After yesterday’s cold morning wandering around the frozen wetlands of Beavercreek, Ohio, I’m more ready for spring than ever. I posted a picture of Canyonlands a few days ago and said I’m ready for the cold to be over, but if that wasn’t hint enough, here’s somewhere even warmer.
The ominously-named Death Valley National Park in California is generally considered the hottest place on Earth, holding the world record with a temperature of 134ºF recorded in 1913. Signs throughout the park warn hikers away from the park’s exposed areas in the hot afternoons, and though the name comes from pioneer days, it can also serve as a warning of the very real risk of heat stroke or worse in the area.
We camped out there one night in October 2020. It was part of a larger trip- my honeymoon, to be exact, though it was definitely not a standard one. The original plan had been to hike to Base Camp on Mount Everest in Nepal, but that fell through like everything did in 2020, so we took the month already allotted and road-tripped around the United States instead.
We arrived in Death Valley after dark, and drove in under a glorious canopy of stars. It made me feel small, but in such a paradoxically big way. Today’s picture comes from that next day, where the hike had the same effect. We spent the cool of the morning in Mosaic Canyon, then hit the road when the heat threatened to become oppressive.
No time to waste- there’s always more to find.
Leave a comment