47.35 Corkscrew Peak, Death Valley, California, just a few miles from Nevada. Some screwy...um...scary moments.
A reward at the top. The sights might not be as colorful as in other places. The mountain shapes and size might not win many prizes although we found some very attractive views. However, the challenge presented by this hike, relatively short in relation to an elevation gain of over 3,300 feet, made it memorable. Jen conceded that's it's a top-ten winner. While it's less than 8 miles return, some of the slopes were impossibly steep and slippery. On at least one occasion, when we looked up high, it seemed that a person could easily 'fall off the mountain' for want of a better expression although it did seem most apt. Corkscrew is part of Death Valley although it slumbers outside of one of the entrances. From the peak, it provides wonderful views of Mesquite Flats, a favorite place to play on sand dunes as well as the salt flats. The only other person we saw on the mountain was Monica, a young woman we met on the saddle where we had returned from the peak t...