Death Valley National Park Asks Visitors to Stop Egg-Cooking Stunts

Death Valley National Park just celebrated the 100th anniversary of the world’s hottest day ever recorded (134 degrees F). With recent temperatures nearly matching that record, visitors have allegedly been descending on the park to try frying eggs in the heat, including directly on the sidewalks and rocks, prompting the park staff to take to Facebook to ask visitors to stop.  The trend apparently started after a park employee fried an egg inside a covered skillet in a video posted to YouTube on June 29. Several visitors attempted to imitate the video in the days that followed, though not all of them were as careful or considerate of maintenance staff.  “An employee’s posting of frying an egg in a pan in Death Valley was intended to demonstrate how hot it can get here, with the recommendation that if you do this, use a pan or tin foil and properly dispose of the contents,” the park staff wrote. “However, the Death Valley NP maintenance crew has been busy cleaning up eggs cracked directly on the sidewalk, including egg cartons and shells strewn across the parking lot.”  “This is your national park,” they continued. “Please put trash in the garbage or recycle bins provided and don’t crack eggs on the sidewalks…”  Photo courtesy of Death Valley National Park.