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62-464: Arguably most famous for his exploits in the Badwater Ultramarathon across Death Valley , Ulrich has finished the race 18 times and crossed Death Valley a record 24 times, including a 586-mile "Badwater Quad", covering the course four times (twice up and back), and a self-contained, unaided solo, in which he pulled all supplies (food, ice, medical) in a cart that weighed more than 200 pounds at

124-478: A "Master List" of all Badwater-to-Whitney crossings, including finishers of the official Badwater Ultramarathon and the Badwater Solo. In 2007, then 19-year-old Ben Eakin – son of Laura Weber and coached and crewed by Scott Weber – completed his first solo crossing, having only finished 2 marathons and 1 50K prior to doing so. Eakin completed the 146 mile solo from Badwater to the summit of Mount Whitney, to become

186-414: A bronze belt buckle. Among the finishers of the 135 mile Badwater Solo in 2005, listed in order of finish time, were Shane Sampson, Juli Aistars, Steve James, Marcia Rassmussen, Jim Hamilton, Maureen Moran, Bo Pheffer, Dharam (Paul) Piplani Barbara Szeprethy and Dave Remington. In 2007, the informal group start was dissolved due to National Park Service permitting regulations. Solo runners continue to complete

248-489: A mile-long shallow depression in the center of the valley, supports Death Valley Pupfish . These isolated pupfish populations are remnants of the wetter Pleistocene climate. Darwin Falls , on the western edge of Death Valley Monument, falls 100 feet (30 m) into a large pond surrounded by willows and cottonwood trees. Over 80 species of birds have been recorded around the pond. Efflorescence , also known as salt flowers ,

310-542: A new record. A subsequent attempt was made by "Bogie" Bogdan Dumitrescu who got to the Whitney Portal in 56:50 and summited Whitney in 70:40. Bogie started on July 8, 2013, at 7:45am, got to the portal at 12:03pm(52:18) and summited Whitney on 7/10/13 at 20:03 in the evening, setting a new time of 60 hours 18 minutes. In 2014 Bogie started on July 1 and had to stop after Townes Pass due to severe dizziness and breathing problems. But he returned two weeks later, and finished with

372-559: A number of key contributors: Severe heat and dryness contribute to perpetual drought-like conditions in Death Valley and prevent much cloud formation from passing through the confines of the valley, where precipitation is often in the form of a virga . The depth and shape of Death Valley strongly influence its climate. The valley is a long, narrow basin that descends below sea level and is walled by high, steep mountain ranges. The clear, dry air and sparse plant cover allow sunlight to heat

434-538: A time of 57 hours 18 minutes. Through the years, runners of all abilities have completed individual Badwater to Mt. Whitney crossings in the spirit of the early crossings, usually aided by the crew. In 2005, Hugh Murphy initiated an informal gathering known as the Badwater Solo Ultra 135/146. Runners could finish at Whitney Portal (135 mi.), but were encouraged to continue to the summit of Mt. Whitney (146 mi.) Finishers of either distance were presented with

496-462: A total of four consecutive Badwater/Whitney transits. He completed the course, a distance in excess of twenty-two marathons, in ten days. In 2003, Sawyer Manuj became the first Asian-American to complete the Badwater duo. In 2012, Terry Abrams (54) became the first woman to complete a solo Triple 146 crossing, 438 miles, which includes two summits of Mt. Whitney. She is also the oldest woman to complete

558-630: A verified temperature of 129.2 °F (54.0 °C) was recorded and is tied with Mitribah , Kuwait , for the hottest reliably measured air temperature ever recorded on Earth. A temperature of 130 °F (54.4 °C) was recorded at the Furnace Creek weather station on August 16, 2020, but has not yet been officially verified. The valley again recorded that temperature on July 9, 2021; however, that temperature has not yet been officially verified either. The valley's lowest temperature, recorded at Greenland Ranch (now Furnace Creek) on January 2, 1913,

620-457: Is Telescope Peak , in the Panamint Range, which has an elevation of 11,043 feet (3,366 m). A group of European-American pioneers got lost here in the winter of 1849–1850, while looking for a shortcut to the gold fields of California, giving Death Valley its grim name. Although only one of the group members died here, they all assumed that the valley would be their grave. Death Valley

