Gremlin's Tall Stories

I was vaguely awake when Murray and Anjum were getting ready, some stupid hour like 5am. We’re heading through Death Valley today, and it’s strongly advised not to be crossing that during the middle of the day, so we’re starting early. Even the afternoon is no good, as the temperature simply continues to rise throughout the day. Death Valley is one of the hottest places on earth, as it’s below sea level and the heat is trapped in the valley.

Murray and Anjum probably left shortly after 6am, as the complimentary breakfast opens then. Even I have made a concession and will leave earlier than normal.

My alarm rings at 7am… I don’t want to get up, and I uh… don’t. Somehow it’s 8am, the breakfast is only until 9am. I head downstairs, the pancakes are back to French toast, which wasn’t that nice the last time, so I have the rest instead, including some melon with yoghurt. Back up to the room, shower, pack, watch too much TV, and bloody hell, it’s nearing 11am again. I swear I have no idea how this happens. I soak the cooling vest, but put it in the packet for later, breaking a glass while filling the packet with water. Dammit.

Jan said she’d kill me if I left at 11am. She thinks she’ll end up ringing my parents to say I’m gone etc., and doesn’t want to. How touching. Fortunately, I only exit the city at 11.30am, so I should be safe. I get gas just before getting onto the Interstate, and I should be Ok for the day. It’s 330 miles, a long one, and near the end of my range.

I’m not on the Interstate long, exiting onto Highway 160 to Pahrump. I think the others might have stopped here, but I go straight through onto Highway 372 to Shoshone. It’s a tiny town, pretty much in the middle of nowhere, but the last stop before Death Valley. I get a cup of Mountain Dew, making myself drink the lot as I’ll need the fluid. I wet down my shirt (the public toilets didn’t have a cold tap any more… only warm water came out) and put on the cooling vest and turned left onto Highway 178 to take me right through Badwater Basin, the lowest point in the USA, at 282 feet or 85.5 metres below sea level.

The temperature had been relatively cool in Vegas, mid-30s, which compared to the 40s previously, was very nice. 178 was very different, climbing into the low 40s quickly and then as I descended into the valley, it steadily climbed. It didn’t take long to near 50, and I was almost stupidly trying to cheer the temperature to 50 (obviously ignoring the impact it would have had on me). Sure enough, it finally hit 50, and then stopped climbing. I started to think I’d found the limit of the temperature gauge, which I found annoying.

It took a few minutes and then it finally went above 50. Little did I know it would be more than 50 miles before it dropped below 50 again. Badwater Basin was beautiful, but barren. The salt pan was a shimmer, and I chuckled at the crazies that were walking out onto the salt flats. I guess sitting in their air conditioned cars they didn’t experience the full force of the heat… I’d already been experiencing it for a while. I pulled out one of my water bottles, drank half and poured the rest over my shoulders. The cooling vest was already almost dry, the heat was that intense.

I was intending on going through Artists Drive as it was very scenic, but gave it a miss as I wanted to get out of the valley with the crazy heat.

Reaching Furnace Creek, the temperature had gone as high as 51.5 degrees and hadn’t dropped below 49. I knew the heat was taking its toll, and searching for the visitor centre I failed to find it at the intersection of 178 and 190. Giving up and thinking I simply had to suck it up and carry on, I found the buildings just down the road and pulled in. I headed straight into the food area and asked for ice water.

The first glass didn’t last long, also rescuing ice from the bottom to put on my shoulders and down my back and front. After several glasses and a chicken ceasar salad I felt much better. I’d even helped a tourist family of 3, who had planned to stay in Badwater, only to find nothing to do and far too hot. I deliberately added a small pile of salt to my plate to put on the chicken, as I knew I was sweating a lot, and only drinking water. I soaked the vest in the bathroom, again, only hot water available from the cold tap. I guess it isn’t called Furnace Creek for nothing. Anjum mentioned later on, he’d found a hose at one point and turning it on himself he almost burnt himself.

I made the mistake of thinking the heat was now over… not quite… it actually got hotter. It topped out at 53 degrees, but I only managed to photograph 52.5. I remembered the record at Badwater was 53 degrees, so I wonder how close it was today. I was again thinking of Jan’s ominous warnings. Hindsight is 20/20, and bloody hell it was hot. Still, I had seen 53 degrees on my dash! How often would you ever get that??

Having the visor up wasn’t an option. Imagine a hot summer day, you’re wearing full gear and boiling. Now stick your head in an oven that’s running. That’s exactly what it feels like. Wiping sweat from my face with my gloved finger, the pool on the tip would evaporate in 5 seconds flat. The gloves actually helped avoid burning myself with the levers or grips. With such heat, all of a sudden black levers make no sense. I’m glad there was a wind, otherwise the heat would have been much harder to deal with.

Staying on 190, the pass after Panamint Springs was brilliant, climbing high offering fantastic views. The long climb was highlighted by the sign warning you to keep your aircon off for the next 20 miles. Ken had mentioned this, saying he’d seen cars on the road side, the cars failing to tackle the hill, heat and aircon demands all at once. I’d also seen a heavily disguised Mercedes sports car, presumably testing in the heat.

After the pass, it got pretty boring, all the way through 190, 136 and 365. Long straight roads, but thankfully the temperature started dropping and the mid-30s felt like a cool summer breeze compared to the 50 degree heat. Nothing more to say on the boring straights into Bishop. I stopped about 17 miles out in Big Pine, as I thought it best to drink some more water. Unfortunately, it was warm to hot… yuck, but still very necessary fluid.

I missed the Inn initially, thinking it was on the other side of the road, but checked in very easily around 6pm. Changed straight into swimming shorts, dragging my gear into my room then over to the pool. The guys were there having a few drinks but I only had eyes for the pool.

After a nice swim changed back into clothes and most of us headed next door to Dennys for dinner. Our Inn gave us a 10% discount, I had an enormous double cheeseburger, delicious mango smoothie and hot fudge cake to round it out. Mark got a banana split, easily the biggest dessert I’ve seen for a while, and in the middle, he gave me this curious look that said, I’m done… can’t believe I can’t finish it.

I paid Murray and Anjum’s bills, in lieu of sharing the Grand Canyon accommodation and headed back to the room. Jan scolded me for being a bad boy, ignoring her advice about Death Valley… but hey, I’m still here aren’t I? Mark was jealous that he didn’t get it on his dash… I don’t think Gerry shared his crazy enthusiasm.

Back to the room, I wrote up the day and called it a night. Reminiscing about the day, I realised it had been one of the few times where a day turned into survival, instead of entertainment. I’ve heard that others have died from dehydration in the area.

I need to have an early start tomorrow (no really, a normal person’s early start) so that I can swing by San Francisco to collect some more parts. It’s an extra hour added on the day so lots to do, and naturally I have to be there during business hours.

Pictures: https://photos.app.goo.gl/8ADCUSdXgjsmqPvz7

Route: http://maps.google.com/maps?saddr=Pa...ia=1,2&t=m&z=9