Vinegaroon Canyon, Death Valley

As we all should know, sometimes the journey is more interesting than the destination. That's certainly the case with Vinegaroon Canyon in Death Valley. The canyon itself is mildly scenic with one nice rappel—the first one is a vertical, 85' wall with a pleasant free rappel—some challenging down-climbs and a couple of narrow passages. Ah, but the approach is far more spectacular. Here is Death Valley geology with all its colorful weirdness. The hike starts from 20 Mule Team Canyon and crests a ridge from where you look down into the canyon and past it to the Amargosa Range. Then you drop down into upper Scorpion Canyon where copper ores create streaks of blue and green. Splashes of red from iron stain the fluted hillsides. Lastly, you climb back up to a windy ridge draped with lavender rocks and there are still more views, this time of what seems like the entire Death Valley park. Even on this cool, stormy day, the vista was grand. Finally, you descend into Vinegaroon Canyon (by the way, a vinegaroon is a type of scorpion), and, well, it's at times underwhelming. Perhaps I'm jaded, or perhaps the canyon just can't compete with the approach.

20 Mule Team Canyon and the wash that took us into the hills and our first climb.

The easy ascent into the wash. We would soon climb near the green, fluted cliffs in the background.

Rich starting the climb out of the wash.

Climbing along a slab of rock and loose pebbles. Always a little tricky.

Jerri climbing with 20 Mule Team Canyon and the Amargosa Range behind her.

A green monster watching Rich as he descends upper Scorpion canyon.

I'm a sucker for lone bushes and for whatever artistic reason, I find them irresistible.

Okay, that and bushes stuck in the mud from some recent rainstorm.

Kevin cruising past the multi-colored stains of upper Scorpion Canyon.

Climbing out of upper Scorpion Canyon and to more views.

Lavender rocks. Not sure what mineral is causing that.

Hiking the ridge with all of Death Valley seemingly below us.

Rich and Jerri.

The hike along the ridge involves an up-and-down route in what was at the time an occasionally howling, cold wind.

Kevin descending through the colors.

One in a series of stops to check our route. The canyon isn't obvious until you actually drop into it.

Rich gearing up atop a down-climb.

With Jerri and Kevin acting as a "meat anchor" Rich works his way through a tricky down-climb.

Rich spotting Kevin on a down-climb.

Helping Jerri survive the same down-climb.

Making our way through a passageway.

Another down-climb.

A cairn some past canyoneer left behind. Purely decoration. There wasn't much question as to which way to do. Down.

Another passageway.

Jerri descending one of the more scenic spots in the canyon.

The down-climb wasn't difficult, but that boulder held your interest.

Another short passageway through the rock.

You know a down-climb has a challenge factor when Jerri tackles it stomach against the rock.

Rigging the rope attached to a large cairn anchor. Whoever built it wasn't taking any chances.

Rich looks down before stepping off on the rappel.

Apparently grateful for the assist, Jerri plants a kiss on Kevin's head.

Kevin on one of the last rappels.

Mouth of the canyon, late afternoon, with the Panamint Mountains a few miles away.

The alluvial fan we had to cross in order to get to our shuttle vehicle.

Wildflowers, Death Valley

I'm not a big one for taking pictures of wildflowers only because it feels like there's not more I can say about a flower that someone else hasn't already done, often better. But when it comes to flowers in the desert, I can't resist. I think it's the novelty of something so colorful, so delicate in an otherwise barren, often colorless environment. Plus, you know that what you're capturing is only hanging around for a few days, so it's also the rarity of the subject that makes it special. I was never able to nail down exactly what these blooms are which is odd because they were everywhere the day I was shooting in Death Valley National Park toward the end of February. I got down on my knees with the tripod legs spread out and using the widest setting on my lens focused on these beauts just a few inches from the lens' front element. It allowed me to gather in a close-up while at the same showing the surrounding environment.

tech stuff: Canon 5D, 16mm f/2.8 lens set to 16mm, f/13, 1/50, ISO 400

Pit of Despair (No, Really)

Just came back from another incredible canyoneering trip to Death Valley. For the first canyon, we went to the "Prince's Bride" set of canyons near Stovepipe Wells (each canyon is named after something from the movie; last year we did Inconceivable Canyon). The area was explored by the redoubtable Scott Swaney who has more than 200 first descents to his name. He called this one Pit of Despair. It was actually kind of a mild trip. The pit of despair, I suppose, was a pair of potholes at the bottom of two rappels that were filled with water. Kind of unique for a Death Valley canyon.

Camping at Stovepipe Wells. Not what you would call a wilderness experience.

The start of the hike to the canyon. Annette, on the right, is stretching out her back. The mountains in the background is where we're headed.

We're hiking to the entrance to that wash in the left of the picture.

The dreaded Death Valley sticky ring plant. Come near that sucker and you're covered in needles. Really horrible if a rope gets in one.

Poor guy: a mountain sheep skull found in the wash.

Annette making her way through the wash.

Rich and Annette climbing out of the wash.

The group at the drop-in point. Rich is pointing to where we could go if we wanted to run the entire canyon. We were feeling lazy and decided not to get too wild. After all, we had a really hard, long canyon the next day.

The view from the drop-in point to, I believe, the Panamint Mountains.

Starting toward the drop-in.

Kevin leaping off the first big down-climb.

Jerri working her way off another down-climb. She's so casual, she even held an apple in her mouth while executing the climb.

Kevin rigging the rope at the first rappel.

Jerri on the first rappel.

Annette about step off the top of the first rappel.

Rich on the second rappel.

Jerri slipping midway down a rappel.

I love taking pictures of flying ropes and flying rope bags.

An anchor on the third or fourth rappel. Jerri is backing up the anchor in case it should fail (hasn't happened yet, but we don't like to take chances).

Rich finding his groove, so to speak.

Rich working his way past a pit of despair, aka, a pothole.

Another pothole at the bottom of the last rappel.