November 4, 2025.
4.3 mi. | 1610′ ele. gain | 3.5 hr.
A quick and easy scramble that you can do from the Daylight Pass area is the Death Valley Buttes. This striking double summit tops out at only 3,017′ but it offers a lot of bang for your buck. Looking for a small adventure, I set out cross country from the Hells Gate parking area with my day pack and painting kit on the morning of November 4, 2025.
I headed southwest from the parking area to the base of the east ridge. From there, I followed use trails up to the first summit. The terrain was pretty standard Death Valley fare: steep, rocky and studded with hardy desert plants. I took frequent breaks to catch my breath, look for cacti I haven’t seen yet and to examine all the cool rocks.
From there, I kept following cairns down to a saddle and then up another steep section to the actual highpoint, atop the second summit. There was one tricky section on the traverse that looked a lot harder than it actually was. At that point I was grateful for the cairns; they reassured me that it was, in fact, the way. This summit was also breezy and beautiful, so I parked there to paint. I had a great view of Corkscrew Peak, which I’d just climbed the day before. It was fun to build up my mental map of Death Valley by visiting adjacent mountains.
The sun really does hit different out here, and just sitting there not exerting myself I was still feeling pretty hot. I cannot fathom why anyone would choose to come here in the dead of summer, but to each their own. After finishing my painting, I retraced my route almost all the way back to the base of the ridge. Instead of returning exactly the same way, I dropped down a small northern drainage just before the final section. I hoped to find something new, even though it was a very small detour. I did, in fact, find a balloon. Mission: accomplished.