The wind dropped around 3 am. Hurrah!!!! Waking up covered in a fresh layer of dust we cleaned up as best we could, had breakfast and tried to come up with a plan for the day. We were feeling a little discombobulated; we hadn’t planned to come to Death Valley, so we hadn’t done any research, there’s no cell service and the visitor center is open in a limited capacity, so all we had to go on were some out of date guidebooks and a map of the park which was very unsettling for Mike who likes to have a very well thought out plan at all times. Fortunately our books proved to still be relevant plus we had a very friendly and knowledgeable campground host so we soon had a plan for the day, and what a day!!!
We started off with a hike to the top of Keane Wonder Mine located in the Funeral Mountain Range. Only 3.2 miles but with a 1,600 ft gain in the first 1.5 miles it was a bit of a butt kicker and we left everyone else behind in the parking lot viewing area. The views got better and better the higher we went and by the time we arrived at the ruins of the aerial tramway the views across the Valley were magnificent.
The tramway ruins have been very well preserved with clutches, pulleys and steel cable all still intact, very interesting to look around. As we went higher there were ruins of the miners stone cottages with piles of discarded rusty empty cans outside. What did they eat? Baked Beans? Spaghetti hoops? They were clearly not into recycling back in 1903.
How amazing that so much remains and visitors can get a glimpse of this harsh world. There were even odd bits like bolts and nails which could easily have gone into people’s pockets as mementoes but instead had been left undisturbed.
In addition to the mining artifacts, the geology along the way was fascinating and the trail shimmered iridescent underfoot from all the different minerals in this region; copper, zinc, antimony and tungsten.
The views across Death Valley from the top of the mine site were spectacular. A very memorable hike and we only encountered a couple of other hikers, I guess the elevation gain isn’t that appealing to most people.
Next we went to the unremarkable Rhyolite Ghost town. Not too many buildings still standing and sadly chain link fences around those that remained. I guess we were spoiled by Bodie all those years ago.
We’d read that Titus Canyon Road is a challenging but driveable 4wd adventure so after making sure it would be safe for the Subaru we thought we’d try it. Holy cow, what a road!
The access road sign said to allow 3 hours. It was 3 pm and would be dark by 6 pm. Mike said “3 hours, F that, we can do it in 2” but very soon after we were crawling along at 9 mph navigating potholes and rocks and thinking that maybe it wasn’t smart to do this in a Subaru after all.
The one way road was knarley to say the least and by the time we were 3 miles in and having second thoughts there was no way to turn back, we were committed.
Add to that the realization that our warm clothes were back in the tent, the temperature was plummeting and snow flurries were beginning to start.
Add to that, if we were to get a puncture, the temporary tyre wouldn’t cut it, besides a punctured tire might not be the worse that could happen! Add to that the terrain; a rough, steep and narrow road of sharp switchbacks climbing 5,000 ft in elevation to Red Pass before dropping equally dramatically down to Titus Canyon for the final section of the drive through the deep and narrow slot canyon. The canyon walls are only 15ft apart in some places, barely enough room for the car to scrape through. Oh and pot holes, did I mention the pot holes?
Near the end were lucky enough to see a herd of big horned sheep, a rare sighting so we stopped and took the time to enjoy watching them graze. There was a lamb in the group who was bounding all over the place, a delight to watch and it didn’t stay still long enough for me to get a photo – camera shy or just not ready for Instagram fame?
As it turns out, Titus Canyon was 27 miles of some the most spectacular scenery I have ever seen but also the most nail biting 27 miles. It was one of those experiences that you want to do twice, once to see what you’re letting yourself in for and then a second time to simply enjoy it. However we won’t be doing it again on this trip. We’re lucky we made it through without a flat or bottoming out, we don’t want to push our luck.
Back at camp there was a sprinkling of snow on the surrounding peaks but thankfully it was warm in camp. Tonight was a feast of rib eye, polenta and tomatoes and a bottle of wine.
The perfect end to a brilliant day.