11/19 Golden Canyon/Gower Gulch Trail: Death Valley National Park, California

In October, I had come to Death Valley to hike the Golden Canyon trail, but ran out of time and couldn't finish the hike, so I returned to hike it on Tuesday, November 19.

Unlike the day in October when the sky was free of clouds and the temperature in the 80s, today the sky was full of clouds and the temperature hovered in the 60s. Nice weather for a hike in the canyon!

For probably the hundredth time since August when I came to Death Valley, I was amazed to see rocks of many different colors like these.

On the trail, I saw many examples of what were once layers of flat sediment on a lake bottom, but now, because of volcanic action, are tilted up like the layers in these rocks.

c

The Golden Canyon trail winds up a streambed and, unlike the trail at Fall Canyon, this trail was smooth and easy to hike. See those red cliffs in the distance? Those cliffs were my destination in October, but today I hoped to hike to the Gower Gulch trail and take it back to my truck. 

See the tiny people in the canyon in front of me?

   Before the Gower Gulch trail branches off, I got a good view of the red cliffs.

That cliff is Manly Point. The trail up to its base was narrow, steep, and a bit more challenging than I expected!

It seemed that it just kept going up!

Stopping to catch my breath, I looked back over the trail 
I had hiked and had a different view of the red cliffs.

Then I continued going up!

I was out of breath, but what a fantastic view from the top!

The Gower Gulch Trail looks twisty!

It follows this streambed down the canyon.

and down some more...

See those rocks have been undercut by water...hopefully it won't rain while I'm in the canyon!!

See that tunnel in the cliff? Miners were here once...I wonder if they found what they were looking for....

 

The Gower Gulch Trail is marked by plastic posts about 3 feet tall and 4 inches wide. Can you see one near the center of the photo?

Look at those rocks...their colors remind me of Neapolitan ice cream!

All of the sudden, the trail narrowed and I had to climb down these rocks! 

And more climbing down...

And more climbing down...

And then a 40 foot drop-off? No, the trail swerves
off to the right!

And m truck is over that next hill!