Posted on 08/07/2009 6:59:42 PM PDT by driftdiver
Edited on 08/07/2009 7:03:19 PM PDT by Admin Moderator. [history]
We have been to Death Valley but in April when the high was 88 degrees. It was a bit scary even then I thought though very beautiful in its own way.
Desert is well outside my realm of experience.
I live in the desert and stay in as much as possible in August. I know I wouldn’t last 1/2 hour even with water.
I also wouldn’t drive on desert backroads without at least a second vehicle with me in any month of the year.
everytime I think of death valley I think of people going thru in in a horse drawn wagon.
well going part way thru it
Correct. Her cell phone did not get a reception.
The article states that she was off of the main road.
She became stuck in sand.
While staying on the main roads, like I do, my cell phone does not have reception throughout all of the park.
Cars go through their all the time going from California to Nevada and back.
I believe that she tried but I have been there and it is seriously desolate.
Welcome to the 21st cent.They call 911 when MCD runs out of nuggets.
According to the story the mom tried but could not get a signal. What next?
Many science fiction productions were shot in Death Valley — Outer Limits, Twilight Zone and films.
Correct.
One road in the park is called “20 Mule Team Road.”
I’ve done a lot of trips to Death Valley and some in Summer. Very hot ... intensely hot all night. Sometimes very high HOT winds. I would never go off road.
If you stay on the main road someone will come by in the cooler [but still hot season]. In the summer someone will come by but with long, long intervals.
Off road often means salt covered mud. Crusty and dry on top ... pock marked as it boils and dries. But muddy underneath.
There are no trees to speak of, so in the intense heat there is no respite.
The public bathrooms are few. I have seen giant lizards in some of them and was afraid to go in. Water that comes from the tap is boiling.
Nobody goes camping in Death Valley in August. Many of the facilities shut down for the Summer after early May. I went there in early May, and it was 110. That’s freezing cold compared to July and August. May that poor kid RIP.
In fact, the Donner party died in the mountains surrounding IIRC.
Plenty of people do, it's a popular camping location and it's open year round. Typically though you don't go off unprepared into the middle of nowhere where you can't be found, if you stick to the main roads you certainly won't be stranded for days on end.
Here is a great guide of Death Valley National Park:
http://www.nps.gov/deva/parknews/upload/Visitor%20Guide%202008.pdf
Bunny the Donner Party was up near Tahoe and what is now I-80. Many miles north of DV. We once drove from LV to DV to Tahoe and stopped at the Donner memorial.
Beautiful.
I will be there in a couple of weeks.
Thanks, BunnySlippers!
I saw my first and only roadrunner in Death Valley as well as beautiful California Condors.
I also love a Nevada State Park called “Valley of Fire” which is one hour north of Vegas. It’s awesome.
Dear God. That is about the most inhospitable looking landscape I have ever seen.
Wouldn’t want to get stuck there, that’s for sure.
I ran over a roadrunner on I-5 near Lost Hills.
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