Golden Canyon

March 13, 2021 Golden Canyon

Sunset Campground Death Valley National Park Death Valley, California Day 2

I took my morning walk on the multiuse paved path along the park road.

We are staying in a no hookups, no frills campsite…basically a big parking lot. That really doesn’t matter much as we do not plan to stay in the RV very much!

We packed for the day and headed out to Golden Canyon Trailhead. We wanted to hike in the Golden Badlands.

We took the spur to Red Cathedral. It had a really fun rock scramble on the way up. We didn’t go all the way to the top, but the views we had were breathtaking.

I love my hiking poles. They give me added confidence and stability when I am hiking, particularly on steep inclines or declines and especially on uneven surfaces. They supposedly improve your hiking posture and also take weight off of your knees. I feel like I can look around a lot more instead of paying attention to every single footfall…though I still have to do that too! They can be used to fend off unwanted attention and they would also come in handy if an injury occurred. You get a great upper body workout as well and that burns more calories! Thanks, Kyle, for the best gift!!

After descending from Red Cathedral, we began a serious climb to the ridgeline of the Badlands. I was slow and it was hard! As soon as you crest the top, the endorphins kick in and I experienced a sense of euphoria and exhilaration. The pictures were not working…enjoy the video.

We climbed back down and entered Gowan Gulch. This took us to the end of the trail. These hikes have been challenging, but nothing that I cannot do. I just have to be patient with myself…and Tim has to be patient with me too! I am enjoying this…stepping out of my comfort zone!