Back in April, I ventured out for my second time at the Horizons Unlimited Traveller’s meeting in Appomattox,Virginia. Before I left, I extolled the virtues of extended travel and how it gives a traveler the ability to have a richer experience. Because of changing how I approached this trips by combining with my annual spring photography workshop in the Smokies, I succeeded in my goal of being able to enjoy seeing more along the way.
The day of my visit, I rode in from Lynchburg through fog and occasional spits of rain. The weather added quite a somber note to a place steeped in legend and turmoil. It’s easy to overlook this was a town like any other. Life happened here. And then the climax of our civil war cemented it’s place in U.S. history on April 9, 1865.
A bonus of a premier historic site like Appomattox is the presence of living history enactments.
The entire town was the Appomattox Court House not just one building. In fact, there were many more buildings than are still standing today. As a modern-day visitor, it takes imagination to mentally replace those buildings, the people, and the lives that were lived here to create a picture of what used to be.
Fortunately, as with many of our impressive national parks, Appomattox is equipped with knowledgable rangers, exhibits, and videos that help us piece together what it used to look like, why this place is worth preserving. One of the elements to historic sites that brings the story to life for me are actual relics of the time. Appomattox has some artifacts that give visitor’s pause as well as insight into a time much different than ours such as photographs, parole tickets, swords, uniforms, letters, and even bits of flags flown there.
In addition to artifacts and photographs, the park staff has painstakingly recreated what the interiors of the buildings may have looked like. No one swooped in to preserve this place in the aftermath of Lee’s surrender. So much of the original furnishings and contents were moved or lost.
The Mclean’s themselves, the owners of the house in which Lee surrendered, succumbed to debt and moved on. At one point the McLean House was dismantled to relocate it to Washington D.C. but the materials were never moved and they slowly decayed. Hindsight to us might scream for everything to be perfectly preserved but life simply went on in the wake of the end of the war and the town fell into hard times. It wasn’t until the mid-1930s that the National Park Service sought to restore the town and reconstruction of the McLean house didn’t take place until 1948-1950.
And that’s just one small part of the story that’s preserved at Appomattox Court House National Historic site. There’s much more than the town center itself to be experienced. It’s a premier unit of our national park system and well worth a visit. For a better look at my time there, here’s a slideshow from my visit:
My western adventure was a fairly loose mess—willy-nilly and largely unplanned. After my exit from the surprisingly wintry experience at Overland Expo, I ventured into the Silver State and moseyed my way towards Great Basin National Park, a place I’ve long wanted to visit.
Nevada’s weather is notoriously volatile and proved it with conviction while I was there. I battled storms and chilly temperatures my entire stay. Watching the drama play out at Great Basin was captivating.
Great Basin has so much to discover. My three days barely gave me a chance to scratch the surface of this dynamic park.
Great Basin basics
Great Basin National Park in eastern Nevada is one of the least-visited national parks. Just a handful of miles from the Utah boundary, the town of Baker is the gateway to the park and where you’ll find the main visitor center. I always recommend stopping into visitor centers. They are your connection to current maps, event schedules, special notices about road closures and park conditions. Take the opportunity to chat with park rangers about how best to spend your time. They are a fabulous resource.
Created in 1986, Great Basin is home to surprisingly diverse ecosystems including desert, grassland, alpine, several types of forest communities, and a 5,000-year-old bristlecone pine forest. From about 5,300 feet above sea level at the visitor center in Baker, the park reaches up to over 13,000 feet at Wheeler Peak. That elevation span, courtesy of the basin and range geology (insert Valgasm here) of the area, is what makes for such dramatic ecology in the park. (For more info, check out these videos from the National Park Service.)
Great Basin is also very rugged (it is Nevada, after all) with many trails climbing above 10,000 feet. High-clearance vehicles are necessary to access many areas of the 77,000-acre park. In addition to all of that, Great Basin is also home to the spectacular Lehman Caves and the famous “Parachute” shield formation.
Captivating glasswork at the main visitor center.
