IntrepidXJ
ADVENTR
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Death Valley Trip 2013 | Day 2
Sunday, February 10, 2013
The Original Trip Report on ADVENTR.CO
After a good night of sleep my alarm woke me up before the sun was expected to rise. When I got out of my tent I noticed that some thin clouds had moved in overnight and the sky was completely overcast. I had originally planned to spend some time photographing Little Finland this morning, but with the overcast skies I decided to cancel those plans. Instead, I had a little breakfast, packed up my camp and started driving towards my next destination- the Falling Man petroglyph site.
On my way to the Falling Man site I drove right by Devil's Throat, so I stopped for a quick look. It's a giant sinkhole in the desert floor. This is not a good photo, but I'm posting it up anyway since I bothered to stop here.
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Devil's Throat by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
When I made my plans to spend the first weekend of my trip in the Gold Butte region I really thought that the Kohta Circus petroglyphs were going to be the highlight of my visit. I was wrong. I had a lot more fun exploring the area around the Falling Man petroglyph. Not only were there petroglyphs to be found everywhere I looked, there was also colorful sandstone all over the place. It was like walking through a colorful maze searching for rock art around every corner! I spent more time in this area than I had anticipated and look forward to returning again in the future.
A photo of colorful sandstone in a small alcove reminiscent of scenes found at the Valley of Fire.
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Color by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
To access the rock art I had to first crawl through this passage in the rock. The petroglyphs lead the way.
![](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm9.staticflickr.com%2F8525%2F8498370961_c25b218078_z.jpg&hash=6397ac8bebad255f442f47406ca12e03)
Petroglyph Passage by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Soon I found myself face to face with the interesting Falling Man petroglyph that I had come to see.
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Falling Man by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
This spot of color on the sandstone was found nearby.
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Colorful Spot by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
There were many smaller petroglyph panels to be found as I hiked around the area. This large boulder was the next larger site I came across.
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Boulder Panel by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
A closer look at part of the panel.
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Boulder Panel Detail by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
As I climbed around the maze some more I found myself on a ledge containing another nice set of petroglyphs.
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Hash Marks by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
A better look at the right side.
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Upper Panel by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
While standing on the ledge I noticed there was another large panel of petroglyphs right below my feet. There was no immediate way down to the next level, so I hiked around until I found a way down. When I reached the panel I was treated to another impressive group of petroglyphs.
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Newspaper Panel by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Great colors in the sandstone found in this area. You might also notice that the overcast skies finally started to clear out a little as I explored the area.
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Colorful Scene by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Petroglyphs and colorful sandstone, a wonderful combination.
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Petroglyphs & Colors by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
One of the many small panels found in the area.
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Sheep by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Hiking back to my Jeep among the Joshua Trees.
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Falling Man Trail by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Before heading back to the interstate, I made one last stop near Whitney Pocket so I could search for some more rock art. The petroglyphs I found here were faded and harder to see, but I liked this panel surrounded by bright green lichen.
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Green Lichen by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
From Whitney Pocket I drove back north until I reached the interstate. I headed west and grabbed some lunch on the outskirts of Las Vegas before finishing the drive to Death Valley National Park. Once in the park I drove up to Dante's View which overlooks Badwater and a good portion of Death Valley. There were quite a few people at the viewpoint, so I hiked to the top of Dante's Peak which I had all to myself.
Following the trail to Dante's Peak over Badwater.
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Dante's Peak Trail by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
There were some storms and clouds moving over Death Valley adding some drama to the landscape.
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Death Valley Storm by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
The surrounding mountains play hide and seek in the low clouds. I could sit and watch this dynamic scene all day.
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Mountains & Clouds by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
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Between the Clouds by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
After my hike to Dante's Peak I decided to drive back down and find a campsite in Greenwater Valley before it got dark out.
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Greenwater Camp by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Once my camp was setup I make a quick drive over to Zabriskie Point so I could scout out the location for the following morning's sunrise. On my way I pulled over when these layers of desert colors caught my attention.
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Layers by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
The clouds and storms in the area create a momentary spotlight on this peak.
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In the Light by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
After checking out Zabriskie Point I drove back up to Dante's View to catch the sunset.
When I arrived at the top there were a lot of clouds blocking the light, but the sun did manage to slip through a small hole to light up small sections of the valley floor.
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Badwater Spotlight by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
I thought this looked like a cool little cloud.
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Cloud by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
There were too many clouds for a great sunset, but shortly after the sun dipped below the Panamint Range these clouds did get a little color.
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Purple Mountains by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
I stayed at the viewpoint until I was the last one up there (this is usually the case). As I started my drive back down to camp it actually started snowing a little bit, but once I lost a little elevation I managed to get out of the snow. Once I was back in camp I had a little dinner, read for a little while and fell fast asleep so I would be ready for a new day.
>> Falling Man to Dante's View Photo Gallery
Featured image for home page:
![slide.jpg slide.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/8/8353-18cf9cd257777bf3ec2986dbde44da51.jpg)
Sunday, February 10, 2013
The Original Trip Report on ADVENTR.CO
After a good night of sleep my alarm woke me up before the sun was expected to rise. When I got out of my tent I noticed that some thin clouds had moved in overnight and the sky was completely overcast. I had originally planned to spend some time photographing Little Finland this morning, but with the overcast skies I decided to cancel those plans. Instead, I had a little breakfast, packed up my camp and started driving towards my next destination- the Falling Man petroglyph site.
On my way to the Falling Man site I drove right by Devil's Throat, so I stopped for a quick look. It's a giant sinkhole in the desert floor. This is not a good photo, but I'm posting it up anyway since I bothered to stop here.
