Mosaic Canyon - 2.16.2022
We parked at the trailhead for Mosaic Canyon in Death Valley National Park... advertised as a geological art gallery... a 2.3 mile gravel road drive will get you to the trailhead which is located near the very small community of Stovepipe Wells in the park.
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The canyon is very broad at the beginning.
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Lots of photo ops in the canyon... here looking down the canyon and across Death Valley at the Cottonwood Mountains on the horizon.
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The canyon does narrow fairly quickly.
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After the canyon narrowed in the previous photo it opens up again.
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Continuing up Mosiac Canyon... looks like it might narrow again up there.
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After hiking a total of one mile the canyon narrows for the final time.
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Uh-oh... after hiking a total of 1.4 miles it looks like we have found a dead end... and while this is where most people stop, we found a way to scramble up and continue.
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Continuing to scramble up Mosaic Canyon.
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Continuing to scramble up Mosaic Canyon.
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Continuing to scramble up Mosaic Canyon... this spot almost stopped Denali Girl, but she would not give up.
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Continuing to scramble up Mosaic Canyon.
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Continuing to hike up Mosaic Canyon... notice the line of rocks in the trail at the very bottom of the photo... the next photo will show you what that line of rocks looks like.
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The line of rocks from the previous photo suggests that people might want to leave the canyon floor and head up.
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After leaving the canyon floor and hiking a short distance I'm looking down at people deciding what to do at the huge 'rock arrow' from the previous photo.
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Continuing to scramble up Mosaic Canyon.
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After hiking a total of 1.8 miles we have definitely reached the end of our hike where rock climbing gear would be required to continue.
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Tracing our steps back down Mosaic Canyon.
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Tracing our steps back down Mosaic Canyon.
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Almost back to the parking lot after hiking a total of 3.6 miles that gained 1037 feet of elevation. That is a dust storm in the distance... blowing down Death Valley and almost obscuring the Cottonwood Mountains on the other side of the valley.
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