01. Photographer pick: Ksenia Krupina
Ksenia Krupina is a San Diego-based photographer and scientist whose photos have been exhibited at the Anza-Borrego Foundation and the Borrego Art Institute. Her work can be found at instagram.com/orgelspieler.
Death Valley National Park is the fifth largest national park in the United States, with an area of over three million acres. Photo by Ksenia Krupina
02. Article pick: Will Death Valley have a superbloom this spring?
This article in the Las Vegas Review Journal reports on what park officials think the strength of the flower bloom will be in Death Valley this spring. The term “superbloom” is an unofficial term for when many more wildflowers bloom and the park is much lusher than usual. These superblooms happened in 1998, 2005 and 2016, usually in springs that were preceded by a wetter-than-usual winter season. The summer and fall of 2022 had more precipitation than usual, bringing some to believe that a superbloom could happen in spring 2023. Unfortunately, the winter hasn’t been wet enough for Death Valley National Park officials to think that a superbloom will happen. This is a fascinating article relating to the weather of the park and a capsule on its day-to-day operations.
The salt flats at Badwater Basin are one of the most famous features of Death Valley National Park. Photo by Kirby Jay
03. Book pick: A Few Degrees From Hell
In “A Few Degrees From Hell: White Hot Tales of the Badwater Ultramarathon,” Scott Ludwig documents the experiences of 25 runners who participated in “the toughest footrace on the planet,” the Badwater Ultramarathon in Death Valley National Park. The marathon takes place in mid-July, when the conditions in the park are at their most harsh and temperatures can reach 130 degrees fahrenheit. Ludwig has written several books and is himself a runner, and approaches the subject with respect to the runners who tell their stories as well as the desolate landscape it takes place in.
04. Video pick: Top Things You NEED To See In Death Valley National Park
This video gives a great overview of the wonderful natural features in Death Valley. It gives a helpful guide to how challenging each of the items is to get to and whether they’re only for experienced outdoor enthusiasts or if a visitor of any kind could safely see them. It was made by YouTuber Parked In Paradise, who makes similar videos for many different national parks. Parked in Paradise also has a website where they give guides on adventure traveling, van life, and RVs, which can be found at parkedinparadise.com.
05. Quote of the Week
“If on paper one would say, ‘You're gonna spend three weeks in Death Valley,’ you say, ‘No, I'm not going to be able to.’ Very often, very quickly you forget about it.”
—Isabelle Huppert