Death Valley National Park, California

At 8:30 am!

This was part of a large sand dune area jut outside Furnace Creek.

Me and a beautiful Joshua Tree.

An area of very salty water just at the end of the ride.

Heading towards the central valley of California, and it was still baking hot!

My third 'Coop', cozy but basic.

Friday, July 15th.

I left the casino just after dawn and headed towards Death Valley. It took about a half hour to get to the signpost for the National Park. It was already about 80, but pleasant for riding in shorts and t-shirt. The valley appears very lifeless and bone dry. There were very few people about but I did meet two motorcyclists at the gas station at Furnace Creek, going the opposite direction. There are a few little plants here and there, but not much else. There are some beautiful rock formations and subtle colours. The heat continued to build and by the time I got to Furnace Creek which is -190 ft below sea level, it was well into the 90’s at 8:30. The heat is trapped in the valley because on the western exit the road climbed about 3000 ft up and over two sets of mountains on a very scenic route. When I got to the north-south highway I had to travel about a hundred kilometres south toward LA in order to get around the Sierra Nevada Mountains. Sequoia NP is on the other side of the mountains but you have go around. I stupidly thought it would be cooler, but I was wrong. The temperature was in the 100’s the whole afternoon and I found it tiring. Every time I stopped for fuel I drank a whole bottle of Gatorade and some water. I programmed the GPS and headed up the valley. The highway was very busy and hot. There is not an acre that is not cultivated with fruit trees, corn or other crops, or has dairy farms on it. This land is used intensively and has to be fully irrigated as it would be desert otherwise. Finally I got to the foothills of the Sierra and began to head up. I stopped for gas at the last station before the park and was told there is precious little accommodation past this point and it’s going to be busy because it’s the weekend. So, I stopped at the first motel I came to and asked if they had a room. Sadly they didn’t but they had four little ‘cabins’ that they are setting up. They are basically lawn or tool sheds. The room was nice enough, but the toilet and the shower are out around back in a couple of corrugated sheds. I was so tired and frankly, somewhat bemused, that I took it. The motel is part of a complex called Gena’s Sierra Restaurant, Bar and Motel. It is obviously old and rustic and is all wood paneling inside. It has lots of character with guitars hanging on the wall. I had a shower to get the road grunge off and then had a cobb salad for dinner. Then I retired to my palace.