A Mississippi man compared walking in the extreme temperatures of California’s Death Valley to being on another planet.
Drew Belt of Tupelo, Mississippi, went the extra mile to stop in Death Valley on his way to climb California’s Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48 states.
Death Valley is also famous for having the lowest elevation in the US, about 282 feet below sea level.
“I was excited because it was going to be so hot,” Belt said. “It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. It’s like walking on Mars.”
Belt posted a photo of himself pretending to play a round of golf in the heart of Death Valley, where temperatures have reached 120 degrees Fahrenheit.
Drew Belt, from Tupelo, Mississippi, went the extra mile to stop in Death Valley to experience the heat. He said it was like being on Mars.
Visitors walk near a sign reading “Stop Extreme Heat Danger” at the Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes in Death Valley National Park, California
On Thursday, he finally reached Mount Whitney, 14,000 feet above sea level. “What an adventure!” Belt wrote.
Back on land, hundreds of Europeans touring the American West and adventurers from across the United States have been drawn to Death Valley National Park as the desolate region, known as one of the hottest places on Earth, is gripped by a dangerous heatwave.
French, Spanish, English and Swiss tourists left their rental cars and air-conditioned camper vans to take pictures of the desolate landscape, so different from the snow-capped mountains and rolling green hills they are familiar with at home.
American adventurers welcomed the novelty, even as park officials in California warned visitors to stay safe.
Park Superintendent Mike Reynolds warned visitors in a statement that “heat this high can pose real threats to your health.”
Belt eventually made it to California’s Mount Whitney, the highest peak in the lower 48 states, at about 14,505 feet above sea level.
Hundreds of tourists are flocking to California’s Death Valley amid a heatwave, even though extreme temperatures were responsible for the death of a motorcyclist last weekend.
A long exposure image shows the temperature recorded on a thermostat at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center after 10 p.m. earlier this week in Death Valley National Park, California.
In the scorching desert of eastern California, a high of 128 degrees Fahrenheit (53.3 degrees Celsius) was recorded in Death Valley, where one visitor, who was not identified, died Saturday from heat exposure. Another person was hospitalized, authorities said.
They were among six motorcyclists riding in the scorching weather in the Badwater Basin area, park officials said. The other four received medical attention at the scene.
Emergency medical helicopters were unable to respond because aircraft generally cannot fly safely in temperatures above 120 degrees Fahrenheit (48.8 degrees Celsius), officials said.
Death Valley, the largest national park outside of Alaska, is considered one of the most extreme environments in the world.
The highest temperature ever officially recorded on Earth was 134 F (56.67 C) in July 1913 in Death Valley, although some experts dispute that measurement and say the actual record was 130 F (54.4 C), recorded there in July 2021.
Visitors to Death Valley National Park have been warned to be “prepared to survive” as temperatures hit record highs.
A visitor rests shortly after sunrise, when temperatures are less warm, at Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes.
A vehicle drives by as heat waves shimmer on the asphalt. Death Valley is the hottest and driest place in the United States
Tracy Housley from Manchester, England, decided to drive from her hotel in Las Vegas to Death Valley after hearing on the radio that temperatures would reach record levels.
“We thought we should be there to experience it,” Housley said.
“It’s impressive,” said Thomas Mrzliek of Basel, Switzerland, of the triple-digit heat. “It’s like a wave hitting you when you get out of the car, but it’s very dry heat. It’s not like in Europe.”
Across the Nevada desert, Las Vegas recorded a record high temperature of 120°F (48.8°C) on Sunday.
Death Valley still holds the record for the highest air temperature ever recorded, which was 134°F in July 1913. Pictured are the salt flats at Badwater Basin.
Tourists pose next to an unofficial thermometer in the afternoon heat at the Furnace Creek Visitor Center
Despite warnings, tourists continue to arrive to experience the sweltering temperatures.
A sign reading “Heat Kills!” is seen during a long-lasting heat wave that is affecting much of California
People brave the heat before sunset in Death Valley National Park, California
Extreme heat and a prolonged drought in the West have also dried out vegetation that can fuel wildfires.
During the week, dozens of locations in the West and Pacific Northwest tied or broke previous heat records and are expected to continue doing so as the summer progresses.
The early heatwave in the United States came as global temperatures in June hit a record warm mark for the 13th consecutive month and marked the 12th consecutive month the world was 1.5 degrees Celsius (2.7 degrees Fahrenheit) warmer than pre-industrial times, European climate service Copernicus said.