DEATH VALLEY is a silent testimony to the strength of the human spirit and the tireless determination of the people who braved the last great American frontier. I can't begin to imagine what it was like to have crossed through the barren landscapes of Arizona or Utah, followed by the desolate wastelands of Nevada, and then to face this dry bone of the Earth. One can only imagine the feeling of dread and dispair when looking over that first ridge into this seemingly dead place after what you had already traveled through. When you think about it, it really shows you how easy a lifestyle most of us have these days. |
I visited Death Valley in March of 1998. It had been a particularly wet winter
and spring in the west that year, so Death Valley was in unusual full bloom
and was really quite beautiful. The high temperature at that time was around
80 deg F, so I was a bit over dressed in my long sleeve shirt and long pants.
(You have to be prepared for a wide range of weather out here.
In the high desert north of Vegas just a day earlier I had been throwing snowballs!)
I felt very lucky to visit Death Valley with all the wildflowers blooming
and the temperature in a comfortable range. You have to be very careful
in the summer time, as highs often reach 115 deg F or higher. |
Coming over that first ridge and getting that first peak down into the valley really
gives you an impression of the loneliness and desolation that those early pioneers
must have felt. |
But as I said before, once I got down into the valley it was really quite beautiful. |
Click on these images of the museum in Death Valley and the 20-mule team wagon for
larger images. (Click on other images on this page, too) |
You can walk out 100 meters and still be only up to your ankles. |
The salt leaches up out of the ground in this God-forsaken spot! |
And then, I went to the lowest point (sea-level wise) in the United States.
It is an area called Badwater, which is 282 feet below sea level. It was
a very sobering sight. |
Borax mining was once a big business in Death Valley. Here are some photos
showing the ruins of past operations. |
If you get out to Las Vegas or any where near Death Valley and have the time to visit,
I highly recommend it. It's best to go in the spring or fall, as summers
are too hot and winters may bring closed mountain passes that would prevent
you from getting to Death Valley. It's about a 2 hour drive from Las Vegas,
but it's worth it. |
