Death Valley – Strenuous Hike and Geologic Wonders

Death Valley is known for its extreme temperatures, re-emerging lakes, and mysterious geologic features. It’s home to some beautiful hikes and diverse geology. What else could you possibly want? Death Valley National Park here I come!

Death Valley Here I Come!

My friend (who I’ve interviewed and posted about here) and I decided to go on a long weekend trip to Death Valley National Park, a place that neither of us had been before. It’s a new adventure and we were both very excited about it.

This particular friend and I have traveled and camped a lot together, so she is very well aware of my diabetes and what it looks like when I go low on a hike and when I go low in general. It’s always nice to travel with her for that reason among many others!

So Much Geology

When we got there, we went on a lot of different hikes. Some short ones, some long ones, but all of them beautiful ones! I could not get over all the different geologic features in Death Valley. There are so many different areas filled with different rocks, minerals, and structures!

I was so impressed with everything that I had to go to the visitor center and get a Death Valley geology book! Today (at the time of writing this), three years later, I still can’t get over the geology of Death Valley National Park. 

Dante’s View Mystery

One of the best views is at Dante’s View. You have to drive somewhat far, about 25 miles from the visitor center, but if you can make it, it’s worth the drive. The viewpoint is one mile above Badwater Basin and you can see the entirety of the salt pan. If you haven’t been there or seen a map, you probably don’t know what I’m talking about. Just know that you can see so much from this viewpoint and it’s gorgeous. (Or look at the photo below.)

 Another fun thing about this view is that there is a geologic mystery. And with my newfound obsession you know I was all about it. There’s some sedimentary rock that’s about five miles thick that’s missing. This five-mile-thick section of rock is present in surrounding ranges but not here. Where did it go? What happened to it?

Because I don’t want to give away any of Death Valley’s secrets you all have to search for the answer on your own, or go and investigate for yourselves.

Dante’s Ridge Hike

Not only is there an amazing view at Dante’s View but there’s also the Dante’s Ridge trailhead. This is a nine-mile out and back hike that offers even more amazing views along the way.

My friend and I came all the way up to the viewpoint to enjoy the scenery and to go on this hike. We made a game plan: packed up more than enough water, a lunch, snacks, sunscreen, and I packed ALL the glucose.

Our plan also included a turnaround time. If we didn’t make it all the way to the end by a certain time, we would turn around and head back. This was to ensure we had enough water, glucose, and to make it back before we would need to start dinner.

Let’s Hit the Trail

And we’re off! We started the trail with such positive attitudes. The view to our left gave us hope for the rest of the trail. We knew what we were getting into and we were excited! We were going on this nine-mile hike with 2,090 ft (637 m) elevation gain. It was going to take us many hours (the guide says 4-6 hours) to complete this hike. It’s described as strenuous, but we were ready, we can handle it!

My friend and I made our way along the ridgeline of the Black Mountains. The trail had a lot of uphills and downhills, and there wasn’t any part that was too much up or too much down, which was nice. (That means that the way back isn’t any easier, which we eventually learned).

Turning Around – Not Making it to the End

We made it very close to the end. But the last few 500+ feet were over very sharp rocks and boulders. At this point my nerves were shot, I was exhausted, and my blood sugar number was low. My friend and I unanimously decided that we would not make our way to the very end and would turn around here. (After we took some time to rest and for my blood sugar number to go back up).

The way back was a lot more difficult than the way there. We were tired and ready to be done with the hike. The views were no longer making us hopeful and the closer we got to the end, the less excited we got. That was until we could see the parking lot and we knew we were so close to being done. At which point we got VERY excited because we knew we would be resting and we were going back to a hearty dinner. (Maybe if we were in better shape we would have enjoyed the way back more.)

Hike Completed – Success!

This hike was indeed a strenuous one, but we were very glad we completed it. No matter how excited or tired we were, the views were spectacular and it was great to see Death Valley from above.

There was a low blood sugar incident but that was expected and handled properly and patiently by myself and my friend.

Overall, it was a great experience. I don’t see myself completing this hike again in the future, but then again, I sadly don’t see myself going to Death Valley as much as I would like in the future. If you like strenuous hikes and deserts, then I would highly recommend this hike and this National Park!