The main visitor center is really well done with great displays to help you get to know the park.
Lehman Caves
Lehman Caves is carved from the soft limestone of the Snake Range and is a great choice if you have limited time at the park. The cave tours cover largely smooth, paved surfaces, although the terrain can be slippery at times and there some narrow passages. That just how caves work. They’re wet, dark, cold, and often narrow.
There are lots of handrails to help and even though I was edgy about it on Frankenleg, I made it through just fine. Due to the delicate nature of the caves there are limits on what visitors can bring on the tours. You’ll want a coat, a handheld camera, and a flashlight or headlamp. No backpacks, food or drink, or tripods allowed.
There are a couple of different cave tours to chose from. I took the Grand Palace Tour and really enjoyed it even though I’m not really much of a cave enthusiast. It’s a well-done tour and I appreciated the balance of humor, seriousness, and information that appealed across age ranges. With my experience in becoming a Certified Southern Appalachian Naturalist I know that creating a good interpretive program is a lot harder than it seems. Congratulations to the park service on their work here.
And if you’re a geocacher don’t forget to nab the earthcache there. It’s excellent. Look it up before you take the tour so you can be sure to gather all of the information you need, although it isn’t necessary to take the tour to complete the cache.
The Lehman Visitor Center has a cafe, gift shop, and restrooms to make your visit more comfortable.
Our ranger giving us the low down before entering the caves.
The famous parachute shield in Lehman Caves.
Mather Overlook
For many park visitors, a scenic drive is all they’re after or all they have time for. The drive to Mather Overlook from the park entrance delivers some spectacular views and insight into the landscape of the park.
The overlook is named for Stephen Mather, the first director of the National Park Service, and offers a view of Wheeler Peak as well as a grand vista across Snake Valley. The overlook area is equipped with a picnic table, viewing scopes, and vault toilets. While I was there I attempted some time-lapse photography until incoming snow urged me back to the warmth of camp.
My hopes of capturing a sunset time-lapse at Mather Overlook ended with me scurrying back to camp in the snow.
Baker Creek
The Baker Creek area is what made me fall in love with Great Basin National Park. Accessible by a well-maintained gravel road, the area offers campgrounds and hiking trails sprinkled in aspen and pine forests. This is where I had virtually all of my wildlife encounters.
I took a small hike up the trail towards Baker Lake. Battling inclement weather, a late start, and a gimpy leg, I didn’t quite make it all the way there but what I did manage was excellent. It was a beautiful ascent through aspens to a meadow with a creek that was steaming as the sun broke through after a heavy rain.
Pressing further into the pine woodlands I had to traverse some snow patches before deciding I couldn’t make the whole loop and turning back. A couple of hefty jolts on Frankenleg as I slipped on the snow reminded me I still have substantial limitations and I needed to be cautious. Yet in the midst of that the beauty was startling. So I danced between navigating the difficulties of my situation and allowing myself to be enveloped by this remarkable place.
For me, and many other hikers on the trail that day, the basic maps the park service gives away are somewhat confusing. They just don’t seem to jibe with the actual trails some of the time. At first I thought it was just me as I whipped out my compass to take bearings but everyone else I encountered was having the same issues. There are more detailed maps available for sale at the visitor center and, for this park, I highly recommend them even in the case of short, seemingly simple, hikes.
My hike on the Baker Creek trail was my first real one since January’s crash left me learning how to walk again. Inclement weather almost kept me from trying. Very glad I did.
A stunning hike was well worth the challenges.
On Baker Creek Road, I got some time to enjoy watching these two until a pickup speeding down the road the other direction scared them off.
Upper Lehman Creek Campground
I arrived at Great Basin National Park much later in the day than I had hoped to. I was tired. A storm was pushing in. And it takes me a lot longer to set up camp than it used to. I didn’t have time to explore the different campground options, so I just dove into Upper Lehman Creek Campground, found a site, and pitched my tent.
