I slept better last night.
The BLM land was interesting because people were off-roading late at night and even this morning at 4:30 a.m. when I woke up. I had a more leisurely morning. I did not leave until a little after 7 a.m. I can’t remember the last time I watched a sunrise without feeling rushed to the next thing.
Although it was not originally in my plan, I decided to go to Death Valley National Park. Along the way, I saw a whole lot of nothing. The nothingness of Nevada was quite breathtaking. I could go over 100 miles without seeing anything made by a human, other than the road.
Along the way, I saw cool hot air balloons and decided to detour to try to get a better photo.
Death Valley National Park is aptly named. It’s hot. It’s deathly hot. My car thermometer said it was 118 degrees Fahrenheit. I walked 100 yards to some sand dunes, and it took over 30 minutes in an air-conditioned car to feel better again. Nothing seemed to live in the park. I did not see any wildlife, though I saw signs that snakes bury themselves in the sand during the day. Delightful.
I was originally planning to camp in my car on BLM land outside of Las Vegas, NV, but it was going to be above 95 degrees Fahrenheit when I parked. I decided to get a hotel in Pahrump, NV.
First shower since Thursday morning and equally as important, my first hot dinner since my aunt and uncle cooked my fairwell meal on Wednesday night.
I’m headed to St. George, Utah tomorrow, where I already have a hotel booked (first placed I know I am staying more than a day in advance) because I have a call on Monday for the thing I am working on next. The next part of the trip should be slower and filled with more hiking in Utah. I’m thinking I’ll cross Wyoming off my list and instead focus on Colorado next. I can easily make it back to Wyoming on another trip back from Madison in the future.