Three days in valley of fire

We went to valley of fire to camp out for two nights giving us three days of hikes. We explored areas that are not usually visited. We saw no other hikers except when we passed the Fire Wave.

These are the routes we took. Monday  we did the purple route to hidden arch and the light blue route to some petroglyphs.

As you leave the parking lot (fire wave lot, P#3) head down the small wash at the edge of the parking lot and follow it to this area of exceptionally colorful rock.

Just past this area turn right and go up a valley to the arch.

 The draw far to the left of this arch leads to the white dome parking lot where you can go over the top of the hill back to P#3. You pass another arch on the way back.

These are the petroglyphs off the closed road at the northernmost point of white dome road.

Park at the gate and walk .5 miles up the road and turn 45 degrees left at a rounded sandstone outcrop near the road. From here you can see a dark, steeply rounded mountain across the wash. To the left of that rock is one that looks like a skyscraper. Walk across the wash toward the dark rounded mountain. it's the closest big rock in that direction. Go around the left edge of the dark, steep rock (mountain) and behind it see the next rock area to its left is visible now. The petroglyphs are on the south west face of that rock area at eye level.

We camped for the night in the campground and headed out the next day to the same parking lot but headed past the fire wave down the wash trying to get to the Pinnacles, and the exit to the drop slot.

 As we passed the Fire Wave, the wave wall stood out in the low angle light of one of the shortest days of the year.

We turned down the wash below the Fire Wave and about   .75 miles down the wash, just past an undercut narrow area (about 6 feet wide), we turned left up a wash leading toward the pinnacles and the exit to the drop slot.

The wash narrows up in red and white rock before getting very difficult to find a path through.

 Shortly before this constriction there was a canyon to the left that probably lead to the Drop Slot exit, but it stopped us at a high water fall we couldn't find a way around.

 Difficult terrain to navigate.

Panorama of this area...https://photos.app.goo.gl/cSud4RfrEc8V8eHq2

 We turned around here because the way wasn't clear.

 Going back cross country.

When we got near the wave, we cut up the wash behind the Wave toward the Rock of Gibraltar intending to pass behind it and round it back to the car. This is some of the slick rock along that route.


We camped out another night and planned to explore the Yellow Spire area the next day.

 We saw a bighorn on the side of the road going out to the Silica Dome parking lot which is where the Yellow Spire trail starts.

 Looking north toward the yellow spire area.

 We started on the closed road but bore left after only about 200 feet headed down slope. When we came to a steeper spot we could see a couple of rock outcrops we headed for. There is an old wooden post in the center of the picture.

 From there we headed in the same general direction following random footprints of previous hikers to a small wash we then followed in the same direction. We leave the wash in less that .5 miles, after a waterfall climb down, and head up to the right to meet an old road that heads directly toward the yellow spire.

 The entrance to yellow spire canyon is straight ahead between the white rock and the red rock.

 Getting closer the white rock and red rock open up to a colorful canyon.

 Yellow spire on the left.

 Go beyond the spire, over the hill to an area with a couple of hoodoos.

 We followed the hoodoo wash for a while looking for a canyon to the left that would lead to the back edge of the badlands area. This is that wash.

 Up a small short side canyon there were some of the miniature hoodoos found in this area. Only about 5 inches tall.

 Coming up out of the canyon over a pass, the view was very nice. Virgin peak in the background.

 High plateau we passed over before descending to another valley and a tight squeeze area.

 Going down the other side of the plateau.


Link to the way through the Squeeze
https://photos.app.goo.gl/QDkTcscJYiJkRF912

 Shortly we were back to the large Hoodoo area over the hill from the yellow spire.