personal reflections

My last Loyalty Traveler post?

My request is to be cremated and have my ashes spread off Soberanes Point, Big Sur.

Please don’t worry about my state of mind. This is not a social media Paris Jackson like cry for help.

Today is predicted to be a record breaking 111 F degree temperature day in Las Vegas, Nevada. Yesterday was a record 109 F degrees.

Today I am scheduled to go rappelling in Nevada’s Valley of Fire State Park.

I hope I survive the day.

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Southeastern Nevada may reach 114 F today.

I’ve done some stupid and life-threatening activities in my life like hiking and camping on the Lost Coast of Humboldt County in northern California during a winter storm in 1983, historically the rainiest year Humboldt County experienced since records were kept.

I survived.

As a teenager I hitchhiked north from Las Vegas in late June with only one dollar in my wallet on a day when the temperature hit 115 F. My friend Cindy encouraged me to gamble our one dollar between us on a 3-number Keno bet at a Hawthorn, Nevada casino.  That night we slept in the desert with $50 to continue our journey.

I survived.

In Massachusetts I took my wife Kelley on an all day hike through the hills of Amherst, Massachusetts during the historic Storm of the Century March ‘Blizzard of 1993’.

I survived Kelley’s wrath which was more penetratingly frosty than the blizzard that day.

Extreme Weather Highs

I am sort of an extreme weather junkie or just some lucky or unlucky idiot who happens to be in places when extreme weather happens and continues on with my planned activities.

Valley of Fire State Park Nevada

So today I launch my International Pow Wow 2013 conference activities with a rappelling trip at Valley of Fire State Park in the 112+ hot desert.

What happens in Vegas, stays in Vegas.

I just hope that is not my final statement as Loyalty Traveler.

At least this might mean less competition for those of you trying to score Daily Getaways deals on Monday from the U.S. Travel Association and American Express.

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International Pow Wow 2013 Las Vegas banner on Fremont Street.

What Is International Pow Wow?

U.S. Travel Association’s IPW is the travel industry’s premier international marketplace and the largest generator of travel to the U.S. – it is NOT a typical trade show. In just three days of intensive pre-scheduled business appointments, more than 1,000 U.S. travel organizations from every region of the USA (representing all industry category components), and close to 1,200 international and domestic buyers from more than 70 countries, conduct business negotiations that result in the generation of more than $3.5 billion in future Visit USA travel.

www.ustravel.org

 

Post-trip Update June 8, 2013 at 7:00pm. 

a digital clock showing the timeTemperature showed 120 F on the bus at 4:00pm when we were at the visitor center Valley of Fire State Park, Nevada. The trip turned into just a photo shoot trip with no rappelling today. The air conditioner barely worked on the bus to make the trip a five hour heat fest.

National Weather Service official temperature for Valley of Fire was only 115 F between 3:00 and 4:00pm. Las Vegas Airport recorded 112 F, a record for the date.

I survived.

 

10 Comments

  • Paul June 8, 2013

    I’m in Vegas and there is no way I am leaving the house today except to walk to an air conditioned car and into an air conditioned restaurant. Good luck it’s HOOOOOOT this weekend

  • Fishing4Deals June 8, 2013

    I hope you enjoy your rock climbing adventure! Bring plenty of water. There are some shady areas in Valley of Fire State park — red rock formations that you can shelter under. Be sure to check out the petroglyphs, too — way cool!

  • Kalboz June 8, 2013

    Your title & first paragraph scared me …

  • Jeff June 8, 2013

    Was just in LV…. HOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTTtttttttt!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

  • Maureen June 8, 2013

    Good luck & hope you survived. Did your hotel have an ice-pool dunk ready upon your return?

  • Ric Garrido June 8, 2013

    @Maureen – This is Las Vegas. Nearly all the pools at casino hotels on the Strip are closed by 6:00pm.

    There were ice chests on the tour bus. I wrapped ice in a bandana cloth and kept it on my head under my hat.

    Still it was pretty hot.

    At one place I stepped into a shaded alcove in the sandstone rocks and the temperature felt so much cooler.

  • bluecat June 8, 2013

    See this show: Absinthe. A filthy, funny Cirque. 🙂

  • Yana K June 8, 2013

    I love your sense of humor. Those student-age memories of betting the last dollar between the three friends are priceless. I have a similar memory that we share between girlfriends sometimes – makes for a good chuckle about those good ole days…

  • Paul June 8, 2013

    Go eat at Lotus of Siam. Worth the wait for sure.

  • Ric Garrido June 11, 2013

    It was seriously hot Saturday in the Las Vegas area.

    Boy Scouts airlifted from Lake Mead as one man dies from heat stroke.

    http://www.nps.gov/lake/parknews/sar-boy-scout.htm

    Temperatures in Las Vegas set records on three consecutive days with a high temperature on Friday June 7 at 109, Saturday June 8 at 112 and a record for the hottest overnight temperature on Sunday June 9 at 84 degrees as the low temperature for the day.

    A story update today on the Lake Mead death states the temperature hit 115 in the canyon where the scouts were hiking. That was the same temperature as Valley of Fire State Park on Saturday, June 8. Death Valley, California hit 123 that day.

    http://www.lakenews.com/News.asp?ID=2AC7421B-E572-44DD-A971-FAF578657A1D&SiteID=NV001

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