Ref: 10
Aventures
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Trail map at the trailhead.
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Hike:
RT 4.5; 2.5 up. Milan planned a
road trip
to Death Valley to interrupt the winter blues. The trip's highlight
would be an ascent of Telescope Peak. After a
restful night in Panamint Valley, we drove down Panamint Valley Road
and located Wildrose Road, which accesses Charcoal Kilns Road from the
west side; it was closed due to extensive road erosion caused by
hurricane Hilary's flash flood in August. We backtracked to the main
road that connects Panamint Valley and Stovepipe Wells (SR 190); after
driving over Towne Pass, we reached the second trailhead at Emigrant
Campground. We continued up Emigrant Canyon Road; to our
dismay, that access was also closed due to the summer's flood. We were very disappointed; we had travelled three days
to
set foot on Telescope Peak. After the initial shock, we focused
on making another plan. We decided to hike nearby Mosaic Canyon, then
head to
Las Vegas to attempt Charleston Peak. The following morning, we drove
to Charleston's trailhead, a gate bared the way due to a seasonal
closure. I was in disbelief; how can we have so much misfortune? We got
back in the car and drove to the Lee Canyon Ski area while looking for
a hiking
trail; we settled on the North Loop Trail. The well-trodden
trail offered shelter from the cold wind. A skiff of snow blanketed
the ground, and rime decorated tree branches; those were a reminder
that it was winter. Despite limited views along
the way, the remarkable Bristlecone pines' fascinating twisting forms
were awe-inspiring. I was unaware this trail led to a summit
as Milan chose the hike; hence, it was a delightful surprise when we
veered off the main trail towards Fletcher Peak. Unfortunately, low
clouds obscured the view; sometimes, we got a glimpse of Mummy
Mountain and its surroundings. Although this hike wasn't nearly what we
intended, it still was a pleasant objective. At that point, we vowed to
return to Death Valley in 2024 to visit Telescope Peak and Mount
Charleston!
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The open forest consists of interesting trees.
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The
well-trodden trail isn't busy on this cool overcast day.
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Milan
waiting for me.
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Mummy Mountain comes into view.
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Fascinating
Bristlecone pines dominate the terrain.
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After
veering onto Fletcher Peak Trail, the objective is straight ahead.
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Looking back.
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Very little
undergrowth underneath these gnarly giants.
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The rocky
point that precedes the summit.
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The view is
obscured by low clouds.
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Short jaunt
to the treed summit which is a lesser viewpoint.
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Backtracking
to the North Loop Trail.
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View south
towards Mount Charleston's trailhead.
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Resuming our return on the main
trail.
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| Back
to home page |
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