Winter in Death Valley- January 03, 2005, 11:15:41 am Yahoo Message Number: 48604Over the last week, we had weather that matched the terrific setting of Death Valley. We experienced heavy rains, snow, winds and even a little sunshine to illuminate the constant parade of clouds passing through. We shot several hundred digital photos, the Kodak moments just kept on coming. Arriving on Tuesday, Dec 28, we were one of the last vehicles allowed to enter the Park via the Bad Water Road. Our usual 5-6 hour trip from LA to DV lasted almost 9 hours. Most of the Park was closed due to flooding and mud flows but there was still enough open to keep us busy for five days. We had hoped to join the DVD group for a Jeep run or two but the roads we were interested in were not accessible. We ended up spending most of our exploration time in the snowy western section of the Park. The snow was of the perfect temperature and consistency to allow us to go just about anywhere we wanted, using the Cherokee's 4X4 and new snow tires. There were so few people in the backcountry that we felt like we had the place to ourselves most of the time.When properly prepared, the winter's bad weather can be a great opportunity to observe DV in its glory. With the combination of clouds, sunlight, shadows, snow and DV's natural scenery, my shutter finger was constantly twitching. The camera's 1-gig memory chip was the best purchase of the year, enabling us to shoot all day without worry about running out of 'film'. Each evening we download the photos to the laptop, then sit back, and enjoy the slideshow, it's better than watching TV. The only other time that DV is this gorgeous is during an outstanding wild flower season. BTW, this is going to be a peak year for wild flowers throughout the desert so plan according. The low desert will start blooming soon; we even saw a few flowers on DV's valley floor. As the season continues, move to higher attitudes to see a continuing progression of wild flowers. See the following link for the Theodore Payne Foundation's wildflower hotline. It is updated weekly, indicating where the best blooms can be seen in Southern and Central California. http://www.theodorepayne.org/hotline.html A word about preparation. DV is a huge park, with hundred of miles of backroads, some seldom traveled in bad weather. You need to be totally self-contained when driving the backcountry. This includes having good supplies of extra water, food, warm clothing and parts and tools for the vehicle. Cell-phones do not work in most parts of the Park and your CB is not likely to raise anyone. I have found that a 2-meter Ham band radio is the best choice for emergency communications but I would not depend on any sources of communications, with the exception of a Satellite phone. If possible, travel with another vehicle(s). The backroads can get confusing so use a good map. USGS Topo maps works well with a GPS and the AAA DV map is surprisingly accurate. If you have a high ground clearance toad (4X4 is even better), this is the place to take it.You already own the best RV for winter usage, so get out there and enjoy the `off-season'; you may be surprised how beautiful it is!Larry
Re: [Life With A Lazy Daze RV] Winter in Death Valley- Reply #1 – January 04, 2005, 11:00:44 pm Yahoo Message Number: 48687Quote You already own the best RV for winter usage, so get out there and enjoy the `off-season'; you may be surprised how beautiful it is!Larry Larry, I loved the descriptions of your Winter adventures in DV. That low winter sun and its "sideways light" nuance photographs with such special light and shadows -- simply not accessible any other time of the year. And I'll bet the wet weather made the rock formations just glisten and color and details pop right out at you. I can't wait to see your pix! Another amazing phenomena about Winter in DV is the complete lack of light pollution -- the night skies are nothing you'll ever see anywhere else! All of you DV visitors who made it there were quite fortunate indeed.And thanks so much for the Payne wildflower hotline. It's sounding like this year's display will be breathtaking.Lorna -- watching the days get longer!
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Topic: Winter in Death Valley- (Read 4 times)
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