I've been in Death Valley in the summer. (Illegally, as the park is closed to the public for safety reasons.) It can be bad. Very bad, if you're not properly prepared. Hottest damn place on Earth. Officially, 134F/56.7C. A severely down-dropped fault basin subject to horrendous compressional heating.
It's also strikingly beautiful. As is this photograph...
Well done Micalngelo, and yes, Death Valley is not for the faint of heart by any means. I've just ordered some HP5, it appears to be a bit better than Tri-X, and I see you use D76 1:1. Can't wait to try some.