Imagine being stranded in a desert with no water in over 100 degree weather conditions while the sun is beating down on you all day. Perhaps the only person we may think is capable of doing this feat is Bear Grylls, the English adventurer who hosts the famous TV show “Man Vs. Wild.” One of the hottest, intriguing, and most unique places on the planet has to be in The Death Valley National Park. This national Park lies at the Northwest end of the Mojave Desert, on the states of California and Nevada. Death Valley is the single hottest, driest, and lowest spot not only in The United States, but also in the whole continent of North America. I was shocked to find out that people have been living in these conditions for over 1000 years already. Native American's have lived in Death Valley and the surrounding area for centuries. The tribe is now known as the Timbisha Shoshone. At least the Timbisha Shoshone will not have to worry about purchasing a grill or a stove for their campsites, because they can cook all their food on a rock in the middle of the desert, literally!
Death Valley has set many temperature and weather records since its existence. Some being that in 2001, for 153 consecutive days, the temperature reached over 100 degrees each day. It actually was the hottest place on the entire planet up until 1922 when Libya took first place. An annual precipitation of 1.50 inches falls upon this dangerous valley each year. Here in Chicago, our driest month on the year, which is February, receives 1.63 inches of precipitation. Yes, that means that our driest month of the year is still not even as low as the yearly rainfall that Death Valley receives. The fact that Death Valley beholds the lowest point in the continent is one of the main reasons why it is so hot. It reaches a treacherous -282 feet below sea level at its lowest point in the valley. Death Valley being below sea level and means it has even more air pressure causing even