There are 22 campsites, with a wide variety of shapes and sizes, tucked into the trees along Upper Lehman Creek. I loved the privacy the trees provide. The campground was surprisingly full when I arrived but I managed to find a site that I could cram my large tent on. There are larger sites that would have more easily accommodated the “condo” but they were occupied.
These are basic sites with picnic tables and fire rings. The campground has vault toilets, trash cans, and recycling disposal. Water is only available seasonally and was still turned off during my visit in late May. Fortunately, my inquiry with a ranger pointed me toward a water spigot at the Lehman Visitor Center where I could refill my containers.
It turned out to be really nice camping. During my stormy visit, brief breaks in the cloud cover delivered great starwatching. And, in my book, there’s nothing better than camping with the lullaby of a babbling creek.
Campsite #5 at Upper Lehman Creek was secluded and cozy.
Facilities at the campgrounds include vault toilets, trash and recycling disposal, and seasonal water supply.
Other options
There are a few campgrounds to choose from at Great Basin National Park. Now having a better feel for the park, I will most definitely camp at Baker Creek next time. Upper Lehman Creek was quite nice but Baker Creek just appeals to me more. The area feels more intimate and connected to the landscape.
As I mentioned, this is a very rugged park. Many areas are closed much of the year due to snow. And there are large swaths that are only accessible by high-clearance vehicles regardless of the time of year. If you have that type of vehicle, the opportunities in this park expand exponentially.
Great Basin offers a broad, deep, and wide selection of hikes. Short or long, easy or challenging, you should be able to find something that suits your style, mood, or the day’s conditions. When I saw what was available I was nearly overwhelmed by the choices. Then my reality check set in and I realized my personal situation left me with only a couple of options. Between the inclement weather, the road to Wheeler Peak still closed for the season, and Frankenleg only being good for a few miles, I was left with tackling a small section of the trail to Baker Lake. But there is so much more I look forward to exploring on my next visit.
The drive up Wheeler Peak Road provides a dramatic view of the valley.
Things to know
As you can imagine, cell signal is spotty in this remote park so make sure you’re not relying on it.
And Baker, Nevada is a very small town. There are a couple of lodging, eating, and supply options but don’t expect huge choices and vast quantities.
The mint-green aspens in the fog along Baker Creek Road were breathtaking. And where I began to understand Great Basin National Park.
Val’s view
Great Basin National Park is well worth a visit. Its remoteness means it is often overlooked. That’s a shame. The diversity and opportunities here are akin to my beloved Great Smoky Mountains and the marvels of Death Valley National Park. Without the crowds.
Personally, the Baker Lake hike was a huge challenge for me but I consider it a success on many levels. The weather during my visit was also challenging. But I saw improvements in my abilities so that also counts as a win.
A few weeks ago I had the pleasure of spending some time in Death Valley National Park. Unlike a typical lengthy road trip with Fred and George, this was a quickie solo blast out-and-back involving planes, rental cars, and the general travel mayhem I try to avoid. Those necessary evils were well-worth the effort though.
Sunrise at Mesquite Flats Sand DunesThe sunrise light on the downed wood in the dunes was entrancing.
The backstory
This trip started with the desire to attend one of David Middleton’s workshops. I discovered the joys of his photography and storytelling a few years ago when he visited Georgia for the Georgia Nature Photographers Association’s annual Expo. I was instantly hooked by his curmudgeonly sense of humor and his talent. When I saw he was heading to Death Valley, I knew I had to be there too.
But I got to thinking about all the effort and expense of making this trip for the 5-day workshop. As often happens with my planning process, I figure if I’m going to go all the way out there I might as well get a little more bang for my buck. Logistically I could only swing a few extra days but I was determined to get what time I could scrape together. Unfortunately, flying meant the inability to bring much beyond my clothes and camera gear. And being the type of traveler I am, I wanted to be able to explore away from the main Death Valley tourist hotspot at Furnace Creek.
