Death Valley

Mosses are well known for surviving in places that challenge most life, including the Himalayan peaks, the scorching deserts of Death Valley, the Antarctic tundra, and the cooling surfaces of active volcanoes.

At some national parks such as Joshua Tree and Death Valley, it’s been hard to tell the federal government is shut down.

Last time around, one of the park’s winter campgrounds was a “total mess,” a camp host at Death Valley told the ranger.

In California's Death Valley, where summer heat often surpasses 120 degrees Fahrenheit, survival appears almost impossible.

And Landry, whose mansion sits just four miles north of Death Valley, holds sway in that group.