Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / 2007: Death Valley National Park bikepacking / Day 4: Furnace Creek to West Side Road, and a hike in Golden Canyon 19
I'm going to spend a second night here at Furnace Creek Campground, so I leave my tent set up and go for a day ride down Badwater Road after a hearty corned-beef-hash-and-eggs breakfast at the café in the village.
Because my camera died yesterday, I'm glad to see disposable cameras for sale at the Furnace Creek store. I buy some, ride away, and make a random stop at popular Golden Canyon.
I lock my bike to a sign post, hike a couple of miles to Golden Cathedral, then return to the bike. This is my first day in 90-degree heat, so I take it slow and practice drinking more water than usual.
I ride out to the salt flats near Devil's Golf Course off West Side Road, then return early to my camp site and relax. It would have been interesting to ride further down West Side Road, but my water was running out.
27.4 mostly level bicycle miles
- On my way out of the Furnace Creek tourist area toward Badwater Road
I leave my camp site intact at the campground and I pass one of those ominous "next services many miles away" signs. However, I won't be going too far today, so the sign isn't as significant as it might otherwise be. - Near the "next services" sign is another which indicates the road to the Timbisha Shoshone homeland area
The Timbisha Shoshone is the Native American tribe who historically inhabited this area. - I've risen out of Death Valley just enough to have a view of the Badwater Basin ahead
I'm still a few feet below sea level. - A little further sits the sign for Badwater Road
I've risen almost up to sea level now. - Riding down the road toward Badwater
I'm not exactly sure where I'll stop, but I don't plan on going all the way to Badwater on my "day off." - I stop at the parking lot for the Golden Canyon trail
It looks busy, but I'll check it out anyway; I've heard it's scenic in there. Since there's no bike rack to be found, I lock my bike to the sign. - Starting my hike up Golden Canyon
I should have brought a hat with me, but I was planning on riding around with my helmet on, not going for a walk. - Golden Canyon does turn out to be very scenic
The mid-day sun reflecting off the yellowish soil here is really harsh. I climb up one of the ridges to get a different view of the canyon and tourists in it. - Climbing these weird hills of earth is fun
... so I go higher. - Hikers walking down below in Golden Canyon
This landscape is so surreal with its lack of vegetation and the different colours of the earth in the area. - I climb back down to the trail in Golden Canyon
I keep walking. It's really hot in this canyon! - I arrive at a sign
I can continue straight ahead or turn right up a trail that climbs up to the Zabriskie Point look-off above. I think I'll continue straight toward "Red Cathedral," which is presumably that wall of reddish rock not too far ahead. - The trail looks like it will end soon
I can see why that wall of rock is called Red Cathedral. - The trail passes through some narrows
I think this is still part of the trail, not entirely sure, but it doesn't really matter. - Next to Red Cathedral
I climb the hill for the dramatic, constrained views. Another visitor is doing the same. - The end?
There doesn't seem to be anywhere else to go, but up. - Red Cathedral
I can't get any closer than this! - Close-up of Red Cathedral
I wouldn't want to be here when some of that rock lets loose and comes down! - After walking back to the trailhead, I go for a short ride down to the salt flats along West Side Road
I'm almost out of water, so I don't go any further than this, though I'd like to. The 3.5 litres of water that I brought with me haven't lasted as long as I was hoping. I have a strong south wind behind me on the way back to the Furnace Creek Campground and have fun pedalling as fast as I can over the gently rolling terrain. To my surprise, I reach 36 miles per hour on one stretch that has a bit of a downhill. Back at the campground area, I do laundry at the laundromat, enjoy a $4 shower at the motel swimming pool, and take the rest of the day's heat slowly--assisted by some cold beer from the general store. Later in the evening, some people pull up in front of my camp site and ask me if I know the nearest place to camp because this campground is full. Since I have a double site of sorts, I tell them they can occupy the other half of my site, which still leaves me lots of privacy. The closest campground where they could go is Emigrant Campground some 30 miles away, and there's no guarantee that any of its ten spots will be vacant. They are a fun gang from Los Angeles, several of whom are originally from Chile, and I get to try their Chilean vodka-like beverage.