The Bald Journaller
- Apr 24, 2022
- 3 min read

Hottest, Driest, Lowest

Updated: Apr 25, 2022

I really do think this is a magical place. Home of the Timbisha Shoshone people for countless generations it is also an example of positive cooperation between indigenous people and the state; the land has effectively been given back to the people to use in traditional ways but with joint responsibility with the National Park service to maintain it as a wilderness and to ensure its long term survival.

The Shoshone people call the area Timbisha, which is after a sacred red colour of the rock in Golden canyon, in which we walked this morning. The say it is a place of life and is therefore misnamed by the white settlers who came through here for the California gold rush in the 19th century (plenty of them died, although many stayed to mine for minerals). Although apparently completely dry it is is subject to occasional summer downpours and flash floods (which explain the canyons) and winter rains - only 50mm overall a year admittedly but enough to enable flowers to bloom at times of the year and fauna to exist here that are found in no other part of the world. In addition the mesquite trees roots can find water as much as 150m underground (that might have been feet, I haven't checked!)

So Timbisha, as I will now call it, a land of stark extremes but one of exceptional beauty that has sustained flora, fauna and human habitation for ages.

Hottest! Timbisha claims to have the highest recorded verified air temperature on earth, in 1917 at 57ºC (or some monstrous number in Fahrenheit I have now forgotten - 134ºF I think). There are I understand other claims, for example from Libya within recent years, but none have been verified. Don't go out without a hat!

Driest! It is the driest place in North America (driest in the world is Antarctica), recording only about 50mm a year. Yesterdays early morning drizzle is now long forgotten - the skies are clear and the thermometer is again rising to its more accustomed 30º or so. This is Nareesa at "The Devil's Golf Course".

So called because salt deposits that when cracked open sometimes reveal small white fragile structures that look like golf balls! But you are encouraged to not to crack them!

Lowest! Well, in USA and in fact the western hemisphere (presumably west of Greenwich). At 85.5m below sea level (282ft in old money) its a long way below sea level at Badwater, where the salt flats are bright white (apart from the mess made by peoples shoes!).

On account of the heat we decided to walk early and before breakfast. We found the beautiful Golden Canyon from the valley floor up into the Black Mountains to the east and up to the Red Cathedral. A considerable part of the reason the valley is so hot is that the surrounding mountains which reach 3000m trap the hot air - the highest peaks to the west have snow on much of the year. What water vapour there is evaporates so it is also very dry air. Telescope Peak in the Paramint Mountains is 3,454m above sea level - so a good three and half thousand meters above the valley floor. Up into the canyon we saw the geological evidence of the tectonic movement that created the valley in the first place and also had a fabulous and peaceful walk. We got through a couple of litres of water too, even though it was earlyish and the heat of the day had hardly got started - it was only about 23º when we set off.

It will be hard to leave this place tomorrow. The late afternoon has been relaxing, sitting in the shade in quiet gardens fed by spring water. It is a great place to unwind and we have managed some decent excercise too. This is my view as I write this stuff. The cold beer is out of shot!

My only complaint ... man the food is pricey! 40 buck for a plate of pasta!! So maybe it's as well we are not staying more than two nights. Beer is cheap though! looks like an excuse for a liquid dinner. Yep, the bar is calling me again. Here are my pictures for the day. Captain Intrepid at the very top of the Golden Canyon / Red Cathedral.