11 April 2018
Thousand Trails, Las Vegas
Ever since we visited Scotts Bluff Nebraska and have seen the vast expanse of land out here, I daydream of the westward expansion. Those brave folks with everything they owned in a covered wagon, pulled by oxen, hoping for a future in a new uncharted land. I can’t even imagine the hardships they endured. They were some tough folks for sure.
But those hardships had to be even more difficult when they entered and traveled through Death Valley. The valley is a long, narrow basin 282 feet below sea level, yet is walled by high, steep mountain ranges. I wonder how many made a U-turn and said, enough is enough?
It was called Death Valley by prospectors in 1849 and others who sought to cross the valley on their way to the gold fields, after 13 pioneers perished from one early expedition of wagon trains. In the 1880s, borax was discovered and extracted by mule-drawn wagons.
Death Valley is one of the hottest places in the world at the height of summertime along with deserts in Africa and in the Middle East. It was a “cool” 99 degrees when we arrived at 11 00 in the morning.
Death Valley is 85 miles east-southeast of Mount Whitney, the highest point in the contiguous United States with an elevation of 14,505 feet, which we can see still has snow on top of its peak, very weird to see…knowing your standing in the hottest place on earth (well not today ….).
Death Valley’s Badwater Basin is the point of the lowest elevation in North America, at 282 feet below sea level. This is lower in elevation that the Salton Sea (236 feet below) we visited a few months ago.
While at the Salt Creek, a mile-long shallow depression in the center of the valley, we saw some pupfish. These hardy little fish are the only things that can live in the salinity of these waters. They get their name because they resemble puppies at play, chasing one another.
Some of the colors in the rock formations were really cool, and pictures just don’t do it any justice. But here they are, we hope you enjoy them, while thinking about “your” covered wagon and some wild horses.
