The first technical canyon I ever did in Death Valley National Park was Willow Creek. I'd heard that it was pretty, surprisingly wet and worthwhile. I wasn't disappointed.
Meeting up with Rick Kent late one Saturday evening in spring, we spotted his vehicle then he, DB and I made the 2-hour drive up to the drop-in, where we'd camp for the night. Rising early the next morning, we started out.
Finding thick, lush vegetation and a bit of water right off the bat, we were curious about what lay ahead.
What we found was a wonderfully wet canyon. We splashed on through, downclimbing and rappelling perhaps 20 or more wet drops, including several flowing waterfalls. The canyon was fantastic.
Reaching the car late in the afternoon, we enthusiastically discussed our pleasure that day. It would be the start of much Death Valley canyoneering - a first DV canyon for all of us! Now we've got a couple dozen under our belts!
*Photos courtesy of Rick Kent
What? A Flowing-Water Canyon in Death Valley?!?
