Hi folks. I'm writing this thang up one a break from my carpentry work. Tonight's Daily Nature Fix is about a beautiful, lush oasis found in what's pretty much the most inhospitable places in North America: Death Valley. On the last day of our camping trip there, my buddy and I spotted a tiny indicator found on only one of the three maps we had. It said "Darwin Falls". After being all around the desert park for nearly a week, we figured there was no way it could have meant a waterfall. There's a lot of dry falls in the areas that cut off canyons and trails, so we though maybe it was just a huge one or something. One worth putting on a map anyway. We went to check it out. Before long, we saw rare sight while on the trail to the location: greenery.
Until this point, the only plant life we really saw was scrub grass, a few cacti, and the occasional Joshua tree. Ahead on the trail before us, the tops of actual trees started popping up. Various tall grasses came into view as we got closer as well.
A real surprise came as we rounded a bend and started to see wet soil and even a few puddles. We could hear water running nearby and found a small stream deep inside the weeds and grass. Prior to that, the only water we really found on the trip was largely uninhabitable pools like Devil's Hole or Badwater Basin.
After nearly another mile of hiking and following the small creek, we began to hear loud water. A sound that was immediately familiar to us. It was a waterfall. It was clear now that Darwin Falls was, indeed, a real waterfall. After tramping our way through an area of thick underbrush and trees, the waterfall came into sight.
It was hard to believe what I was looking at, considering where we were. A beautiful 25 foot waterfall dropping down a massive stone ledge, splitting it's path over the top of an angular boulders just feet before entering the large pool of water at it's base. It was very inviting. I considering taking a swim, but we had places to go. I'm sure lots of other folks take a dip here though. Not many swimming opportunities in Death Valley!
Thanks for reading! I post a nature-themed Daily Nature Fix blog every day. Please upvote if you enjoyed it and resteem if you found it especially interesting! Be sure to follow me @customnature so you'll never miss out on your nature fix! See you tomorrow. - Adam
*** These daily blogs showcase the natural world. It is all original content using photos, stories, and experiences from my own travels. ***