Day Trip to Death Valley, January 2010 |
Death Valley, the hottest, driest desert in the USA, evokes images of sand, rocks, and unbearable heat, but water, plants, animals, and various geological features attract many visitors. |
Death Valley has several geological features: Slot canynos, alluvial fans, sand dunes, and a dry lakebed "racetrack" for rocks. |
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The water has carved a narrow path through these hard rocks in the Cottonwood Mountains, allowing it to escape into Death Valley just north of Stovepipe Wells. (left is downhill) | ![]() |
A large alluvial fan starts at the mouth of Titanothere Canyon. | ![]() |
Mosaic Canyon is a popular hiking destination. A road leads up the alluvial fan to a parking lot near the mouth of the canyon. | ![]() |
Slot canyons generally are popular hiking destinations. The footpath in this canyon near Titus canyon reveals the many vititors. | ![]() |
Titus canyon is just wide enough to permit one-way automobile traffic (high clearance required). | ![]() |
The colorful geologic history of softer stones has been exposed by erosion. | ![]() |
Seismic uplift along with erosion has exposed the layered history of harder rocks. | ![]() |
The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes are a popular destination for visitors ... | ![]() |
... as seen by the many tracks on the back of the tallest of the dunes. | ![]() |
Ubehebe Crator is a volcanic crator in the north of Death Valley. | ![]() |
A trail allows visitors to hike from the parking lot (left) to the bottom of the crator, 150m below. | ![]() |
A long dirt road allows high clearance vehicles to drive from Ubehebe Crator to the Racetrack. | ![]() |
The Racetrack is a dry lakebed. At the far left end(in this photo), near a cliff, rocks that have slid along the lakebed and their tracks can be seen, but not by plane. Apparently, when the lakebed is wet, the friction that holds the rocks in place is so low that even the wind can move them. Because the lakebed is soft, the rocks leave tracks. Wikipedia explains further. | ![]() |
"The Grandstand" sticks up through the racetrack at the near end. |
Humans have settled several places in Death Valley. |