Ever wonder what it would
feel like to step into an oven?
Welcome to Death Valley, California.
Temperatures here
can climb to a scorching
54.4 ºC (130 ºF),
which is as cozy
as the internal temperature of a steak.
In Death Valley,
it's so hot
you could fry an egg without a stove.
But how soon would you get
fried yourself?
It’s so hot you can barely breathe.
This national park
that stretches across
California and Nevada
might as well be hell on Earth.
Located 86 m (282 ft) below sea level,
it’s the lowest point in North America,
and the surrounding mountains trap
the superheated air like an oven.
For five months of the year,
temperatures hover
around 48 ºC (118 ºF).
You'd think that life
there would be unsustainable.
But it turns out that Death Valley
isn't always dead.
It comes to life
in the spring as colorful
wildflowers bloom
and the temporary lakes
fill the lowlands.
And besides the tourists
visiting the park,
around 500 people live there
all the time.
So pack your bags.
You're moving to the scorching
hot desert to join them.
Life in Death Valley would be
very different
from anything you may be used to.
Not just because of the heat,
but because it’s quite a commute to,
well, anywhere.
The nearest high school
and shopping center is an hour away.
It’s a two-hour drive to the closest
major city.
And there are no doctors, dentists
or restaurants around.
Despite this, or because of this,
there’s a tight community
in Death Valley.
In the Cow Creek complex,
residents of its 80 units share
a gym, a playground and a library.
And since they don’t get many visitors
during the hottest times of the year,
they end up
spending a lot of time together.
Though there isn't much
of an entertainment scene
in Death Valley,
there’s a lot to see outdoors.
I mean, after all we're talking
about a national park.
You could listen to the tiny
pops and pings of billions
of salt crystals
bursting apart in the heat.
Maybe enjoy the view of the colored hills
thanks to the oxidation
of natural metal deposits
in the mountains.
You could swim in a water-filled cavern.
And if you’re lucky,
you could even catch
a Devil's Hole pupfish,
a rare fish that can withstand
the hot water.
Life in Death Valley
doesn’t sound so bad.
Except for that.
It would take some adjusting to the heat.
When our body temperature reaches
41.7°C (107° F),
it can become life-threatening.
This is known as hyperthermia,
and it can lead
to deterioration
of internal organs and eventually death.
In the climate extremes of your new home
you could easily heat up
to the point of hyperthermia.
Your best bet
would be to take it slow.
First, don't forget the sunglasses,
as the salt-covered
basin can be blinding under the sunlight.
Make sure you always have sunscreen
and protective clothing.
And avoid
staying outside in the warmer hours,
usually from 4 p.m. to 5:30 p.m.
If you don’t
want to die of hyperthermia,
you should prepare
before you even set foot in a desert.
Your ability to survive in a hot climate
is largely determined
by your body shape and size.
That’s because heat is a byproduct
of cell metabolism,
so larger animals with larger bodies
and more cells typically produce
more heat.
Dropping a few kilos or pounds
might be a good idea to adjust faster.
Most people adapt to the heat
after a few weeks.
But it could take you a full year
to get fully adjusted.
At this point,
you’d have a lower core temperature
and your blood vessels
would increase blood flow to your skin.
You’d also start sweating more.
Not that this should be a problem.
And once you start wearing a sweater
at 27 ºC (80 ºF)
you'd know you're officially acclimated.
At least to the warm season.
During the winter months,
the maximum temperature is around
15 ºC (60 ºF) during the day
and as low as -1ºC (30 ºF)
during the night.
Which makes me wonder
what it would be like to live
in the coldest place on Earth?
Well, that sounds like
a story for another WHAT IF.