High Sierra Topix

https://www.fox5vegas.com/2022/08/05/ro ... utType=amp

Yesterday, Friday, watched that as another humid surge moved over the vast park. Second major monsoon flooding event at Death Valley this week = late winter 2023...SUPERBLOOM...SUPERBLOOM ...SUPERBLOOM

A Superbloom as good or exceeding the one in 2005 would be worth a photo outing.

I think what amazes me almost as much as the monsoonal flash flooding is that 1,000 people actually decided to visit DV in August.

Death Valley is on the "southwest parks circuit" that many Europeans visit in mid summer. Years ago, one of the guys who played in my work group pickup soccer game announced at one of our games in July that he would be missing the games next week because he was going to Death Valley and other parks with friends who were flying in from France (he himself was French). I said, incredulously, "Why are you going to Death Valley in July! It can be 120 degrees F!" (actually, I think I said 50 degrees C because he was European). His response was that his friends really wanted to see it and this was likely to be their only chance.

Anyway, when I saw him again a few weeks later, I asked about his trip. He said they drove into Death Valley in the evening from Las Vegas and tried to camp (presumably at Furnace Creek). He complained that it was 104 degrees F at midnight and no one could sleep, so they packed up and drove out of the park. Never saw anything.

-Phil

I think that the extreme heat is a large part of the attraction. I mean, where's the adventure of visiting one of the hottest places on earth if it isn't even hot? A couple of decades ago some Belgian friends of my wife visited Death Valley as part of their August tour of the Southwest. They were driving a Rent-A-Wreck with no AC. I talked them into at least carrying along a few gallon jugs of water. And they weren't camping so I suppose they were able to cool off a bit each night after being roasted all day long. When they returned, they reported cheerily that a few days after leaving Death Valley their rental had broken down at the Grand Canyon north rim, requiring a 70-mile tow. More adventure!

@wildhiker @druid
Makes sense. I've long known about European adventures in the U.S. and their lean toward our National parks. Just didn't put it together. If all you have is summer, then that's your window of opportunity.

I wonder how many of those stranded were in RVs. That is not a big deal at all. I have been stuck by road closures with mine. We shrug and wait it out in the RV. Solar panels keep the batteries charged. Already have a fridge full of food . As long as we have fresh water in the tank and propane to cook on, it does not even rise to the level of inconvenience.

From NASA:

https://earthobservatory.nasa.gov/image ... h-flooding