IPAC Astronomer takes on Death Valley in the Death Valley Express

"Badwater" Bill in Death Valley Express I.

Thursday, July 28th, 2011 • Feature • ipac2011-021

On August 8, 2011 IPAC astronomer Bill Latter will live a dream by attempting, for the second time, a grand journey and a great challenge - both physically and mentally.

Can you imagine running and walking a marathon (26.2 miles)? Maybe you have achieved that grand goal yourself. What about five consecutive marathons without stopping? How about we throw in 13,000 feet of vertical ascent during those five marathons? And there’s more.

This year Bill will be traveling the Badwater 135 Ultramarathon course on foot. This is a trek from Badwater Basin in Death Valley to the Mt. Whitney Portals above Owens Valley – a distance of 135 miles with extreme heat and 13,000 feet of ascent.

What Bill is attempting is unusual, but not unique. There is a race each summer that covers the same route Bill will be taking. Yet, there remain a relative handful of individuals who have completed the distance, and even fewer who have done so solo – outside of the race – as Bill is attempting. The course for this journey starts at the lowest point in the Western Hemisphere in Death Valley - during the height of summer with temperatures averaging about 120 degrees F. We would say it is cooler in the shade, but there is no shade!

This is an ultimate challenge for Bill. This is his Mt. Everest, his walk on the moon.

Bill is the only astronomer to have completed this arduous journey, and he is going back for more, earning him the nickname “Badwater” Bill. Yet, Bill is an unlikely person to take on Death Valley in this way. Who is “Badwater” Bill?

William B. Latter regularly runs and races long distances, having done numerous marathons and ultra-marathon distance runs. The numbers on a clock do not drive him; for Bill running is a metaphor of life – one he wishes to experience to the fullest. Bill is faced with a huge physical challenge. He has been on the long recovery road from a back injury that always threatens to end his distance running and walking entirely and forever. For now he walks. He walks long, long distances.

Bill is also Deputy Director and Project Scientist for the NASA Herschel Science Center at IPAC. In his day-to-day job, he oversees the support for the US-based community in its use of the Herschel Space Telescope, a project of the European Space Agency with significant contributions from NASA.

IPAC staff plan an important role in Bill’s quest for a second crossing of Death Valley. The five person crew who will make sure Bill is watered and fed is made of IPAC scientists and their families.

Bernhard Schulz and Yi Mei both also work at the NASA Herschel Science Center. Yi Mei’s husband, Michael Cao will assist, as will Nancy Silbermann of IPAC’s Spitzer Science Center. Deborah Levine is Crew Chief and works for IPAC’s NASA Exoplanet Science Institute. Deborah also happens to be Bill’s wife.

So, perhaps we can now ask the question, “How many PhD’s does it take to get one more across the desert?” Well, apparently that number is five!

We are not talking about an average adventure here. This is Death Valley. It is called that for a reason. This crossing is hard, and there are risks. Through hard training and careful planning, those risks are minimized.

Still, completing the journey is not a sure thing. Last year Bill experienced extreme dehydration, severe blisters, and infection in his quest to make it to the Mt. Whitney Portals. Crossing Death Valley to Mt. Whitney is truly testing the limits of human endurance, mentally and physically, and sometimes these adventurers find those limits.

“Badwater” Bill and his crew are reporting his progress leading up to and during the Death Valley Express II, the name he has given to his crossings of Death Valley, at the event blog: http://badwaterbill.blogspot.com. Go there to see what has been on Bill’s mind as he prepares for this mind boggling journey. During the event, which starts August 8^th, 2011, Bill’s late brother’s birthday, the blog will be updated with tracking information and how Bill is doing.

Bill’s motivation is elevated through the Death Valley Express’ support of two charities important to Bill: Livestrong and The Dick Beardsley Foundation. Learn more about these charities and why they are supported by the Death Valley Express here: http://web.me.com/wlatter/Latters_Place/DVE_II_Fundraising_Page.html and through the event blog page.

A quote from Tennyson is a single, powerful description of how Bill feels about his journey, “To strive, to seek, to find, and not to yield.”

With that, as Bill would say, "Onward!"