Wildrose campground, Death Valley NP, gateway to Telescope peak. According to Dave :)
The campsites are in Wildrose canyon which was a base for CCC workers during the great depression. They did work in the national monument at the time. You can still see a few buildings left, and several sets of stairs that lead to nothing. Nature is taking the land back! There's a spring here so there are some trees, with birds. The Mourning doves keep zooming thru like they're in a race. It reminds me of the old air races- likely from a film, I never saw that in person. The wild burros are here also. They roam the entire valley towards Telescope peak, but the water is here, so I think it's home for them. We learned in 2024 when we were here, that the miners left the burros behind when the Borax mines pulled out. They didn't die off as expected and now roam the park as residents.
I was coerced by my fitbit to get in a bike ride, I need something obnoxious like 285 cardio load- maybe my "readiness level" is high because I've been slacking?- but I haven't been….. So I rode up the road toward the charcoal kilns. I thought I may be able to reach them, but the elevation was incessant, and it was hot for a ride. Anyway I wore myself out with a 12 mile ride. Since I'm out of cell range- I don't even know if I met my cardio load goal! Drat.
The drive to the Telescope peak trailhead is a 4WD adventure, narrow one lane with a few pullouts. It's a wonder that it works.
There are two more campgrounds along that route- excellent! Wildrose is nice, on the paved road, and sunny- totally great at his time when the temps are upper 70s. The sun in intense though. The flies seem to enjoy the climate here too.
I didn't make it to Telescope peak, as it's a 7 mile one way with a lot of elevation, but the 4 miles out and return was a fantastic hike. A few wildflowers were eking out an existence, but the pinon juniper forest giving way to bristlecone pines was great. The trail makes its way around a peak, then follows the ridgeline with incredible views of both the Panamint valley to the west, and Sierras as a backdrop, and Death Valley (and Badwater basin) to the east- incredible! I didn't make it to nearly 11000 foot summit, but form 9,612 feet looking into the lowest elevation in the US (-286 ft.) is amazing. It actually brings into some perspective the superlatives of Death Valley NP.
There's a row of Charcoal kilns along the way that were built to reduce the Pinion pines to charcoal. They were only in use for 3 years. I'm thankful it was short lived and they didn't decimate the Pinion pines! It's also a testimate of something- that they would build such infrastructure for such a short lifespan.
I totally enjoyed the vast night sky last night- a trillion stars overhead! (or more- I didn't count)
A lone Hummingbird flashed in to say hello, then vanished. There was one hummer near my camp yesterday too, but she was claiming her territory in a tree snag kind of nearby. Maybe has a nest there?
Burro, kind enough to share his roadway with me.
Alpine wildflowers
Alpine wildflowers
View into Death Valley and the Badwater basin
A trailside alpine wildflower
Telescope Peak and the ridge that I hiked to- right of the peak.
Bristlecone pines
Charcoal kilns
beavertail cactus near camp
I paused my decent for these Indian Paintbrush
Well, hello there!