Death Valley lake

Richard

Richard

Final Approach
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Ack...city life
The Mojave River which flows north to empty into the remnant (usually a dry basin) of Lake Manly has been running at flood. And the worst of the series of storms hasn't impacted SoCal yet. I predict Manly will be an ephemeral lake this year. That also applies for the lake further to the north at Badwater. It will be a year for desert blossoms for sure.
 
Richard said:
The Mojave River which flows north to empty into the remnant (usually a dry basin) of Lake Manly has been running at flood. And the worst of the series of storms hasn't impacted SoCal yet. I predict Manly will be an ephemeral lake this year. That also applies for the lake further to the north at Badwater. It will be a year for desert blossoms for sure.
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I was on a field trip in Death Valley last year with Allen Hancock College. There were lots of blooms due to late rains.

I bet Owens Valley is going to get flooded too. Of course L.A. will take more than their fair share of that water... as always. :rolleyes2:
 
Richard said:
The Mojave River which flows north to empty into the remnant (usually a dry basin) of Lake Manly has been running at flood. And the worst of the series of storms hasn't impacted SoCal yet. I predict Manly will be an ephemeral lake this year. That also applies for the lake further to the north at Badwater. It will be a year for desert blossoms for sure.
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When (if) the rains stop, lets go take some pictures. Are you available Thursday?

Joe
 
Please post the pics here. On all my excursions in that area I have not seen it filled. Of late I have been spending more time exploring eastern Nevada from Las Vegas to the north along the Great Basin highway. That is mostly because, I want to do that but also because the only time I have been getting out that way is July and August. Going to Death Valley during that time of the year is not the best way to spend a few days. HOT!!
 
Scott, you must travel Hwy 12 in UT for the scenery and exposed geology.

I've been going to Death Valley since the late 70s. I do NOT even entertain the notion of going between May 30th to the latter part of Sept. That is the minimum time frame.

Furnace Creek does have a nice golf course. Challenging but not difficult. Close to the aprt and 4 star F.C. Inn.
 
Richard said:
Scott, you must travel Hwy 12 in UT for the scenery and exposed geology. .
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I have not gotten over that way too far. I have only explored Utah in the St. George area.

http://picasaweb.google.com/N8116B/NevadaJuly2010# are my pics from last summer as we headed up the Great Basin highway to GB National Park and then west around the Nevada Test range and back into LV. This coming summer I want to explore in the NTR a bit. I found a way to actually get an approved tour there, but no photography allowed and one has to pass a background check. But it would be neat to see the actual testing areas.

Next winter I hope to be able to get into the DV area for some exploring.
 
To prep for your tour of the NTR, research "downwinders". Your tour guide will appreciate your questions. B)
 
Richard said:
Ready, able, willing. Tonight I'll charge all batteries for my camcorder.
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Cool. I have a student who's been waiting over a week for a VFR day to do her first solo. Hopefully NWS is correct and this thunder, lightning, hail and real rain will stop tonight.

I'll call you in the morning. I can pick you up at KVCV hopefully around noon.

Joe
 
My wife and I will fly there from Phoenix between Christmas and new years eve.
Seems like if we picked the right time for our vacation to get a quite rare view of the lake... :wink2:

Oliver
 
How is the sailing on death-valley lake ?
 
Speaking of Owens Lake...at the southern end of this largely dry lake is an exposed outcropping of basalt. Historically, the lake emptied to the south and a water fall formed. The land feature is still there and occasionally will run in wet years. This year is shaping up to be a time to see the waterfall flowing. It is an easy hike from Hwy 395.
 
weilke said:
How is the sailing on death-valley lake ?
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I guess to say you've sailed in Death Valley may be worth the endeavor. But you'd need a very shallow draft. Ephemeral lakes are usually very shallow although you could probably get some long tacks. This because the land gradient is very shallow. Water depth at the middle of the lake usually wouldn't exceed 24". And you may very well be 1/4 mile off shore before 10" depth. The trick is to find a channel for your draft. Local knowledge would help...a Ranger would know where to find the channels.

