Ukuphila EDeath Valley
NGO-1848 kwatholakala igolide ngaseSacramento, eCalifornia, e-U.S.A. Ngonyaka owalandela, kwase kutheleke abafuni bengcebo abangaba ngu-80 000 kulesi sifundazwe benethemba lokuthola umcebo. Ngo-December 25, 1849, iqembu elithile, elaliyingxenye yodwendwe lwezinqola ezingaba yikhulu ezazisuka entshonalanga eSalt Lake City, lafika endaweni manje eyaziwa ngokuthi iDeath Valley. Lalicabanga ukuthi lesi sigodi esomile eduze komngcele weCalifornia neNevada sasiyindlela yokunqamulela.
Lesi sigodi sasipholile ngaleso sikhathi sonyaka, kodwa indawo yona yayesabeka. Leli qembu lahlukana laba amaqoqo ambalwa, ngalinye lathatha indlela ehlukile. Elinye iqoqo, elalihlanganisa abesifazane nezingane, lazama ukuthola indlela yokuphuma kulesi sigodi ngokunqamula ezintabeni liye entshonalanga, kodwa lehluleka. Likhathele futhi lingenakho ukudla, lakanisa emthonjeni eduze kwendawo manje okuthiwa iFurnace Creek, labe selidlulela emthonjeni kamuva owabizwa ngokuthi iBennett’s Well. Izinsizwa ezimbili ezineminyaka engu-20 ubudala, uWilliam Manly noJohn Rogers, zahamba zisuka lapho zayofuna usizo. Abanye basala.
UManly noRogers babenethemba lokufika edolobheni laseLos Angeles ngemva nje kwezinsukwana. Kodwa babengazi ukuthi leli dolobha laliqhele ngamakhilomitha angaba ngu-300 ngaseningizimu-ntshonalanga. Ngemva kokuhamba cishe amasonto amabili, bafika eSan Fernando Valley, enyakatho yaleli dolobha. Lapho, bathola ukudla futhi ngokushesha balibangisa emuva.
Lapho befika ekamu ngemva kwezinsuku ezingu-25 behambile, kwakungekho zimpawu zokuphila. UManly wakhipha isibhamu wadubula emoyeni, kwathushuka indoda ngaphansi kwenqola. Kamuva uManly wabhala: “Yaphakamisa izandla yamemeza—‘Abafana sebefikile. Abafana sebefikile!’” Nabanye baqhamuka, bengazi nokuthi bathini ngenxa yokuthinteka ngokomzwelo. Ngenxa kaManly noRogers, bonke basinda ngaphandle kwendoda eyodwa—eyashiya ikamu yazama ukuphuma kulesi sigodi iyodwa. Njengoba leli qembu lezifiki lisuka kule ndawo, kubikwa ukuthi owesifazane othile waphenduka wathi, ‘Good-bye, Death Valley! [‘Usale kahle, Sigodi Sokufa!’]’ Futhi lelo kwaba igama layo.
Izwe Elinesimo Sezulu Esingabekezeleleki
IDeath Valley—engaba amakhilomitha angu-225 ubude namakhilomitha angu-8 kuya kwangu-24 ububanzi—iyisigodi esomile nesishisa kunazo zonke eNyakatho Melika. EFurnace Creek kuye kwaqoshwa izinga lokushisa elingu-57°C., kanti ukushisa kwenhlabathi kuye kwafinyelela izinga elingu-94°C.—okungu-6°C. ngaphansi kwezinga lokushisa elenza amanzi abile!a
Lapha, kuna imvula engaphansi kwamasentimitha amahlanu ngonyaka, futhi ngeminye iminyaka ayibi khona nhlobo. Indawo ephansi kunazo zonke eNtshonalanga Nenkabazwe—engamamitha angu-86 ngaphansi kwezinga lolwandle—itholakala kulesi sigodi eduze kwechibi laseBadwater elinamanzi anosawoti. Ebangeni nje elingamakhilomitha angu-140 kuneNtaba iWhitney—indawo ephakeme kunazo zonke e-United States engaphandle kwase-Alaska.
