Life in Death Valley

Of course, like any "barren" desert, Death Valley is positively teeming with life. Over 900 plant species and animals ranging from stink bugs to coyotes can survive in this challenging habitat.

We stopped at Salt Creek, where the promo material promised that along the "nature trail you'll see tiny desert pupfish whose ancestors swam in vanished Lake Manly."



Alas, by the time we arrived, the descendants had gone the way of their ancestors, and so had the creek. Wikipedia describes the habitat of the Death Valley pupfish as a "shallow, hot, salty water of a particular part of Salt Creek that flows above ground year-round." I guess that's a different part of Salt Creek. The sign in the photograph above says "Can you hear the water? Does it remind you of the ocean?" Um ... no, and no. I can hear myself sweating. Does that count?

Clearly there is some water under the ground somewhere, at least enough to support plant life on the "banks."

Okay, so it's not a pupfish, but it is life in Death Valley.

What extreme ecosystem would be complete without the mansion of a crazy American millionaire? Limited time prevented me from visiting this attraction, but Scotty's Castle is a great story nonetheless. It was built from 1922 by Chicago millionaire Albert Johnson who had been suckered into investing in a fraudulent gold mine in the Death Valley area by Walter Scott, also known as “Death Valley Scotty.” Albert noticed during visits to the region that Death Valley seemed to be good for his health. Scotty's Castle was duly constructed as a winter home near a natural spring which provided some hydroelectricity and plenty of water, although the swimming pool was never completed. The Castle features such eccentricities as a 1,121 pipe Welte theater organ.



Natural springs do pop up here and there from Lake Manly's legacy, a huge underground aquifer. Here in the vicinity of Furnace Creek, the springs sustain a stylish resort town, epitomised by the Furnace Creek Inn which was established in 1927. It features a swimming pool fed by the warm springs and sporting views of the valley. There is a golf course, comfortable visitor facilities and fully grown tamarisk trees and date palms in the area.



This is one of my all time favourite photographs.