![](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm9.staticflickr.com%2F8521%2F8499413254_62817aef07_z.jpg&hash=529aed16f21c0f78c9696c770051bece)
Devil's Throat by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
When I made my plans to spend the first weekend of my trip in the Gold Butte region I really thought that the Kohta Circus petroglyphs were going to be the highlight of my visit. I was wrong. I had a lot more fun exploring the area around the Falling Man petroglyph. Not only were there petroglyphs to be found everywhere I looked, there was also colorful sandstone all over the place. It was like walking through a colorful maze searching for rock art around every corner! I spent more time in this area than I had anticipated and look forward to returning again in the future.
A photo of colorful sandstone in a small alcove reminiscent of scenes found at the Valley of Fire.
![](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm9.staticflickr.com%2F8236%2F8498317269_d8fcd9776b_z.jpg&hash=3af6eff8254c57fa2af5d7d77f7247c6)
Color by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
To access the rock art I had to first crawl through this passage in the rock. The petroglyphs lead the way.
![](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm9.staticflickr.com%2F8525%2F8498370961_c25b218078_z.jpg&hash=6397ac8bebad255f442f47406ca12e03)
Petroglyph Passage by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Soon I found myself face to face with the interesting Falling Man petroglyph that I had come to see.
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Falling Man by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
This spot of color on the sandstone was found nearby.
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Colorful Spot by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
There were many smaller petroglyph panels to be found as I hiked around the area. This large boulder was the next larger site I came across.
![](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm9.staticflickr.com%2F8514%2F8500139777_6b4e853ce3_z.jpg&hash=c168084000344036f0453b4e744708e0)
Boulder Panel by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
A closer look at part of the panel.
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Boulder Panel Detail by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
As I climbed around the maze some more I found myself on a ledge containing another nice set of petroglyphs.
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Hash Marks by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
A better look at the right side.
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Upper Panel by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
While standing on the ledge I noticed there was another large panel of petroglyphs right below my feet. There was no immediate way down to the next level, so I hiked around until I found a way down. When I reached the panel I was treated to another impressive group of petroglyphs.
![](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm9.staticflickr.com%2F8237%2F8499981217_6da916a4ce_z.jpg&hash=e5f780bbacb0a6b10bef528a80a87848)
Newspaper Panel by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Great colors in the sandstone found in this area. You might also notice that the overcast skies finally started to clear out a little as I explored the area.
![](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm9.staticflickr.com%2F8512%2F8500007183_5cae11ef4e_z.jpg&hash=f060f48d83dcbeed7b5cc2262040eb2d)
Colorful Scene by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Petroglyphs and colorful sandstone, a wonderful combination.
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Petroglyphs & Colors by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
One of the many small panels found in the area.
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Sheep by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Hiking back to my Jeep among the Joshua Trees.
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Falling Man Trail by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Before heading back to the interstate, I made one last stop near Whitney Pocket so I could search for some more rock art. The petroglyphs I found here were faded and harder to see, but I liked this panel surrounded by bright green lichen.
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Green Lichen by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
From Whitney Pocket I drove back north until I reached the interstate. I headed west and grabbed some lunch on the outskirts of Las Vegas before finishing the drive to Death Valley National Park. Once in the park I drove up to Dante's View which overlooks Badwater and a good portion of Death Valley. There were quite a few people at the viewpoint, so I hiked to the top of Dante's Peak which I had all to myself.
Following the trail to Dante's Peak over Badwater.
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Dante's Peak Trail by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
There were some storms and clouds moving over Death Valley adding some drama to the landscape.
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Death Valley Storm by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
The surrounding mountains play hide and seek in the low clouds. I could sit and watch this dynamic scene all day.
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Mountains & Clouds by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
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Between the Clouds by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
After my hike to Dante's Peak I decided to drive back down and find a campsite in Greenwater Valley before it got dark out.
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Greenwater Camp by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
Once my camp was setup I make a quick drive over to Zabriskie Point so I could scout out the location for the following morning's sunrise. On my way I pulled over when these layers of desert colors caught my attention.
![](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm9.staticflickr.com%2F8250%2F8501323412_b2e6ea267e_z.jpg&hash=97e5182e0bc78d91f1840c5cf4668252)
Layers by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
The clouds and storms in the area create a momentary spotlight on this peak.
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In the Light by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
After checking out Zabriskie Point I drove back up to Dante's View to catch the sunset.
When I arrived at the top there were a lot of clouds blocking the light, but the sun did manage to slip through a small hole to light up small sections of the valley floor.
![](/proxy.php?image=http%3A%2F%2Ffarm9.staticflickr.com%2F8382%2F8496993014_d8a66718a9_z.jpg&hash=ffed4a643f8eb63de797314454683035)
Badwater Spotlight by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
I thought this looked like a cool little cloud.
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Cloud by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
There were too many clouds for a great sunset, but shortly after the sun dipped below the Panamint Range these clouds did get a little color.
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Purple Mountains by IntrepidXJ, on Flickr
I stayed at the viewpoint until I was the last one up there (this is usually the case). As I started my drive back down to camp it actually started snowing a little bit, but once I lost a little elevation I managed to get out of the snow. Once I was back in camp I had a little dinner, read for a little while and fell fast asleep so I would be ready for a new day.
>> Falling Man to Dante's View Photo Gallery
Featured image for home page:
![slide.jpg slide.jpg](https://backcountrypost.com/data/attachments/8/8353-18cf9cd257777bf3ec2986dbde44da51.jpg)