Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / 2007: Death Valley National Park bikepacking / Day 10: Emigrant Campground to Furnace Creek, 100 degrees, 31 bicycle miles 13
I ride from Emigrant Campground to Furnace Creek Campground so that I will be at the start of tomorrow's climb out of Death Valley National Park over the Funeral Mountains.
It's already hot up here at Emigrant Campground this morning, and it turns out to be over 100 degrees F on the valley floor.
- One last view of the vacant Emigrant Campground on this hot, sunny morning before packing up
There's just me, Phil and Renée (with the SUV straight ahead from me), and a guy from the Los Angeles area. We're all leaving Emigrant Campground this morning. I don't really want to leave, but I'm nearing the end of my two-week vacation from work (I wanted three weeks), and I'm still more than 100 miles away from Baker, from where I'll be taking Amtrak back to San José in a few days. I woke up early this morning, baking in my tent from the hot sun shining on it as usual. However, this morning feels hotter than other recent mornings. After a quick breakfast, I had coffee over at Phil and Renée's camp site again. They've decided to spend their last night in Death Valley at the Stovepipe Wells Motel 10 miles down the road to get out of the heat, have a shower, and perhaps lounge around by the pool there for a while. - Ready to leave Emigrant Campground, the contents of my camp site are packed on the 10-ton bike again
I say my goodbyes and thanks to Phil and Renée and begin the glorious ten-mile downhill from 2000 feet to just below sea level at Stovepipe Wells. My stay at Emigrant Campground has been a memorable part of the trip. - After 10 fun, hot downhill miles to the Stovepipe Wells store for cold drinks, who pulls up but Phil and Renée!
The ride from Emigrant Campground 2000 feet to here at Stovepipe Wells (100 feet below sea level) was easy and fun, with hot, dry air blowing against me. While hanging out in front of the Stovepipe Wells store consuming cold drinks (Sobé grapefruit again), which taste so good, and which will be my last cold anythings for a few hours, Phil and Renée pull up into the parking lot! We chat and get someone to take a group photo of us together, which we didn't do yesterday. Phil and Renée go across the road to rent their motel room for the day, and I cross the road also to get some cooler water for my Camelbak, whose water is already hot. We say our goodbyes again. - Gasp, it is hot here
The thermometer has already reached 102 degrees F at Stovepipe Wells in the shade, and it's not even noon yet. - Beyond Stovepipe Wells, I cross Death Valley on Highway 190 and stop to look at the Death Valley Dunes
I wonder what it would be like to go for a short walk out there in this heat. While riding along here, a gust of wind blows some sand into my eyes. Fortunately, I haven't yet experienced one of the Death Valley sand storms that many visitors before me have stories about. - The 10-ton bike takes another brief break at the Devil's Corn Field
The 10-ton bike needs many breaks in this kind of heat, and a significant amount of water needs to be consumed during each break in order to remain operational. - Another view of the Devil's Corn Field area along Highway 190
In my view of the mountains ahead, I try to locate Monarch Canyon, where I camped a few days ago for two nights. It's roughly straight ahead somewhere, up near the top. I see heat rising off the road, and it probably rises off me too while I ride. - About nine miles further on Highway 190, while riding south down the other side of Death Valley, I pass the Beatty Cutoff
I'm back in familiar territory again; I rode up Beatty Cutoff a few days ago on the way to Monarch Canyon. One of many motorcycles whizzes by in the photo. I've had numerous positive gestures from motorcyclists just on today's ride (and so many more throughout the trip), which is always uplifting. Several have waved, a few others have honked and waved, and one just a few miles ago was really special. He was headed in the same direction as I, and honked, yelled, and extended his arm with a positive thumbs-up gesture while passing, to make sure that I would see it. I love these encouraging moments and wish I could reciprocate somehow, but I suspect that the entertainment value that I provide might already be a fair exchange. I've taken today's ride quite slowly due to the extreme heat, and have stopped for many water breaks. My right knee is still giving me some pain, but the pain usually goes away whenever I stop for a short rest. But I don't care, it has been a great day nonetheless. - I suck back lots of now-hot water from my Camelbak on this hot ride down Highway 190
My water is hot and unappealing by now, but it's still important to drink a lot of it to stay hydrated. Hot water in hot weather is not very tasty, nor refreshing, but that doesn't matter. It provides the necessary sustenance to continue nonetheless. - I slowly approach Furnace Creek Campground, that green patch in the centre of the photo
Now that I'm almost there, I decide that riding 25 miles in 100+ degrees F isn't quite as insane as I thought it might be. Just take it as slow and easy as necessary, but take it. - I'm lucky enough to get one of the Furnace Creek campsites in the athel trees
The thermometer at the campground entrance showed 105 degrees F, so shade is a valuable commodity here today. I drank almost a gallon of water, most of it very warm, during the 20-mile ride from Stovepipe Wells to Furnace Creek. I'm hoping that the campground won't be full tonight, with the heat having discouraged visitors. So far, so good. Parts of the Furnace Creek area have already closed down for the hot summer when there are fewer park visitors. I've been told that tomorrow is supposed to have record-breaking heat for the day--close to 110 degrees. I'd like to stay longer, but I'm planning my escape. I've enjoyed meeting the challenge of riding in 100+ degrees so far, but I'm not sure I'm ready for 110 degrees so soon? - A view of the athels and their shade from my tent
These are nice trees, even though they're non-native and somewhat invasive. The bottle of brown stuff on the picnic table is tea. I just stuffed a couple of tea bags in the bottle with my already hot water and let the hot sun do the work of making the tea. - Me, hot but content, sitting in the shade of the athel trees
I have laundry to do this evening at the Furnace Creek laundromat. As well, ice cold beer available at the general store a mile away over by the laundromat will help cool down my evening. Despite the appetite-suppressing heat, I'm getting quite hungry, which is a good sign that my body is functioning normally. My instant add-water-to-pouch backpacker's rice-based meal tastes great. I enjoy the hot evening at the Furnace Creek Campground after the sun goes down. There is a certain serenity about hot evenings anywhere that I often find soothing--until I need to go to bed and can't fall asleep in the heat. Fortunately, the slight late-night breeze is just enough to keep the tent from overheating, so falling asleep is actually easy and pleasant.