死亡谷：我喜欢雪地、也喜欢沙漠旱地，这次利用周末去了「死亡谷」。一般人来死亡谷，通常都是花一天开车走马看花，便离开了。死亡谷有些「绝妙」的地方一定要开吉普车才能进去，而只有来趟「吉普车」穿越深山峻谷，才算是真正来过死亡谷。
我们是从柏克莱(Berkeley)开了9小时来到死亡谷。来死亡谷建议至少花三天以上的时间，好好把死亡谷探究一翻，在死亡谷玩出生命活力。死亡谷大部分地点开一般车即可，但要去探访一些深山峻谷则需租吉普车，有些旅馆会提供免费或便宜的吉普车出租。
死亡谷是个非常极端的地方，是美国最大的国家公园，北美海拔最低的地方在这里，最高温的纪录也在这里（曾有摄氏57度），降雨量最低的地方也在这里。死亡谷有沙漠、有峡谷、有火山岩、有会走动的石头、有鬼城、有盐谷、有调色山谷…..。这种极端，很好玩！
但这次却遇到笑不出来的事 – 在那摄氏48度无人烟的沙漠旱地车子抛锚。死亡谷面积广大，几呼没人烟，在周末出事，那真是叫天不灵、呼地不应。当地当然没有公车、计程车，连手机都未必 行得通，叫警察他们也不理。水带不够，是很危险的。等待救援过程，有点狼狈，不过还是好玩啦。在那种时候，就是要发挥「苦中作乐」精神，让自己继续「玩耍」开心，把自己顺利救出来。
实用资讯
- Death Valley National Park, [Visitor Guide 2012 (pdf档)]
- Death Valley National Park (wikipedia)
- Death Valley MAP
- Death Valley 天气预报
- 其他资讯
死亡谷主要含有四区：(1)Furnace Creek Area (2)Scotty’s Area (3)Stovepipe Wells Area (4)Panamint Springs Area
(一) Furnace Creek Area
- Harmony Borax Works 和谐硼砂旧工厂
Follow an easy 1/4 mile walking trail to learn about this important site in Death Valley’s history. The Harmony Borax operation became famous through the use of 20 mule teams that moved borax from Death Valley to nearby communities. 有过去硼砂旧工厂的遗迹。和谐硼砂厂加工硼砂矿从炉小河附近大约1884年到1888年。 二十骡队货车拖拉，矿石165英里远的军需。 - Artist Drive 艺术家车驶道 、 Artist Paletts 艺术家调色盘山谷
A scenic loop drive through multi-hued volcanic and sedimentary hills. Artist’s Palette is especially photogenic in late afternoon light. The 9 mile paved road is one-way and is only drivable with vehicles less than 25 feet in length. 非常美的一条路，这段段路需开车。艺术家调色盘山谷是在艺术家车驶道的尾端。 一定要去。 - Badwater Basin 坏水盆地 (* hiking)
The lowest point in North America, Badwater Basin is a surreal landscape of vast salt flats. A temporary lake may form here after heavy rainstorms. Do not walk on the salt flats in hot weather. 一定要去。
一大片低于海拔以下100英尺的盐谷地，科徐家发现盐晶有了存活3万年之久细菌。据英国《新科学家》杂志报导，美国科学家研究发现，在一块盐晶中发现了存活3万年之久细菌，它们以同样身陷囹圄的藻类遗骸为食。这是迄今有关生物体长期生存的最具说服力的例证。美国夏威夷大学微生物学家布莱恩-舒伯特(Brian Schubert)及同事对从加利福尼亚州“死亡谷”提取的沉积岩心中的盐晶进行了研究。盐晶中含有微小的液体袋状物，舒伯特的研究小组发现，太古菌落能 依靠这些液体的样本存活。他们确定了液体的年代在距今2.2万至3.4万年前。太古菌落可以借助盐晶内的液体生长，而盐晶的历史也可追溯至3.4万年前。这不是科学家首次发现细菌可以通过盐晶内液体包进行培养的例证。在此之前，一个研究小组就报告称，他们利用距今2.5亿年的液体成功培育了细菌。不过，由于盐晶会随时间分解和再结晶，从而捕捉到现代细菌，有人对最新研究结果提出了质疑。(资料 from 百度) - Zabriskie Point （Badlands) 坏地
Surrounded by a maze of wildly eroded and vibrantly colored badlands, this spectacular view is one of the park’s most famous. Zabriskie Point is a popular sunrise and sunset viewing location. The viewpoint is a short walk uphill from the parking area. 在这景点可看到不同颜色卷滚的山谷样貌。一定要去。 - 20-Mule Team Canyon 二十骡队峡谷 (* Jeep)
