Death Valley National Park, Surprise Canyon, Panamint City

Surprise Canyon

This past weekend Brandon, Mihai, Albert, Trewdge, Lea and I drove up to Death Valley for a casual visit. We drove up to Novak camp at the base of the hike to Panamint City, passed out then got up the next morning for a good long hike. This time it was 5 miles but a strenuous 4,000 ft climb starting at 2,000 ft elevation. The hike was great!
We walked through a stream that flowed through most of the trail. Parts of the trail were actually on top of the stream and most of it was through the valley. Being close to fresh water was really refreshing. The water came from a spring and we would stop to refill our bottles. This part of Death Valley used to be a small city with a road leading up there, but long ago floods washed out the road and people abandonded the town. We came upon lots of abandonded trucks, mining equiment, and eventually homes and trailers. It took us about 5 hours to get to Panamint City and we stopped at this makeshift bench and firepit to have a well deserved lunch. The house by the pit had already been claimed by two campers that weren't around. There was another pitched tent across the way but no one else around. We guessed they had been there for a night already since there were other cars at the trailhead.

After lunch and a nap we found a good spot for all of us to set up and it got COLD. We were anticipating 50 degree weather but got low 40s or so. So when dinner time came around we scarfed down our food and jumped into our sleeping bags for the night which I didn't mind because we got time to enjoy the stars. Probably the best starfilled night I've had in a long time.

Devil's Golf Course

The next day we hiked out this time taking 4 hrs and was pretty good since we had eaten away lots of weight and were going downhill the whole way. We got to the cars around 1pm and then drove through the desert to Death Valley National Park and visited all the sights like the Devil's Golf Course and the lowest elevation in the world at 230 ft below sea level.

All in all a fun time and lots of cool things to see in one of the hotest places on Earth.

Musical Daydreams

Someone once asked me, “What are the three things you love most?”

I thought a moment and said, “Bikes, food, and yoga.”

He looked half satisfied and half bothered, so I asked, “What’s wrong? You don’t like my answer?”

“What about music?” he demanded. “We go to concerts and talk about music and share music and it’s not even on your top 3?”

I was taken aback, so I searched for the answer. I said, “I guess I don’t think of music as something I love anymore because music will always be a part of my life. To me it’s like breathing air, a reflex of sorts. Seeking it out is effortless and spending time with it is unquestionable.”

“How is that different from loving food?” 

"Food is something I have to find or work for, but music is something I can get anywhere at anytime. I can hum or sing or think about a song. I can go without food for a while, but I never have to be without music."

Uber Heavy

The other day I grabbed an Uber from LAX. The driver was a middle aged man from Jordan who had moved to the US to get away and make a living. Our conversation went something like this...

"How has your day been?" I asked. 

"Very good! Everyday is a good day. I have no stress because I have patience." 

"Oh thats great." I totally agreed so I had nothing to say. 

He continued, "God gives me patience and for that I am grateful. I have a job and I am alive and I have patience so I am good. You know I lost my wife and I lost $300,000 but God gives me patience so I am happy."

Wow. He really opened up in our 15 minute cab ride. For the sake of anonymity I'll call him Jerry. Jerry had a lot to say so he talked and I listened. Jerry told me that his wife really wanted a baby and he spent $300,000 on tests and what not to try and have a baby. But after 13 years of marriage she was barren and the doctors told him that it was because of him. So he and his wife separated 2 years ago not because they don't care about each other but because of their own personal goals and situations. Jerry has an older brother who fathered 13 kids from two marriages, 9 boys and 4 girls. So why did God make his brother so fertile but gave Jerry no success? Jerry said it's all part of Gods plan and he had faith because God gave him patience. Otherwise why would he be in this situation, driving an Uber, happy for his now remarried and pregnant exwife, and happy for himself in just two years if God didn't give him patience. He didnt feel the need to be angry or sad about the place he was in now. Instead he felt hopeful and content because he was making his money back in America and when he goes home he will find a new wife. 

And that was that.