You could wade to the middle of a 2-4 mile wide lake if you didn't get stuck in the mud. That's another thing about the soils out there. Lots of clay, what is termed "fat clay"...hard as concrete when dry; expansive, thick, and sticky when wet. It would be an Ironman feat to trudge very far through that. Getting your boat stuck out there would be a real drag.
 
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mbundy said:
Is the eatery on/near field or is there transportation?
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There is a restaurant/gift shop within 1/4 mile of the field but the Furnace Creek Inn is about 2 miles up a slight grade. I've not had to use public transpo so I don't know about that. I imagine someone will deliver you with prior notification or, if you don't mind waiting.
 
Richard said:
I guess to say you've sailed in Death Valley may be worth the endeavor. But you'd need a very shallow draft. Ephemeral lakes are usually very shallow although you could probably get some long tacks. This because the land gradient is very shallow. Water depth at the middle of the lake usually wouldn't exceed 24". And you may very well be 1/4 mile off shore before 10" depth. The trick is to find a channel for your draft. Local knowledge would help...a Ranger would know where to find the channels.

You could wade to the middle of a 2-4 mile wide lake if you didn't get stuck in the mud. That's another thing about the soils out there. Lots of clay, what is termed "fat clay"...hard as concrete when dry; expansive, thick, and sticky when wet. It would be an Ironman feat to trudge very far through that. Getting your boat stuck out there would be a real drag.
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Sounds more like a fun airboat ride ;)
 
Richard said:
Speaking of Owens Lake...at the southern end of this largely dry lake is an exposed outcropping of basalt. Historically, the lake emptied to the south and a water fall formed. The land feature is still there and occasionally will run in wet years. This year is shaping up to be a time to see the waterfall flowing. It is an easy hike from Hwy 395.
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Are you talking about Fossil Falls??

It sounds like the genesis of a fly-in.

Who's in?
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/queue up the song "if I only had a brain"

... if I only had a plane...
 
Richard said:
There is a restaurant/gift shop within 1/4 mile of the field but the Furnace Creek Inn is about 2 miles up a slight grade. I've not had to use public transpo so I don't know about that. I imagine someone will deliver you with prior notification or, if you don't mind waiting.
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I'm not sure it's a whole 2 miles but it is a good walk. If you call the inn from the phone at the airport they will send a van.

2 things about this airport:

#1 bring your own tiedown ropes. There are rings set in the concrete but no ropes or chains.

#2 Fuel is available but it's a PIA. You call the Chevron station down the road and they come when they have time, plan on 30 min you might be surprised (pleasantly or unpleasantly).

Also it's -200' MSL the lowest airport in the US. some lucky SOBs like Kent have landed here and Leadville, CO the highest airport in one day , or so I've heard.

Capt.Crash'n'Burn said:
Are you talking about Fossil Falls??



/queue up the song "if I only had a brain"

... if I only had a plane...
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I'm not sure where Fossil Falls is but this is Furnace Creek (L06).

What airport is closest to Lompton, I never heard of it? We may be able to get you a ride.

Joe
 
We'll get the checkout in the rental 172 next Sunday. If everything works as planned, we'll arrive at Death Valley on Monday.
It would be cool to meet some of you there...:goofy:
 
Yes, Fossil Falls. But it is only one in the area. IIRC, the various falls range from 70' to a bit less than 20'. And yes, they do carry water...more than the trickle mentioned in the article you linked.

Joe, apparently "Lompton" is a reference to the ghetto quality of living in Lompoc using Compton as the reference.
 
Richard said:
Yes, Fossil Falls. But it is only one in the area. IIRC, the various falls range from 70' to a bit less than 20'. And yes, they do carry water...more than the trickle mentioned in the article you linked.
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I was there a few months ago as part of a geology field trip. The falls were formed at the end of the last ice age about 10,000 years ago, but the vesicular basalt that they cut through is 1 Ma old IIRC.

Joe, apparently "Lompton" is a reference to the ghetto quality of living in Lompoc using Compton as the reference.
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Hehe, Lompoc has some pretty bad neighborhoods, so we call it "Lompton" as an inside joke. It's next to a Max security prison and many of the families of convicts live there. So many of Lompoc's residents may very well be from Compton.

The airport is KLPC.
 
