Being adventurous, I decided to go to Death Valley during one of the hottest times of the year! It was a balmy 124 degrees in Badwater Basin while I was there. Fortunately, Death Valley is a park that has many destinations accessible by car.
One part of Death Valley really struck me … Artist’s Palette. You’ll see the pictures below … driving through this part of the park made me really meditate on the “Artist”. Artist's Palette is an area on the face of the Black Mountains noted for a variety of rock colors. These colors are caused by the oxidation of different metals (iron compounds produce red, pink and yellow, decomposition of tuff-derived mica produces green, and maganese produces purple).
In this below-sea-level basin, steady drought and record summer heat make Death Valley a land of extremes. Yet, each extreme has a striking contrast. Towering peaks are frosted with winter snow. Rare rainstorms bring vast fields of wildflowers. Lush oases harbor tiny fish and refuge for wildlife and humans. Despite its morbid name, a great diversity of life survives in Death Valley (NPS and Wikipedia).
