Day 8 - Death Valley

Day 8 – June 17, 2013

Death Valley
Miles: approx 300
Temp: 77-110
Time: 8 hours

 

Death Valley

The drive is long and boring.  It was very easy, after Trona, CA, to drive 80 and not fear being pulled over.  I could see miles and miles. On the way home I saw 10 vehicles in a 60 mile stretch.  Along this stretch of road I saw a fighter jet overhead.  He made a second pass and this time he banked the jet just as he was passing me.  I swear he did it on purpose.  Here is the dialog I assume the pilots were saying:

 

sing....Highway to the Danger Zone …

Maverick: Hey, Goose! You see the rocking 2002 Montana minivan down there going 80?

Goose: Yeah Mav, I do.

Maverick: I bet there is a hot mom in there with 2 boys who would love to get a closer look at us.

Goose: Let’s do this!

Van is in sight, jet banks right just as it passes van, loud sonic boom

Maverick: Hey did you see the looks on their faces? Priceless!

Goose: Yeah that was awesome. Now let’s go back and play volleyball.

 

They totally high fived afterwards!

(end scene)

 

Mesquite Sand Dunes

These dunes were MUCH hotter than the White Sands Dunes.  I forgot my socks so had to wear tennis shoes barefoot – I collected about 1/4lb sand in each shoe.   We each had a backpack with 3 water bottles and a little snack.  It was only 9:30 AM, how hot could it really be out there in the sand in Death Valley, I mean come on it can’t be as hot as they say.  I see a dune way out there that is huge and I want to climb it, not just the boys.  HAHAHAHA.  We made it 1/3 of the way and I stopped the Sully train.  He was way ahead of us climbing up and jumping down each dune.  But as he got further out he was slowing down and was turning beat red.  He was quite alright with turning around.  Back at the car it was 98 degrees of baking hot heat.

 

Furnace Creek Visitor Center/Borax evacuation site

 Watched a movie.  Assessed the color of our pee, rated it against a poster in the bathroom – everyone was ‘on target’, no threat of dehydration yet! You know what I say – If you aren’t going to the bathroom every hour you aren’t drinking enough. Near here is a old borox excavation site.  For reasons I will only attribute to heat stroke Sully wanted to go and read all the signs. The pic is the remaining part of a 20 mule train that carried 36 ton of borax and 150 gallons of water to and from the site.

 

Bad Water

This is the lowest place in North America. The salt is briney and the animals don’t drink it.  A map surveyor brought his donkey to the area 100+ years ago and made a note on his map that it had ‘bad water’ and the name stuck.

 

Golden Canyon

 

Remember the heat I've been talking about.  Well Sully the Invincible doesn't remember it nor does he think it affects him.  I didn’t know what this canyon was so I wore flip flops – Thank God! It was a great excuse to make him turn around.  Basically it is a 30 ft narrow canyon with many side canyons off it to explore. He wasn’t happy when, after not being able to see or hear him, I made him turn around.  I bribed him with the idea that there was another canyon on the way out.  There WAS another canyon, but it was 110 degrees by that time and there was no way I was going back out there.  Nothing a little cookie ice cream sandwich can’t fix, right! (Sully is barely visible - he's to the left of the pic in a white shirt)

 

When climbing out of Death Valley we went from -282 ft to 4956ft above sea level.  The van didn’t like that too much.  Turned off the AC  but had to keep turning it back on as it was 110 degrees and we were baking!