CA: Death Valley – Upper Gower Wash

The day after Styx was get-a-way day for many. Tom said he wanted more. Mike Cressman to the rescue. He said….”have a new one! Well it may be new. Someone might have done it. Maybe not. Have wanted to check it out for a long time. It might be good. Probably won’t be good. Well I hope its good. Wanna?”…..How can one say “no” to that? We signed on. Bill Wolverton asked on. How could I resist the opportunity to have him ruin more pictures. I mean the guy never smiles and its worse if he knows I am gonna take a picture. Still like Don Quixote, tilting at windmills, I hope one day to get one……just one picture of him without the scowl. Alas today, would not be that day.

But today would set an all time high for Furnace Creek, just a few air miles away and a bit lower that our route. They would go over 90 degrees that day. We would drench ourselves in sweat, find little shade and totally enjoy the hot day in the mid 80’s, in the midst of February. Well….we would until the 2 mile uphill, late in the day, with the sun at our backs.Then not so much.

So with all of that to entice, it doesn’t really matter if it turns out to be a good canyon, does it? Well I am OK with it, if it isn’t. In that department, we were not disappointed. A dud…. a couple of raps, one awfully awkward one and the other on loose conglomerate rock. But the canyon was……a little story here. We have joked for decades that the surest way to know a canyon is a dud is when someone says….drum roll…..”AT LEAST IT’S PRETTY!”…..And so it was. But in fact, it was a pretty hike, with an engaging approach and a chockstone cave at the first rap as highlights and also with a colorful landscape to wander through, as the pictures might show. After we finished, we packed up and headed to Utah, with an icy canyon in our sights, to complement the fiery one just completed. Yes I enjoyed myself. You decide if its…”PRETTY” from the pictures.

Cressman….the man, the myth

On the Scorpion approach

At least its pretty

With abundant flowers

Lunch with a breeze and a view….and Bill cropped out of the picture

Yes he carried the bag in his hand almost ALL day

OIur little cave. The canyon signature spot

My best of the day with Bill

Nasty rap

Pretty pretty

2nd rap….loose

Pretty