We left Stovepipe Wells in the late morning, and headed south. The plan was to find the Geologist’s Cabin and perhaps spend the night there. 25 mi / 40 km of rough dirt road took us about two and a half hours to traverse. The location is spectacular, on a rise at the western end of Butte Valley, in full view of majestic Striped Butte rising from the valley floor. But others had arrived ahead of us. Though they graciously offered to share the space, they also told us about another cabin further down the track.

Thus we discovered Stella’s Cabin, a rough structure of stone, mud and corrugated iron, once home to prospectors Clint and Stella Anderson. Stella stayed on alone for five years after Clint’s death in 1973. Having lived in similarly primitive conditions in my younger years, I felt right at home. The wood stove worked fine, and we spent a cozy night on the floor. In the morning we contributed some doggerel to the visitors’ log, before starting the long trek home.

Stella’s Cabin was for sure the cherry on top of a fabulous Death Valley visit. We just hope we didn’t contract hantavirus from all the rodent droppings🤞🏻.