Original post: Ghosts and death (valley)
I’m watching a nature show about Death Valley and getting excited because I’ve been to all the places they’re showing. And it occurs to me there were some parts of Death Valley I never really wrote about. So here goes.
A view from one of the overlook areas, down into the salt flats.
This passes for a forest in Death Valley.
There’s my van in the distance. I parked it and walked up a small hill to get a bird’s eye view of Death Valley. But I had to be careful because they keep cautioning you about physical exertion. The stories about people passing out due to extreme heat were enough to scare us into taking it easy.
I didn’t write about this originally – there’s a part of Death Valley known as Painter’s Palette because the rock formations are all different colors due to mineral deposits and weathering. This section had some nice greens and oranges.
The path through the rocks was a narrow, winding, one-way road.
Here’s another outtake from my Death Valley fashion shoot. In my original post, I posted a shot of myself in long pants and a jacket as a way to pretend it wasn’t really that hot. But it was: 104 degrees to be exact. I had the A/C running in the van, ran outside, snapped a few pics, and ran back in the van and changed into shorts and a t-shirt.
Another shot of Badwater, the baby pool of salt water that sits at the bottom of Death Valley, 282 feet below sea level.
Elevation: Zero.
When I think back on my summer trip, Death Valley was actually one of my favorite places. I’m not sure exactly why. I guess because of the novelty of being in a place that’s so remote, so dry, so rocky, so hot. Camping in such a place was a lot of fun. I’d do it again. But I want it to be hotter next time – at least 120 would be fun.
9000 Miles 