Snow on the Summit: Salt on the Shore~

On By cindy knokeIn Conservation, MY PHOTOGRAPHS, REVERIES, TRAVEL REVIEWS

(Click/Tap to enlarge for perspective)

Despite Death Valley National Park in California holding the record for being the hottest place on earth at 134F, it also has an ancient lake named Lake Manly that appears rarely after excessive and prolonged rainfall.

The rains caused by 2023’s El Nino event formed the lake last year. The continuation of El Nino rains into 2024 have enabled it to remain and grow, a very rare phenomona. Usually rainfall evaporates in the dessicated desert long before it has a chance to collect.

Here is the lake in March of 2024, with snowy summits,

and salty shores.

Rain is continuing to fall in the desert which is remarkable.

The lake is much, much larger than I expected, approximately 6 miles long and 3 miles wide in places.

Lake Manly is a remnant of an ancient ocean,

and is four x’s saltier than seawater.

It lies in Badwater Basin,

the lowest point in North America at 282 feet below sea level.

Maybe the lake will last until next year which would truly be extraordinary.

Cheers to you from lovely Lake Manly~

Discover more from Cindy Knoke

Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.

172 thoughts on “Snow on the Summit: Salt on the Shore~”

  6. Wow! I have never heard about this occasional, phantom-like lake! Four times saltier than seawater is pretty darn salty… I wonder what life is stimulated to grow when it rains enough for this lake to re-appear? Thanks for teaching us about this rare happening.

    Reply

    1. Great question. Endangered Pup fish! They hatch, live, mate, and the eggs are stored for the next time the lake reforms. I have no idea what pup fish populations are like now since the lake has lasted into the second year 🌅

      Reply

  8. That’s amazing, Cindy. Wouldn’t it be nice if it could stay a while, or even better yet, if it had some runoff and could eventually desalinate itself. But maybe that’s asking for too much.

    Reply

    1. The snow that is still accumulating on the mountain tops will eventually melt and run down, and it is still raining in the desert, so we shall see what will transpire 🌅

      Reply

  18. I’ve only seen it when it was dry. Interesting that we’re supposed to start getting an El Niña some time between April and late summer which will bring cooler temperatures and more rain. We’ll have to see if this inland sea can sustain itself even longer. Beautiful photos, Cindy. 😊

    Reply
  20. Vicki

    What an amazing sight, Cindy. If the weather continues to be unseasonal and extreme around the world, the lake probably WILL remain. Even if it doesn’t, this will be a sight to remember.

    Reply

      1. Hi to Endless Weekend (no thank you WP for clumping comments so I can’t answer individually). The Dead Sea is about 10x’s saltier than Lake Manly. Dead Sea 34.2% salinity, Lake Manly about 33pp per 1000. I don’t trust these numbers though because Lake Manly is usually completely dry and this year it has held water and is still raining so the salinity content must be less.

        Reply

  23. I always enjoy your photos. And always learn something new and interesting from your narratives. They are long/short enough to hold my attention. 🙂
    Not too much. Not too little. Just right.

    Reply

  27. Wow, very cool, though all those staggering stats have boggled my mind. 😀 Thanks for sharing this rare sight. Looks like you had a fair amount of company! Did you see wildflowers en route?

    Reply

    1. We are mostly alone as the park is massive. The people provided perspective though, and made the photos more understandable. The wildflowers were staggering in quanity, especially considering this is the hostile and unforgiving Death Valley. I will post them next 🌅

      Reply

  30. If asked to identify, couldn’t even guess how far down the list would be my answer, Death Valley. Exotic-scape, but interesting, those few but definite roads on the far side of the lake. Why? Going where? What past travelers left those lines in the dirt. Nor what are those two men in ankle deep water, what are they bending over to collect or observe?
    Small mysteries. Thanks Cindy.

    Reply

    1. So those are The Panamint Mountains, home to The Panamint Ghost Town, where Charlie Manson hid out for awhile. There are a lot of old mining roads up there and this whole area fell hard for gold fever in the past. There are hiking trails too. Panamint Valley below the mountains is where I found field upon field of wildflowers and the wild burros. This is really way off the beaten track and empty country. I have no idea what is up there, although I have the nearby White Mountains. Now you have peaked my curiosity. Telescope Peak in The Panimants drops 11,300 vertical feet straight to the floor of Death Valley. See: https://www.summitpost.org/panamint-range/878647 🌅

      Reply

  31. Wow, Cindy, I’m so glad you captured the invisible Lake Manly! I had seen pics on YouTube that were jaw-dropping. Your images are stunning and you show us the immense scope and size of this miraculous body of water. Super!

    Reply

  32. The lake itself is remarkable, but I am stunned that the water is salt water.
    Imagine the splash it made when it first appeared.
    Okay. That was too much of a pun.
    I do love these photos!

    Reply

  42. Great capture of the view. I am wondering whether this is a good sign for environment or not. I hope at least for new, this is a new source of water for land and air animals.

    Reply

  45. Cindy, you have an amazing ability to find quiet places in our crowded world.
    By the way, on your pictures this lovely place recall me the Dead Sea environment in Israel. It’s not the same 100 percent but pretty close, at least on the pictures.

    Reply

Leave a Reply to cindy knokeCancel reply