Death Valley, lowest point in the USA.

27 May 2012

Flying from Furnace Creek, Death Valley,California.      

Death Valley was some of the very best flying experience I had on this trip!
Heard so much about it for so long, just had to have a look.
I just love that stark scenery.
Can't really see it the same from the ground.

First view of Death Valley

Lowest point in the USA, -282 ft.

Negative altitude.

Furnace Creek resort and airfield.
And of course golf course....

On my first flight from this airfield a very strong crosswind came up while I was away.
Too strong to land this light little tail dragger along the runway.
So I landed on the apron straight toward the hangar.

Note the circuit direction indicators at the windsock, indicating a right-hand circuit
They're really useful, why don't we use them in Australia??

Then had to tie down in the shelter of this barn.

Alluvial fans are the most noticeable feature of Death Valley.

This is a perfect alluvial fan.

A really large fan with the settlement of Stovepipe Wells.

Some very colorful pigments.

An up-market resort on the edge of the valley.

Furnace Creek camp ground.

The van was struggling already, and lots more steep passes ahead, so I left the trailer here and drove back to Las Vegas to have 4.11 gears installed in the differential.  That helped quite a bit, but 7% grades on the way to Lone Pine showed that it wasn't enough, needed more grunt up front.....