{"id":1073,"date":"2011-03-21T05:39:19","date_gmt":"2011-03-21T12:39:19","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/onthesummit.net\/wordpress\/?p=1073"},"modified":"2011-03-21T05:39:19","modified_gmt":"2011-03-21T12:39:19","slug":"death-valley-trip","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"http:\/\/onthesummit.net\/wordpress\/blog\/2011\/03\/21\/death-valley-trip\/","title":{"rendered":"Off the summit: Death Valley"},"content":{"rendered":"

At this time of the year there is a bit of a disconnect from life on the summit and the rest of California. As the first day of spring approaches, the summit is still deep in winter with 10-15 ft of snow still blanketing the area, while in the lowlands spring is beginning. Nowhere is this more true than in another area of extremes in California, Death Valley.<\/a><\/p>\n

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The contrast<\/p><\/div>\n

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Spring is the best time to visit the desert landscapes of Death Valley where summer temperatures are 120\u00b0+ and below freezing in the winter. In the two short temperate months of March and April the desert explodes with life and the rich desert geological palette is alive with the colors of desert wildflowers. There are over 1000 species of plants in Death Valley, 50 of which occur only in the area. After a several months of winter on the summit with the predominant color in the area being white, a visit to Death Valley is a great way to reset your optical color palette while enjoying the warm weather.<\/p>\n

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Click on map for an interactive Google map
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Death Valley is located on the southeast edge of California and as you would expect for a isolated area, it is remote. Getting there is pretty much a long drive from everywhere. Going from the summit area is a great scenic drive down my favorite highway in California and the US, Highway 395. This scenic highway winds down the east side of the Sierras in California and will be the subject of more articles in the future on this blog. At Lone Pine take a left at the Death Valley turnoff and drive another 100 miles on highway 190 to the park. This route parrallels the route of the Badwater-Ultramarathon<\/a>, billed as the “world’s toughest foot race”. Make sure your gas tank is full at Lone Pine because facilities are limited until you reach Death Valley. Coming in from the east through the desert is a great introduction to the beauty of the valley. Start looking for wildflowers if you’re traveling in the spring.<\/p>\n

Where to Stay<\/strong>: There are two choices for accommodations at the park, campgrounds<\/a> and hotel\/resorts<\/a>. The Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells campgrounds are the largest and most centrally located and cater primarily to RVs. These are desert campgrounds and pretty much resemble parking lots. There are also more remote sites with more primitive facilities scattered around the park. The hotel\/resorts are also located at Furnace Creek and Stovepipe Wells.<\/p>\n

Click on map for interactive map\"\"<\/a><\/h5>\n

What to See:<\/strong> There are many online guides to Death Valley that are very informative. The FAQ<\/a> at the National Park service site<\/a> is excellent. Here I will just list some of the sites I really find interesting and would consider must see.<\/p>\n