LOCATION: Beatty, Nevada, on eastern side of Desth Valley National Park
WEATHER: Pleasant in Beatty. HOT in Death Valley...90s
We left Beatty at 3660 feet altitude at 60 degrees F and literally coasted downhill for 20 miles to Death Valley floor, at 80 degrees F in the early morning. My ears popped on the drive. Hell's Gate is where you can start feeling the heat difference.
Our first stop was an old Borax mine. It showed how the borax was mined and transported by a 20 mule team wagon.
We walked on this field of salt deposits, at around sea level.
This is a land of contrasts.....from the desert floor, you can see the snow on Mt. Whitney in the background, the highest mountain in the continental USA at 15,000 feet.
This is the lowest point, at 282 feet below sea level.
We took a few hikes, all of which seemed to require climbing. I finally gave up due to the sun and heat. It gets to 134 degree F (57C) here in the summer.
We had a picnic lunch inside the truck with the A/C blasting, then relaxed at the resort inside the park. It is appropriately called Furnace Creek. There is a spring-fed creek running through it, so it seems like a real oasis with palm trees and flowers.
See next post for more photos....
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