That’s where groovy dirtbag friends come into the story. Thanks to ATQA-host-extraordinaire J. Brandon’s (AKA American Sahara) willingness to play tour guide, a mini-ATQA tweetup came to life since Wilderness Dave wanted to explore Death Valley for the first time. I myself had only been once before, so briefly I’m not sure it counts.
Since I had the challenge of getting there by plane, J. and Dave took care of gear, food, and all that jazz so I had to do nothing but show up. Let me tell you, it’s a pretty sweet deal if you can get it.
American Sahara taking a break from toting me & Dave around Death Valley.The glowing sunset on the rock faces at Dante’s View.
The Park
At over 5,000 square miles, the Death Valley National Park is astoundingly huge, especially for an east-coast girl. It’s the largest in the Lower 48 and it’s size means there’s no shortage of adventures to be had, from casual road-side points-of-interest to 4-wheel-drive backcountry exploration. If you’re a fan of inexplicable landscapes and nature, you’ll be as awed by the extremes here as I was. Extreme temperatures, extreme elevations, extreme landscapes that house extreme plants and animals, etc. It seems Death Valley doesn’t know how to do anything half-way.
You can get the info on all the details that make this place a treasure from the Death Valley National Park website so no need to regurgitate it here…
Racetrack rocks in Infrared.Shadow and light in Badwater Basin.
The experience
The first few days I was treated to adventures based out of the Mesquite Spring campground at the north end of the park. As far as the camping goes, Mesquite Spring was quite cozy and if you like to get away from the throngs, this is a great choice. The campers here were a much quieter breed than the ones I found at Furnace Creek early last year. Plus, Mesquite Spring is a great starting point to reach more northern, car-accessible locations of the park like Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes, Mosaic Canyon, and Ubehebe Crater as well as harder-earned destinations such as the famed Racetrack and Teakettle Junction. We were fortunate enough to reach those thanks to our personal tour guide with a big truck.
After three glorious days exploring and cut off from the world, we had a farewell lunch at the Corkscrew Saloon at Furnace Creek. At that point I had to switch gears into workshop mode, get serious, and brace myself for the early mornings ahead. The workshop was the original purpose of the trip and I was looking forward to it but I have to admit I so relaxed after my time camping that I wasn’t sure I could summon any photography mojo. I needn’t have worried though. It turns out that David Middleton and Brenda Berry are extremely motivating instructors, even to lazy wanna-be photographers such as myself.
Headquartered out of the Furnace Creek Resort for the duration of the workshop, hoteling this portion of the trip was yet another necessary evil. A good bed and electricity were in order for the long days and the need to process images. We stuck to standard-issue stops such as Badwater Basin, Zabriskie Point, Dante’s View, and the Mesquite Flats Sand Dunes, but the ease of reaching those locations meant we could concentrate on photography skills, not backcountry navigation. And those locations are popular because they’re iconic and stunning regardless of the crowds that you may share them with.
Even the smallest details of Death Valley are filled with texture and intrigue.We may have stuck to well-visited spots during the workshop but that didn’t mean we had to stick to the standard shots. Here’s Darin Reed living on the edge.
In a nutshell
Being from the southeast, it’s always a treat to be able to experience the raw geology of the west. Death Valley in particular is fascinating and I was woefully unprepared to understand everything going on in terms of the geologic history here. I will say it was easily the grooviest place I’ve visited in terms of hard-rock geology… and that includes the Grand Canyon.
There I said it. I know that my seem like blasphemy but the sheer variety of rock types, the history of folding and crustal extension, and the complexity of formations and landscapes is mind-boggling. It makes the Grand Canyon look like geologic child’s play. In fact, I spent much of the time in Death Valley rendered speechless… much to the relief of my camp-mates I’m sure.
Even a few weeks later, it’s still hard to absorb the enormity and bad-assery of Death Valley. I spent a full week there and I’ve only scratched the surface as you can imagine. Dave & I were newbies in American Sahara’s playground and I know we’re both ready for the next round… and I will be ready to unleash some geo-nerd on them next time.
