May 27 - Death Valley

We loaded up our cooler with ice and water, filled up with gas and we were off to Death Valley early this morning. Death Valley is straight east of Lone Pine.  You need to cross two mountain ranges before you go down to the valley. Both mountain ranges were around 5000 foot climbs and descents.  On the way up you have to kill your air conditioner and as you get closer to Death Valley, it does get warmer - a lot warmer.  Drive over from Lone Pine was about 100 miles with about 60 of it in the mountains.  Death valley is absolutely worth going to. 

It would be hard to find too many places where conditions change so dramatically over the course of an hour or two of driving.  We explored about a quarter of Death Valley and went to about half of the recommended sites.  Among  a few of the spots we stopped at were:  The Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes (hottest beach I've ever been on), Badwater Basin (The lowest point in North America at -282 feet), Zabriskie

Point (Death Valley's most spectacular views) and Artist's Drive a single road, one way drive of 15 Km, great for photography.  We found a great spot for lunch and began our return trip across the salt flats, over the two mountain ranges and down into our little valley at Lone Pine.  You do worry about your car a bit on a trip like this.  Outside temps are around 100F at this time of year and reach 116F in July. We didn't see a lot of service vehicles and our neat little 4G Hotspot stopped working for the first time (ie - no internet/no phones)  In any event, we made it and sure glad we went. A few pics: Death Valley

Here is a a long over due map update: Phoenix to LA to Death Valley

Tomorrow - Yosemite!