We are now at −282 feet (−85.5 metres). The “minus” means we are below sea level. This lake has not yet dried out completely. There are some small areas, where the water still beats the sun. And this fight is hell of unfair :-) Today the sun burned with 110°F (43°C) in the shadows, but what shadows? So if you find water, it is as the title says: “Bad Water”! The salt concentration here is ultimate :)
The Devils Golf Course is on of many former lakes which dried out thousands of years ago. Now it is a deadly salty area as far as the eye can reach…
After our Trip to the Ubehebe Crater (the biggest hole we have ever seen) and Scotty’s Castle we arrived at our new host: the Furnace Creek Camping Ground. Furnace Creek lies 180 feet (54m) below see level and its raining nearly never there (for example periods of 20 Years and more without rain…). Allthough they have a lot of plants and also a nice golf course (deepest golf course on earth)… but don’t ask, where they take all the water to pour all that.
Staying and Walking on those dunes was very special. After our 4 miles hike through the desert, we were rewarded with the impressive sceneries of untouched dunes. The sand was hothothot, very fine and soft. After some difficulties to shot photos with sooo much glaring light, we are quite happy that some of them came out so nice:
as we were told, there is only a single small fresh water spring in the huge region of death valley. As this is like an oasis in the desert, we decided to discover the place as our first little quest here :)
some impressions:
and here two friends we made on the way up to the waterfall:
getting closer… and finally warmer :)
On the way to Death Valley we discovered that gorgeous place. We decided to stay for one night to explore the Monolake the next day.
By the way, there is no river leaving this lake, so the salt concentrates over the time and has reached today 5 times more than the ocean. Allthough this lake serves as a water spring for Los Angeles since 1941. The built an huge aqueduct and are pumping now all that salty water 250 miles to Los Angeles. Now the lake shrunk to 60% of its original size.
it looks a bit warmer now, but still we had 14 C° degrees and strong winds at daytime (the night was really “brrr” in a tent..)
Yosemite was our first National Park and we were so excited to explore it the next days. Our first views were amazing! But one thing did surprise us a little… the temperature. As we went there it got colder and colder, till we got about 0 degrees and less. Unusual for this month, Yosemite is unexpected cold and snowy. Because we are just not prepared for camping in the snow… we sadly had to leave the same day we arrived, heading to our next station: “Death Vally”
Second Tourist “must see” :)
Tourist must see #1 in San Francisco, the Golden Gate Bridge. But look what a wonderfull day… great view without fog :)
Thanks to Mr Jettlag, we are up and running before 7am ;)
did not everzbody tell us, there is no blue sky in SF, but fog and clouds all the time? Not today!! lucky start…
Yep… here we are… SAN FRANCISCO! und schon machen wir große Augen.. mit dem nächsten Blogeintrag werden die Bilder dann etwas touristischer.. jetzt erstmal ab ins Bett und schlafen. Ihr habt jetzt 9:36 Uhr bei uns isses 0:36 Uhr und wir sind ja nun schon fast 24 Stunden auf den Beinen.. Wird aber net gejammert, sondern nur riesig auf morgen und die nächsten Tage hier in SF gefreut! Juhu!
