Death Valley to Bristlecone Pine Forest, California

What a day of extremes. We got up and out of the tent around 05:30 to drive over and catch the sunrise at Badwater, the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere at -282 feet below sea level.

Water! I need water! Help!
Fortunately Lindalee was up for crazy antics (often instigating them). No Lindalees were harmed in the making of this photo.

By the end of the day we had taken a short hike around Ancient Bristlecone Pine Forest at 10,000 feet above sea level, and could gaze across the valley at Mt. Whitney, at 14,505 feet the highest point in the lower 48 states.

Sunrise and moonset over Badwater Basin, -282 ft elevation, Death Valley, California.
Sunrise and moonset over Badwater Basin, -282 ft elevation, Death Valley, California.
Start location:Death Valley, CA
End location:Big Pine, CA
Miles today: 
Miles total:3113.5 miles
Min altitude:-282 ft
Max altitude:+10,000 ft
Min temp:41F
Max temp:80F

We sweltered our way across dunes in the scorching desert floor of Death Valley and threw snowballs at each other about five hours later.

This is actually our camp in Death Valley National park. Need to figure out where the photo goes chronologically, but it’s here for now.