Page 10 - Volume 14 Number 1

The view of Panamint Valley from atop Father Crowley Vista Point with spring wildflowers in full bloom.
The author’s son relaxes at Darwin Falls, an unexpected oasis that provides not only a beautiful hike in green and shaded vegetation, but it is also the sole water source for nearby Panamint Springs.
or other high-clearance vehicle is necessary. Otherwise, many roads will be uncomfortable, impractical or even prohibited. Dirt and gravel paths allow access to some of the most desolate, yet desirable, locations within the park. By skipping them, you’ll have missed the true spirit of DVNP. Our exploring began along Highway 190, where we drove through the Twenty Mule Team Canyon before taking in the breathtaking vista of colorful badlands from Zabriskie Point. Then, just beyond Furnace Creek, a quick stop at the Harmony Borax Works provides historical background on the borax mining industry that first brought non-natives to the area (mostly laborers). It was that industry which utilized the famous 20-mule teams to haul wagon trains of borax (weighing in excess of 30 tons). While short-lived (1891-1898), the 165-mile mule trek from the mine sites to Mojave is an image that still endures today in advertising of borax products. Further north, the Salt Creek Interpretative Trail is a great opportunity to stretch a bit, while walking the wooden boardwalks and stopping to watch rare pupfish feeding in the shallow pools of the salt marsh.
Proceeding northeast along Daylight Pass Road (toward Beatty, namesake town of the co-located VOR), a fun excursion awaits just outside the park boundary: Rhyolite Town Site. The largest of several ghost towns near Death Valley, Rhyolite was once home to over 10,000 people (around 1905-1910). Wandering around and through its long-abandoned bank and train depot, one can’t help
8 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
but wonder how a town so large (50 saloons, 19 hotels, 18 stores, various doctors, dentists and undertakers) can seemingly just evaporate into the dry air. The mute folk art sculptures just add to the eerie stillness of the place.
Leaving ghosts in our rearview, we headed back west. If you have a four-wheel drive vehicle, consider using the Titus Pass Road to re-enter the park. It’s a slow
JANUARY 2020