682-821: Is 2.36 inches (60 mm), while the Greenland Ranch station averaged 1.58 in (40 mm). The wettest month on record is January 1995, when 2.59 inches (66 mm) fell on Death Valley. The wettest period on record was mid-2004 to mid-2005, in which nearly 6 inches (150 mm) of rain fell in total, leading to ephemeral lakes in the valley and the region and tremendous wildflower blooms. Snow with accumulation has only been recorded in January 1922, while scattered flakes have been recorded on other occasions. See or edit raw graph data . In 2005, Death Valley received four times its average annual rainfall of 1.5 inches (38 mm). As it has done before for hundreds of years,

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744-492: Is 21 hours 33 minutes 01 seconds (men), set by Yoshihiko Ishikawa in 2019. In 2023, Ashley Paulson won in a new course record of 21 hours 44 minutes 35 seconds, which surpassed her own performance from 2022. Due to flooding in the area, the 2023 course was modified from previous years. In 2002, Pam Reed was the first woman to become the overall winner of the Badwater Ultramarathon. She repeated as overall winner of

806-650: Is a desert valley in Eastern California , in the northern Mojave Desert , bordering the Great Basin Desert . It is thought to be the hottest place on Earth during summer. Death Valley's Badwater Basin is the point of lowest elevation in North America, at 282 feet (86 m) below sea level. It is 84.6 miles (136.2 km) east-southeast of Mount Whitney – the highest point in the contiguous United States , with an elevation of 14,505 feet (4,421 m). On

868-552: Is a rare occurrence in Death Valley that occurs when rain soaks into the soil and dissolves salt beneath the surface causing the ground to appear as if there is a light dusting of snow . Death Valley is home to the Timbisha tribe of Native Americans , formerly known as the Panamint Shoshone, who have inhabited the valley for at least the past millennium. The Timbisha name for the valley, tümpisa , means "rock paint" and refers to

930-435: Is disputed; a record high low of 107 °F (42 °C) on July 12, 2012, is considered reliable. This is one of the highest values ever recorded. Also on July 12, 2012, the mean 24-hour temperature recorded at Death Valley was 117.5 °F (47.5 °C), which makes it the world's warmest 24-hour temperature on record. July 2024 was the hottest month ever recorded in Death Valley, with a mean daily average temperature over

992-483: Is home to the Timbisha tribe of Native Americans, formerly known as the Panamint Shoshone , who have inhabited the valley for at least the past millennium. Death Valley is a graben —a downdropped block of land between two mountain ranges. It lies at the southern end of a geological trough , Walker Lane , which runs north to Oregon. The valley is bisected by a right lateral strike slip fault system, comprising

1054-511: Is the highest atmospheric temperature ever recorded on the Earth's surface. (A report of a temperature of 58 °C (136 °F) in Libya in 1922 was later determined to be inaccurate.) During the heat wave that peaked with that record, five consecutive days reached 129 °F (54 °C) or higher. Some modern meteorologists now dispute the accuracy of the 1913 temperature measurement. On June 30, 2013,

1116-523: The Badwater Basin , in California 's Death Valley , and ending at an elevation of 8,360 feet (2,550 m) at Whitney Portal , the trailhead to Mount Whitney . It takes place annually in mid-July when the weather is the most extreme and temperatures can reach 130 °F (54 °C) during the day at Badwater Basin. Originally, the run was conceived as being between the lowest and the highest points in

1178-527: The California Gold Rush . It was called Death Valley by prospectors and others who sought to cross the valley on their way to the gold fields, after 13 pioneers perished from one early expedition of wagon trains. During the 1850s, gold and silver were extracted in the valley. In the 1880s, borax was discovered and extracted by mule-drawn wagons . Death Valley National Monument was proclaimed on February 11, 1933, by President Herbert Hoover , placing

1240-819: The Death Valley Fault and the Furnace Creek Fault . The eastern end of the left lateral Garlock Fault intersects the Death Valley Fault. Furnace Creek and the Amargosa River flow through part of the valley and eventually disappear into the sands of the valley floor. Death Valley also contains salt pans . According to current geological consensus, at various times during the middle of the Pleistocene era, which ended roughly 10,000–12,000 years ago, an inland lake, Lake Manly , formed in Death Valley. The lake

