We woke in the middle of the night to watch the impressive Milky Way lighting up the night sky, and to hide our heads from the wind. We managed to sleep again after sunrise till after 8, then we cooked a simple breakfast and packed up our site.
Our million Star hotel room
We found fox tracks running nearby, and some lizard tracks but no physical sign of them! We got going , stopping to talk to another rider the only other person we have seen since Shoshone. We rode up the valleys pavement to the famous Badwater, lowest point in the US at 282feet(85.5m) below sea level.
Definitely not a fan of sand!!!
Lowest point in North America
We walked out on the salt flats, but got hot and thirsty quick! We carried on riding after wetting our buffs and drinking water. We stopped at Devils Golf Course, which was just a floor of sharply protruding salt chunks.
The only shade we could find for our lunch stop
Next up was Artist’s Palette scenic drive, a 13mile loop through the coloured canyons. Did a short hike which just got us hotter! By this time I was ready for some A/C; we went to Furnace Creek visitor centre and enjoyed the exhibits and short movies in shade and air conditioning. We stopped in for another Navajo Taco, then went back into the blinding light (no clouds at all here) to hike up Golden Canyon (2 miles back down the valley) as the sun was going down.
It was a nice gentle walk up a canyon similar to Titus, but much yellower and spread out. We kept going all the way up to Red Cathedral, where we stopped and watched the light change. After that we rode back to camp, about 45mins drive away so was pitch black when we arrived.
–Zoe
I guess you need to be a heavy wait to plow into that soft sand.
Starry nights, salt flats and unusual surroundings all these memories you’ll keep for ever and ever.
It will be hard to get back to normal life again soon dear kids, prepare yourself….
xx Mum
3 days of empty space, apart from you and one other guy.
Today I learned about the deepest point in US and a golf course that isn’t one.
Don’t get hurt Zoë!
Baci