DeathValley02 Dante's View You won't see many signs of people down there. Here they face the same problems that all life faces. There's almost no usable water: summer is sizzling hot; saltpan and barren rock make poor places for homes or dens, or sending down roots. In the past, few people managed to survive here continuously. Small bands of desert dwelling Shoshoni Indians, a few hearty prospectors and borax miners moved to higher elevations during the heat of summer. Even today not many people live here all year. The limits of population density are quickly reached in this desert; it's too hot and dry. The resources for abundant life just aren't there.