Telescope Peak, 11,048 feet, is the highest point in the park. From there it's a straight shot to Badwater, more than 11,300 feet below. This fact is notable in that it is the greatest vertical rise above local terrain of any mountain in the contiguous 48 states. We drove to the trail head at Mahogany Flat, about a mile and a half up the road from the Charcoal Kilns, and walked up the trail a mile or so to get a clear view of the valley. Valley temperatures were in the mid 80s. The 8,000 foot elevation of the trail head brought the temperature down into the low 60s, and there was snow visible on the summit. We didn't get far enough down the trail to get a view of the summit from up close (we saw the snow from down at Badwater). Again, we were fighting that darned impending darkness issue that seemed to dog us the entire trip... Incidentally, there's another trail that starts at Shorty's Well, 250 feet below sea level, with a total vertical rise of 11,300 feet - one of the biggest elevation gains that can be hiked in a single day. Assuming, of course, you have the physical stamina required for the journey. Oh, one other issue - our rental 4wd vehicle got such lousy gas mileage that we didn't have enough range to visit a couple of key areas of the park we wanted to visit. But that's a different discussion, entirely. Next trip I'll buy a gas can in Las Vegas so I can cover the rest of the park. In the mean time maybe Ford will get its act together...?

 


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