1302-531: The Religious Teachers Filippini , a small order with a major focus on serving children orphaned by AIDS in some of the poorest countries in the world. He provides his services as a speaker, trainer and guides through Dreams in Action, encouraging others to "discover what you're made of: it's more than you think". In 1992, he had his toenails removed in order to avoid chronic problems he experienced due to

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1364-465: The red ocher paint that can be made from a type of clay found in the valley. Some families still live in the valley at Furnace Creek. Another village was in Grapevine Canyon near the present site of Scotty's Castle . It was called maahunu in the Timbisha language , whose meaning is uncertain, although it is known that hunu means 'canyon'. The valley received its English name in 1849 during

1426-421: The 146-mile course. Ben "Badwater" Jones, the reference authority and person who documents Badwater crossings, documented the following attempts on his website. http://www.badwaterbenjones.com -> Badwater/Mt. Whitney 146 . In July 2011, Lisa Bliss became the first woman and second person to complete the 146-mile Badwater-to-Summit course totally self-contained (without crew or resupply of any kind, abiding by

1488-508: The Badwater race from the previous month made Weber the first runner to complete four full crossings of the Badwater-Mount Whitney summit course in a single July–August window. He remains the only runner to have done a multiple crossing with a solo unassisted section of 146 miles (235 km) or greater. In 2001, Marshall Ulrich was the first runner to complete the "Badwater Quad", consisting of two back-to-back Death Valley 300s for

1550-543: The Double, 292 miles. In 2014, Lisa Smith-Batchen (54) became the first woman to complete the "Badwater Quad", 584 miles in 15 days. In 1994, Scott Weber became the first runner to cross from the summit of Mount Whitney to Badwater course solo without a crew. He did so by pushing a 'baby-jogger' cart with his supplies going oasis to oasis (20–30 miles [32–48 km] apart). Weber then continued on to complete 2 additional crossing with minimal support until being crewed full-time for

1612-573: The Triple was also done solo unassisted with Weber pushing an unmodified 'baby jogger' cart with his supplies from oasis to oasis spaced from 20 to 30 miles (48 km) apart. Weber completed the majority of the triple unassisted and solo, being met once or twice a day by Ben on the second leg and for 100 miles (160 km) of the third leg. Faced with the necessity of completing the Triple before August ended, Weber abandoned his cart at mile 390 to be fully crewed by Denise Jones. Completing this Triple and adding

1674-473: The United States on foot. The effort, which included many injuries and obstacles, was chronicled in the 2010 movie, Running America . Ulrich's 2011 memoir, Running on Empty , gives more of the backstory of the transcontinental run, tells of his other extreme endurance adventures, and reveals his psychological drivers. Brian Metzler of Running Times called the book "a sincere original" with "candid tales about

1736-458: The Whitney trailhead, then continued on to the summit with a pack. He reached Whitney's summit in seventy seven hours and forty six minutes. In July 2004, Jeff Sauter became the second person to attempt a solo self-contained crossing under Marshall Ulrich's rules, and completed the 135-mile course to Whitney Portal in 72 hours, but succumbed to hypothermia on the way to the summit and failed to finish

1798-540: The afternoon of July   10, 1913, the United States Weather Bureau recorded a high temperature of 134 °F (56.7 °C) at Furnace Creek in Death Valley, which stands as the highest ambient air temperature ever recorded on the surface of the Earth. This reading, however, and several others taken in that period are disputed by some modern experts. Lying mostly in Inyo County, California , near

1860-474: The attempt and Jay's run from Los Angeles to New York City. The second Badwater-to-Whitney running was completed in 1981, by Jay Birmingham. In 1987, the crossing became an official organized footrace. Gill Cornell of Ridgecrest, California ran the 146 miles in 45 hours and 15 minutes, breaking the old record of 56 hours to the top of Whitney. Gill had permits for both Death Valley and Mount Whitney to run his distance. Five other runners competed that year. During

1922-978: The border of California and Nevada , in the Great Basin , east of the Sierra Nevada mountains, Death Valley constitutes much of Death Valley National Park and is the principal feature of the Mojave and Colorado Deserts Biosphere Reserve . It runs from north to south between the Amargosa Range on the east and the Panamint Range on the west. The Grapevine Mountains and the Owlshead Mountains form its northern and southern boundaries, respectively. It has an area of about 3,000 sq mi (7,800 km ). The highest point in Death Valley National Park

