Here are a few things I have learned since being in Death Valley National Park.
Badwater, at 282 feet below sea level, is the lowest spot in the Western Hemisphere (see the pic). Last night I was there at dusk, and alone, making me the lowest human in the Western Hemisphere. I felt very special.
Mesquite trees grow throughout Death Valley. But did you know that to find water they can extend their roots 60 feet into the earth? True!
Pelicans sometimes winter in Death Valley in a desert oasis. So if you see one, you are not hallucinating from sun stroke. And speaking of sun, back on July 10, 1913, the temperature hit 134 degrees-- a world record high temperature for years. I was here once when the temperature was 122 degrees! Going from air conditioning to the outside was like walking into a wall of heat.
Packrats are found in Death Valley. You can see a stuffed one in the picture. Kangaroo rats are plentiful. They do not look like kangaroos, but like mice. The amazing thing about a kangaroo rat is that it needs no drinking water to survive -- not even moist food. The rats manufacturer all the water they need from even the driest seeds. It's unlikely you'll see a kangaroo rat because they are nocturnal.
The golf course at Furnace Creek is more than 200 feet below sea level, making it the world's lowest grass course. In the summer, coyotes sometimes rest on the cool greens. So be careful you don't bonk one. When you camp at Furnace Creek, you will often hear coyotes howling in the night. And a tip: make sure you never tie up your pet outside your RV: the coyotes like to dine on poodles and other assorted animals. Park rangers keep a count of the number of coyote pet meals.
The Furnace Creek oasis, where I am now, produces one million gallons of fresh spring water every day. Imagine that! For miles around, Death Valley is dry desert. But in the village, palm trees are everywhere and a little stream passes right through.And speaking of water, did you know that fish live in Death Valley? But don't bring your fishing pole, because they are itty bitty fellows - barely longer than an inch. But, boy, are they hearty! The desert Pupfish can live in water three times saltier than in the ocean, and in temperatures more than 100 degrees!
I hope you enjoyed these facts and figures.
We were lucky enough to visit Death Valley in '05 (during the year we full-timed in our bus) for the hundred-year bloom. Such a varied and interesting place! I wasn't too thrilled by the bug population, though. There's one there so disgusting, I don't know how it can stand itself.
ReplyDeleteWe couldn’t get a reservation for a campground in the park (well, we could have gotten a spot – maybe – if we’d lined up at 6 a.m. to try, and if you knew us, you'd know that wasn't likely), so stayed in nearby, charming Beatty, Nevada. OK, so it’s only nearby. Beatty is a one-whorehouse town and it shows. Our RV park happened to be conveniently situated just down the road from Angel’s Ladies, housed in a none-too-discreet, pink double-wide, complete with a large letter “A” branded on the hill above it.
On the plus side, the RV park fee did include access to any one of three private bath houses on the property fed by Bailey’s Hot Springs, each with a different temperature water (from the highest 103 to 105 degrees for the hardy, to the lowest 98 to 101 degrees for the completely wussy). We were only going to stay in Beatty four or five days, but ended up parked for a week. We were, after all, only feet from what we considered to be the biggest attraction in town (sorry, ladies).
We just left Death Valley. It was mid 50's during the day & about 28 at night! Snow in some canyons! We hiked through the snow to see the charcoal kilns. No bugs in the winter! Great time to visit. No crowded at any popular stops. Saw 2 coyotes during the day and 1 burro!
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