Day 3, part 3. Death Valley Road.

Abandon all hope, ye who enter here.



So after my fun trip down Pine Creek, I headed east to Death Valley.

You see, what makes the Sierra Nevada so snowy is that they block the clouds - as the clouds rise to pass over the Nevada, they cool down, and the air cannot support the moisture any more. So all the snow comes out.

And nothing is left for Death Valley. Bad for prospectors. Good for winter cyclists. Assuming you don't need any extra water.

No, I distinctly remember telling you to bring the water.


The Road starts off in the middle of nowhere, and goes nowhere. But at least the altitude changes; it starts off at 3643 ft and goes to 7670 in about 14 miles. My plan was to go to the top, descend the other side (another 14 miles), then return, for a grand total of about 56 miles.

Desolate.

That's really the only way to explain it. No cars, no people. No nothing. I ascend to the top, where there are no signs congratulating you for reaching the summit.

The Top. We hope you know where you are, because, well, we hate signs.


I descend the other side... still nothing. After an hour of descending, I turn around, climb, and descend again.

Desolation.


I get in my car. Another two hours of driving in Death Valley, and I'll reach my headquarters for the next few days.