VanNice Travels: DV Day 4: The Racetrack, Scotty's Castle, & Ubehebe Crater

THE RACETRACK

Racetrack Playa is home to one of Death Valley's most enduring mysteries. All across this flat, dry lake bed are hundreds of rocks that seem to have moved on their own. What powerful force could be moving them? Researchers have investigated this question since the 1940s.

Playa surface

In the distance is the rock formation named "The Grandstand."

In December 2013, scientists set up an experiment to observe the rock movement. They fitted 15 rocks with custom-built, motion-activated GPS units. (The Park Service could not let them use native rocks, so they brought in similar rocks from outside the park.) On December 21, 2013 ice breakup happened on the frozen pond and the rocks began to move! What did it take to move them? It took a rare combination of events. The playa must be filled with water which is deep enought to allow for floating ice but shallow enough to expose the rocks. On a sunny day, the ice melts and breaks up into large floating panels which light winds move across the playa pool. The ice sheets shove the rocks in front of them leaving trails in the soft mud bed below the surface of the lake.

SCOTTY'S CASTLE

Castle gate

Ironwork on front gate.

Prospector "Death Valley Scotty" claimed this elaborate Spanish mansion was built by gold from his fictitious gold mine. In reality it was the 1920s vacation home of his wealthy friends, Albert and Bessie Johnson.

Weathervane

Gas station

One of the many cars on the property.

Cook House; cooks often fixed meals for 80 people.

Clock tower

Well in the courtyard; the pulley in the middle held the rope used to raise and lower a bucket into the well.

The well rope would have been tied to this bird hook.

Turret

Stairwell inside turret.

Gate to courtyard

Unusual courtyard clock

Courtyard cacti garden

Another prospector weathervane.

Redwood beam

Walkway connecting the main house to the annex.

Courtyard view from walkway.

Welcome to Death Valley Ranch...

Elaborate ironwork on front door.

Locks on front door

Great room chandelier

The great room is where Scotty entertained visitors. Walter Scott was a national celebrity during the first half of the 20th century. He performed in Buffalo Bill's Wild West Show and was a con man looking for investors in his Death Valley gold mine. One of his investors was Albert Johnson who wanted to inspect Scotty's mining operation in person. Scotty invited Johnson to Death Valley and hatched a scheme involving a staged gunfight to scare the city slicker away while keeping the investment money coming in. Scotty's plan backfired, and Johnson quickly realized there was NO gold mine.

Surprisingly, instead of being angry, the wealthy Johnson became friends with Scotty and remained his source of "gold" for the rest of his life. Johnson enjoyed the excitement of a cowboy's life. The photo is of Bessie Johnson, Scotty, and Albert.

Tile floor in great room.

Scotty's bedroom

Scotty's hats hanging in his bedroom.

Why is there a hole in the bedroom wall? Scotty told people the entrance to his gold mine was under his bed so the hole was for his shotgun barrel in case of intruders!

The shot would go through the hole, hit this cast iron plate, split the shot sending it in both directions, hitting bandits hiding on either side of the outside bedroom door! Well, that's the story but there is no evidence anyone ever tried to shoot a gun through the hole! Is this just another one of Scotty's stories?

Ceiling

Tile baseboard

Bessie's diningroom and dishes. Albert had the house built because Bessie did not want to tent camp when visiting Death Valley. She was deathly afraid of snakes!

The kitchen sink; notice the coiled snake lights. Albert had them put beside to sink to keep Bessie away from the "work" in the kitchen!

The icebox was converted to a refrigerator by piping in refrigerated air from another building. Ice in the 1930s and in the desert! Scotty loved it!!

Stove - see the toaster on the top shelf?

Bessie's Shoshone basket collection displayed in the Johnson's private sitting room.

Sewing machine and more Native American baskets.

Wall sconce

Fireplace in guest sitting room.

Tile on fireplace

Conservatory ceiling with inlaid ceramic tiles.

Organ bellows

Stained-glass window in the conservatory.

Coyote on Scotty's Castle grounds.

UBEHEBE CRATER

Recipe for Explosion: Rising magma - hot, molten rock - turns groundwater to steam. Superheated steam explodes creating a crater like this one. The explosion spewed shattered rock over 6 square miles.

Ubehebe is the largest of many explosion craters in the area at half-mile across and 500 feet deep.

Trail goes around the rim and to a smaller nearby crater.

Can you see the person on the left side of photo on the rim!

This picture shows the smaller crater beside the larger Ubehebe crater. From here we drove a 27 mile rocky road to The Racetrack.

RACECTRACK VALLEY ROAD

Barrel Cacti

Barrel Cacti in front of Creosote bush

Beavertail Cacti

Cholla

Barrel Cacti

Joshua Trees

JOSHUA TREE FOREST

This photo reminds me of the sunset silhouttes third graders do every year at Cove, only these pink and blue clouds appeared in the middle of the day!