helen, Melissa, Tony, Peter, Megan, Heather, Bailey

April 22 – Devil’s Punchbowl Natural Area is about two hours from Los Angeles.  It may or may not now be part of the new San Gabriel Mountains National Monument – it is located within the Angeles National Forest

Good view from near the start of the loop trail

We hiked the Pinion Pathway Nature Trail and then the Devil’s Punch bowl loop trail – about 1.5 miles

The Punchbowl was formed by the crush between the San Andreas Fault and the related Punchbowl Fault

Nice hike through sandstone formations

Couple at bottom of rock face near center of photo – about 300 ft below

50 mph wind gusts

Delicate beauty near end of trail

It took four hours to get to Las Vegas – got slowed down by another sand storm.  Walked the strip between the Mandalay and the Bellagio (about 4 miles).  Unfortunately, the fountain show at the Bellagio was canceled because of strong wind.  Lost $1 at a penny slot machine.  Boarded the 12:30am “red-eye” to Chicago, then flew to Washington DC and on to Dayton – 16 hours of travel time!  We flew over our house twice, that’s what we get for using frequent flyer miles.