5 Days in Death Valley with 25 6th Graders
Posted: Mon Mar 23, 2009 5:54 pm
I spent last week as a chaperon and guide for my daughter's 6th grade camping trip to Death Valley.
The first thing that happened was the comments from other Dad's in the parking lot when they saw my Land Cruiser. One said something to the effect of "don't you think it's high enough? Do you really need the big tires?" Oh well.
Most others wanted to know know more about what places I visited in my vehicle. Everyone was curious about all the antennas.
I was one of 7 chaperons (other parents) along with the class teacher. It's a great group of kids. And we're fortunate to have an excellent teacher. We camped in Furnace Creek campground.
Very few students and parents had visited Death Valley before. I've taken my family there 3 times over the last couple of years. So my daughter had visited most of where this trip went. She was able to explain many of the places to her classmates.
We visited:
The Charcoal Kilns
Mosaic Canyon:
Badwater, the lowest point in North America:
Natural Bridge:
Devil’s Golf Course:
Zabrinski Point:
Dante’s View:
Sunrise at the Sand Dunes:
Rhyolite Ghost Town:
Titus Canyon and Petroglyphs:
Salt Creek to see the Pupfish:
And Ubehebe Crater.
We all saw a Coyote (sadly begging next to the road), a Roadrunner and a Scorpion:
At Devils Golf Course one of the girls wearing shorts cut her leg badly on one of the mounds. The salt crystals are extremely sharp. Skin cut all the way through and at 2-3 inches long. The school requires that a well stocked First Aid kit go where ever the students are. The wound was taped up and she was transported to the park paramedics who said that it wasn't quite big enough to require stitches. This reminded me that my own First Aid Kit is sorely lacking. She'll never forget this trip the rest of her life with the scar she'll have.
For the chaperons it's a fairly easy trip. the kids do all the cooking and clean up. We just take turns making sure that the kids do their responsibilities.
I was able to catch up with work in the campsite with my portable satellite Internet or the WiFi at Furnace Creek Ranch.
It was just too much fun! I already miss being in the desert. In 2 years I'll go with the school again when my youngest is in 6th grade.
The first thing that happened was the comments from other Dad's in the parking lot when they saw my Land Cruiser. One said something to the effect of "don't you think it's high enough? Do you really need the big tires?" Oh well.
Most others wanted to know know more about what places I visited in my vehicle. Everyone was curious about all the antennas.I was one of 7 chaperons (other parents) along with the class teacher. It's a great group of kids. And we're fortunate to have an excellent teacher. We camped in Furnace Creek campground.
Very few students and parents had visited Death Valley before. I've taken my family there 3 times over the last couple of years. So my daughter had visited most of where this trip went. She was able to explain many of the places to her classmates.
We visited:
The Charcoal Kilns
Mosaic Canyon:
Badwater, the lowest point in North America:
Natural Bridge:
Devil’s Golf Course:
Zabrinski Point:
Dante’s View:
Sunrise at the Sand Dunes:
Rhyolite Ghost Town:
Titus Canyon and Petroglyphs:
Salt Creek to see the Pupfish:
And Ubehebe Crater.
We all saw a Coyote (sadly begging next to the road), a Roadrunner and a Scorpion:
At Devils Golf Course one of the girls wearing shorts cut her leg badly on one of the mounds. The salt crystals are extremely sharp. Skin cut all the way through and at 2-3 inches long. The school requires that a well stocked First Aid kit go where ever the students are. The wound was taped up and she was transported to the park paramedics who said that it wasn't quite big enough to require stitches. This reminded me that my own First Aid Kit is sorely lacking. She'll never forget this trip the rest of her life with the scar she'll have.
For the chaperons it's a fairly easy trip. the kids do all the cooking and clean up. We just take turns making sure that the kids do their responsibilities.
I was able to catch up with work in the campsite with my portable satellite Internet or the WiFi at Furnace Creek Ranch.
It was just too much fun! I already miss being in the desert. In 2 years I'll go with the school again when my youngest is in 6th grade.
Nice pics and nice story.
