This was the second attempt to visit Death Valley in the Fall. We made it a stopover on our way to Palm Desert and it turned out to be fortuitous timing because there were minimal crowds, the temperature was cool, and the weather was crystal clear.
Death Valley
We arrived at Death Valley in early evening and made our way to Zabriskie Point to enjoy the sunset. The next morning I made a solo visit back there for the sunrise, which is quite spectacular.
The following day we set off to a hike on the Golden Canyon Interpretive Trail, which took us by Red Cathedral and Manly Beacon. On the way back to the lodge we visted Badwater Basin, the Devil's Golf Course, and Artist's Palette. In all, a beautiful day in the desert.
Palm Desert and Aster Canyon
Palm Desert and environs offer hikers much in the way diverse trails. We enjoyed two hikes guided by the Friends of the Desert Mountains, based in Palm Desert. The first was the venerable Dead Indian Canyon hike during which we saw many bighorn sheep.
The second was farther afield in Mecca Aster Canyon near Painted Canyon, near Mecca, California. Mecca Aster Canyon is a new hiking route for Friends of the Desert Mountains, and we were among the first to hike there with them.