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1984-406: The contiguous United States: Badwater, Death Valley −282 feet (−86 m) and Mt. Whitney's summit 14,505 feet (4,421 m). The two are only 80 miles (130 km) apart on the map, but the land route between the two points is substantially longer, 146 miles (235 km), because of detours around lake beds and over mountain ranges. Additionally, since the finish line is 11 miles (18 km) from

2046-467: The course on an individual basis during the months of July and August. The word "solo" is used to designate runners who are not part of the official race. These Solos should not be confused with the unassisted crossings of Ulrich or Weber. In compliance with National Park and Forest Service permitting rules, the Badwater Solo is not a competitive race or an organized event of any kind. In general there are three types of recognized "solos". "Solo badwater" where

2108-580: The course. In 1977 he successfully pioneered running the course, summiting Whitney 84 hours after his start at Badwater. Arnold never returned to the course, except to receive the Badwater Hall of Fame Award. In 1980, Gary Morris of Marina Del Rey, California attempted to beat Arnold's record. When temperatures hit 120 degrees Fahrenheit, he pulled out and didn't plan to run in 1981. He worked out with Jay Birmingham and Jon Griffin in Marina Del Rey before

2170-416: The desert surface. Summer nights provide little relief: overnight lows may dip just into the 82 to 98 °F (28 to 37 °C) range. Moving masses of super-heated air blow through the valley, creating extremely high ambient temperatures. The hottest air temperature ever recorded in Death Valley was 134 °F (56.7 °C), on July 10, 1913, at Greenland Ranch (now Furnace Creek ), which, as of 2022,

2232-402: The early years of the race, no particular route between Badwater and Whitney was specified and runners attempted various "shortcuts" between the start and finish. Adrian Crane , one of the competitors in the inaugural race, even used cross-country skis to cross the salt-flats at Badwater. In 1988 the race was called the Badwater 146 because the finish line was the summit of Mt. Whitney. Since 1989

2294-425: The extreme number of miles he was racing and training. In fall 2008, he attempted to break the world record for a trans-American crossing (currently held by Pete Kostelnick) and completed a 3,063.2-mile run from San Francisco to New York in 52.5 days, equal to 117 marathons, or two marathons plus a 10K each day. Ulrich succeeded in setting new Masters and Grand Masters records and recorded the third-fastest crossing of

2356-406: The final 45 miles (72 km) of this 438+ mile journey. In July 1999, Marshall Ulrich became the first runner to complete the 146-mile (235 km) Badwater-to-Summit course without a crew or resupply, denying himself the use of artificial shade or outside aid of any kind. Starting with 225 lb (102 kg) of gear and water loaded in a modified baby jogger, he pushed and pulled the cart to

2418-466: The first double crossing (which became known as the "Death Valley 300"), running from Badwater to Mount Whitney's summit and back to Badwater again. In 1994, Scott Weber completed the first Triple Crossing going from the Mount Whitney Summit to Badwater, then returning from Badwater to the Mount Whitney Summit, then going from the Mount Whitney Summit back to Badwater in 10 days. The first leg of

2480-521: The first ever to finish the Death Valley Cup. Charlie Engle currently holds the Death Valley Cup record, setting it in 2009. That year, he ran Badwater, 25:45:11 (4th place), and Furnace Creek, 33:19:25, (4th place) for a total time of 59:04:36. Badwater World Cup (BWWC) consists of 36°13′48.52″N 116°46′02.99″W  /  36.2301444°N 116.7674972°W  / 36.2301444; -116.7674972 Death Valley Death Valley

2542-545: The large number of participants, the official course was shortened to end at Whitney Portal. The Badwater-to-Portal course is 135 miles (217 km) long, with 13,000 feet (4,000 m) of cumulative elevation gain . Forest Service regulations do not allow competitive events in the John Muir Wilderness . The first hikes across Death Valley of more than 100 miles took place in 1966, starting with Jean Pierre Marquant of France. Hikes between Badwater and Mount Whitney (via

