Badwater Basis, Death Valley NP

Here I am at Badwater Basin in Death Valley National Park. I am sitting 282 feet (86m) below sea level, the lowest elevation in the United States. It was a good day to come to this area, as the temperature was only 78 degrees; during the summer it will get much hotter. The average high temperature in July is 115 degree F, with the record being 134 degrees.
In this picture of me sitting on the salt flats, you are looking to the Northwest; to the Southwest is Telescope Peak, standing 11,049 ft (3,368m). This peak still had snow when I visited on the 24th of March.

Hope all is well with you.

Warmest regard, Gus

Death Valley NP

Yesterday, Betty and I had an outing at Death Valley National Park. In the final days of his presidency, Herbert Hoover signed the legislation to establish Death Valley National Monument. During the 1930s, the Civilian Conservation Corps (CCC) began improving roads and facilities. In 1994, President Clinton changed the status of the park to a National Park and enlarged the park to 3.4 million acres.
In 2000, the Timbisha Shoshone Homeland Act allotted the tribe acreage within their ancestral homeland to live on in perpetuity. The tribe and the National Park Service jointly manage zones of the park.
I will add additional photos in future blogs.
Warmest regards, Gus

Water Skiing on the Colorado River

Last weekend I walked (was carried) to the beach at our resort (Emerald Cove) and got to watch the water skiing races on the Colorado River. Some of the boats and skiers were going up to 80 mph. The races were 50 miles long, with five 10-mile laps. The skiiers used ropes over 200 feet long so they could stay well back of the boats for "good" water. I am glad the "driver," spotter and skiier all wore helmets for protection. Some of the boats barely touched the water at that speed.
The homes you see across the river are about six miles north of Parker, AZ, and about 35 miles south of Lake Havasu City.
Next week I am going to Pahrump, NV, and then to Death Valley National Park.
Hope you are having a great St. Patrick's Day. Gus

Happy St. Patrick's Day

Hope you all have a Happy St. Patrick's Day. I am going to party at Emerald Cove Resort on the Colorado River. The resort is on the California side of the river about six miles north of Parker, AZ, and about 40 miles south of Lake Havasu City.
The weather has been great, in the mid-70s for day-time temperatures and lots of sun.
There should be lots of parties next week, as Jim's mother will celebrate her 97th birthday on the 18th and his grandchildren will turn eight and four.
Warmest regards, Gus

Marines in Yuma. AZ

I recently had the opportunity to attend a performace by the U.S. Marines Corps Battle Color Detachment from Washington, D.C. The detachment consists of the Marine Corps Color Guard, Silent Drill Platoon and the Marine Corps Drum and Bugle Corps. The detachment spent several weeks in Yuma training for the 500+ ceremonies scheduled for 2009. This was the first offcial performance of the year.
The performance had special meaning for me, since Cousin Pat often talks about her uncle who served in the Marine Corps and was part of the first wave of Marines at Iwo Jima during World War II. I also have had the honor to meet Bill Hudson, a retired teacher from Los Alamos, NM, who also survived the assault on Iwo Jima. Semper Fi!
Gus