4:45 p.m.
We had been visiting Death Valley National Park. From Badwater we drove south along the Badwater Road and exited the Park on Highway 127 at the Shoshone entrance. From there we took a quick side trip to the small town of Shoshone (population 100), about one mile south of the entrance. There we stopped at the little grocery store and picked up a few essentials to get us through the week. The prices were high, but you have to consider the isolated location.

From Shoshone we headed north on 127 to Death Valley Junction, where we drove past the famed Amargosa Opera House. From there we headed northeast on State Line Road to the entrance to the Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. The Devil’s Hole Unit of Death Valley National Park is also located here. We drove by the Ash Meadows Zeolite Plant, which produces a product used in the manufacture of water softeners. The sun was getting low on the horizon, so we didn’t have too much time to dawdle.

4:55 p.m.
Our first stop was at the Point of Rocks and King’s Pool. There is a gravel parking area with a Porti-Potty for a restroom, but no drinking water. There are trail guides available near a gate, and a natural surface path leads off to a nicely flowing stream and then to what we believe was King’s Pool. Here we finally got a look at one variety of the famous pupfish.

They are small, maybe two inches long, and are a light blue in color. Otherwise they look like any other small fish. But this is the only place in the world that this type of fish lives. Each pool that has pupfish, from Death Valley to Ash Meadows, is unique. The cluster of fish in each pool is a different sub-species and only lives in that one pool. Because the pools have been genetically isolated for so long, the varieties, I believe, can no longer crossbreed.

The surrounding area has some sparse vegetation and some low trees, so in the warmer months, when the plants are green,it probably looks lush and like an oasis. The generally flat open areas are edged by some low hills. Because of the low angle of the sun at this time of day, and partly due to the tan colors of the winter vegetation, my impression of the entire area is hued in a soft gold. However, I am sure, that during the heat of the day, this area looks as harsh and dry as any other desert setting.

5:39 p.m.
From Point of Rocks we continued on up the gravel road to Devil’s Hole, an outlying unit of Death Valley National Park. The location is well signed. As we pulled up we noted one other vehicle and a pair of guys walking down from an object on the side of the range. We headed that way, assuming that the fenced area a little farther to the south was some sort of Park communications site, with tall radio towers and other communications-like equipment standing here and there.

When we climbed up to the site where we'd seen the fellows we found a heavy duty metal structure covering a natural hole in the ground, maybe 20 feet below the surface. The Park Service has no doubt covered the site to prevent idiots from trying to climb down in there, and to keep others thoughtless people from throwing trash and rocks down there to see how deep it is. From this vantage point it looks a bit like an old mine shaft.

Somewhat disappointed by the relative insignificance of the site, we headed back toward the Tacoma. Anne wanted to walk along a path that lead by the fenced area, so we went that way and discovered that the true "Devil’s Hole" was protected there.

What we found was a deep cleft in the rocks that drops down twenty or thirty feet to a narrow pool, maybe twenty feet long by maybe ten feet wide. The tall chain link fence prevented good views from most angles, but the Park Service has provided an observation point with a slender opening in the fence so that you can get at least one clear view, and take photos.

There is all sorts of scientific instrumentation along the sides and down in the water, no doubt monitoring the water, and, I suspect, the Ash Meadows pupfish that live there. I believe the sign said there are about 200 members of this group. The water down in there stays a constant 92 degrees F., and the pool goes down several hundred feet. The pupfish live nearer to the surface where they can find food. Apparently this surface opening is part of a deep underground cavern system that is filled with water coming up from hot springs.

The area is surrounded by a 12 foot chain link fence covered with barbed wire. There are all sorts of electronic monitoring equipment placed strategically within the fence, and I am sure that if someone tried to enter the facility an alarm would be sounded at the Refuge headquarters. There is obviously a great deal of scientific interest in this endangered endemic species.

The sun began to set and it started getting dark, so we retreated to the Tacoma. It was 52 degrees outside.

7:12 p.m.
We headed out of the Refuge to a point along Highway 127 just north of the Nevada/California border. We noticed a thriving casino right along the border, the only lights that we could see in the increasing darkness. From there we drove north on 127 through Amargosa Valley and up to Lathrop Wells, where we turned and headed northwest and back to Beatty.