Zabriskie's Point in Death Valley - Photo by Lorissa Longfellow

In the summer, Death Valley National Park temperatures routinely go over 120 degrees. The average is about 113 degrees. Even people who bring water and are somewhat prepared can die within hours.

What can we learn

Although a boy died, we can try to look objectively at the story. What are the positives and negatives and what can we learn from it so someone else survives down the line? They weren’t reported missing until Wednesday and that is huge. They didn’t leave a specific enough plan for someone to know when they were in trouble in such a dangerous place. They did bring a case of water (24 16-ounce bottles), some snacks and sandwiches with them. It wasn’t enough for all of them but it’s more prepared than many people are that go into dangerous National Parks thinking it’s Disney World and that facilities are all over the place. Being rather naive in nature can get you rather dead. Living in the desert, I always carried two or three 5 gallon tanks of water ($4-$7 at Kmart) in my vehicle. In addition to drinking water, ice and a Coleman Extreme cooler, these extra tanks provided extra water in emergencies or for the vehicle.

Another positive is that they  stayed with the vehicle which allowed the ranger to find them by following the tracks down the remote road. It is also much easier to spot a vehicle from the air than a lone person. The mother could have wandered off, trying to take a short cut over some hills and would have almost certainly gotten into more trouble. I have seen many people die in Arizona buy walking away from their vehicle. The car is found first. The body is found later. I recall a few cases in recent years where one person is found alive at the vehicle and the person who went for help is found dead.

My personal reflections on tragedy in Death Valley National Park

Myself on the Sand Dunes in Death Valley

I have wandered onto roads in Death Valley that in hindsight, I probably shouldn’t have been on even with the truck that I had. A family member that was with me was or near crying much of the time until we got through a particular stretch. It is not a good thing when your truck is sliding backwards as you are driving forward on the edge of a drop off. But I also did it between November and March when the weather wasn’t going to kill me within a couple days. I’d have to do something stupid to do myself in. It wouldn’t be the extreme heat. It is one of my most favorite places in the world and everyone should go there at least once in a lifetime. There are no signs of Star Wars filming here long ago but it may as well be another world.

Summer is not the time for overnight camping in Death Valley. I wouldn’t even drive through it if for some reason I had to go from California to Pahrump, Nevada. You have to go up and down thousands of feet to get across it. Go north or south and take the interstates in that case. You just have another unfortunate kind of risk on those. Death Valley roads can stress vehicles to their breaking point. People try to drive through the park, passing me, with their AC at full blast while towing a boat or trailer, and then try to speed their vehicle over the thousands of feet in elevation changes. It’s too much, they wind up broken down on the side of the road and then I’m passing them. (Actually you see this scenario all over the southwest, it’s just more dangerous here. You can’t drive into Las Vegas in the summer without seeing at least a half dozen vehicles on the side of the highways.)

Lowest point in Death Valley: 280 feet below sea level at Badwater

Badwater in Death Valley National Park - Photo by Adam Longfellow

Highest point in Death Valley: 11,049 at Telescope Peak

View of Badwater from Dantes Peak, not Telescope Peak - Photo by Lorissa Longfellow

The survivor said she was following GPS directions. This is an example of GPS devices at their most dangerous. Some of them just have the highways and main roads but many of the devices have all kinds of roads on them, including 4×4 roads that are rarely driven. My own GPS units have told me to turn off cliffs and take roads that barely exist when you see them in person. I suspect she was taking a road that she shouldn’t have followed to get where she was going.

Someone lost a life. Someone lost a son. Death Valley simmers on in silence. This is another reminder that more of us need once in a while before heading out. Enjoy the harsh beauty but respect the fragile life.

By Adam Longfellow

This is a sad reminder that nature is both wonderful and beautiful yet real and dangerous at all times. From a bear in your campground to a slip of the foot on a trail, from a sparking campfire to a falling tree eaten by bark beetles, nature is real and we need to stay alert and cautious at all times.

I observe people almost on a daily basis while out in the wild that appear to think they are in a theme park. They seem to think that there is no danger and that someone will help them up at any moment. They have a truck, a SUV or 4WD and feel invincible so they speed on blind curve mountainous roads putting others at risk. I’ve noticed in recent years that every vehicle I see off a road, stuck in bad weather or in a ditch is one of those aforementioned invincible ones. People pose for pictures in precarious spots. They let their kids and house pets run around by themselves like there is a large fence keeping out nature’s predators. They start a hike in the summer like they expect a water fountain and bathrooms along the trails. They’ll complain about paying a tax while sitting at home but then feel safe in nature at all times because they are just a helicopter rescue away from their couch and the Discovery Channel.

If this man from Yosemite could tell you something now, he might tell you it’s just not so…

It’s important to note that regular fees will still apply for camping, tours, concessions or other fees.

Will they all be packed on those weekends? Probably but who knows for sure. I would count on the most popular parks being pretty crowded so it’s up to you to save money and get close to others or just pay and enjoy it more on another weekend.

This summer is an odd mix of people traveling less and the fact that visits to National Parks are cheaper than many other kinds of vacations. Most people live within less than a days drive to a National Park of some kind. You can view our handy map of National Parks with camping here. There are other National Parks that do not have camping as well.

If you want to read a longer government dried version of the same information, you can see the official news release here.