Along the Road - California 190 Olancha to Death Valley

The next stop after Channel Islands National Park on our February 2015 trip to southern California was Death Valley National Park. Our route took us from Ventura through Santa Clarita, Palmdale and Lancaster before leaving the freeways of the greater Los Angeles area. Once out of the traffic and in the desert again, we had some beautiful scenery as we traveled along CA 14, US 395 and CA 190 as we approached Death Valley.

Olancha

Clouds hide part of the Inyo Mountains

Currently dry Owens Lake and the Inyo Mountains

Looking southeast toward the Coso Range

A closer view of the Coso Range

Three and one-half miles northeast of Olancha

Foothills of the Sierra Nevada looking toward Olancha Peak

Owens Valley and the Inyo Mountains

Silver Mountain in the Coso Range

Owens Lake and New York Butte in the Inyo Mountains

Darwin Road

Snow still lingers at 5250' along Darwin Road

Snow dappled Darwin Hills

Two and one-half miles east of Darwin Road

7454' Hunter Mountain in Death Valley National Park (17 miles)

CA 190 and the snow covered Cottonwood Mountains

Looking back at the snow covered Coso Mounatains

Along the Road - US 395 Inyokern to Olancha

The next stop after Channel Islands National Park on our February 2015 trip to southern California was Death Valley National Park. Our route took us from Ventura through Santa Clarita, Palmdale and Lancaster before leaving the freeways of the greater Los Angeles area. Once out of the traffic and in the desert again, we had some beautiful scenery as we traveled along CA 14, US 395 and CA 190 as we approached Death Valley.

At Nine Mile Canyon Road

Sierra Nevada 

An unnamed 7900' double peak in the center and a 7000' peak to the right

Old lava flows, Volcano Butte and the Argus Range in the
Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake

At Coso Rest Area

Rose Valley and 6100' triple peak

Unnamed 7000’ peak in the Sierra Nevada 

8800’ peak above Lewis Canyon in the Sierra Nevada

Along the Road - California 14 Mojave to Inyokern

The next stop after Channel Islands National Park on our February 2015 trip to southern California was Death Valley National Park. Our route took us from Ventura through Santa Clarita, Palmdale and Lancaster before leaving the freeways of the greater Los Angeles area. Once out of the traffic and in the desert again, we saw some beautiful scenery as we traveled along CA 14, US 395 and CA 190 as we approached Death Valley.

 In Mojave

Alta Wind Energy Center (AWEC) west of Mojave is the largest wind farm in the U.S.

AWEC has an installed capacity of 1,574 MW

Twelve miles north of the town of Mojave

El Paso Mountains

Barren Ridge with Sweet Ridge (6335') beyond

Black Hills

Red Cliffs Natural Preserve

California 14 bisects Red Rock Canyon State Park and is adjacent to the Red Cliffs. Twenty-four miles from Mojave, a side road to a day use parking area provides access to the cliffs and a loop trail. The initial 200 feet of the road is paved. Due to the rain the previous day and overnight, the ground was way too soft for our rental vehicle and too soft for me to hike through as well.

The Red Cliffs are over 250' high

Looking up the canyon

A side canyon across the highway

The main canyon with CA 14

These green hills to the southeast block views of the El Paso Mountains

More hills to the east

Looking back down the canyon

Thirty-two miles north of Mojave

Cloud reflection and the Scodie Mountains

A closer view of the Scodie Mountains

Ridge between Bird Spring Canyon and Horse Canyon leading up to Skinner Peak and the Pacific Crest Trail

Snow covering Black Mountain

Clouds over the Red Buttes

Joshua Trees in Indian Wells Valley

The Red Rock Canyon State Park website is http://www.parks.ca.gov/?page_id=631.

Channel Islands National Park - Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor Center

Due to the weather forecast and the logistics of getting out to the Channel Islands, we explored the Robert J. Lagomarsino Visitor Center as the last stop on our February 2015 visit to Channel Islands National Park. The park consists of five of the eight Channel Islands off the coast of southern California. The park consists of the islands of Anacapa, Santa Cruz, Santa Rosa, San Miguel, and Santa Barbara and the waters surrounding them to a distance of one mile. Due to concerns about unexploded ordinance, San Miguel Island has been closed to the public since April 2014. The other four islands can be accessed by either private boat or by park concessionaire Island Packers. Park concessionaire Channel Islands Aviation provides flights from Camarillo to Santa Rosa Island. Seventy-six percent of Santa Cruz Island is owned by The Nature Conservancy. The U. S. Navy owns San Miguel Island.

The visitor center is located at the end of Spinnaker Drive and the mouth of Ventura Harbor in Ventura, California. It has the usual park service amenities of an information desk, bookstore, exhibits, theater and restrooms. In addition, a viewing platform is open in the tower of the facility that provides views of Anacapa and Santa Cruz islands. Access to the third floor platform is either by way of stairs or an elevator. The theater shows an extraordinary, even by park service standards, 24 minute film entitled "Treasure in the Sea" which is narrated by Kevin Costner. This 2011 production is available for viewing online at http://www.nps.gov/chis/learn/photosmultimedia/a-treasure-in-the-sea.htm. We found the staff and volunteers at Channel Islands to be both friendly and knowledgeable.

Visitor Center

Anacapa Island from the tower viewing platform

Santa Cruz Island from the tower viewing platform

Ventura and Red Mountain from the viewing platform

Roof mounted solar panels

Ventura harbor

Sculpture and open space

Picnic area

Rear of the visitor center

Auditorium

Open air exhibit space between the auditorium/theater and the information desk/bookstore

Pygmy mammoth archaeological exhibit

Starfish and other animals in the wet tank

A portion of the bookstore

Patrol boat

National Park Service docks

There is no entrance fee at Channel Islands National Park. However, the islands are only accessible by private boat or by park concessionaire boats or planes. Island Packers (http://www.islandpackers.com) has scheduled trips to four of the five islands. San Miguel Island was closed to the public in 2014 due to concerns about unexploded ordinance. The island was used as a bombing range by the U.S. Navy from the 1940s until 1975. Channel Islands Aviation (http://www.flycia.com/) only has scheduled flights from Camarillo to Santa Rosa Island.

The park website is http://www.nps.gov/chis/index.htm.