Primm – Baker - 80km
Even though the weather forecast was less than perfect, we set out in
the direction of Baker. Our path ran through the Mojave Desert, the
lowest and hottest in North America. Once up and over the pass, it
became freezing, but luckily, without any rain or snow.
Our route spat us out in Baker, which marked the well-known Death
Valley Reserve entrance. Baker was a small community sporting a
population of approximately 750. The town’s most remarkable feature
was a 41-metre thermometer, known as the world’s tallest
thermometer, visible from miles away (but sadly not operational). It
commemorated the hottest temperature recorded in the United
States, 134°F (56.7°C), measured in nearby Death Valley in 1913.
Unfortunately (or fortunately), the day was nowhere close to that, as
snow was forecasted for that night. Baker was further known for
strange UFO sightings and it was not odd to find alien displays around
town.
It started raining during the night, and drizzled on and off all through
the morning, so we decided it was best to stay put.