Today we planned on riding to Racetrack Playa via Teakettle Junction, to camp under the stars by only taking a light load of gear (sleeping mats + bags, essential cooking gear) while leaving our tent and the majority of our stuff at Emigrant. We headed to Stovepipe Wells for breakfast, only to find their only restaurant had finished serving breakfast 5mins previously. Bugga. Our next option was half an hours ride south of the junction we wanted to take. We rode to Furnace Creek (the main ‘settlement’ in the valley) and changed our plans for the day a little. We got some info at the visitor centre on the roads and heard the Racetrack one was indeed rough with sharp volcanic rocks…. Hmm. After a Navajo Taco for lunch-(at this point), we opted on taking the Greenwater Valley dirt road south to the town of Shoshone.
First up was the nice paved road up to Zubriski Point, a popular tourist stop to see the lightly coloured towers of hardened mud and stone. We then carried on about 17 miles up the mountains to Dante’s View, directly overlooking Badwater at the bottom of the valley, and a large portion of the length of DV. We took a short hike along the rocks to a good view and enjoyed the silence we were getting used to in this park.
Zabriskis point
Badwater Basin from Dantes look out
The road up to Dantes look out
20 mule team loop
From there we headed down to the junction with Greenwater Vally road, deflated our tires and rode a fairly level path to Shoshone. There were a few sandy/loose gravel sections that gave us the wobbles, but fortunately nothing too rough. At Shoshone we had a late lunch at their old fashioned cafe, then rode back into the park in search of an off-road camp spot before dark. We took the Badwater dirt road to the first junction of a rougher road leading into the mountains, and didn’t get far at all before I spun out in the loose sand. It was deeper here, and if you couldn’t maintain the bike going pretty quick, you sunk!!
Green Valley road
Lunch stop in Shoshone
Deflating tires
Zoe is not a fan of sand
We found a nice old river bed-looking flat section and set up our tarp, mats and camping set up. We watched the world get dark quickly and enjoyed absolute stillness with not a soul around, no man-made noise for perhaps the first night of our trip.
Zoe
No wonder it’s called Dead Valley…Looks like almost nothing grows there. Moon like surface !
Sleeping in the open looking at the stars means temperatures are mild. Nice ! Lucky you, here winter has started today with ice cold wind…Prepare yourself T. 😉
Ooops Zoe ! Playing in the sandpit and trying to write your name in the sand ? As long as you’re not hurt all goes well. Take good care and see in the next episode.
xx
If I read correctly you had lunch twice today, the area is absolutely “dead” and it was your first night without any manmade noise.
Must be overwhelming to be solo in such a vast expanse, but you need the extra man to get the bike up again.
Keep on going!
Baci (it’s Monday now)