TRIP REPORT PHOTOS
As you can see, the trailhead sign is visible from the ruins of the Charcoal Kilns:
Tiffany at the starting point for the hike:
A Death Valley native was there to greet us as our hike began:
Looking back at the parking area and Charcoal Kilns after the first short uphill portion:
This rock slab is a prominent feature and good first stop along the trail:
Tiffany looking out into the vast expanse of Wildrose Canyon:
The view which she could see of the road between Wildrose campground and the Charcoal Kilns:
The trail soon turns sharply and enters a thick forest of trees:
For as far as the eye can see, trees are covering the hillsides:
On a hot day like we had during our hike, the shady spots were a welcome relief:
Pine cones were found to be growing on the branches in abundance:
Some of the trees had a good amount of height to them:
Speaking of pine cones, there were large sections of them covering the ground in places:
Looking back down the trail we have been hiking up:
Eaton's Firecracker was growing along the Wildrose Peak trail in the middle of summer:
If I had to guess, I would say that these are examples of Sulfur Flower (Eriogonum umbellatum):
The trail navigates around this small field of boulders:
First really good view of Wildrose Peak along the trail:
Passing by more Sulfur Flower with its pretty yellow coloring:
A gorgeous specimen of Grizzly bear pricklypear cactus:
First view of Badwater Basin far below:
Zooming in on the salt flats which are obscured by the hot summer haze:
Tiffany looking down at the view of Badwater while she carries her backpack on the front:
The scenery all around through this area is quite beautiful with so many trees:
The trail follows the obvious route over toward the final ascent hillside seen in the distance:
Steve taking a short break from the summer heat along the trail:
The trail works its way through a few bumps along the ridge:
It is neat how the trail winds past various viewpoints down into the valley:
Looking up towards the top of Wildrose Peak and the end of the hike:
Looking due north from the trail toward Auger BM (small bump in center of picture):
This zoomed view shows Auger BM more clearly. It is the brownish rounded peak about 1/3 from the left side:
There is nothing better than seeing clouds roll across the sky in the middle of July on a very hot day:
The clouds made the sky quite beautiful and would shield us from the sun once in a while:
Lupine was in full bloom and added another special element to the trail:
We would stop and rest under the branches of larger trees whenever it was possible:
More Grizzly bear pricklypear cactus right next to the trail:
A fallen tree that long ago succumbed to the elements:
There are switchbacks going up this final portion of the Wildrose Peak trail:
The end of the trail feels so close at this point, it makes you forget that you are now hiking at close to 9,000 feet in elevation:
A few minutes later, we were on the final path to the summit:
The neat thing about the view from Wildrose Peak is that you can see Telescope Peak, Rogers Peak, and Bennett Peak all from the summit:
Telescope Peak is the top center, Rogers Peak is just below it, and Bennett Peak is off to the right:
The summit benchmark which identifies Wildrose Peak. Note the space between the words Wild and Rose. Perhaps the two words were combined later into one:
The summit register box contains the login book to leave your name and date of being here:
This unnamed prominent ridge blocks a good view to the west:
Looking to the northeast down into Trail Canyon:
Zooming in for a better view of central Death Valley. Furnace Creek can be seen despite the haze if you look carefully:
Standing at the summit of Wildrose Peak at 9,064 feet on my first ever hike to the top:
Brother and sister both made it to the top on this fantastic hike:
The ridgeline which steeply drops down into Trail Canyon can be seen here:
Zooming in directly on Badwater across the valley. Tourists probably aren't spending much time there this time of year:
The next four pictures show how Purple Sage was growing in abundance along the trail:
We saw two of these old weather station bases along the trail. They have since been removed by park staff in 2012 and the sites rehabilitated to restore the area's undeveloped character:
Arriving back at the Charcoal Kilns -- a welcome site after a day of hiking in summer heat:
