There is a view point I’ve passed several times now going in and coming out of Death Valley and one day, with nothing better to do, decided to get out of the house and visit it. So I did. Here’s the pictures.
This place is called Zabriskie Point National Park and it’s known for it’s erosional topography. It’s an hours drive from Pahrump and I’ve shown pictures of the drive before so I’ll avoid that this time and concentrate on the views instead.
Since I was still experiencing knee pain, even with the elastic brace, this kind of trail was all my knees were up to that time. But that was then, and as I write this a few weeks later, now my knees are doing really well. Since I had that shot at the VA hospital back in May, they’ve reached a mostly pain free plateau, for which I’m thankful to science for coming up with the formula back in ’65, as the doctor told me. Why the hell it’s still costing the VA $1600 per shot is beyond me except our greedy congresspeople allows/requires it.
The Lookout Point is only a 1/4 mile hike from a surprisingly large improved blacktop parking area. And the trail is blacktop as well and along with several cement benches, would likely be rated as ‘Easy’ for mostly anyone, even wheelchairs should have no problem. On this particular day, when I arrived at the trailhead, my knees where protesting things in general but after a short rest, they felt much better so I went ahead and hiked up the trail. You can see that plateau off in the distance and that’s a large circular viewing area, all blacktop with several benches. Apparently, people like to be up there at sunrise and/or sunset as those particular times are said to offer spectacular views.
Stopping along the way to take this shot of the erosion of millennia.
Kinda interesting so far. Weather was nice, though I did wish I’d gotten here at sunrise. Cool enough on this hiking day though.
Took a 270ᵒ series of pictures shown above when I reached the view point but didn’t bother to stitch them together. Try to imagine it please.
Huh. That’s funny, it seems that’s all the pictures I took. Kinda surprising. Dunno what I was thinking. I can picture the vista since I was there, but that doesn’t help you guys much. Maybe I took a movie? Yes, I did…took two of them! Enjoy! But first, turn your volume down to less than 25%. Nothing to listen to and the camera mic is very sensitive, especially to wind noise and I often forget to rest my finger over the mic…as in these vids. If you read this shortly after you got the email notice, I fixed these movies around an hour after I published the article so they work in the embedded viewer now.
Enjoyed that little hike and since I was only a 35 minute drive from Stovepipe Wells, went ahead and drove there, just to have a look around. Passed by Furnace Creek where the visitors center has your NP style store with your DV Mugs, T’s, plush toys. Oh, and all the info and maps about DV you’d ever need. Even a plush Pup fish. How ’bout that? I intended to stop on the way back. Lots of cool (said ironically, this is the hottest place on earth after all) stuff for the DV visitor.
Anyway, here’s the trip to Stovepipe Wells wide spot in the road area. There’s an RV park here I wanted to visit.
Looks like an exciting place to stay. They have a store here but not much else. They do have the Toll Road Restaurant and Badwater Saloon as well. RV Park might be worth a visit some winter at $40/night.
I visited ‘cus I wanted a look at that RV park. Might want to stay there for a few days next winter. But these parks in NPs have gotten to be really expensive and $40/night is rather high so dunno if I’m going to do it. But they are water & electric sites and not inexpensive to provide in this desolate place so the price isn’t all that bad considering. Yeah, might plan on staying there this winter.
I had planned on stopping by at Furnace Creek. On the way back towards Pahrump. That’s where the NP visitors center is, a huge dry (no services like water or power) RV Park, a section of the Indian reservation and I’m pretty sure there’s a casino there, along with a museum and other POIs for the traveler but by the time I got back there, my knee was really bothering me so I skipped the visit. So no pictures. Sorry everyone. I drove straight back to Pahrump and took some Acetaminophen, laid back in my recliner and 30 minutes later, much better and no pain. Glad my knee is past that period, and the shot helped that along.
If you are curious and are thinking of visiting Death Valley, remember that it’s name has plenty of actual meaning, as evidenced by death of this hiker on Sept. 6th of 2020: Hiker Fatality…
A couple years ago, a young couple drowned in their car after being caught in a freak flash flood, in September too as I recall. It’s not safe to hike the valley for much of the year due to heat, and then the rest of the year watch out for flash flooding. I always try to visit from November thru April and that’s it. And I check the weather warnings put out by the NP service first too. Much to hot the rest of the year. But when the wild flowers are in bloom in the spring? Spectacular and well worth the visit. Pictures don’t do the bloom justice, pretty much have to see it in person to appreciate it.
So that’s it for this article. Thanks for reading!
Glad your knee is doing better!
Zabriskie Point looks like a good stop for sunsets also. Is the NPS Senior Pass honored at Stove Pipe Wells? Not all concessionaires do provide the discount … but I think they should!
Yep, and the view point is sorta set up to make sunsets more dramatic. I don’t know about the Senior pass, I have one hanging from my car’s mirror though. I should have stopped in and checked but didn’t this time. And I agree with the discount. What ticks me off is that the NP service used to run all the concessions and did a good job too. Raygun ruined it. NOW we have to pay to visit what essentially is our own lands. They can afford to give trillions away in tax breaks to the rich and rich corporations but can’t afford to run our own parks. Bull.
We’re also happy to know your knees are less problematic and not badly limiting your explorations. But word of caution, the injections have an effective time limit, and aren’t all that healthy for one’s organs.
Judging from record temps (and drought) in Arizona and elsewhere in the West this June, I’d expect Death Valley to hit 125F easily this month; and how wild is your imagination for August? Hope you’re back in the relatively cool but dry Northwest by now. I’d say the Sawtooths would provide a cooler summer environ, but Montana is cooking next door already, and the seemingly inevitable fire smoke anywhere these days in mountains can drive a person out.
Heck, we almost had to pack up and leave Clackamas/Damascus last summer when winds blew the Clackamas valley fire northwest right at Estacada and then threatened even “Happy” Valley, Oregon City, and Portland. The smoke was terrible for a couple of weeks, especially with my asthma. Good thing we have a MERV16 filter in the HVAC system, but simply going outside for the mail or to water plants or get groceries was no fun.
Sorry… got off topic a bit.
I researched the shots, and as I said they’ve been around since ’65 so should have a lot of research data. What I found didn’t mention anything about it ruining my organs though. I did read about how some people it is a permanent cure, for others it wears off in a matter of months. But the vast majority the shots provide a level of comfort for years. I’m remembering it’s good for a minimum of 3 years. I’m hoping I’m in the group were it lasts a long time.
Oh, yeah, I bailed on Pahrump in mid-May and I’m up here in the PNW now. Nice and cool. We’ve had our 90ᵒF days but in general we’re only seeing temps in the 80ᵒ’s. No fires around here so far. Fingers crossed.
You may have crossed the wrong fingers… Portland predicted to hit 109 Sunday.
Same here. And 112 for Monday & Tuesday. I may have to head to the coast.