I woke up with my legs feeling achy from yesterday's hike. So after my usual breakfast, I went to the kilns (more driving and less hiking which was good for now). The gate was open past the kilns, so I went up further than I've ever been, but the road narrowed and was a combination of loose rocks embedded in powdery dirt. Eventually the car started slipping, and I decided it was safer to turn around... but I could not because the road was too narrow. So I drove/slipped backwards until I could do the turn. On the way back, I noticed that I could see Mt Whitney in the distance, so I stopped and took a photo or two.
I took it easy the rest of the afternoon, and rested in the tent which felt like a sauna. The Texas Spring campground is a lot fuller, but this being the first day of a 3 day weekend, it is not surprising.
I'm now waiting for tonight's concert, the first genuine concert with real artists including Sourdough Slim, and the Old West Trio. I had heard the latter a couple of years ago, and I really enjoyed them. They are going to play some more in the next few days. They are using a new stage (Fiddle Stage) rather than the one by the golf course 19th hole. I suspect that Xanterra may be getting tired of them, and next year they announced that a good chunk of the old Furnace Creek buildings will be razed and rebuilt.