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2604-437: The loss of his first wife to cancer, his personal challenges of being a parent and rediscovering how to love later in life, as well as overcoming a mountain of self-doubt and insecurity." Kerwin, Kevin (director), Running America . New York: Nehst Studios, 2010. Badwater Ultramarathon The Badwater Ultramarathon is a 135-mile (217 km) ultramarathon race starting at −282 feet (−86 m) below sea level in

2666-461: The lowest spot in the valley filled with a wide, shallow lake, but the extreme heat and aridity immediately began evaporating the ephemeral lake . The pair of images (seen at right) from NASA's Landsat 5 satellite documents the short history of Death Valley's Lake Badwater : formed in February 2005 (top) and evaporated by February 2007 (bottom). In 2005, a big pool of greenish water stretched most of

2728-487: The modern history of the region, primarily 1883 to 1907. Death Valley has a subtropical , hot desert climate ( Köppen : BWh ), with long, extremely hot summers; short, warm winters; and little rainfall. The valley is extremely dry because it lies in the rain shadow of four major mountain ranges (including the Sierra Nevada and Panamint Range ). Moisture moving inland from the Pacific Ocean must pass eastward over

2790-426: The month of 108.5 °F (42.5 °C). Four major mountain ranges lie between Death Valley and the ocean, each one adding to an increasingly drier rain shadow effect, and in 1929, 1953, and 1989, no rain was recorded for the whole year. The period from 1931 to 1934 was the driest stretch on record, with only 0.64 inches (16 mm) of rain over a 40-month period. The average annual precipitation in Death Valley

2852-448: The mountains to reach Death Valley; as air masses are forced upward by each range, they cool and moisture condenses, to fall as rain or snow on the western slopes. When the air masses reach Death Valley, most of the moisture in the air has already been lost and thus there is little left to fall as precipitation. The extreme heat of Death Valley is attributable to a confluence of geographic and topographic factors. Scientists have identified

2914-453: The mouths of the canyons, they widen and slow, branching out into distributary channels. The paler the fans, the younger they are. In spite of the overwhelming heat and sparse rainfall, Death Valley exhibits considerable biodiversity. Flowers, watered by snowmelt, carpet the desert floor each spring, continuing into June. Bighorn sheep , red-tailed hawks , and wild donkeys may be seen. Death Valley has over 600 springs and ponds. Salt Creek,

2976-486: The nearest trailhead, anyone who competes over the 146-mile (235 km) race distance must be capable of a total physical effort of 157 miles (253 km). Due to the two mountain ranges that must be crossed between Badwater and Whitney, the course's cumulative elevation gain exceeds 19,000 feet (5,800 m). Because the United States Forest Service requires permits to climb Mt. Whitney and because of

3038-416: The past, runners were allowed sixty hours to complete the course, but this has been changed to a 48-hour course limit and a 28-hour cutoff at Panamint Springs Resort. Finishers receive a belt buckle and medal but no prize money is awarded. The record for the 146-mile (235 km) race was set in 1991 by Marshall Ulrich : 33 hours and 54 minutes. The male record for the current 135-mile (217 km) course

3100-539: The race in 2003. In 2002, her win also set the women's course record at the time. In the last few years, about 90 people have competed in each race, with 20–40% failing to reach the finish line. There have been no fatalities. The 2020 edition of the race was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic, with all 103 confirmed participants (including 3 alternates) guaranteed entry in 2021 but with no refund or credit of race fees. In 1989, Tom Crawford and Richard Benyo completed

3162-532: The race usually far exceeds available spots. The race, rules, and course have gone through numerous revisions since its inception. Afternoon starts have been discontinued; the use of intravenous fluids now disqualifies a runner. Since 2015, runners have started in waves at 8:00 p.m., 9:30 p.m., and 11:00 p.m. Course support is not provided. Each runner must arrange for his or her own support crew and vehicle. The crew provides their runner with his or her needs, including water, ice, food, gear, pacing, and first aid. In

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3224-487: The race was shortened and it became Badwater 135 since it was impossible to get enough permits to run the last 11 miles up on national forest lands to the top of Whitney from the Portals. So, the official times were faster and the course shorter. Currently, AdventureCORPS manages the annual competitive race from Badwater to Whitney Portal. The field is invitation-only and limited to 100 entrants each year. Demand to participate in

