在死穀野營 Camping in Death Valley

March 2003

I camped in Death Valley last month for 3 days. It was a very interesting experience in this land of extremes and constant changes. Death Valley is the hottest place in the US (lowest elevation, 245 feet below sea level, in North America). The best time to visit is from Nov. to April. In fact most camp sites in the valley will be closed after May. Only the ones at high elevation will open through the summer. As I mentioned in my previous post, DV is the land of extremes. We had encountered snow, strong wind, rain, and hot weather in a single day. So, be prepared if you go.
If you are an experienced camper, DV allows wildness camping 2 miles away from road on some 4 wheel drive only trails. These are the best of all.

Here are some pictures:
1. There are many strayed coyotes （豺狼） in the park. This one has followed us for a long way. When I got up at night to go to the outhouse I saw one pair of green eyes glowing in the dark too.


2. We camped up in a high place called Texas Springs. Since it rained last night, a small “milky” colored spring has grown into a wild river in just few hours. We moved the tent before the flow overtake our site. The color is due to the minerals and fine rock dusts in the water.


3. This is the view from our camp site. Very impressive


4. The camp manager forecasted a 50 miles wind on it’s way. We moved our tent into a tree. Even with all the protection we got, the strong whistle from the wind kept me awake most of the night.


5. Death Valley is famous for its various rock formations. Following are few typical ones:

America is a beautiful country. Let's enjoy and preserve it.