“And now let us welcome the new year, full of things that never were.”
—Rainer Maria Rilke
I usually spend my New Year’s Eve traveling abroad, sleeping in a tent at a campground or adventuring somewhere in the backcountry. For the second year, I decided to camp out and explore Death Valley National Park to ring in the New Year and a new decade. I love the vastest of this park. It is actually the largest National Park in the lower 48 and one can spend days, even weeks exploring this beautiful desert oasis. On my last trip to ring in 2018, we camped at a private campground in Panamint Springs and ventured out to the sand dunes, drove through Artist Palette, hiked from Zabrinske Point to Golden Canyon, explored Badwater Basin, drove out to the charcoal kilns, toured the Borax mines, and hiked down into Ubehebe Crater. Two years ago there were barely any crowds and the temps were in the low 30’s at night and high 50’s during the day, making this the perfect escape from the hustle and bustle of the crowded party scene that is often associated with New Years. I don’t do well in crowds… at all.
We pulled over to admire the views of the salt flats below the desert peaks and of course, Moo found a stick. There are some incredible 4WD roads on the way to Badwater Basin with views that will make your jaw hit the floor.
Sun rays on my quick run through Golden Canyon.
Off-roading, sleeping in my truck and starry night skies
For this New Years, I decided to go back to this marvelous place to ring in another New Year but for a few different reasons. I wanted to escape the hustle and bustle of the tourist scene in Mammoth, I wanted to soak in the warm sunshine and I wanted to run on dirt. While living in a ski town is magical, some days I truly miss the warm sun and running on dirt roads. Also this amazing destination is only a 3 hour drive from my house and since I recently purchased a brand new Toyota 4Runner, I was excited to sleep in the back of this truck and see what this off-roading vehicle can do on some fun 4WD back roads. To sum this trip up in a few sentences, I watched some of the most beautiful sunsets and night skies I have ever seen. I slept in the back of my truck like a queen and I took my 4runner off-roading on some pretty sketchy dirt roads and quickly learned it can handle itself quite nicely. I also learned that a plastic snow saucer is not made for sliding on sand dunes and of course, I enjoyed some amazing company with my friend Rebecca and her charming husband. I may have drank one too many bottles of wine, ran 10 miles on dirt roads, soaked up the sunshine, cuddled with my dog, and read a solid 100 pages in my book.
I will say it again; Death Valley National Park is magical and sleeping for 3 nights under the stars while spending every hour of daylight playing on dirt and salt flats was just what I needed. This year was extraordinarily special since there was not only snow in the mountains but also snow on the ground. I have seen photos of snow in the desert but have never experienced it in person. It was stunning.
Dirt roads and salt flats. Another spectacular view from a 4WD road on the way to Badwater Basin.
I have always dreamed of seeing snow cover the desert floor. I have seen this rare phenomenon in photos but have never experienced it first hand, until this trip. I was about 30 miles from the park entrance and had to pull over to soak up these views.
Already planning my next trip on the road less traveled
For this trip we camped at Furnace Creek Campground, which is close to all the amazing highlights of the park but still a solid day trip away from other destinations such as Ubehebe peak and the infamous Racetrack. I definitely have plans to go back to do some more off-roading, bag a couple of peaks, spend a night in the backcountry and explore a few slot canyons. Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells are the two main areas in the park where you can fill up on gas, grab a beer at the bar, buy a few souvenirs and load up on groceries. The majority of the park does not have any service stations and you can drive for 100 miles without seeing any signs of urbanization. Be sure to always be aware of your gas tank, and know that if your car breaks down or if you blow tire, you have to fend for yourself. In other words, be prepared.
The weather was perfect with a high of 68 during the day and a low of 30 at night. I brought my pup; Moo along for this trip, which of course was a tad bit difficult because we were in a National Park. I had to be aware of how much times she spent in the car and I made sure we went on plenty of walks on paved roads and grass so she can get her fix of exercise and smells. I also cooked her sausage and bacon in the morning so she wouldn’t hold any grudges against me since she could not run around off leash. The biggest downside of this trip was the crowds. To be honest, I did not remember it being so crowded for the previous New Year holiday and this year was a tad bit overwhelming. However once you hike ½ mile past the trailhead or got out onto back roads, the crowds of people quickly disappear.
I hope you enjoy my journey of snow covered Death Valley through the lens of my camera.
Each night before I fell asleep, I set my alarm for 5:30 AM so I can wake up, make coffee and head out to photograph the sunrise. I am by no means a morning person, and although I tried, I never made it. On my third morning I woke up in the back of my truck just before 7AM to this stunning view. I quickly grabbed my camera, jumped in the driver’s seat to roll down my back window and crawled back into my bed so I can photograph this morning sky.
