Posted by Maggie 

It’s only 90 degrees at 8:30am as we enter Death Valley National Park. We’re crossing the park from Death Valley Junction toward Lone Pine, CA. Leila said she thought California was going to have tall buildings and palm trees. Haha!

So far we’ve dropped from 3000 to 1000 elevation.

At 8:46 we hit sea level and its 97 degrees. Quickly climbing to 103 by 9:00. 

  
We turned down toward Badwater Basin (282 feet below sea level) but decided since we weren’t going to hike to it, we’d gotten low enough. At least 100 feet below sea level if I had to guess.

   
 Stopped for a short hike at Golden Canyon. HOT!

  
Stopped at Furnace Creek Visitors Center = -190 feet, 109 degrees, 9:52am

  
As we climbed into the mountains on the western edge of the park, the temperature dropped as the elevation climbed. Now 90 degrees at 11:40am as we gain out first glimpse of Mt. Whitney and the Sierras in the distance.