Visiting Wild America: Death Valley National Park (Monday-Tuesday)

I made the drive from Las Vegas to Death Valley National Park on Monday evening. The park itself isn’t too far from the strip, maybe only 2 hours, so I only made one stop at a gas station/convenience store off the highway before the last turn to the park entrance. But what a stop, this gas station was nearly empty of conveniences. Most of the shelves were bare. But what it lacked in food and water, it made up for in alien apparel. Turns out this spot is about as close as you can get to the high security Nevada military base which holds Area 51. For those who haven’t heard, Area 51 is supposed to be this place where the government has captured and is performing studies on aliens. Nobody is allowed into the area, so whats really there remains a mystery. But this gas station certainly believes that the aliens exist. All sorts of alien shirts, posters, bumper stickers were for sale. They even had a photo booth to get your picture taken with an alien (not sure how that worked). To add to the creepiness of the place, the back of the convenient store was a “historic” brothel museum and a small 24 hour strip joint. I left with my gas and headed out before it was too dark.

Shady strip joint probably being enjoyed by the two truckers in the parking lot

As I made my way to Death Valley, the outside temperature kept increasing, even though the sun was getting lower on the horizon. The drop in elevation from 2000 ft to below sea level explained this weird phenomenon. By the time I arrived at my campsite at the bottom of the valley, it was 10 at night and 102°. I went to bed on the picnic table provided for me at around 11 and it was still over 100 out. My first night’s sleep in California was probably one of my worst of the trip, and not because of the heat. I awoke on my picnic table at 2am to a strong breeze of hot air, and it kept me up. I wasn’t about to sleep on the ground, lest I be attacked by some poisonous critters. My only choice was to set up the tent. I figured I could do that in 20 min and be back asleep real soon. Wrong. The dark alone extended the setup time. Then the tent’s entryway zipper decided to cease zippering. With only 3/4 of the door flap closed, I had to duct tape the rest of it shut. Then the continuing wind kept lapping the sides of the tent, which kept me up. My attempt to throw clothes up against the edge of the tent to make the fabric taught and stop the noise was only semi-successful. I eventually fell asleep out of frustration with the whole situation.

The next morning was a bit better, but still hot. Up at 6:30, I packed my stuff up, and drove down to Badwater Basin, site of the lowest point in the country at -260 ft below sea level. Its all salt flats which have been deposited there over thousands of years after being carried there from ground water. By 8, it was already back into the high 90’s and the sun was bearing down on me. I drove back to the main hub of the park, the Furnace Creek Ranch. Not sure where the ranch get’s there water, but they’ve created their own little oasis, with the only green space in the entire valley. It’s the only place for miles that has trees. Somehow they’ve been able to maintain a fairly green 18 hole golf course, as well as lodging, tennis courts, a swimming pool, a general store and bar/grille. Pretty neat place, where people from all over seemed to gather, like animals at a watering hole. Everyone was speaking foreign languages too. Who knew such an inhospitable place would bring tourists from so far off. I hiked around here for an hour, doing some bird watching. Not many birds in these parts, but the only birds that I did find were around the ranch. At around 11, I decided to head out. I hadn’t quite stayed long enough to witness the 115 degree temps expected for the heat of the day, but I didn’t care. I’d had enough of the heat, and desired the cooler temps of the Sierras just 100 miles away.