Desert

Our two day camping permit for Echo Canyon had run out. Where to go next? We thought we’d explore Hole in the Wall road, but the same regulations for camping applied there, just like Echo Canyon we needed a permit. We headed back to Furnace Creek visitor center to find out if there was a permit available. We arrived just after opening and secured the last campsite available for the night. Hole in the Wall it was.

We’d been watching the weather since the day we decided to head South to Spring. While planning our trip, yet another atmospheric river was coming on shore in southern California and was expected to wreak havoc across a wide area of the state. A lot of roads were still closed in Death Valley following the complete closure of the park due to hurricane Hillary in August 2023. Would all of our plans be put on hold or cancelled? We kept checking websites for current conditions, but it appeared that California was still on the map and enough of our planned routes were still open. Once we arrived at Furnace Creek Visitor Center we consulted the big visitor map (yes there is one online but don’t believe everything you read on the internet is up to date. In fact don’t believe everything you are told at the visitor center either – see below and part 2 of this story for more). The features that stood out were the adhesive “CLOSED” stickers taped over what seemed like most roads. A closer examination verified that the roads we planned to travel were indeed open.