In Search of Warmth in California, Utah, and Arizona in February (page 3 of 13)

We reach the halfway point at the Golden Canyon trailhead, where a few cars are parked. After munching on some dried apricots and prunes to recharge our batteries, we enter Golden Canyon. The rocks have a uniform golden-yellow hue—no surprise there!





The kids are still having just as much fun wandering along the trail. In the distance, we spot the Red Cathedral massif.





At one point, we have the option to leave the Golden Canyon trail to head to the base of Red Cathedral. Everyone’s up for it, and after crossing a few fun narrow passages,



we reach the base of the massif.



Nothing too extraordinary, but climbing a small hill rewards us with a stunning panoramic view of the massif! 😇





I spot a trail branching off to the left that might reconnect with the Golden Canyon Trail. The kids prefer retracing our steps—even if it means a detour—rather than risking a dead-end trail with a long detour as punishment.



Back at the junction, we turn left to continue on the Golden Canyon Trail.



A steep climb begins, still on these unique yellow rocks, and our calves start burning. After 5–10 minutes, we pass near Red Cathedral,



and I recognize the spot we could’ve reached by taking the shortcut! Plus, the view is almost the same as from Red Cathedral. 😕

In spring, when it’s really hot, I wouldn’t recommend the detour to Red Cathedral—it doesn’t add much. If you do go, though, make sure to return to Golden Canyon via that unmissable shortcut, which lets you walk on a gentle incline instead of a rollercoaster of ups and downs.

The stunning viewpoints keep coming. 😎







Since we’re backlit, we have to keep turning around to soak in the views. I think it would’ve been better to do the loop the other way: Golden Canyon first, then Gower Gulch.

We all pick up the pace at the end, as usual...





One last look at the iconic point of Zabriskie Point. 😇



We reach the car at 11 a.m., and the 12 km loop took us 3.5 hours.

A quick detour to Dante’s View, where we’ll also have a picnic. No haze—the photos speak for themselves... 😮

Wow! It’s simply gorgeous :) !

Then, we backtrack to take the road to Badwater. It feels odd to drive 20 minutes from Zabriskie Point to Golden Canyon, when we’d walked between the two spots that morning.

Once at Badwater, I explain to the kids that we’re at the lowest point in North America, 86 meters below sea level. They can’t believe that in April 2013, their mom and I couldn’t last more than 10 minutes outside, and that it would’ve been tough to make it to the end of the trail on the dried-up lake.



That’s actually where I want to go to see the honeycomb-shaped formations. Just to be safe, we still bring a bottle of water, even though it’s only a short 1-mile walk to the spot.

Near the access road, the salt deposits aren’t very pretty.

According to the car’s thermometer, it’s only 14°C, but it feels more like 25°C!

Some tourists (that’s the right term) are walking around in flip-flops on the salt accumulated in this depression.



Apparently, you can spot insects and snails here, but we strike out.

The reward is at the end of the trail.







Since time’s flying and I don’t want to skip the dunes, we drop Natural Bridge to prioritize Artists Palette.



First stop to head to a viewpoint.



I’m the only one brave enough to walk the 500 meters to get there, and honestly, I don’t get what there was to see. Oh well...



The road is one-way, really pleasant to drive. It twists and turns, and the landscapes are photogenic.



It’s far from the must-sees we’ve seen today and yesterday, but it’s still nice.

We get a few rollercoaster-like stretches, then arrive at the Artist Palette spot.





It’s pretty, but we must be a little jaded because even the kids ask if that’s all there is to see!! You get used to the caviar fast... 😏

In the end, Artists Palette is great for those who didn’t have time to do Titus Canyon Road or couldn’t hike because of the heat in Gower Gulch! But for us, who’ve done both, Artists Palette is just a nice miniaturization of what Death Valley has to offer. We don’t linger, and we almost feel bad for the people who are amazed by the beauty of the site—they don’t know what they’re missing 😛!

I would’ve liked to stop at Harmony Borax Works, but the sun’s setting fast!! 😕

So we head quickly to the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes, which we reach just after 4 PM. Despite the 15 km we’ve covered since the start of this marathon day, the kids have gotten their energy back and run down every dune. Thankfully, because we won’t have more than 45 minutes before the sun sets. Quickly, footprints become scarce, and we love it.









