The plan for the day was to travel out of the Saline Valley to Beatty, NV for the night. The dirt road was heavily wash boarded and slow, but otherwise easy. The photos below are what we saw.
A view of the lower hot springs area. The springs were clean and very well kept. Even the pit toilets were clean and well stocked.
Further down the road, the springs were clearly visible. Note the white area in the center of the photo that shows the mineralized area due to the springs. Dust plumes from other vehicles are also visible.
The bohemians that visit this area made this sign to indicate the turnoff to the springs. The sign says "Bat Rock Road".
From a distance, the hot springs and mineralized area are clearly visible.
The mineralization in the Inyo Range was easy to see.
A view looking south down the Saline Valley. Note the snow on the peaks of the Inyo Range.
At first I thought it was a mirage, but the "dry" lake at the bottom of Saline Valley actually had water in it.
The road looked pretty good, but it was heavily wash boarded. You can see some of the washboard in the photo above.
The regions surrounding the lake had reasonable grazing land with lots of grass. But, to a cow, I am sure that the grass tasted bad due to the high salt content.
Near the crest of the pass, the flowers returned. These are Mojave Asters.
At the crest of the pass were nice stands of yucca in bloom.
A view of the southern portion of the Saline Valley from near the crest of the pass.
A final view of the valley. Note the dark volcanic islands in the salt flat.
We exited Saline Valley and headed west along Hwy 190. We descended some steep grades and then went through Towne Pass back into the main section of Death Valley. Above is a shot of the Devil's Cornfield (with a bit of motion blur).
A shot looking north up the bore of Death Valley from the Stovepipe Wells area. From Death Valley, we passed over the Amargosa Range and down into Beatty, NV for supplies, food and to spend the night.
The path out of the Saline Valley was slow and rough. If you come in from the south side, as most folks do, you REALLY have to want to get there as it is a full-scale brow beating. Washboard takes its toll on both vehicles and drivers. But, other than the normal off road punishment it was a good, uneventful trip. On our way into Beatty, the throttle linkage for the motor came loose requiring a field repair to continue. The fix was easy (this has happened before) and we were soon on our way to a motel room in Beatty. We ate at the small casino there and the food was surprisingly good. Tomorrow, we would nearly the full state of Nevada on our way to the Great Basin National Park and Lehman Caverns.
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Photos and Text Copyright Bill Caid 2008, all rights reserved.
For your enjoyment only, not for commercial use.