Southern California storms have dramatically altered Death Valley National Park, resulting in the expansion of a vast temporary lake visible even from orbiting spacecraft.
While water activities are uncommon in the region known as the hottest place on Earth, Park Ranger Abby Wines recently navigated a small inflatable kayak across the waters now engulfing the salt flats of Badwater Basin.
“It was calm, really, really peaceful,” she described her late Friday afternoon excursion. “Very still.” She returned the following day with her boyfriend for another outing.
As of mid-February, the lake, often referred to as Lake Manly, stretched 6 miles in length, 3 miles in width, and reached depths of up to 2 feet in some areas, according to Wines.
Spanning gracefully across the lowest region in North America, the floodwaters offer reflections of surrounding mountains, including the snow-capped Telescope Peak to the west. Although shallow, the lake currently accommodates small watercraft.
“It will probably be deep enough to kayak for maybe another couple of weeks, possibly longer than that,” said Wines, a ranger at the park for nearly 19 years. “But if anyone’s procrastinating, they [should] get out here now.”
