Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada 11/17

When I made reservations at the Valley of Fire State Park, I got so annoyed that I trimmed our stay from 3 days to 2. Welp, that was likely a bad choice, but we had a great time exploring this park while we were here.

The annoyance was largely that it felt that they kept adding on fees and charges for things that weren't optional. I first read that the camp sites are $10- great!, but there's the day use fees- per person, there's the out of state person surcharge, there's the taxes applied to the bill, So the $30 for 3 days turned out to be $85.

But we lucked into the most amazing, fantastic campsite! It was in its own little red rock amphitheater, with amazing formations, sunshine, shade structure with picnic table, water and trash cans. The neighbor said that we'd hear/see bighorn sheep in the evening and maybe a desert fox - right! What?!?! For real! The big horn are smart enough to turn on the water spigot, but not turn it off.

There's no describing the excitement of exploring the nooks and crannies of the sandstone erosion, only to find petroglyphs carved nearby.

Bighorn surveying his domain- top right part of the photo. Valley of Fire

11/16 Fletcher Canyon, Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area

Searching for another place ot stay in the Red Rocks area, we found a nice little campground, Fletcher Overlook. It was quite a bit higher, so quite a bit colder. It’s so nice to have Ginger on the trails with us- she loves it, especially in the cold.

We woke up to a dusting of snow- about an inch! It was beautiful, and cold. Mt. Charleston lit up in the morning with fresh snow. :)

Our campsite has power and even cell service- bonus! A bunch of birds are flitting about, including a woodpecker working over the tree right in front of us.

It's ironic that we came to the area to warm up, but it's in the 20s- not so warm.

Tried out using the electric hot plate for heating water. It's great, at least if we have an electrical hook up.

Susan holding up the wall in Fletcher Caynon

11/15 Red Rock Canyon Nevada

Red Rock Canyon National Conservation Area.

They only had availability for camping one night, that turned out to be ok, but the area is kind of interesting- there is one hyper popular loop, that requires a timed reservation to drive into the loop, and one way, when you're done, you're done. No go backs. The landscape is an interesting one with Yucca plants, desert tortoises, and lots of rock climbers. The sandstone formations are super inviting for climbers from all over- that and the sunshine is really nice, even if it's cold.

Some of the conversations I heard between the climber and belay made me want to keep moving, so I wouln’t see the crash.

There are other roads/ areas in the Red Rock Canyon National Conservation area that are less restricted, but that takes a bit of sleuthing.

It was a little frustrating to be within 10 miles of Las Vegas, but have no cell service. We’ve been largely without effective cell coverage for quite a while, but in far more remote places. expectations- adjusted!

Ginger exploring the boulders of Red Rock Canyon

Susan exploring the Calico Tanks trail, Red Rock Canyon, Nevada- Las Vegas in the background.

Death Valley 11/13

Move camp to Mesquite Springs,

Water top off,

Hiked Titus Canyon,

There used to be a road here- that's tight! It was washed out, but is still technically a road, so Ginger can hike here too :). She seemed to like that. No pictures, it was beautiful, but not picturesque.

It's warm and sunny- that feels great.

Ubehube Crater hike at sunset. Interesting crater- felt a lot like we were on Mt. St. Helens.

Closing out our chapter on Death Valley- it's a bit superlative, but the pictures just don't do it justice.

Maybe that's why I didn't take photos of Titus canyon?

Geology on a grand scale-uplift of mountains past 11,000 feet next to valleys that are -282 feet. Cosmic erosion patterns and colors, salt crystals that form hexagons on the desert floor. I enjoyed the sand dunes, and the clues that they revealed of the hidden life that comes out when we can't see it, in the form of footsteps and tracks in the sand.