North pass into Saline Valley
Our goal was the Saline Valley hot springs, and when cold temperatures and the threat of a major windstorm drove us out of Harkless Flat, we went a short way into Death Valley National Park, near the north pass into Saline Valley (name unknown) and walked up to this old cabin to see if we could get a cell signal.
At the rear of this cabin (or should we call it a shack?) is a deck with a million-dollar view. I believe it looks toward Eureka Valley. Inside the cabin is a very weird selection of supplies such as Clorox and a first aid kit. The first aid kit certainly seems prudent, but why bleach?
When the cabin is renovated, as I’m sure it some day will be, I suggest that we provide access to the deck from inside the cabin, or at least a pass-through window. Currently, residents and visitors must exit the cabin via its only door (which you see in this photo), clamber over some rocks beside the chimney, and climb a couple of rickety steps (with no railing…is that to code?) to get onto the deck. Now this is not something we want to have to do when we are carrying, say, a tray of cocktails for our guests, is it? It creates an inconvenience when we’re trying to have a tennis party or some such thing.
Note that some upgrades have already been done: there’s glass in the windows. Myself, I would have made them capable of opening, but maybe they were renovating on a shoestring budget.
This is the view from the deck. Pretty nice, huh?