Wilderness Dave checks out the view at Mosaic Canyon.So much of Death Valley screamed for infrared treatment.
Play it smart
For pete’s sake, don’t underestimate this place. Yes, there are developed places in a few areas that may give you a false sense of security but make no mistake this is wilderness and you can get yourself into trouble quickly with no help on the horizon. Cell signal is non-existent through the majority of the park and even GPS maps are known to be unreliable for the less-established roadways.
Death Valley has cemented itself as one of my favorite places.
I know I left you hanging on George’s Birthday Adventure with the story of the E.T. Highway but I promise I’ll keep sprinkling it in here between our other antics. It certainly seems odd to still be chronicling that trip when we’re already two weeks into our next expedition…the 5-week journey that I’ve come to know as Geowoodstock to TBEX.
Anyway, our last adventure certainly didn’t end in Nevada. Which brings us to the next installment of George’s Birthday Adventure.
Mom, can we go to Death Valley?
So having successfully completed our geocaching expedition, Camp Granola exited Alamo, NV to return to (shudder) Vegas. You see, I had the great idea to run the April Fool’s Day 5K there. I thought it would be a fun layover for laundry and replenishing supplies and I also thought the boys would get a kick out of doing their first official race in Vegas.
Get your adrenaline pumping in Death Valley with tent-flattening winds.
Things didn’t quite work out as planned. It was a fun race with all sorts of silliness being April Fool’s Day (think wonderfully weird costumes). Unfortunately Fred and George just weren’t feeling all that spunky (car lag maybe?) so they weren’t interested in running their hearts out. Throw in a healthy dose of me clocking myself in the head with the car door less than an hour before the race and you have the beginnings of an advice column on how not to go into a race. Here I sit, two months later and I can still feel the bump on my noggin. Yes folks, I’m all kinds of slick.
With the boys uninspired and my head pounding, running simply wasn’t the best plan. So we mozied through the race with His Beagleness and enjoyed the mountain scenery surrounding Vegas. George’s goal was simply not to be last and Fred’s was to be just ahead of George and me. Aiming high my friends, aiming high! Turns out George would have come away with the trophy for last place had he not set the “not last” goal. Like I said, it was an April Fool’s Day race and the joke was on us!
Anyway, our plans after Vegas were somewhat loose since we didn’t have a campsite reserved in Utah until the following night. So when George chimed in with his desire to swing through Death Valley, we just decided to go for it…we had nowhere else to be really so why not?
The near-death of Agnes…
Obviously it won’t surprise you given the last-minute decision that we weren’t really up on our Death Valley info. This was very seat-of-the-pants so we hadn’t done any research into camping there. When we arrived at Furnace Creek and finally picked a campsite, imagine our dismay at facing our toughest tent pitch…ever!
The scene of the “Pitch of Death” at Furnace Creek Campground
Folks, you know I’ve done this countless times and I’ve got some fairly beefy equipment, but the gusts in Death Valley that day were fierce. Unlike the comedy of the Mojave, with it’s steadier – albeit still considerable – winds, this entry to camp was more than a bit dicey. The gusts went from zero to “Oh shit!” with nerve-wracking suddenness, unpredictability, and – just for our added camping pleasure – changing directions. Throw in the hardest ground I’ve ever encountered for staking and this had disaster written all over it.
We managed to get maybe half of the main stakes in after relentless hammering, weighted the inside down with gear, and took a little breather. Big mistake. Before we set the side guy-lines, a gust came that flattened Agnes (yes, with all the poles in…) as I watched in helpless wide-eyed horror.
After the initial heart-stopping shock, I had to down-shift into zen mommy mode…i.e. what’s done is done, it was time to simply assess damage and make a plan accordingly. The good news…no broken poles, Agnes is still quite functional. The bad news…wow, those are some bent poles! Seems our Agnes will be permanently listing to port…unless I’m ready to bone up for new poles. Needless to say, we promptly set the guy lines and Agnes held true after that.