3286-552: The rules set forth in Marshall Ulrich's 1999 unassisted "self-contained" solo crossing). She pushed and pulled a custom-built 3-wheeled cart filled with water and gear that weighed 240 pounds at the start from Badwater to the Whitney trail head, and then continued the remaining 11 miles to the summit with a pack that she carried from the start. She reached the Mt. Whitney summit in 89 hours and 38 minutes. On July 14, 2016, Dusty Hardman became

3348-423: The runner has a crew. "Solo self supported" or "Solo Oasis to oasis", where the runner does not have a crew but can use/buy/stash water and food. "Solo self contained" where the runner cannot get help and has to carry all food and water (see exact rules established by Marshall Ulrich). Since 2007, Marcia Rasmussen has attempted to award each Solo crossing a buckle for their finish. "Badwater" Ben Jones used to maintain

3410-470: The second woman to complete Badwater 146 in 80 hours and 57 minutes while pushing a modified baby stroller. She pushed the stroller from Badwater Basin to Lone Pine and then carried gear and water to the Whitney Summit from Lone Pine. In July 2012, "Bogie" Bogdan Dumitrescu made an unsuccessful attempt. In August 2012, Croix Sather got to the Whitney Portal in 64:55 and summited Whitney in 72:55, setting

3472-514: The start. He won the Badwater 146-mile race from the Badwater Basin at −282 feet (−86 m) to the summit of Mount Whitney at 14,505 feet (4,421 m) an unprecedented 4 times and still holds the record to the summit. (The race is not run to the summit anymore.) In summer 2012, he and Dave Heckman completed the first-ever trek around the entire perimeter of Death Valley National Park , a total of about 425 miles covered in 16.5 days. Ulrich has raised over $ 850,000 for various charities, including

3534-547: The treacherous salt flats in Death Valley ) were first made in 1969 by Stan Rodefer and Jim Burnworth of San Diego. Al Arnold first attempted running the route in 1974 but was pulled off the course after eighteen miles (29 km) with severe dehydration. After vigorous sauna training and desert acclimatization, he attempted the run again in 1975. This time, a knee injury aborted the run at fifty miles. In 1976, training injuries kept him from even beginning his annual attempt on

3596-459: The way across the valley floor. By May 2005, the valley floor had resumed its more familiar role as Badwater Basin , salt-coated salt flats . In time, this freshly dissolved and recrystallized salt will darken. The western margin of Death Valley is traced by alluvial fans . During flash floods , rainfall from the steep mountains to the west pours through narrow canyons, picking up everything from fine clay to large rocks. When these torrents reach

3658-559: The youngest person to complete the lowest to highest course, as well as the first type-1 diabetic. In 2005, Barbara Szeprethy, then 24, was the youngest woman to finish the course, 3 times total, in consecutive years. Any competitor who completes both the Badwater Ultramarathon and the Furnace Creek 508 bicycle race (also held in Death Valley) during the same calendar year is awarded the Death Valley Cup. In 1996, Marshall Ulrich became

3720-430: Was 15 °F (−9 °C). The highest surface temperature ever recorded in Death Valley was 201.0 °F (93.9 °C), on July 15, 1972, at Furnace Creek , which is the highest ground surface temperature ever recorded on earth, as well as the only recorded surface temperature of above 200 °F (93.3 °C). The greatest number of consecutive days with a maximum temperature of at least 100 °F (38 °C)

3782-400: Was 154, in the summer of 2001. The summer of 1996 had 40 days over 120 °F (49 °C), and 105 days over 110 °F (43 °C). The summer of 1917 had 52 days when the temperature reached 120 °F (49 °C) or above, 43 of them consecutive. The highest overnight or low temperature recorded in Death Valley is 110 °F (43 °C), recorded on July 5, 1918. However, this value

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3844-578: Was nearly 100 miles (160 km) long and 600 feet (180 m) deep. The end-basin in a chain of lakes that began with Mono Lake , in the north, and continued through basins down the Owens River Valley , through Searles and China Lakes and the Panamint Valley, to the immediate west. As the area turned to desert, the water evaporated, leaving an abundance of evaporitic salts, such as common sodium salts and borax , which were later exploited during

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