News from the Field: Day 2--Death Valley to White Mountains

After a scrumptious breakfast at the Wrangler Steakhouse at Furnace Creek Ranch, we set off to the Death Valley Visitor's Center, for a delightful meeting with Park Ranger Alan van Valkenburg. He shared some of his impressions about life in Death Valley, and some great background on geology and natural history of this extraordinary desert. We proceeded to explore Death Valley's fascinating landforms at Badwater, the lowest (and hottest!) point in the Western Hemisphere, the Devil's Golf Course (not a Jack Nicklaus-approved course!), and Artist's Palette, a beautiful natural vista of multi-colored cliffs. Lunch back at the Forty-niner Cafe, followed by a 110-degree death march up the sand dunes at Stovepipe Wells. We headed west (in our air-conditioned vans) out of the Park over the Panamint Range, down to Panamint Valley and back up over the Inyo Mountains to the Owens Valley. We were greeted by a spectacular view of the High Sierra, with the jagged peak of Mt. Whitney towering over the valley. A long drive along the Owens Valley led us up to the beautiful White Mountain Research Station just in time for a great spaghetti dinner, basketball, ping-pong, and sunset frisbee.

May 19th

*Ten AM at Badwater--already over 100 degrees--but everyone's having a good time!*
*The group explores evaporation structures in Badwater Pan, with the Black Mountains in the background*
*John Rupp shares some observations with the group*
*Our crack photographer Neal checks out the salt--close-up and personal! !*
*The field notebooks are filling up...*
*On to the Devil's Golf Course--view of the Fairway!*
*And more careful scientific observations...*
*The colorful landscape of Artist's Palette*
*Hilary takes in a view of the Rainbow Canyon*
*Discussion of tectonics at the Owens Valley stop, with the White Mountains in the background.*
*Professor Hamburger holds forth on the Eastern California Shear Zone--but is anyone listening?*
*View a video of Tom's Dream--an ultimate frisbee game in Badwater Pan [1.6 MB]*	Click here