Stark and stunning….Badwater Basin
Badwater Basin…
With the tent as secure as possible, we hesitantly set out to Badwater Basin. On the one hand, we had only a few hours to get a feel for Death Valley, on the other, we weren’t sure our tent would still be there when we returned to camp. Sitting around camp making sure the tent didn’t fly away certainly didn’t seem like a lot of fun so we took our chances.
A wet beginning to Badwater Basin.
Badwater Basin was indeed well worth the risk. It really is an otherworldly scene, the giant salt flat surrounded by mountains. And given my geeky geologic tendencies, of course I was on the ground inspecting the salt grains at only a nose-length. And given my boys’ pre-teen senses of humor, of course they were laying on the ground pretending they were dead in Death Valley.
Not feeling like we’d quite gotten a big enough taste of Death Valley by only visiting Badwater Basin (but still short on time mind you), we took a little ride through Artist’s Drive and Artist’s Palette. The drive was really quite groovy and I highly recommend it. As a drive it’s remarkably roller-coastery so lots of fun on that front. It’s also a geologic marvel in the variety of formations you roll through on the short loop. Even the non-geologists in the car were Ooo-ing and Aah-ing.
The salt flat at a nose length. Check out those little tendrils! Who knew?
Meanwhile, back at camp…
I’m happy to report Agnes held her own during our absence in spite of the relentless wind. Having finally gotten the side guy-lines set before we left was more than enough to combat the gusts. Of course, the wind meant dinner involved a scramble of vestibule cooking and in-tent dining. Gourmet all the way my friends!
Diminutive Rangers…
So one of the things that many kids do when traveling to National Parks is participate in the Junior Ranger activities. We typically try to do them, although George is generally more motivated than Fred. This time, Fred was on board though. He found Death Valley quite enthralling.
Pre-teen interpretation of Death Valley.
So my sales pitch for the Junior Ranger program is that it’s one of the activities done on kids’ terms. They have an activity book they need to complete and once they do, they collect their Junior Ranger badges. The activities help them gather information on the park by examining the exhibits, going on hikes, or attending ranger talks. Having a purpose in participating engages them in discovering why that particular place has been set aside for preservation.
Death Valley already had their attention just for being cool at first sight. But as they delved more in-depth they had a greater sense of the multitude of reasons for conservation, beyond just the “pretty” factor. And, as a little feather in my roadschooler cap, the Ranger who was working with them was delighted by their knowledge…knowledge she said most adults hadn’t absorbed. So a big “Hurray!” to Fred and George for being great little explorers.
A job well done…
You know I love to give credit where it’s due when I meet someone who is really good at their chosen profession, particularly when it’s also close to my heart in terms of nature. In this case I have to give a huge shout out to Ranger Dianne who was not only friendly and knowledgeable but who also ably handled a large crowd while working with Fred and George. She didn’t short-change them under the pressure of a bus-load of new arrivals. While I obviously appreciate it from a personal standpoint for my own children, it speaks volumes for the National Park Service’s values. At a time when the average age of National Park visitors is on the rise, they recognize the need to engage the next generation and treat them with as much consideration as adult visitors.
Final thoughts…
If you’re planning your own visit to Death Valley, here are a few things to keep in mind before you set out:
Ranger Dianne swearing in Fred and George as Junior Rangers.
Remember, this is the middle of nowhere. Any supplies you need will be expensive and for good reason. Either stock up before you go in or get ready to pony up without complaint.
Absolutely pick up a map and study it. Do not rely on your GPS. It’s been known to be fatal.
Always have a supply of water. Remote doesn’t begin to cover how desolate it can get. Don’t underestimate dehydration. Even if you’re traveling by car, a break down without water is bad news.
As I hope I’ve illustrated above, the winds can be insane. Just be aware.
Death Valley is enormous…3.4 million acres enormous. You can spend a little time or a lot. Our brief visit has only whetted my appetite for more so don’t be surprised if you feel like you can’t get enough.
Happy trails!
And now for your moment of green…
The colors and textures of the Artist’s Palette are most certainly soul-soothing.
