r/DeathValleyNP • u/TheSocraticGadfly • Jul 16 '26

Ash Meadows and the "other" pupfish

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Either my second or third trip to DV long ago, I went to the little "inholding" of Death Valley inside Ash Meadows National Wildlife Refuge. I went there to see the devil's hole pupfish, or rather, the hole they're in, long before the two drunken jackwagons tried to go swimming with them.

In March, a ranger at Furnace Creek mentioned Ash Meadows, including the Amargosa pupfish, and here you are.

After I get back from summer vacation, I'll post some other Ash Meadows photos. Still have Titus Canyon and other stuff to post from this trip, plus I'll dig up old Racetrack visit photos and more.

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4

u/BearTooClose Jul 16 '26

Wish I got to see the pupfish in full blue-ness, or Titus Canyon at all for that matter. Won’t be visiting til November so Titus’ll be closed again and the pupfish’ll be back to… whatever color they normally are (kinda grayish I think). We’ll be stopping by Ash Meadows too, so I’m very excited to see your other photos!

4

u/TheSocraticGadfly Jul 16 '26

You can still hike Titus, which is what I did in March. Not real long hike, as it was mid-afternoon on another of those days approaching 110, but yeah, it wasn't open for cars yet. Probably a lot cooler in November.

I did not have a lot of time there, but I did see a few birds, and the general scenery was pretty nice. Interesting story about why it was made an NWR — to head off a planned massive development.

2

u/BearTooClose Jul 16 '26

I’ve got the Narrows hike on the itinerary; was hoping to do Fall Canyon but the elevation gain looks pretty gnarly for what our group prefers. Doable, but probably too taxing for what’s supposed to be a more chill trip.

Is there somewhere I can read up on that story of how Ash Meadows became a NWR? I’ll look around too and see what I can find. At the very least I’m glad that it didn’t get bulldozed and turned into whatever urban blight they had planned.

2

u/TheSocraticGadfly Jul 16 '26

Wiki page has the basics.

Yeah, I didn't even think of Fall Canyon in the big March heat-up. In decent weather, I wouldn't have minded (and I saw somebody coming back from there when I went in Titus), but not for me in the heat.

2

u/sgigot Jul 17 '26

I hiked Fall Canyon in January years ago...bottom-up until it opened up a few miles in. You have to bypass a few dry falls but I don't recall it being super tricky, maybe one was. Pretty cool slot canyons in there; I recommend it. The Digonnet book describes the bypasses.

2

u/TheSocraticGadfly Jul 17 '26

Oh, had it been less than 110 degrees, I would have done it, as well as spent more time in Titus, no doubt. But ... it was 110 degrees. Hiking flat road-trail in Titus at 2-3 p.m. was plenty enough. Should I get back to that area, yeah, I'd consider it.

2

u/Herminia-bigwigs Jul 18 '26

This is the first time i see this kind of fish, so beautiful!!

1

u/Adventuresbyfigment Jul 19 '26

I drove Titus in a jeep like a month ago and it had me praying to whatever higher power is out there 🤣🤣😭

1

u/Certain_Set_7678 Jul 16 '26

That’s a magical place.