Death Valley

01/17/2001 English German

Edition # 28
San Francisco, 01-17-2001

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Death Valley

Figure [1]: Las Vegas is located in Nevada, but Death Valley is in California.

Michael Before leaving Las Vegas, we stopped at a supermarket to stock up on groceries. In high spirits, I took a photo of Angelika selecting potato chips at the supermarket (Picture 2). Immediately, a saleswoman approached me and said I wasn't allowed to do that. I mumbled something and slinked away. As I later found out, this is not allowed because the supermarket wants to keep the shelf arrangement secret. Manufacturers pay high prices for whether and where the goods are placed on the shelves. We then crossed the state border into California and only stopped again at "Death Valley Junction" to take pictures of old junk (Photos 3 and 4).

Figure [2]: Because of this picture, we almost got arrested.

Figure [3]: Death Valley Junction

Figure [4]: Old junk at Death Valley Junction

That's the rural and remote America that's always fascinated me -- and the desert light plays as brilliantly as nowhere else in the world. It almost looks unreal, try clicking on the pictures to enlarge them. Almost fourteen years ago, when I traveled to the USA for the first time, this vastness captivated me and has never let me go. What do the people who live here do? More than two hours by car from the nearest reasonably large city? Do they eat steak every day? Watch TV every evening?

The food situation was really terrible. Outside of Las Vegas, with its now genuinely diverse cuisine, there are only steakhouses and those quintessentially American restaurants called "diners." You sit in so-called "booths," which look like the open train compartments in commuter trains from the past. Thick red, comfortably upholstered benches, and each table has its own little cubicle. In San Francisco, there's only one good diner, by the way, it's called Max's, and I'm constantly waiting for Max Schuster to visit us so I can take him there. I also force Angelika every two months to go to this place, which is exotic by San Francisco standards, so I can indulge on a greasy bacon burger, making me feel sick for the rest of the day. But in the middle of nowhere, there's nothing but gas stations and diners -- and that gets annoying in the long run.

Figure [5]: The intrepid newsletter reporter photographs the salt lake up close for the newsletter readership.

Figure [6]: "Badwater"

Figure [7]: Salt crystals up close

What's in Death Valley? A totally bizarre desert landscape with mountains, canyons, incredible light, and dried-up salt flats! The name comes from a touching story that I don't want to withhold from you: It happened during the time of pioneers and gold diggers, who, having just arrived by ship from Europe, set out overland to the West Coast of America. Many dangers had to be overcome! They traveled for months in their covered wagons. Near what is now the state of Nevada, a group believed they had found a new shortcut to California--they entered the valley but could not proceed further.

Two men set out to find a way out of the valley and left the group behind. When the two did not return after two weeks, the remaining group split into two halves. One half tried to escape the valley on their own--and they succeeded. The other group waited for the dispatched pioneers. One of the two men met a grim fate, but the other managed to return to the group and lead them out of the valley along a scouted path. As they left the valley, one of the women on the covered wagon dramatically proclaimed, "Goodbye, Death Valley," and thus the name of the valley was born: Death Valley. Ah.

On the road in the middle of nowhere, a cute little coyote approached us. However, one must not feed these fellows because they should not forget how to hunt for their food. Even Angelika, who usually dislikes dogs, had her heart softened.

Figure [8]: A totally dangerous coyote comes begging! The frantic newsletter reporters in fear and terror!

As in all American national parks, there are also people who have died in Death Valley, which is why there are a thousand warning signs everywhere. This time it was a tourist from Austria who had attempted a hike through the "Golden Canyon" in the summer, where it was about 110 degrees Fahrenheit in the shade, and he suffered a heat stroke. That's why there's a sign at the trailhead warning in typically clumsy translated German (see Image 2014): "The desert heat and dryness can kill you. No water, so bring enough water. It is coolest in the early morning." Sometimes I wonder why there are people in America who think they speak German but make totally ridiculous mistakes. German exchange students, sign up in droves! But I digress. The "Golden Canyon" consists of the chemical "borax," which, according to the rangers, can be used for cleaning products and cockroach extermination. Accordingly, the canyon looks like a gravel pit, only prettier.

Figure [9]: Warning sign in silly German on the hiking trail.

Figure [10]: The "Golden Canyon" in Death Valley. Like a gravel pit, only more beautiful.

Additionally, mines were dug out everywhere to extract natural resources like silver. However, you are not allowed to enter the mines because, according to the warning signs, you could easily explode. Therefore, we stayed away from the mines and only covered 15 miles on foot through the mountains. Fortunately, we're both going to the gym now, otherwise, we would have collapsed. I haven't hiked that much since my time in the military. There, we once had to walk 25 miles as punishment because we had stopped at a beer garden during a 12 mile march. And no one noticed that instead of the unnecessary heavy equipment, I only carried a large pillow in my backpack, haha!

Figure [11]: The entrance to an old silver mine

Figure [12]: Warning about the mine

Figure [13]: A strange rock at the mine entrance. Precious borax for pest control!

The park offers a completely surreal landscape with sand dunes. By the way, Ansel Adams photographed here in the 50s with a black-and-white film; there's this photo where the dune looks like a crescent moon. We went there twice because the first time it was almost too dark, and the lady photographer demanded optimal lighting conditions. Do you see the small black spot on top of the dune in Figure 14? That's Angelika, who was up there with her photography equipment. If you enlarge the picture on the internet by clicking on it, you can see Angelika with two backpacks.

Figure [14]: Angelika on the Sand Dune.

Figure [15]: Who stomped "perlmeister.com" into the sand here?

And there's another attraction, a ghost town called Rhyolite near Death Valley. Ghost towns are simply abandoned towns that were deserted after the reason for settlement (e.g., gold rush) disappeared. In the case of Rhyolite, borax mining simply became unprofitable, and people scattered in all directions. Today, you can see dilapidated cars and 50-year-old crumbling houses there -- that's considered really old in America!