19 July 2020

19 July: Outrunning the Heat in Death Valley: My morning in Death Valley started at 4:50am in an attempt to avoid the worst of the heat and the inevitable overheating it would bring. This meant that I was up when it was still dark, and I got to see a beautiful sunrise as I was making my way down the dirt road I had delicately made my way up the night before. She was definitely happier in the cold morning air, especially since I was coasting down in neutral instead of clawing uphill in first gear. Of course, after all her hard work the day before, she deserved to have her picture taken a few times. 

    Although it certainly felt abusive and I spent most of the time worrying about puncturing a tire or my oil pan, I have to admit that taking the Cougar off road was a very fun experience, and I'm glad I got to do it! It was the ultimate 'not-a-garage-queen' moment, and she still wears that dust proudly, both on the outside and in the interior. There are also unconfirmed reports of some slidey action around some of the smoother corners.

    At the end of the dirt section of the adventure, she couldn't help posing with this sign!

    After finally getting back to pavement, I immediately upped the pace and started heading towards the places I wanted to see on my way out of the park. Since I had left the high-altitude, low-temperature haven of my campground, it was already getting into the high 80's by 6:00am. So, atlas in hand, we made our way to the first stop of the morning.

Old-School GPS

That stop was the Sand Dunes. It was very strange seeing the dunes appear out of nowhere, especially because the difference between the dunes and the rest of Death Valley was so stark. It was almost as if a giant walked into the middle of Death Valley and emptied a bucket of sand, then left. 

    Unfortunately, the dunes were a decent walk away from the parking area so I wasn't able to get any pictures featuring the Cougar. 

    Our next stop was Artist's Palette, a diverse collection of different mineral deposits that result in an almost unnatural display of colors on the face of a small mountain. 

    As I got out of the Cougar to take this picture, a man who appeared to be sleeping in his car woke up and started moving around. Eventually, he got out of his car holding several cameras and at least two tripods, looked at me, and gestured to the Palette saying, "Kinda lame, huh?" Taken aback by his negativity, all I could get out in response was "I don't know, man; I think this place is incredible." 

    I've thought back on that moment several times already, even though it was less than 48 hours ago, because I think it showcases an important point; attitude defines so much of your experience. If I had that kind of negative attitude throughout this trip, and was always searching for how something could be better or lamenting the lack of perfection, this trip would be entirely different, and this blog would be rather depressing. Lots of things have gone wrong so far. The breakdown in Minnesota that meant we had to get an unplanned hotel and spend less time in Badlands. The destruction of my fan shroud which means that I have to watch the temperature gauge like a hawk whenever I pull into a town to get gas. Or even just the fact that there is a pandemic going on right now that means I am not going to be able to make a lot of the stops I had originally planned. Even the whole 'waking up at 1pm' experience the day before and having to scramble together a plan could have resulted in a lot of negativity and clouded my experience. But instead, a positive attitude, staying flexible, and living in the moment has made the trip an unbelievably incredible experience. If that engine exploded into a thousand pieces tomorrow, I could still proudly call the trip a success. I don't know where that guy is right now, but I can't imagine he's very happy with his situation. So I'm just going to keep focusing on the good and keep on going!

    Anyway, back to Death Valley! Luckily for me (and everyone else that visits Death Valley), the mineral deposits are not limited to just the Artist's Palette, they're all around the road leading up to and away from the Palette! And since I was apparently one of about 10 people in the largest National Park in the Continental US, I could take all my time with the photo shoots. 

    On the way to my next stop at the Devil's Golf Course, I couldn't resist taking some pictures of the Cougar that looked like we were on the set of Mad Max.

    

    There was also some gorgeous scenery catching the end of the sunrise light on the way.

    The Devil's Golf Course was a massive stretch of what can only be described as the worst sand hazard ever. The strange formations are actually made up almost entirely of salt, and their convoluted shapes are the result of a historically (we're talking millions of years) variable water table that rose above the formations several times, dissolving and reshaping the structures into what you can see visible today. 

    As I left the Devil's Golf Course, the sun was rising higher in the sky, bringing higher and higher temperatures with it. This was my view for most of the drive to my last stop in Death Valley, Badwater Basin.

    But we finally made it to the Basin! Badwater Basin is the lowest point in the US, and consistently one of the hottest areas of Death Valley, which is the hottest place on Earth. Even though I would like to, something tells me that no amount of trying (or driving around with the heater on full blast) is going to get the Cougar to the coldest or highest points in the US, so I'll just have to settle for one extreme end of the scale.

    After Badwater, it again became a race against overheating. The road I took out of Death Valley was full of mountains that were just the right height so that the Cougar's temp gauge would really start to worry me just as we crested the peak, and then cool down to around 190F as we coasted to the bottom to start the process all over again. Nerve-wracking for sure, but I never had to pull over, so I'm still listing that as a win!

    By the time I finally got out of Death Valley, it was 9:00am. Remember, I'd been on the move since 5:30am with only about 30-40 minutes spent stopped taking pictures or taking in the landscape. That was just one more reminder as to how big that park really is!

    As I made my way to Albuquerque, NM, I got to drive through some very interesting terrain. I'm sure some parts of Arizona are boring and dull to drive through, but for me it was like I was still in Death Valley! I could barely keep my eyes on the road!

    Unfortunately, despite very much wanting to, I was unable to stop at the Grand Canyon on my drive through Arizona. I was passing very close to it, but Maps was already telling me that I wouldn't be arriving at my friend's house until 10:15pm, so I knew I couldn't spare the time it would take. That being said, if I hadn't already seen the Grand Canyon before, I would have gone; nothing can compare to the emotion of seeing the Canyon for the first time. 

    Google was right, I showed up at 10:15 on the dot, and was welcomed with a good dinner and great company. Another National Park and another 700 mile day in the books. 

    Thank You for Following Along: More Updates to Come!

    Ken