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]
It was probably the heat. If they had left as soon as it was dark and carried as much water as they could, they could have easily walked out.
I’ve been to Death Valley in August, but never to camp. Who would want to do that? There’s not much shade.
The 28 year old mother of an 11 year old says something.
Yes, beautiful indeed. I am a desert person.
I have not been to Death Valley in many years but it is a study in extremes. I cannot imagine approaching it in another era, without a road. Even with the road, it is stark ... few turn offs, no side roads. Long expanses with no change in topography.
Death Valley, believe it or not, is quite amazing.
You go from the lowest point of sea level on the northern hemisphere (I believe) to over 9,000 feet up.
It has canyons, sands and mountains.
You answered your own implied question. Evidently they weren't.
But speaking of poor judgment, where was the boy's father?
I'm from Cleveland, as you may know.
When I saw it for the first time, I would never have imagined that it had so many things.
In my opinion, not in summer. Night time is horribly hot. And sometimes very high, hot winds that blow the sand everywhere.
I’ve tried camping in summer and we have to sleep in the front seat of the car. Too much sand blowing.
I went through Death Valley in the summer in a Fiat with the top off. Just for bragging rights I suppose. No way I was going to drive off any road though.
That's further north, Donner Pass, think I80 goes through it or close by Lake Tahoe.
We went through there in July or August when I was a kid, no a/c for cars then, some had these cylindrical things that fit in a window filled with dry ice. I got a heat stroke.
I think several wagon parties had people die going through there. The Jayhawkers were one during the Gold Rush. Rather than take the northern route through SLC, they went south, can't remember why. Some survived the ordeal.
Poor kid. That would be a horrible way to die.
Sadly the boy is dead because of his mother's decisions.
Oh, I agree. It’s beautiful. I love the outdoors. I can find something beautiful but inhospitable at the same time. And sunbaked salt encrusted dirt for miles in every direction looks like just the thing to well and truly kill someone if they got stuck there in 110+ degree heat.
A condor is just a kind of vulture.
I saw my first and only roadrunner in the hills above my parent's house in San Luis Obispo County. No sign of a crazy coyote in pursuit either ...
A bit of Death Valley trivia - the lowest point in the United States is a place called Badwater. No doubt it got its name the same way Death Valley got its name.
We did not go to Badwater last time.
We’ll have to check it out this time.
Yep.
I’ve never made it past Furnace Creek.
When you try to walk on the salt, your feet fall into the “holes”. I could only walk a few feet onto the salt. Could not imagine walking a distance, especially in heat. Especially in summer.
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