The dry lake a the Thunder Bird practice area (North of Creech AFB, NV) had water on it today. I have not seen water on that lake for the 15 years I've lived in LAS.

I'm sure Jean, Roach and Ivanpah, all south of Las Vegas are not dry and will not be for about a week. Looks like more rain coming late Sunday.
 
Cool, maybe all the rain will flood the San Andreas fault and between the hydraulic pressure and lubrication SoCal will finally fall of into the ocean.... BWAHAHAHAHAHA
 
Areeda said:
Also it's -200' MSL the lowest airport in the US. some lucky SOBs like Kent have landed here and Leadville, CO the highest airport in one day , or so I've heard.
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Well, not in one day, but two days apart - I landed at Furnace Creek around 6 PM on the day I visited you at KEMT, and stopped for the night in Boulder City, NV. The next day, I only went as far as Bryce Canyon... Then, the following day I finally landed at Leadville.

Unfortunately, the density altitude was still well above sea level at Furnace Creek - Sun was pretty low in the sky, but OAT was still 106ºF.
 
Capt.Crash'n'Burn said:
It's next to a Max security prison and many of the families of convicts live there. So many of Lompoc's residents may very well be from Compton.
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Club Fed. Instead of triple security fence there is a painted white line. Or, it used to be that way. Chuck Berry was stationed there. As part of his sentence he was to give 5 free concerts. I was in attendence for two of them. Mr. Berry knows how to lay it down!

Keeping rents high helps to keep the untouchables from moving to the area.
 
Richard said:
Club Fed. Instead of triple security fence there is a painted white line. Or, it used to be that way. Chuck Berry was stationed there. As part of his sentence he was to give 5 free concerts. I was in attendence for two of them. Mr. Berry knows how to lay it down!

Keeping rents high helps to keep the untouchables from moving to the area.
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There's both minimum security and maximum security compounds in Lompoc. Chuck Berry was obviously in minimum.

The one thing about Lompoc (and Santa Maria) IS the cheap rent (for the coast) which is why all these ghetto folk can afford to live here. There's also large tracks of Section 8 housing in older apartment complexes. Those neighborhoods are collectively referred to as "crack alley".
When I was in high school, they started to bus these kids up to my school (Cabrillio) which was mostly middle to upper-middle class. There was an instant explosion of fights and there was even 2 stabbings in the first week of my senior year!!! :hairraise: :hairraise: :hairraise: :hairraise: :hairraise:
 
We went on Tuesday, on the way to Fullerton (near LA), to the Furnace Creek airport in the Death Valley.
The scenery was simply stunning!

Cheers,

Oliver
 

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German guy said:
We went on Tuesday, on the way to Fullerton (near LA), to the Furnace Creek airport in the Death Valley.
The scenery was simply stunning!
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Interesting pictures! You don't see that very often. Hope you had a great trip!
 
What would've been really cool is to see an airspeed above Vs with that altitude reading. The airport at Furnace Ck is not the lowest you can get out there. A few miles to the south the land is almost 100' lower. You could quickly take a picture of the GPS display as you drag the lakebed. B)

Nice pctures
 
Capt.Crash'n'Burn said:
Of course L.A. will take more than their fair share of that water... as always. :rolleyes2:
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Funny, when I lived in southern California, back in the precambrian (or so it seems) greater than 80% of the water went to the inland agricultural communities so they could grow hydration intensive crops like rice and cotton in the desert. Do you have some information suggesting a change in these usage patterns?
 
steingar said:
Funny, when I lived in southern California, back in the precambrian (or so it seems) greater than 80% of the water went to the inland agricultural communities so they could grow hydration intensive crops like rice and cotton in the desert. Do you have some information suggesting a change in these usage patterns?
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Your residency would have certainly had to have been prior to 1913 when Mulholland's water project was completed. While even after WWII there was significant ag in SoCal, it would seem that just the fact that what became the sprawling metropolis of LA is not composed of rice and cotton would be evidence contrary to your statement.
 
Wow that was awesome Video. What camera are you using?
 
Those Go Pros take nice video. I'm thinking of getting something set up for over the shoulder video in my Ka-6 for this summer.

Just one more question. What ever came out of your inquiry to the FSDO about the camera mounts?
 
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