I check the weather almost as much as I check the moon calendar. Living in a mountain town, I am always looking out for snowstorms, full moons and dark skies. I knew this Death Valley trip would be a relatively new moon, which meant a chance for an incredible dark starry night, as long as it was clear. I packed a bottle of wine, my tripod, some warm clothes and headed up to Zabrinske Point to shoot one of the most breathtaking night skies I have ever seen.
On my first day of arrival, I was desperate to run on some dirt. I parked at the overly crowded Zabrinske Point parking lot and quickly weaved my way through the crowds onto the trail. Within a half a mile, there was not a soul in sight. I ran a total of 7 miles and made it back just in time to photograph the sun setting over the snow covered peaks.
The sky was always putting on a show for this entire trip. Whether it was white puffy clouds against a bright blue ski, bright shooting stars traveling across the night sky, purple sunsets and deep orange sunrises; this was one of the most beautiful sky shows I have ever seen in consecutive days.
Off roading and shooting photography! I thought this would be a fun photo!
Artist Palette drive is stunning but driving behind a yahoo who is going 5 miles per hour and dodging a person trying to go the wrong way down a one way road is not so fun. This spot is as beautiful as it is frustrating but going in the right lighting can make it all worth it.
More stunning views from the back roads!
Desert snow contrasted with deep blue skies and white puffy clouds. This was another incredible roadside turn off on my way into the park.
Shooting stars were the main theme of my night photography session at Zabrinske Point. None of these sky photos were time-lapsed nor stacked. They are all a single shots on a very low aperture, 20-25 second shutter speed and an ISO of approximately 4500. A timer and a good tripod are also necessary with a wide angle camera.
I love the dirt road winding into the mountains against the contrast of the salt flats.
After driving through Artist Palette, I was really looking forward to shooting sunset a couple miles down the road. Sadly, I got caught up behind a yahoo going about 25 miles an hour in a 40 mph zone. I was certain I missed all the good lighting and no matter what settings I adjusted my camera but I struggled with grain, focus and light. I am still not really sure how I stumbled upon this moment but for maybe five seconds, I watched the deep purple light reflecting off the puddles of water in the salt flats.
My car handled pretty well on all types of terrain in the desert. I took out my backseats which made for so much room to sleep in the back! When my friends arrived at the campsite I was laying in the back, reading a book, drinking wine with two pillows propped against my head. Moo was somewhere buried in a mound of blankets. Such a rad vehicle with terrible gas mileage. To be honest, I solely purchased this vehicle because I could not imagine having to put chains on my sedan during and after every storm in Mammoth. I can roll out of bed, dig out my car, put it in 4WD and just go, no matter how icy or snowy the roads are. I was even more excited to get this onto some dirt backcountry roads!
It was such a breath of fresh air to see dirt and not snow everywhere. As much as I love skiing almost everyday, I do miss being able to run without worrying about slipping and sliding on ice.
Golden Canyon during the magic hour really lives up to its name.
Jaw dropping views and loads of people going 2 miles an hour…
Single shot photo of the stunning starry night sky at Zabrinske Point.
Most people become annoyed by paw prints on their car’s interior. I believe that a car is meant to be driven and Moo rules the universe so she can take her muddy paw prints wherever her heart desires. One thing is for certain, I would rather have doggy paw prints than nasty flaming hot Cheeto fingers in my car.
Adventuring in 2020
I have never been one to make New Year resolutions, mainly because I am a big fan of living in the present. I usually travel abroad at least once each year and plan a scuba diving trip but I allow everything else to just land as it is supposed to. I usually find that small and big adventures jump into my lap and I embrace them as they come. So far, 2020 is looking quite nice as I have the following plans set in stone:
Matterhorn Peak in the Eastern Sierra
Overnight ski trip from Badger Pass to Glacier Point in Yosemite
Camping on Santa Rosa Island in the Channel Islands
Backpacking to Ten Lakes in Yosemite
Backpacking through Evolution wilderness in the Eastern Sierra
Hiking Rim to Rim of the Grand Canyon is ONE DAY (this will be a challenge)!
Backpacking in Death Valley National Park
Climbing Mt. Shasta over a five day glacier travel and crevasse rescue course
Stargazing and camping in a shiftpod with Eastern Sierra Observatory
I am sure many more adventures will come my way for this amazing new year and decade!
Cheers to a new year and a new decade
Xx,
Kristen
