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Home / Mojave Preserve and Desert bikepacking trips / 2007: Death Valley National Park bikepacking / Day 5: Furnace Creek Campground to Monarch Canyon, Funeral Mountains /

Though concealed in this view, the tent sits behind a small rocky outcrop in the centre of this photo in Monarch Canyon

mc2-000025-monarch-canyon-no-tent.jpg A side canyon just around the corner from my camp site in Monarch CanyonThumbnailsA side canyon just around the corner from my camp site in Monarch CanyonThumbnailsA side canyon just around the corner from my camp site in Monarch CanyonThumbnailsA side canyon just around the corner from my camp site in Monarch CanyonThumbnailsA side canyon just around the corner from my camp site in Monarch CanyonThumbnails

The road into Monarch Canyon may end here, but Monarch Canyon itself continues another mile and a half or so behind me. Walking further down the canyon in search of Monarch Spring will be tomorrow's adventure.

The wind is quite strong up here tonight. Right after sunset, a two-hour rain storm kicks in just as I'm about to prepare my add-water-to-bag backpacker's meal. I have to put on my rain gear when I step outside to boil my water. A bit of water starts to get in my tent around the edges after a while, but nothing too serious.

Fortunately, the wind dies down to a tolerable level around midnight, so falling asleep is easy.