There’s something to see everywhere.



Unfortunately, it’s only the next day that Maxime shows me the real spectacle wasn’t where we thought. He zooms in on one of the photos taken at 55 mm (the last one...). If I’d used the telephoto lens, I could’ve had THE shot: photographing a photographer doing a photo shoot with his wife in ultra-light clothing 😮! Oh well. Anyway, the photos would’ve been censored by moderation 😏!



The kids finally settle down a bit...



For the rest of the itinerary, Maxime and I debated a lot. If the 5-day weather forecast is reliable, we only have tomorrow left with sunshine, then Wednesday and Thursday will be cloudy or even rainy. So we need to fit in Racetrack Playa and Valley of Fire as our next sunny day.

The scenery at Racetrack Playa is very similar to Badwater and is limited to one photo spot (but what a spot!!). Of the two sites, only Racetrack Playa is doable in summer, so we’d rather spend the day hiking in Valley of Fire tomorrow.

To make sure we enjoy it early, I decide to head straight to the Valley of Fire area.

We leave Death Valley, which we’ve still made the most of.



No stop at the Las Vegas Outlets, since the 3.5-hour drive is already long enough. On the way, I just wake the kids, who’ve of course already started their night, to feed them McDonald’s! Even while sleeping, it always goes down... 😉

On Freecampsites, I’d spotted a free primitive campsite (36.44446° -114.67559°), which we reach around 9 PM. There are 3-4 RVs and only one tent... In 20 minutes, the tent is up, the mattresses inflated, we’ve taken care of business, and everyone falls asleep, feeling like we’ve lived an extraordinary (and long) day... 😇

Summary: Zabriskie Point hike: 20/20, Hors Catégorie, for us a masterpiece of nature, ranking (almost) as high as the geyser hike in Yellowstone, White Pocket, or Coyote Buttes (South). Dantes View: 17/20 Easy access, and the view is breathtaking! Badwater: 18/20 An iconic spot that symbolizes Death Valley for many (along with Zabriskie Point). Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes: 17/20 Really fun to do at the end of the day. You need to walk a bit to get away from the crowd, but the progression is playful.

Oh! But the sky is so much bluer than in Laos 😉! All things considered, when the sun’s out, does it feel like a pleasant temperature? Muriel

The big upside of winter is that the air and sky are crystal clear in so many places. In spring, it’s probably the same. We noticed a real difference in Page—last July versus this February.

Temperature-wise, when it’s sunny, there’s a daily swing of about 15–18 degrees. So, a fleece in the morning and often just a T-shirt in the afternoon when we were hiking.

Hi Guillaume, I’m jumping in! Wow! Kudos for such a brave start to your trip—juggling fatigue, driving, rough nights, and hikes... hats off!

We won’t cross paths this time on the route since we were in Lanzarote in February 😉! Just a matter of timing because DV is in April 😉... I’m already drooling over your photos! We loved it so much two years ago—can’t wait to go back! Ah, Valley of Fire... originally, I had it on the program for next April... but I ended up (reluctantly) removing it... you’ve got to make compromises sometimes 😉. And as my son says, we’ve already been twice... but when you love something, you don’t keep count, right?

Can’t wait to see the rest of your travel journal and thanks for such an exciting update!

Hey there, I admit my viewpoints... and the DV (Death Valley). Obviously it's beautiful... and right now the temperatures are perfect. We couldn't go to Dante's View... it was closed during the shutdown.

Hi Fanny!

Just a timing question since DV is for April 😉... I’m already drooling over your photos! We loved it so much two years ago—can’t wait to go back!

If it’s not too hot for a walk at Zabriskie Point, go for it!

Ah, Valley of Fire... originally, I had it on the program for next April... but I ended up (reluctantly) removing it... you’ve got to make compromises sometimes 😉. And like my son said, we’ve already done it twice...

