Lone Pine | Death Valley National Park

Tuesday | 11 April 2000 | Death Valley National Park: Today was a very good day. We did not only change our latitude and attitude, we changed our altitude so many times - I am confused.
 
It was sunny in Mammoth Lakes, California when we woke up and began to pack for our trip into Death Valley. We drove south along 395 with the snow-capped Sierra's to our West. We drove along the east borders of Kings Canyon and Sequoia National Parks to Lone Pine, California. Lone Pine is where you turn onto Highway 136 towards Death Valley. Lone Pine, population 1000, is a very interesting town. It was founded in the 1860s to provide supplies to the local miners, farmers and ranchers. It was nearly destroyed in an earthquake in 1872. Only 20 of the 80 buildings in town were left standing after this terrible earthquake, which killed twenty-six people. In the 1920s, Hollywood discovered Lone Pine and many cowboy movies and early television programs were filmed in the canyons and deserts near Lone Pine: The Lone Ranger and Tom Mix for example. Movies filmed here include: High Sierra with Humphrey Bogart and Charge of the Light Brigade with Errol Flynn. Each fall the town holds the Lone Pine Film Festival and it is the most specialized film festival in the world - they only show films made in Lone Pine! A not-so-glorious part of Lone Pine's history is the Manzanar National Historic Site. At this site over 10,000 Americans (of Japanese descent) were held during W.W.II. And (are you getting tired of Lone Pine yet) Lone Pine is in Inyo County which has the most interesting claim-to-fame I can think of: it is home to the HIGHEST point in the continental US (Mt. Whitney 14,496 ft.) and the LOWEST point in North America (Badwater, in Death Valley -282 below sea level).

Mt. Whitney (actually the center peak in this photo) from Lone Pine

Then we entered Death Valley National Park. We thought it was a plunge to the valley floor, at sea level, but it was actually a plunge from 5,000 feet to just below 1600 ft. at Panamint Springs. Then we had another climb to 5000 feet to the top of Towne Pass and then a drop to below sea level at Furnace Creek, where we are (dry) camped for the night. Goldie, and my driver, handled the hills quite masterfully - though we did stop halfway up Towne Pass to give Goldie a rest. After finding our campsite, we headed-out in the BC2 to explore Death Valley National Park. First we drove to the Death Valley Golf Course. It is truly an oasis in the desert and boasts it is the lowest (-214 feet) golf course in the world. Then we drove down Highway 190 to Devil's Golf Course, but we were too late to book a tee time. Devil's Golf Course was formally a lake that is now layers of rock and salt that has been created by millions of years of evaporation.  Still, it’s a par 72, with few water hazards - - - (that aside was from DT.)

Furnace Creek Golf Course
 

DT, at Devil's Golf Course


Artist's Canyon

We continued south to Badwater, the lowest point in North America, and the start of a grueling annual road run - 160 miles from Badwater to the top of Mt. Whitney. We also drove the 'Artists Canyon Loop', which features many vivid colored rocks due to mineral oxidation, past the Black Mountains and finally to Zabrinski Point for a view of the setting sun. We didn't get home to Goldie until well after 8:00 p.m. We dined on a gourmet dinner, at our campsite at 190 feet below sea level: Greek Salad, Kalamata Olive Bread and pasta with Mizithra cheese. Nice red wine. It was too hot to eat inside, so we dined under the moon and stars.

Lowest point in the U.S.

Wednesday – 12 April 2000: We are in Las Vegas with my Mom and Dad! We met up with them via cell phone and rendezvoused for a few days together in the desert. Mom is looking SO GOOD after her cancer treatments and is so relaxed after a month in Arizona. Mom and Dad are on their way home to Oregon. Tonight we took a taxi to "The Strip" and had a lovely Italian meal at a restaurant in the Forum area of Caesar's Palace Hotel and Casino. From Rome, we walked to Paris, via Florida before taking a taxi back to the campground and now are ready for bed, since it is past midnight. More updates later, as cell-service warrants. 3 days to the Big Buffett Concert! Can't wait!