The Goldilocks Crew Does Death Valley

Too hot… too cold… juuuust right!

It's been awhile since we blogged. We've been MIA... more appropriately 'missing in inaction'. Blogging about nothing is boring to write and even more boring to read, but at last... something to write about. We went camping last weekend. If you remember the story of Goldilocks and The Three Bears, you'll find our camping story somewhat analogous to this old nursery tale. Too hot, too cold and jusssst right!

Death Valley is absolutely stunning. Above, the Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes.

First of all, this was our first overnight camping trip with our new Kia Sorrento SUV. It took some adjusting to, but we managed. That's another whole blog to come. We arrived in Death Valley on a Thursday afternoon. The sign at the National Park Campground at Furnace Creek was already showing 'full', but we found a site for a 2-night stay and figured we'd find something else for our third planned night. The campground is located at -196' (-60m) below sea level. There was little to no shelter from the sun and it was sweltering in the mid-90s (35C). 'Dry heat' notwithstanding, it was too hot to hike, too hot to nap, too hot to be. We let the sweat drip down our faces and considered some alternatives. It did cool to the low 70s (22C) in the middle of the night, but we slept little and perspired lots. It was just too hot and uncomfortable to remain at Furnace Creek. We understand how this area got its name.

Though there were a few mesquite trees on the campsite, they did little to provide any shade or respite from the blazing sun.

We reckoned moving to another campsite at a higher altitude might be the answer. Paul would be joining us in the early afternoon and we wanted to figure out our options before he arrived. We drove the 50+ miles to the Wildrose Campground located at 4,100' (1,250m) above sea level. Some campers were just leaving a primo site that we claimed immediately, leaving a couple camp chairs to mark our territory till we returned. We decided to take a quick hike on the Golden Canyon Trail to Red Cathedral.

Someone had a great sense of humor.

We returned to Furnace Creek, broke camp and met Paul at the park visitor center then retraced our route back to Wildrose. It was gorgeous there. We enjoyed dinner by the campfire and chatted amiably till the darkness descended. It cooled down very quickly and despite huddling around the fire, it was hard to stay warm. It was time to retire to our warm, snuggly sleeping bags.

Paul had just purchased a truck tent that made for a cozy little nest in his truck bed. He had a thick air mattress and a warm sleeping bag. We have comfy cots now (no sleeping on the ground for these old codgers) and our sleeping bags guaranteed warm comfort to 20F (-6C). Well, to put it plainly, we froze our asses off. As the temperature plummeted to the 30s during the night, Paul's mattress totally deflated leaving him to lie on a cold, metal truck bed. Our cots were not quite as comfy as we'd hoped they'd be. The cold seemed to seep up from underneath to keep whatever body part was against the cot quite cold and uncomfortable. When cold, I usually rely on David's furnace temperature/body heat to keep me warm, but he was too far away... freezing in his own cot. Nights are long when you're too hot... or too cold. We couldn't wait for the morning to arrive so we could warm up with a hot cuppa and find yet another campsite alternative. Once again, we packed up, loaded all our gear and headed out.

Paul’s new truck tent seemed like a cozy little nest during the day, but the nest wasn’t quite as cozy when the air mattress went flat and the temperature dipped.

Panamint Springs, about 40 miles away, is located on the far western end of the national park. It offers a private campground with tent sites, gas station/general store and a restaurant. Its altitude at 2000' (610m) above sea level, might be just what we needed. Though warm when we arrived in midday, it was tolerable. We set up camp and went for hike, hoping that it'd be warm enough during the night to sleep comfortably... no sweating, no frozen butts.

We were hoping for a comfortable sleeping night at the Panamint Springs Campground.

Brennan, our personal family tour guide/geographer, had provided some input on the park's hike to Darwin Falls, a waterfall oasis in the middle of the desert. The trailhead was only a mile or two from Panamint Springs. It was hot walking on the alternating sand then gravel path until we reached a green area that sprung up around us rather suddenly. The cool provided by the lush foliage was a pleasant respite from the sun. We scrambled up and over rocks, tiptoed across streams over downed logs and finally reached the Falls. Yup, waterfalls in the midst of the desert. Nothing overwhelming or gob-smacking, but a nice, short hike. We rewarded ourselves for the trifling four miles of hiking effort with big ice creams cones at the general store.

Darwin Falls… Yup, waterfalls in the middle of the desert.

We returned to the campsite in good spirits with high hopes for a good night's sleep. Birds were flitting about and chirping happy tunes. Dinner around the campfire was filling and pleasant. The moonless, velvet black sky provided a backdrop for a star show that just didn't quit. We oohed and ahh-ed at the sheer number of twinklers that crowded the heavens. Orion, my favorite, was at his best and brightest. Still, a big question mark clouded our minds. Would we be able to sleep this night? I'm glad to report that the sleeping temperature was juuuuust right. The Goldilocks crew finally found peace and comfort and zzzz'ed away till well after dawn... and they lived happily ever after. The end.

P.S. As I mentioned in the introduction to the blog, this was our first overnight camping trip with our new Kia Sorrento SUV. We ran into some hiccups which had us missing Blue. Read all about it next time.

Heading to Death Valley? Here’s a Guide to Exploring Death Valley by Clay Reese that’s excellent!