I just got back from a quick trip to Death Valley. It was not what I expected. First some quick facts: Death Valley is the hottest place on earth at 134o F. It is one of the driest with less than 2” of rain a year (they had 0.25” the week before we arrived and it made gullies that made the dirt roads much more challenging). Also, it is one of the lowest at 282’ below sea level. The highest point in the park is 11,400’. The park is the largest in the continental U.S., about 3.4 million acres, the size of Connecticut. 91% of the park is wilderness area. It is very impressive when you’re at Badwater (photo of the reflection in the water), the lowest point and look across the valley and see Telescope Peak the highest point. The snow-covered peak is Telescope Peak taken from Dante’s View 5000’ above Badwater. The photo of the stars shows the glow from Las Vegas. The others are just a few impressions of Death Valley. Yes as you might guess, we are now planning a spring trip to see the wildflowers.
