A Quick Look at Death Valley

After leaving Beatty (NV), we took the long way back to Pahrump.

NV 394 took us west to NV 190 and back to our "home."

Even in the expanse of the scenes before us, there are details that catch our attention.

A closer look at the mountaintop in the photo above shows what seems to be an unusual cap "attached" to the mountaintop (photo below).

At one overlook, we had this view (next two photos) of the heart of Death Valley.

Other details on the ground (next two photos) presented a contrast to the majesty of the mountains surrounding the Valley.

From the Park's brochure: "Death Valley was given its forbidding name by a group of pioneers lost here in the winter of 1849-1850. Even though, as far as we know, only one of the group died here, they all assumed that this valley would be their grave.

"They were rescued by two of their young men, William Lewis Manly and John Rogers, who had learned to be scouts.

"As the party climbed out of the valley over the Panamint Mountains, one of the men turned, looked back, and said 'goodbye, Death Valley.'

"This name, and the story of The Lost '49ers have become part of our Western history."

This drive served as an introduction to Death Valley. We identified places we want to return to in the next few days.