— Winding through otherworldly badlands, this 2.7 mile, oneway loop drive is unpaved, but accessible to vehicles other than buses, RV’s, and trailers. 这段段路需开车（吉普车），沿途可观赏那千变万化与各种颜色的山谷，美极了。一定要去。 - Dante’s View 单堤观景 (* hiking)
The most breathtaking viewpoint in the park, this mountain-top overlook is more than 5000 feet above the floor of Death Valley. The paved access road is open to all vehicles less than 25 feet in length. 在这儿可到到整个「adwater Basin 坏水盆地」俯瞰，很美。一定要去。
- The Racetrack 会走动石头谷地 (* Jeep)
Rocks mysteriously slide across the dry lakebed of the Racetrack, leaving behind long tracks for visitors to ponder. A high-clearance vehicle is needed to traverse the 27 miles of rough dirt road; ask at a ranger station for current road conditions. Once you leave pavement at Ubehebe Crater the drive will take approximately 2.5 hours one-way to the racetrack.
死亡谷的「赛道(The Racetrack)」是一个干凅盐湖，此处最有名的是它的「会走动石头」。虽然没有人真正见过的石头移动，但留在泥面后面的蜿蜒轨迹，证明他们的确走动了。(以下资料 from 百度)
死亡谷地面上的石头会自已移动，并在地面上留下平行滑行痕迹，这种奇特的「会自已移动的石头还留清晰的痕迹」现象出现于死亡谷「赛道盆地（Racetrack Playa」，在死亡谷是存在着风，却不足以将这些石头吹动。在科学家发现石头移动现象之前的几天，盆地里有积水，但是很快盆地干枯结成龟裂状土层。令科学家颇有兴趣的是，石头滑行留下的痕迹显示在泥浆以下1英寸处存在着一个坚硬的土壤层，我们观测了死亡谷近期几次风暴中留下的其他泥浆洞，以及测量 岩石滑行中陷入土壤中的深度。结果表明这些石头甚至像是在汤状泥浆表层中滑行，陷入泥浆中不超过1英寸，这将解释为什么这些石头未深陷入泥浆中。
同时，科学家也指出，未有迹象表明这些石头的移动是由于陷入泥浆中“冰筏”造成的，在数英里盆地区域内泥浆干燥时的迹象显示，这里泥浆以下并不像存在着水源或冰层。而且从移动留下的痕迹来看，似乎石头的移动是在盆地中没有水时形成的。此外还有一个奇特的现象是石头移动后土壤的堆积变化，科学家看到石头移动留下4-5英寸宽的土 壤堆积，在石头移动最前方堆积著1-2英寸厚的土壤，从而显示石头移动时土壤十分松散。假设这如果是暴风天气或其他回圈风力导致的，但为什么人们从未看到 如此强劲的暴风现象。这些石头移动的痕迹很短，在土壤中留下的滑行深度并不深。但是这些移动痕迹很少有规律，却清晰 可见。奇特的是，能够清晰地看到4、5处石头移动的轨迹都是平行的。对于这种石头移动现象，也不可能是由于人为故意造成的，如果某人故意将这些石头移动， 会在盆地表面留下足迹的。此外，在最近的一次暴风天气中未曾发现有石头出现移动。一定要去，但很远。
- Ubehebe Crater (火山岩)
Just a few hundred years ago a massive volcanic explosion caused by magma mixing with an underground spring, shattered the silence of northern Death Valley. When the cinders and dust settled, this 600 foot deep crater remained. Although easily visible from the paved road, hikers may want to circle the crater rim to see smaller craters. 一定要去。
- Scotty’s Castle 史考帝城堡
Prospector “Death Valley Scotty” claimed this elaborate Spanish-style mansion was built by gold from his fictitious mine. In reality, it was the 1920s vacation home of his wealthy friends. Today, living history tours of the castle’s richly furnished interior are given by costumed park rangers.
