Kayaking in Death Valley
First an update on the Feb 22, 2024 newsletter on the Video Poker Jackpot that Can’t Be Hit. Where I left off, the said machines were shut down and sometimes studied by technicians. I believe on March 1 they were finally turned back on. The forum member who reported this said the “jackpot that couldn’t be hit” was at $1004.81, barely above the reset value of $1,000. This indicates to me the glitch was fixed and the first skilled video poker player to come along afterward hit it for about $6,400. It wouldn’t surprise me if he was tipped off by an employee monitoring the machines.
Now, onto the main topic, Lake Manley in Death Valley.
The lowest point in the United States is known as Badwater Basin, located in Death Valley, California. Usually, it is a dry lake bed. However, after significant rainfall, water sometimes forms a lake there. Since it lies (or is it lays?) at the bottom of the country, there is no way for the water to flow out. The only way it can leave is by evaporation. Badwater Basin is also the hottest and driest place in the United States, so when a lake does form, it never lasts long.
After recent heavy rains in California, the lake is back and bigger than anyone can remember. The last time it was big enough to kayak on was in 2005. Many people in my Las Vegas hiking circle of friends have been posting amazing pictures of it. When a friend of mine suggested going on February 27/28, I couldn’t say no. Death Valley is only a three-hour drive from Las Vegas and winter is the perfect time to go.
Tuesday night my friend and I camped under a clear dark sky. The Milky Way was visible as well as well as an occasionalmeteor (shooting star). Early the next morning, we made our way to the lake with a kayak and stand-up paddleboard.
When we started out it was still rather cold. The lake lays between two mountain ranges and the sun had yet to peak over the one to the east. It was our goal to make it to the other side. The lake is roughly 3 miles by 8 miles in size, so it would take about two hours on a stand-up paddleboard to cross it. When the sun finally peaked over the mountains, it warmed up to a pleasant temperature of about 75-80 degrees. The early morning wind also died down, leaving us with near perfect conditions.
My friend and I switched off between the kayak and stand-up paddleboard once in a while. During these switch-offs I sometimes enjoyed floating in the salty water, which was saturated with five times the salt density of the ocean. I don’t think the water can absorb any more salt, as evidenced by a layer of salt crystals floating atop the surface. I would have gone swimming, but the lake is only waist deep, at most.
When we got near the opposite shore, the kayak ran aground in what was about 4” deep water. I made an attempt to walk the rest of the way, but the bottom of the lake was very sticky, exactly like the mud at Burning Man last year. Once your foot was in it, it was very difficult to pull it out. While we never got to the dry shore on the other side, we got as far as we could, so feel I can say we made it across with a fairly straight face.
We enjoyed another 2-3 hours to go back while we took lots of pictures on the way. Back at shore we started from, I was caked in mud and salt. I snuck back into the campground to rinse-off at the sink.
Back at home my feet hurt, especially the right one. It was the same kind of stinging pain I felt after my first trip to Burning Man in 2019. The cure then worked this time as well, soaking my feet in a solution of water and vinegar. The reason this helps is the ground in dry lake beds is alkaline, which lowers the acidity of the skin that is exposed to it. Vinegar is acidic, which helps the skin PH level get back in balance.
If you live anywhere near Death Valley, I highly encourage visiting Manley Lake while you have the chance. I think the lake will only be deep enough to kayak on until sometime in late March. If you can go, I recommend bringing a canoe, kayak or stand-up paddleboard. I would also bring clean water to rinse off with when you’re done.
Update
Just after I wrote this article, I learned that the day after my visit winds blew the lake to a different location that was further from the road. The rangers didn’t want people dragging kayaks through the mud to get to it, leaving tracks and footprints, so banned watercraft on the lake as of March 3 or 4. The new lake is more shallow and muddy than it was in its previous location. Sorry, but the best of the show is over.
Links:
California rains resurrect a long-dead lake in dry Death Valley
Kayaking no Longer Possible on Death Valley’s Temporary Lake