A check of the weather report this morning suggested that Death Valley National Park would be spared from the massive storm system that is pummeling much of the West coast. The drive there took me past the Hoover Dam where I was compelled to stop; it is both an engineering marvel and work of art.

Memorial Bridge and the US 93 Bypass were completed six years ago.  Prior to that, all traffic was carried over the crest of the dam. The new bridge is quite impressive in its own right, built using the same arch and pillar design that can be found on the bridge over the dam’s massive spillway. 

While continuing my drive to DVNP, I encountered a herd of about twenty long horn sheep grazing by the side of the highway. It turns out that they prefer munching on the well-maintained border grass than climbing all over the cliffs in search of food. Dozens of other motorists stopped for pictures as well. Eventually, a police cruiser showed up and chased the sheep back towards their natural habitat. Not every day you see a police car herding sheep.  I shot a video of the rather comical affair and may post it when I return from traveling.

The weather at my destination, as predicted, was relatively warm with clear skies.  Winds, however, were gusting to 40 mph so I pitched my tent behind a small outcropping of trees, aligning it with the wind direction so as to minimize the chance of being blown into the desert like a tumbleweed.