Late Winter in the Mojave Desert, a Splendid Journey: Part VI – Mono Lake, Mammoth Lakes, and Cold Creek Wild Horses

By John CarrFebruary 26, 2023 ( 1 )

A few years back in late winter, I decided to head south to Las Vegas. It had been a long stretch of cold and rainy weather in Portland. But, the trip wasn’t so much to visit casinos as it was to enjoy the Mojave Desert before the brutal summer heat set in.

My good friend Dan, the world’s best tour guide, had worked up some outings for us. The first was a visit to the Redstone area near Lake Meade.

Then, it was a two-day trip to Death Valley which was wonderful at this time of the year. Some of the places we visited were 20 Mule Team Canyon, Zabrinski Point, Golden Canyon, Artist Palette, Devil’s Golf Course, Badwater, Salt Creek, Furnace Creek, Sand Dunes, Keane Wonder Mine, Mosaic Canyon, Ubehebe Crater and Scotty’s Castle.

After returning from the Death Valley trip, I walked through some of the casinos in Las Vegas. One of the most memorable was the Conservatory & Botanical Gardens at the Bellagio. The flowers were spectacular.

Before returning to Portland, I spent several days hiking in the nearby area. First was Willow Bay above Lake Meade. And finally, Red Rock Canyon.

Two months later I returned to Las Vegas. On the way down I drove by Mono Lake and the Mammoth Lakes area. While in Las Vegas, I joined my old friend Dan and family on a trip to Cold Creek to see some wild horses.

The following photos are from my second trip to Las Vegas.