LANCE KUEHNE

Death Valley and the Eastern Sierra

 

Death Valley National Park is largest national park in the continental United States at 3000 square miles. It is larger than the states of Delaware and Rhode Island (combined). You could drive hundreds of miles and not leave the park.

 

It is a place of extreme beauty, and extremes. It has the lowest point in the United States (Badwater), just a short drive from the highest point in the continental United States (Mt. Whitney). The highest temperature recorded was here.

 

The workshop here starts in Death Valley, with pleasant winter temperatures, and then we work our way up Highway 395 along the eastern Sierra where it gets very cold. Below is a summary of the seasons in Death Valley.

 

The Seasons

 

Fall

The park gets more visitors at this time, but still hot. It stops being hot in November.

 

Winter

The daytime temperatures are pleasant, but it can get cold at night. Rains come in January, in some years there can be a lot rain which results in a "superbloom" of flowers and Badwater Basin may get flooded. This is "high season".

 

Spring

The temperatures are warm and the nights are cool. It starts getting hot in May.

 

Summer

It's the off-season here, and it is very hot! There can be monsoons with rainstorms. These can cause major damage.