Ngo-1850, kwase kutholakale ingcosana yegolide kulesi sigodi eSalt Spring. Abembi bathola nesiliva, ithusi kanye nomthofu kule ndawo. Kwaqhibuka amadolobhana ezimayini anamagama athakazelisayo, njengeBullfrog, Greenwater, Rhyolite neSkidoo. Kodwa lapho le mikhiqizo esansimbi iphela, la madolobha ayechuma asala ekhala ibhungane. Kodwa ngo-1880, kwatholakala i-borax eDeath Valley—ikhemikhali esazinhlayiya ezimhlophe esetshenziswa ekwenzeni insipho neminye imikhiqizo—okwaqala inkathi yokumba ephumelela kunazo zonke emlandweni walesi sigodi. Kwaze kwaba ngo-1888 amaqembu ezinqola ezingamamitha amahlanu ubude ezazidonswa iminyuzi engu-18 namahhashi amabili, ehamba ibanga elingakhilomitha angu-270 ethwala i-borax eyiyisa edolobhaneni laseMojave. Kodwa kusukela ngo-June kuya ku-September, kwakungathuthwa lutho; kwakunzima kubantu nezilwane ukubekezelela ukushisa.
IDeath Valley yakhethwa njengendawo kahulumeni yokulondoloza imvelo ngo-1933. Imingcele yayo yaqhubeka yandiswa yaze yahlanganisa amahektare ayizigidi ezingu-1,3. Ngo-1994, le ndawo yabizwa ngokuthi iDeath Valley National Park—indawo kahulumeni yokulondoloza imvelo enkulu kunazo zonke ezwekazini lase-United States.
Kunentilibathwa Yezinto Eziphilayo EDeath Valley
Bekungaqondakala uma umuntu ebecabanga ukuthi akukho okuphilayo eDeath Valley. Kodwa kunamakhulu ezinhlobo zezilwane ezivakashayo noma ezihlala khona, eziningi eziphuma ebusuku ngenxa yokushisa. Izilwane ezinkulu ezincelisayo yizimvu zasogwadule ezinezimpondo ezinkulu, ezivame ukwehlela kulesi sigodi zisuka ezintabeni eziseduze. Ezinye izilwane zihlanganisa izinsele, amalulwane, izimbodla, izimpisi, izimpungushe, amagundane ohlobo lwe-kangaroo, ama-puma, izingungumbane, onogwaja, amaqaqa, izimbongolo zasendle, izibankwa, izinyoka nezimfudu. Izinyoni zihlanganisa ama-coot, oklebe, izindwandwe, izigwaca, amagwababa, ama-sandpiper, amanqe, kanye nenqwaba yezinye izinhlobo.
Phakathi kwalezi zilwane, amagundane ohlobo lwe-kangaroo yiwo anamandla kakhulu. Angahlala konke ukuphila kwawo ngaphandle kokuphuza ngisho neconsi lamanzi! Incwadi ethile ithi: “Wonke amanzi awadingayo ukuze aqhubeke ephila akheka ngaphakathi emizimbeni ngenxa yesitashi namafutha ezinhlamvu ezomile azidlayo.” Futhi izinso zawo zikwazi ukwenza umchamo ujiye izikhathi eziphindwe kahlanu kunezinso zomuntu. La magundane amancane, ahlala emgodini, abalekela ukushisa okukhulu kwasemini ngokufuna ukudla ebusuku.
Kunezinhlobo zezimila ezingaphezu kwenkulungwane ezitholakala kulesi sigodi. AmaShoshone, okungamaNdiya aseneminyaka engaphezu kwenkulungwane ehlala lapho, ayezisebenzisa izimila zendawo njengokudla futhi ethola kuzo izinto zokwenza izitsha. Athi uma wazi ukuthi yini oyifunayo, kuningi ukudla ongakuthola eDeath Valley.
