Well, perhaps figuratively but definitely not literally! Death Valley is actually quite hot. Today it got to at least 100 degrees!!
But it's a dry heat, right? Ok,whatever. Death Valley is indeed very dry but at some point, hot is just hot. And that was today. But, thankfully there was a nice breeze, I stayed hydrated, and I wore long sleeved, loose clothing (sounds like this would make you extra hot but it really helped me stay cooler).
I blasted out of the Atomic Inn just before 6 am, grabbed a coffee and breakfast sandwich at the Arco station (I love gas station food) and headed to Death Valley, about 50 minutes to the visitor center. As I first entered the park, the elevation was over 4000 ft. above sea level, but by the time I got to Furnace Creek, it was a couple hundred feet BELOW sea level. (Badwater Basin in Death Valley is the lowest point in North America at -282.2 feet.)
My first stop was Zabriski Point, which is THE spot where every semi-serious photographer goes at sunrise in Death Valley to capture the exact same shot. 😆 It is not unusual in fact for there to be a line of photographers beyond the main viewing area with their tripods and fancy lenses waiting for the sun's first rays to illuminate the badlands to the west. I didn't push myself to get there before sunrise because the forecast called for clouds, but there were still a handful of photographers there. After a bit, the clouds dissipated, revealing a scene only God could create. Wow! By far my favorite spot in Death Valley so far, and while I managed to capture some nice (and, I think, unique) images, I will be back another morning...with the other photographers!
After that I hit Badwater Basin. It was good to visit this location early as it was still relatively cool (in the 70's before 9 am). It was about a mile walk from the parking area out to the "virgin" salt flats with their unique crystalline salt patterns. Not quite what I expected but it was definitely very cool.
After that I hit a number of different spots, all very amazing. Even one that wasn't on my list, Mustard Canyon, turned out to be beautiful. My last stop for the day was Artist's Drive and Artist's Palette, which is probably my number two spot. I cut it short as the day was getting long, and I wanted to get back to my hotel a little early. So I will go back.
At the recommendation of the hotel staff, I headed to the local VFW for dinner, which is operated as a regular restaurant and open to the public. The food was amazing and they had a great beer selection (which included a few IPAs). There were a lot of locals there, and I kinda felt like I was in Ottoville (which supports my theory that there are lots of Ottovilles in America). The only downside was that smoking is still allowed in restaurants/bars in Nevada, or the VFW in Beatty simply ignores the law...ugh!
Enough for now. Tomorrow I hope to catch sunrise at Dante's View and also possibly some sunset shots.
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| 100 degrees F at the Furnace Creek Visitor's Center |
But it's a dry heat, right? Ok,whatever. Death Valley is indeed very dry but at some point, hot is just hot. And that was today. But, thankfully there was a nice breeze, I stayed hydrated, and I wore long sleeved, loose clothing (sounds like this would make you extra hot but it really helped me stay cooler).
I blasted out of the Atomic Inn just before 6 am, grabbed a coffee and breakfast sandwich at the Arco station (I love gas station food) and headed to Death Valley, about 50 minutes to the visitor center. As I first entered the park, the elevation was over 4000 ft. above sea level, but by the time I got to Furnace Creek, it was a couple hundred feet BELOW sea level. (Badwater Basin in Death Valley is the lowest point in North America at -282.2 feet.)
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| I'm not sure how accurate the Garmin is, but it definitely showed I was below sea level! |
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| Several signs are in the park like this that show where sea level is |
My first stop was Zabriski Point, which is THE spot where every semi-serious photographer goes at sunrise in Death Valley to capture the exact same shot. 😆 It is not unusual in fact for there to be a line of photographers beyond the main viewing area with their tripods and fancy lenses waiting for the sun's first rays to illuminate the badlands to the west. I didn't push myself to get there before sunrise because the forecast called for clouds, but there were still a handful of photographers there. After a bit, the clouds dissipated, revealing a scene only God could create. Wow! By far my favorite spot in Death Valley so far, and while I managed to capture some nice (and, I think, unique) images, I will be back another morning...with the other photographers!
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| Zabriskie Point |
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| Zabriskie Point |
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| Someone contemplating at Zabriskie Point. The peak just right of center is known as Manley Point |
After that I hit Badwater Basin. It was good to visit this location early as it was still relatively cool (in the 70's before 9 am). It was about a mile walk from the parking area out to the "virgin" salt flats with their unique crystalline salt patterns. Not quite what I expected but it was definitely very cool.
 |
| Badwater Basin |
After that I hit a number of different spots, all very amazing. Even one that wasn't on my list, Mustard Canyon, turned out to be beautiful. My last stop for the day was Artist's Drive and Artist's Palette, which is probably my number two spot. I cut it short as the day was getting long, and I wanted to get back to my hotel a little early. So I will go back.
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| Mustard Canyon (the yellow rock looks like it should be soft or flaky, but it's actually rock hard) |
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| Artist's Drive |
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| Artist's Palette (I enhanced the colors a little but they are actually quite vivid) |
At the recommendation of the hotel staff, I headed to the local VFW for dinner, which is operated as a regular restaurant and open to the public. The food was amazing and they had a great beer selection (which included a few IPAs). There were a lot of locals there, and I kinda felt like I was in Ottoville (which supports my theory that there are lots of Ottovilles in America). The only downside was that smoking is still allowed in restaurants/bars in Nevada, or the VFW in Beatty simply ignores the law...ugh!
Enough for now. Tomorrow I hope to catch sunrise at Dante's View and also possibly some sunset shots.
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| Devil's Cornfield (the plant is called Arrowroot, and its unique root structure causes it to grow in a way that resembles corn stalks that have been bundled in a field, ready for harvest) |
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| An example of some of the long roads in this very large park |
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| Mesquite sand dunes |
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| Mesquite sand dunes (yes, that's a person way out there) |
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