April 6, 2016
We spent two more days exploring Death Valley. This park is gigantic, it’s like 8 different parks in one. We hiked up to Zabriski Point and hiked the “Badlands Loop Trail”. We loved the starkness and beauty of the trail. I only gasped a bit on the uphills!
The next day, we walked a short distance into Bad Water Basin, which is the lowest point in the US (elevation -282 below sea level). The salt flat is huge – these pics are a full 360 degrees with Mark and I standing in the exact same place! This is also the hottest place in Death Valley! Even though we took water and the temperature was below 100, we were very happy to get back into the car. On our way back, we saw a beautiful prickly pear in bloom.
After a day and a half of truck repairs, we moved along to Shoshone, California for a night on BLM land. We saw only one other camper a distance away, otherwise we were alone in this very scenic place.
We are now at Joshua Tree National Park. Unfortunately, the campsites in the park are all filled, so again we are on BLM land outside of the park. Check out our view of no one around us, plus the snow capped mountains. Yes, we are suffering greatly!
The “dry camping” is going well. We are not hooked up to any water, sewer or electricity, but our composting toilet, full fresh water tank and solar panels are keeping us happy!
We envy your beautiful free spots. As soon as we get our solar panels, we can do the same. Keep sharing your pictures.