Well we’re at Episode 4 in the saga of George’s Birthday Adventure. This is where Camp Granola finally gets to breathe a sigh of relief for having finished the extensive (i.e. epically butt-numbing) drive from Georgia to California. To do this we set to exploring the Mojave Desert. Truthfully, with only one full day to visit, it was really more of a scratch-of-the-surface. A place so large and diverse simply can’t be explored in a single day… it is 1.6 million amazing acres after all.
The obligatory park entrance shot.
This will make you wonder of course, why we didn’t spend more time. Given the time-frame of this particular trip and George’s thirst for discovery, it was more of a whirlwind adventure of seeing a lot of different places. While we obviously all have a say in the matter, it was technically George’s trip so we let him determine our course as much as possible. With more experience and little guidance I’m sure he’ll become a more settled traveler and discover the joy of slowing down and digging deeper into the places we visit rather than blasting from place to place.
Bad timing…
Travel philosophy aside, here’s where you find out that Camp Granola doesn’t always have great timing. We arrived at Mojave National Preserve after the visitor center had closed for the day on Sunday. It turns out that it would be closed Monday and Tuesday as well…the only days we’d be visiting. Not much we could do about it; we didn’t have flexible enough plans to adjust for the problem.
Fred and George getting revved about about being back in the desert.
The lack of ranger information was a slight bummer. It’s not that you can’t explore a park without it, I just always enjoy the interpretive services they provide, even more so now that I’m pursuing my own naturalist certification for the Smokies. Plus I think it helps the little explorers understand more about the park, helping them put the pieces together as far as why the place has been set aside as a natural treasure.
At any rate, a closed visitor center just means you have to embrace independent exploration, figuring out for yourself what a place is all about. Fortunately there were at least some brochures and maps to be had to get us started. We did have to leave minus our National Park Passports stamp but that’s how it goes sometimes.
The Rings Loop…
So, embracing the afore-mentioned spirit of independent exploration and going with the recommendation of our knowledgable camp host, we set to exploring the Rings Loop that sets out from the visitor center…closed as it was. The loop wraps around some super-groovy rock formations and ends with a climb through the Hole in the Wall that leads back to the visitor center. At only around a mile, it was an easy trail that allowed for lots of Camp Granola examination without having to feel pressed to cover a lot of ground.
Far from barren, the Mojave is a delight of textures, shapes, and colors.
The last time Fred and George visited a desert, they were only 6 and 9 years old. An additional two-and-a-half years at their young ages is significant gain in maturity and provides them with an almost new perspective on this dramatic environment. They marveled anew at cacti and the massive exposed rock formations that we don’t get to see in the lush southeastern U.S. Our leisurely pace let us stop, take photographs, call out into the echoing rock walls, and get lost in the geologic wonder of this remarkable place.
The fun-factor of this loop was ramped up by the “rings” section that requires you to make use of large metal rings to haul yourself through the gap. This unique challenge for any explorer proved a little extra challenging for us with our little quadriped in tow. But the beagle proved himself game, only requiring portage in the steepest sections that his short little legs couldn’t possibly stretch or even jump.
The only other complication was me climbing with camera gear and a not-terribly-light pack. Camera gear is notoriously heavy so hauling myself and gear up the rings was not at all graceful…not that I’m graceful even without a pack but you get the idea. At one point I even teamed up with another hiker who kindly gave me a shove from “behind” shall we say, in exchange for a hand up from above once I’d cleared the narrow, steep gap. Somehow I think I got the better “end” of that deal. (Ba Dum Bum!)
Down time…
After our little excursion and still recovering from the long haul to reach California, we all needed some time to chill and not be rushed and shuttled…which means some camp time was in order. Fred and George played freely while Jester and I got in some exercise to combat the marshmallow feeling that accompanies days on your rear in the car. You know, I prefer to roast the puffy confections, not impersonate them.
