For as long as I can remember, I’ve wanted to stand in Death Valley during the heat of the summer. I don’t know why I had this obsession – I’m not exactly a daredevil or extremist. Nevertheless, it was on my bucket list. I was lucky enough to take a backpacking trip out west just a few weeks ago in late July, which proved to be the perfect time to visit. It would be HOT! Since we would be on a tight schedule, we wouldn’t be able to do much more…