February 2016 - Death Valley

This year was a "superbloom" in Death Valley, meaning very many wildflowers all bloomed at the same time, filling the valley with yellow. In addition to wildflowers, there was some great hiking through the dunes, the lowest point in North America, and some really colorful rocks.

The lowest point in North America, at -282 feet!	A chain of people walking out onto the salt flats
The lowest point in North America, at -282 feet!	A chain of people walking out onto the salt flats
		Even in February, it was _really_ hot out on the flats
		Even in February, it was _really_ hot out on the flats
Wildflowers rising out of the rocks	Wildflowers! The rock valley filled with yellow.
Wildflowers rising out of the rocks	Wildflowers! The rock valley filled with yellow.
Walking out through the flowers		Three colors of death valley: Brown rock, white salt, and yellow flowers
Walking out through the flowers		Three colors of death valley: Brown rock, white salt, and yellow flowers
Desert dold	Caltha-leaf phacelia	Gravel ghost
Desert dold	Caltha-leaf phacelia	Gravel ghost
Desert five-spot	Brown-eyed evening primrose
Desert five-spot	Brown-eyed evening primrose
	A pinkish grasshopper
	A pinkish grasshopper
Hiking up a canyon	The canyon leading to the natural bridge	Natural bridge
Hiking up a canyon	The canyon leading to the natural bridge	Natural bridge
The devil's golf course		They look like delicate little columns of salt, but in reality they are rock hard. It would _really_ hurt to fall down in here.
The devil's golf course		They look like delicate little columns of salt, but in reality they are rock hard. It would _really_ hurt to fall down in here.
	Artist's drive	A pink part of the mountain
	Artist's drive	A pink part of the mountain
	A seemingly painted mountain
	A seemingly painted mountain
		The sun setting on Death valley
		The sun setting on Death valley
	Sun slowly filling the valley in the morning	A faint hint of yellow is all that can be seen of the fields of wildflowers below, from Dante's view, 5475 ft.
	Sun slowly filling the valley in the morning	A faint hint of yellow is all that can be seen of the fields of wildflowers below, from Dante's view, 5475 ft.
A salt pool down in the basin		Gateway to the dunes
A salt pool down in the basin		Gateway to the dunes
		Some patches in the sand
		Some patches in the sand
	The steepest part of our journey, a wall of sand.	The tallest point in the dunes, which we named Mt. Sand Dune
	The steepest part of our journey, a wall of sand.	The tallest point in the dunes, which we named Mt. Sand Dune
At the top of the tallest dune!
At the top of the tallest dune!
Hiking out along the ridge
Hiking out along the ridge
	The northwest patch of dunes, mostly undisturbed	Life in the dunes
	The northwest patch of dunes, mostly undisturbed	Life in the dunes
	Entering the marble canyon	Beautiful marble walls
	Entering the marble canyon	Beautiful marble walls
The canyon is actually called mosaic canyon, because of the natural "mosaics" of colorful rocks embedded in the canyon wall
The canyon is actually called mosaic canyon, because of the natural "mosaics" of colorful rocks embedded in the canyon wall
The canyon opens up into this area of colorful rock	A death valley stream
The canyon opens up into this area of colorful rock	A death valley stream
A death valley oasis	An attempted mating between two salt creek pupfish	Another frisky pair
A death valley oasis	An attempted mating between two salt creek pupfish	Another frisky pair
	More life in the valley
	More life in the valley
Remains of a borax mine, which was apparently a big deal	A weird forest of tall shrubs	Death valley's badlands
Remains of a borax mine, which was apparently a big deal	A weird forest of tall shrubs	Death valley's badlands