Mojave camp life
Unfortunately our efforts to combat Stay-Puft Syndrome were cut short by Fred and George getting involved in a sibling squabble. It seems several days of family closeness finally caught up with them. With some parental intervention and diversion, we got the minions back on track. It helped that George became enthralled with desert sage. He’s our budding chef (a skill and interest he did not get from me BTW) so he found wild-growing sage to be intriguing.
It’s those kinds of discovery moments that remind me you don’t necessarily have to go deep into the backcountry to get your kids excited. Turns out he found his bliss right there at camp. Granted, we drove thousands of miles to get to that particular camp so it’s a mixed bag. Happy Birthday George!
Random Thoughts…
So my final (and horribly random) thoughts on our visit to the Mojave are such:
Of course we couldn’t pass up an interesting cache along historic Route 66.
I really want to go back and explore more in-depth. I think I’ll continue to be astounded by it even after multiple visits. It ranks as a must-see in my book if you’re headed to the area.
Even though I would have loved to explore more, it was the right move to let Camp Granola have some down time.
I will forever find rocks totally fascinating even if my geologist memory banks are a little dusty.
The heart of Cumberland Gap National Historic Park. Plan on spending some time exploring this visitor center. There’s lots to see and learn.
The big picture…
The timing of our trip put us too early to experience the fall colors but Cumberland Gap did not disappoint in spite of that. We spent three nights at this park and barely scratched the surface of what there is to see and do. This park is huge…24,000 acres huge…and is filled with 85+ miles of trails, limestone caves, and gobs of history. While many of our national treasures have a focus on either history or wilderness, Cumberland Gap has an intriguing mixture of both which is one of the reasons we wanted to explore it.
Rustic goodness to be found right at the visitor center.
The park sits mostly along the state lines of Virginia and Kentucky but also dips a little into Tennessee. The campground is nestled on the Virginia side and the visitor center on the Kentucky side. To get between the two, you have to do the state hokey-pokey through the Cumberland Gap Tunnel in Tennessee…much to George’s delight. So keep in mind that while there are trails between the campground, visitor center, and other points within the park, you’ll need to drive if you don’t want to take the whole day to get there. Like I said, this park is big.
In a nutshell, the Cumberland Gap area is a historical crossroads of sorts…the gateway to the west used by pioneers, Native Americans, and bison. Throw in some Civil War action and you can imagine there’s a lot to be learned there. Even having recently refreshed my own American History knowledge through Fred and George’s homeschooling, I came away with a lot of new and astonishing information about America’s pioneer era…and now I’m actually old enough to appreciate the magnitude of it.
As is the way of the south, you can always sit for a spell and enjoy the view.
Start at the Visitor Center…
It’s a no-brainer that any time you visit a new park, especially one of this size, a stop at the Visitor Center is a good measure to orient yourself. Cumberland Gap’s is of particular importance since that’s where you can make reservations for tours. It also happens to have no shortage of photography subject-matter. I could have spent days just shooting around the Visitor Center itself, much less the remainder of the park. Plus, being a high-traffic park, they seem to always have some sort of event or program going on so there’s no better place to start exploring than at the hub of the action.
I love the nuances maintained by the park, right down to the rustic-looking padlock.
What to do…
I think one of the most appealing traits of this park is that it does have a little bit to offer just about everyone. You can get anything from a quick drive up to Pinnacle Overlook for an easily accessible grand view to a hard-core backcountry wilderness hike. There are also day hikes, history tours, history movies & displays, cave tours, Jr. Ranger programs, and so forth. During our visit, they even had a craftsman building dulcimers.
With that in mind, I’ll leave you with this prologue to our time at Cumberland Gap and a few more shots of the heart of this fabulous park. Stay tuned for more Camp Granola tales from Kentucky/Virginia. And, of course, if you’d like more in-depth information on the park, you’ll want to get it straight from the horse’s mouth here.
I was a total photo-dork for this ensemble of lines, textures, and colors.
And now for your moment of green…
Too late for summer blooms, too early for fall leaves, I still found delight in the textures and variation of the garden in front of the visitor center.