Lapho Ugwadule Luqhakaza
Ngezikhathi ezithile, iDeath Valley iba nezimbali ezinhle kakhulu eziwumbukwane. Lezi zimbali ziqhakaza ngenxa yezinhlamvu eziningi eziwela enhlabathini—ngezinye izikhathi zihlale kuze kuphele amashumi eminyaka—zilinde nje inhlanganisela efanele yemvula nezinga lokushisa ukuze ziqhume. Isazi sezitshalo eNational Park Service uTim Croissant sithi: “Kuye kuphele iminyaka eminingi singaboni lutho oluqhakazayo.”
Kodwa ebusika buka-2004/2005, iDeath Valley yathola imvula eyaqopha umlando—ephindwe kathathu kunokuvamile. Ngenxa yalokho, kwaqhakaza izinhlobo zezimbali zasendle ezingaphezu kwezingu-50, kuhlanganise ama-larkspur, ama-lilac, ama-orchid, ama-poppy, ama-primrose, ubhekilanga, kanye nama-verbena. Esinye isivakashi sathi lesi sigodi sasinephunga lasesitolo sezimbali. Njengoba kulindelekile, ukuqhakaza kwezimbali kubiza izinyosi nezinye izinambuzane. Ngakho lapho iDeath Valley iqhakaza, kuye kubhuze nezinambuzane eziningi ezingenakubalwa.
Uma unquma ukuvakashela lesi sigodi esinesimo sezulu eseqisayo, qiniseka ukuthi unemoto enokwethenjelwa namathantala amanzi. Futhi uma ufika ngesikhathi sokufika kwezinyosi, kungaba kuhle ukuba uphathe nekhamera. Umndeni nabangane ekhaya bayomangala lapho bezwa ukuthi ziningi kangakanani izinto eziphilayo ezichumayo lapha eDeath Valley.
[Umbhalo waphansi]
a Izinga lokushisa elisaqophe umlando elingu-58°C., futhi labikwa eLibya ngo-1922. Nokho, uma kubhekwa wonke amazinga okushisa asehlobo, kubonakala sengathi iDeath Valley iyindawo eshisa kunazo zonke emhlabeni.
[Amazwi acashunwe esihlokweni ekhasini 15]
Isigodi esomile nesishisa kunazo zonke eNyakatho Melika
[Ibhokisi/Izithombe ekhasini 17]
Izinhlanzi Ogwadule!
Kunezinhlobo ezine zenhlanzi encane emangalisayo okuthiwa i-desert pupfish emiseleni nasemachibini aseDeath Valley. Ebusika le nhlanzi engamasentimitha ayisithupha enombala ocwebezelayo ihlala inganyakazi ngaphansi odakeni emiseleni nasemachibini aqhelelene. Kodwa lapho ilanga lasentwasahlobo lifudumeza imisele namachibi, iyaphuma izale. Amaduna abe eseshintsha umbala wawo ube luhlaza ngokukhanyayo futhi avikele indawo yawo kwamanye amaduna ngokukhulu ukuzimisela. Kodwa ngokushesha ilanga lasehlobo elikhiph’ umkhovu etsheni lishisa amaningi alawo manzi, bese ama-pupfish efa ngobuningi. Lawo asindayo aphila emanzini agcwala usawoti kakhulu futhi angase afinyelele ezingeni lokushisa elingu-44°C.
[Imithombo]
Top fish: © Neil Mishalov—www.mishalov.com; bottom fish: Donald W. Sada, Desert Research Institute
[Amabalazwe ekhasini 14]
(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)
United States of America
California
Death Valley National Park California
[Imithombo Yesithombe ekhasini 15]
Mules: Courtesy of The Bancroft Library/University of California, Berkeley
[Imithombo Yesithombe ekhasini 16]
Burros: ©Joseph C. Dovala/age fotostock; top panorama: © Neil Mishalov—www.mishalov.com; flowers: Photo by David McNew/Getty Images