Death Valley (NPS website) is a place of many extremes. Badwater, at 282 feet below sea level is the lowest point in the western hemisphere. Just west of the valley, Telescope Peak reaches over 11 thousand feet. It is also the hottest and driest place in North America - 134 degrees was recorded at Furnace Creek in 1913, the highest ground temperature, 201 degrees, was recorded there in 1972, and Furnace Creek averages only about 2.5 inches of precipitation a year. The average high temperature in July is 115 degrees, and temperatures above 120 are quite common. It is no suprise that a good part of the valley is virtually without vegetation, featuring a variety of desert types - salty flats, sand dunes, badlands, and rocky desert. As one leaves the desert floor, the precipitation increase and the temperature decrease make it possible for more flora to survive.
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