Death Valley

[Drew Wiley]

The weather is batty right now. You'll have to keep up to date. Joshua Tree can be
nippy this time of year. It's a fair distance from Death Valley. A substitute for Death
Valley itself is Anza-Borrego State Park - low desert very nice in winter and with lots
of photo opportunities, but clear down by the Mexican border. The higher desert of Mojave itself can get windy and dusty. Owens Valley should have the roads open,
even if parts of Mono Basin get snowed in. I'd carry chains just in case. But I don't
think 395 ever stays closed for long. In the opposite direction entirely, it's not that
bad a drive from Death Valley back thru Vegas toward Valley of Fire, Muddy Mtns, and lower parts of the Colorado River.

[Brian Ellis]

You can get to the top of Bristlecone without 4 wheel drive. But make sure you have a good spare tire with you, the road is very rocky and prone to flattening tires. I was told by the lady in the Visitor's Center that I'd be o.k. with my relatively new tires as long as I stayed under 30 mph. I stayed well under 30 and still got a flat tire.

[dsphotog]

Bristlecone Forest at 10,000 ft elevation..... Gotta be closed for Winter.
Since you are traveling from Vegas, If DV is still having road closures, I'd do Valley of Fire, & Hoover Dam, Lake Powell, or maybe explore Route 66.

[Drew Wiley]

Brian - any decent passenger car can make it all the way to the end of the main road to the Patriarch Grove of bristlecones. Amateur astronomers even drive it with big
expensive portable telescopes because the air quality is so good up there. It's probably
the highest unpaved road in continental US, although there's a locked gate at 11000 ft. In winter it would make a very nice but long crosscountry ski route - very gradual, but well over 5000 feet in elevation rise to the upper grove, or almost 10,000 ft climb
to the summit. This is generally a June through October road.

[Richard Raymond]

Terry,
I am going over to Death Valley this weekend to check out the fans to see how much rain has fallen there in hopes of good spring flower show. It is raining again today in Las Vegas. The most rain we have had here since the winter of 04-05. I will let you know what I find when I get back.
As for heading south to Needles and working that area: After Joshua Tree there is a quick trip east on the 40 that will get you to the south rim of the Grand Canyon. You could also work Sedona and that area. Plenty of snow and fine rock formations. Not sure about the commercial stuff. Kingman may have some commercial stuff but while I have stayed there it was mostly to overnight going somewhere else. The new bridge at Lake Mead is coming along and you may find that interesting. Also, if you are traveling from Las Vegas to Needles you might consider going down route 15 to the California border just south of Primm and taking the Joshua Tree Highway across to Searchlight and then down the 95. Very scenic drive and a couple of interesting structures.
Ric

[Terry Hull]

Richard et al,

Thanks again for your help. I have decided to go to Needles, route 66 to Barstow, up to Trona, Lone Pine, Beatty, and a night to see Marta Becker, if I can get a ticket to the Amargosa Opera house, then back to Vegas.

[Jim Becia]

I just returned from a trip out to Death Valley. I arrived there shortly after their second highest daily rainfall in history. Most non paved roads were closed due to flooding. However, they were opening them up as soon as repairs were made or flooding subsided. When I left (last Sunday) the road to Dante's was closed due to snow and ice, the road via Wild Rose was closed, the road to the race track was closed, the West side road was closed. Artist Pallette road opened just before I left. There were some interesting pools - the road west through to Panamint had water lapping the shoulders on both sides of the road. Made for some beautiful reflections. The road to the Panamint dunes was open with a few minor washouts but easily navigated by car.

The road to the Trona Pinnacles was closed also due to flooding. They didn't have any idea of how long it would be closed.

Areas in the southwest had some of the highest snow levels I've ever seen. The east side of Zion received somewhere in the vicinity of 3 to 4 feet over a 2 week period. Probably the prettiest snowfall I've seen there. The Escalante area was snow covered with about a foot of snow. I trudged through 3 to 4 feet of snow on Boulder Mountain (not the smartest move when carrying large format.)

Not sure what the conditions are now, but it certainly made for interesting shooting.

According to the Park Service, the rains in January most likely will not affect the bloom much. They stated that the rains needed for a good bloom need to be in November.

Hope this info helps. Might be a little late but I just returned home this morning. Jim

[Terry Hull]

Just finishing my trip, and want to again thanks the folks who helped me plan.

I had one unexpected highlight yesterday in DV Junction where I spent an hour with Marta Becket, the founder and frequently only performer at the Amargosa Valley Opera House. She is an amazingly sharp 85 year old lady, who unfortunately had a fall in late 2009 and is now in a wheel chair. Nonetheless she is going to perform again this Saturday, from a wheel chair for the first time since her accident.

I wanted to meet her after seeing the TV special on her life a few years ago. I am in awe of this woman!

[dsphotog]

Thats great Terry!
Did you get to shoot a portrait of her?

[Terry Hull]

DS-no portrait, as it would have been an intrusion due to her physical condition.