Death_Valley_Keeler_Eureka

March 14, 2010

Our first stop was to the largely abandoned town of Keeler, CA which is located on the eastern shore of Owens Lake. During the 1920's water was diverted from Owens Lake to Los Angeles causing the lake to dry up, resulting in alkali dust storms blasting through Keeler and eventually driving the residents away. It is quite apparent this town has seen better days!

From Keeler we climbed high into the Inyo mountains to visit the old mining town of Cerro Gordo which looks down on the Owens Valley from an elevation of 9,000'. A small fee was required for a guided tour of all the old ruins and buildings, but learning all about the history of Cerro Gordo was well worth the price. We finished our day in a remote section of northern Death Valley N.P at the Eureka Sand Dunes which are located in the Eureka Valley. Although these dunes only cover about 3 square miles, they rise to a height of 680' above the surrounding valley floor, making them one of the highest dune fields in North America. What makes these dunes even more special is that they are dwarfed by the impressive limestone walls of the Last Chance Mountains which rise another 4,000' above the valley floor. As the sun dipped below the horizon we found a high point near the dunes from which to enjoy the pristine night sky.