隐藏在远北部死亡谷，死亡谷的牧场，或斯科蒂的城堡，因为它是俗称的葡萄峡谷的绿洲，是到咆哮的20年代和大萧条30年代的生活和时代的窗口。图片：来源
- Golden Canyan 黄金峡谷(Hiking) (* hiking)
1 mile, one-way. Golden Canyon parking area, 2 miles south of Hwy 190 on Badwater Road. Easy trail through colorful canyon. Red Cathedral located ? mile up canyon from last numbered marker. An interpretive trail guide is available. 一定要去。
- Devil Golf Course 邪恶高尔夫场 (* Jeep)
An immense area of rock salt eroded by wind and rain into jagged spires. So incredibly serrated that “only the devil could play golf on such rough links.”The unpaved road leading to it is often closed after rain. 一定要去。
- Wildrose Charcoal Kilns Wildrose Peak Trail 野玫瑰木炭窑 （* Jeep)
These ten beehive-shaped structures are among the best preserved in the west. Built in 1876 to provide fuel to process silver/lead ore, they still smell of smoke today. The last 2 miles of gravel road to the kilns are passable to most vehicles. 4.2 miles, one-way.
这十个蜂箱形的结构是在西部地区是保存最完好的木炭窑。建于1877年提供燃料处理银/铅矿石。一定要去。
- Mesquite Flat Sand Dunes 沙丘
Tawny dunes smoothly rising nearly 100 feet from Mesquite Flat. Late afternoon light accentuates the ripples and patterns while morning is a good time to view tracks of nocturnal wildlife. Moonlight on the dunes can be magical, yet night explorers should be alert for sidewinder rattlesnakes during the warm season. 跟非洲萨哈拉沙漠当然不能比，但没去过萨哈拉沙漠想看沙漠沙丘的人，还是值得一看。
- Salt Creek 盐溪 （* Jeep)
This stream of salty water is the only home to a rare pupfish, Cyprinodon salinus. Springtime is best for viewing pupfish; in summer the lower stream dries up and in winter the fish are not as active in Salt Creek. The wooden boardwalk loops 1/2 mile through stands of pickleweed and past pools reflecting badland hills. Wheelchair accessible. 1 mile off Hwy 190 on graded gravel road, 13.5 miles north of Furnace Creek. pupfish and other wildlife. Best in late winter/early spring. - Mosaic Canyon 马赛克峡谷 (Hiking)
Polished marble walls and odd mosaic patterns of breccia make this small canyon a favorite. The twisting lower canyon is so narrow hikers must walk through it single-file. Some rock scrambling is required. The canyon opens up after ? mile to reveal the heights of Tucki Mountain, but hikers can continue another 1 1/2miles. 2 miles, one-way. Popular walk up a narrow, polished marble-walled canyon. First ? mile is narrowest section. Some slickrock scrambling necessary. “Mosaics" of fragments of rocks cemented together can be seen in canyon walls. Bighorn sheep sighted occasionally. - Titus Canyon 逖特斯峡谷 (* Jeep)
The largest and most diverse canyon in the park. Within its lofty walls visitors can find volcanic deposits, a ghost town, Indian petroglyphs, bighorn sheep, and deep, winding narrows. Titus Canyon is accessible to high-clearance vehicles via a 26 mile, one-way dirt road beginning outside the park. The trip will take 3 hours from Beatty to Scotty’s Castle Road. 一定要去。
- Rhyolite (Ghost Town) 瓶子屋
- Leadfiled (Ghost Town) 鬼城
- Rainbow Canyon
- Father Crowley Vista
- Red Pass
- Fall Canyon (* Hiking)
图片： 来源
(二) Scotty’s Area
图片：
(三) Stovepipe Wells Area
(四) Panamint Springs Area
其他参考网站：