If you’ve already done it twice, there won’t be anything new for the next day in your travel journal! Though... maybe I’ll make you regret it 😛

If you’ve already done it twice, there won’t be anything new for the next day in the travel journal! Though... maybe I’ll make you regret it 😛

For sure! We had a real soft spot for this park (my son too, even if he prefers novelty) and I know there’s still so much left to discover😉

I admire your kids’ stamina! :) They’re so lucky to see all these amazing sights! Your photos are always gorgeous, and you’re always so precise in your descriptions—plus, you include GPS points! For the sunset at Flat Sand Dunes, how long before sunset should we arrive, including the approach hike? I can’t wait to read your VOF story—we’ll do it in the early hours too.

Thanks Aline !

For the sunset at Flat Sand Dunes, how long before sunset should we arrive, including the approach hike?

February 2019 calendar for Lone Pine On 02/11, sunset was scheduled for 5:30 PM. We left the parking lot at 4:05 PM, and it was already too late to reach the nicest dunes in the back, the most scenic ones. Moving really fast (power-walking + jogging), it took us 20 minutes to get to the Topless viewpoint. At a normal pace, you should count at least 1 hour. The last photo in the post was taken at 5:00 PM, and the sun must have dipped behind the mountains a few minutes later. So, allow a 20-minute buffer from the official sunset time. When we go back in the summer, we’ll leave the parking lot at least 2 hours, maybe even 2.5 hours before the official sunset time. Have a great evening

Thanks Guillaume, that’s exactly what I was planning—at least 2 hours... because at our age, we don’t run anymore! 😕 😉

Fanny, April might be too late to see the lake that recently formed!

Awesome, thanks for the link! I’d already seen a few photos on FB, in the DV group. Gorgeous, rare, and... fleeting! What an incredible feeling it must be for those who discover it.

Hi Guillaume, We also went to the USA in winter, February 1998. I wanted to see what it was like in winter, and well, it’s just like France 🙂 We rented an SUV and stayed in motels—we didn’t camp like you did. I also remember Death Valley in a T-shirt. Noëlle

I find everyone being way too lenient with you. Far be it from me to play the prosecutor, but you’ve been guilty of, among other things: - lying by omission to your wife, - abandoning your kids and the family home, - having nasty thoughts about an immigration officer who was just trying to understand why you were off to relax for 2 weeks while your other half works, - criticizing Europe’s aeronautics gem, - speeding, - encouraging your kids’ sleep deprivation, - making them sleep in a car, - letting them look at obscene photos, - taking a road clearly marked as closed to traffic, - failing to assist a tourist vehicle in trouble on a road unsuitable for it, - misusing baby wipes,

And as if that weren’t enough… What forces me to demand a 3-year minimum ban from the American West is the fact you’ve shared absolutely stunning photos that’ll make even more people want to go there! And in winter, no less! As if the summer crowds weren’t bad enough!

The only way to reduce your sentence would be to show that the region can also be harsh this time of year—something that might put off more than a few (pun intended! 😏).

I’ll be following "crazy dad’s" adventures and his 3 kids with great interest—especially since their behavior on this trip really drives home the saying "the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree" 😉

😏😏😏 It all adds up to a real pain! The worst part is I can’t contest any of the charges against me... Anyway, your post proves you’re really paying attention when you read 😮!

Which forces me to request a ban from the American West for at least 3 years

If I get the maximum sentence, minus 6 months off for good behavior, I can go back in summer 2021. Cool, that’s what was planned anyway 😎! In 2020, we’re torn between Namibia and northwest Argentina. And some spots in northwest Argentina look a lot like the Southwest 😛!

The only way to reduce your sentence would be to show that the region can also be harsh this season, which might cool (literally!) more than a few people off.

You’ll see—I’ll end up getting off scot-free!!! 😄

Hi Guillaume,

You’re a real repeat offender when it comes to trips out West 😉 Your Death Valley photos are making me really want to check it out this winter.

Hey Guillaume,

In 2020, we were torn between Namibia and northwest Argentina. And some spots in northwest Argentina really look like the Southwest 😛!

If you go for northwest Argentina, Chile, or southern Bolivia, I’ve got tons of tips for you.😏 And honestly, it’s way more beautiful than Ladakh!! Plus, you’ve got way more options for accommodation. If you want to visit both places, then start with Ladakh.🤪

As for me, I’ll have to go back to Death Valley in winter. 😮

Alabama Hills is a really cool spot to have fun. Plus, in Lone Pine, they serve banana splits!!! Not many people around when we went there.