Day 3: 47.5 miles from Gold Valley Road camp site to Furnace Creek Campground, Death Valley National Park
I enjoy the cool, cloudy morning around my camp site in the mountains on Gold Valley Road at about 4700 feet.
I ride back down the dirt of Gold Valley Road some eight miles to rejoin the gravel Greenwater Valley Road that I left yesterday at about 3000 feet.
After a slow ten-mile climb on Greenwater Valley Road's gravel to reach 4000 feet, the final 29 miles of the day are mostly paved and downhill toward Death Valley's Furnace Creek Campground (280 feet below sea level).
My digital camera breaks down on the way down Gold Valley Road, so there aren't many photos today.
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Date: April 20, 2007, 10h00
Size: 11 items
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It's a bit cloudy this morning up on Gold Valley Road
The nice thing about this is that I didn't wake up baking in my tent from hot morning sun, like I do on so many desert-camping mornings.
Date: April 20, 2007, 08h01
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Nice view back down toward Greenwater Valley from the tent
I sit inside drinking coffee and eating granola and dried fruit. I also have a bowl of instant miso soup.
Date: April 20, 2007, 08h41
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I go for a short walk up to the nearby summit of Gold Valley Road and look back down at the tent
I'm camped out so close to the top of Gold Valley Road that I can't resist going up to see what I missed yesterday.
Date: April 20, 2007, 09h46
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A little higher up on Gold Valley Road
... my tent is now barely visible in the distance.
Date: April 20, 2007, 09h54
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Gold Valley Road gets a bit steep as it rises to the top
I would have needed to dismount my bike and drag it up this part last night had I gotten this far.
Date: April 20, 2007, 09h55
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The fork at the summit of Gold Valley Road
Here, I would have turned right last night to descend into Gold Valley to Willow Spring, if I had more time and confidence.
Date: April 20, 2007, 09h47
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After the right fork, Gold Valley Road winds across the plateau, then drops down into Gold Valley
I stare longingly at this scene on top of the mountains, really wanting to follow this dead-end road to its end five miles further, down in Gold Valley.
Date: April 20, 2007, 09h50
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Time to break camp on Gold Valley Road and begin the long ride down to Furnace Creek Campground
However, it appears that I'd rather just stand here and take in my surroundings than pack up.
Date: April 20, 2007, 10h24
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Leaving my Gold Valley Road campsite
I start coasting down the gentle downhill back to Greenwater Valley Road, to continue on from where I left off yesterday afternoon.
Date: April 20, 2007, 11h41
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On the way back down Gold Valley Road, I pass through the burned area again
My camera makes a strange sound when I turn it off after taking this photo. The next time I turn on the power, it doesn't turn on.
Date: April 20, 2007, 11h45
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Near the bottom of Gold Valley Road, looking north up Greenwater Valley
OK, I took this photo yesterday on the way up Gold Valley Road, but my camera doesn't work any more.
Date: April 19, 2007, 16h59
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