Telescope Peak spent four months in 2008 sitting at the top of my always changing To-Do list for Death Valley. It's hard to believe that after over 30 lifetime visits to the park, I had not yet conquered the highest peak, but my priorities had clearly been elsewhere. My sister Tiffany and I really prepared ourselves well for this hike, as we spent 2 nights at Mahogany Flat campground prior to the hike, and we also hiked Wildrose Peak the day before to help acclimate. The morning of the hike (July 19, 2008) we were up before 7 o'clock and began our long journey a short time later. The first 2.4 miles were a continuously steep uphill climb, with some good benefits. We quickly noticed there was lots of shade from the trees which had been described before the hike on the interpretive sign. At the lower elevations of our hike, the sign told us we would find the following 3 trees: (1) Mountain mahogany- "thrives on dryer slopes above 8,000 feet. It often grows as a low shrub, and its wood is dense and hard. Fire is critical to maintaining healthy stands." (2) Juniper- "is most common on north-facing slopes, which tend to be moister. The species is highly susceptible to fire." And (3) Pinyon pine- "and juniper are common in the forest to your right (altitude 7,000 feet). The nuts of this pine were a staple food for the region's Shoshone Indians, who spent summers here in the mountains." I always appreciate learning about the area I'm hiking through, so I thank the park service for providing that sign. Another benefit was the awesome views which started almost immediately. We had a great view of the North Fork of Hanaupah Canyon at first, and then as we winded around the east slope of Roger's Peak, we were able to take in the Middle Fork of Hanaupah Canyon. Also, the wildflowers were in full bloom, especially Eaton's Firecracker, Indian Paintbrush, and Purple Sage, which were everywhere.

I must say that my favorite part of the hike was the middle portion-- the walk through Arcane Meadows. It was a nice change in scenery and I also enjoyed spending some time walking on mostly level ground, all the while enjoying the imposing view of Telescope Peak, with Tuber Canyon and Jail Canyon down low to the west. The final portion of the hike, which features the legendary switchbacks of Telescope, had more flowers and trees which were also described on the sign. We saw (4) Limber Pine- "one of the hardiest of all tree species, limber pines are adapted to survive buffeting by wind and ice. They grow only above 9,000 feet, and rarely feel the heat common a few thousand feet below." And (5) Bristlecone pine- "these trees thrive above 10,000 feet. Some bristlecone pines in the White Mountains to the north are more than 4,000 years old. The ancient specimen shown here is atop Telescope Peak, six miles to the south." As far as flowers, the highlight for me personally was seeing the two Panamint Mountain Mariposa lilies along the way. Of course, the overall highlight was finally reaching the 11,049 foot summit. When all was said and done, we had hiked about 13 miles roundtrip with an elevation gain of about 3,000 feet.