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Author Topic: Death Valley runabout  (Read 9692 times)

Bobby B.

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Death Valley runabout
« on: April 05, 2010, 04:10:29 PM »
Had a friend get married at Death Valley's famed Furnace Creek Inn, so I decided to take a few days and run around a bit.  Met some new people, ran into a wind/sand storm and enjoyed a little solitude and "me" time.

Trip ran seven days and a bit over 800 miles.  Covered the lowest point in the continental U.S. (Badwater at 282 ft. below sea level) and headed out to the highest (Mt. Whitney at 14,505'), but was stopped by closures in the Eastern Sierra.  Overall temps ranged from 90+ to the low30s.  The X ran and did great, but I would caution anyone making solo runs in remote places to make sure their vehicles are in as good a shape as possible.  Breaking down and getting help in some areas is a tough deal, so I spent a little extra time going over everything and making sure the gear is in good shape.

Didn't get to break out the large format camera (too much sand and wind) but got a few snaps.  After spending three days at Furnace Creek and a fourth night to resupply at Stovepipe Wells, I headed for the Racetrack Playa.  Was surprised to find that much of the paths across the valleys have been recently graded and I found I saved much gas by traveling slower across the washboard tracks in 4 low, fourth gear, instead of lugging along in 2 high and second gear.

First camp at the end of the race track, by the Lippencott Mine.

http://img696.imageshack.us/img696/9882/racetrackcamp.jpg
Death Valley runabout


Here's my campmate -- Bub.

http://img20.imageshack.us/img20/720/bubc.jpg
Death Valley runabout


Next morning I dropped down the Lippencott Mine trail into the Saline Valley and too the South Pass north, heading for the springs.  Winds were picking up, as was the dust.  Had hoped to photograph the salt tram and marsh, but sand was getting too much.  Turned in to "Batrock Road" toward the oasis.

http://img86.imageshack.us/img86/6748/signj.jpg
Death Valley runabout


Random sculpture along side the road.

http://img405.imageshack.us/img405/8471/sculpture.jpg
Death Valley runabout


Once I hit the springs, the winds got stronger and the sand started flying.  Relaxed at the springs for a bit, but was then forced to retire to the back of the X for a while.  Got a small break in the winds where I could pitch the tent and strap it to the roof, but winds got back up to 40+, meaning no cooking.  Stayed hunkered down overall for about 14 hours.

http://img693.imageshack.us/img693/954/springscamp.jpg
Death Valley runabout


Next morning I decided to head out via Steel Pass toward Eureka Dunes.  A storm was expected to drop new rain and snow that could make travel in the passes difficult to impassible.  Ran into one couple coming the other way who said it was already raining in the canyon, but I pushed on to beat as much of the weather as possible.  

The path out.

http://img411.imageshack.us/img411/1861/roadouttopass.jpg
Death Valley runabout


Some geology.

http://img28.imageshack.us/img28/5768/somegeology.jpg
Death Valley runabout


Heading toward the canyon pass where the clouds began darkening.  Lots of Joshua Trees in this area.

http://img707.imageshack.us/img707/909/tocanyon.jpg
Death Valley runabout


Steel Pass has three mild stair steps in its midst.  Lots of coloring on the rocks and, if you poke about, ancient petroglyphs.  With the threat of bad weather, I kept moving.  It would take some hiking and climbing to see the good stuff and while I wanted to poke around more, I figured I'll come back another time.  Weather was holding, though.

http://img186.imageshack.us/img186/1867/drop1.jpg
Death Valley runabout


http://img21.imageshack.us/img21/39/drop2s.jpg
Death Valley runabout


http://img195.imageshack.us/img195/3481/drop3.jpg
Death Valley runabout


First sight of dunes with the Eastern Sierra looming.

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/6083/dunessierra.jpg
Death Valley runabout


At Eureka Dunes.  Normally a very nice place to stay, but was starting to get rain on the windshield at this point

http://img97.imageshack.us/img97/5031/dunesq.jpg
Death Valley runabout


Bypassed the dunes in favor of heading to my next stop, Whitney Portal of I-395 at the town of Lone Pine.  On the road out, a quick at-speed shot while driving of the Eastern Sierra overlooking the White Mountains.  Though you could open up a trophy truck on this road, with only 20 psi in the tires I kept it to a more leisurely 50-mph pace.

http://img144.imageshack.us/img144/2600/sierrawhite.jpg
Death Valley runabout


Pulled out on the highway at Big Pine, passing through the part of the Inyo forest that is home to the oldest living things on Earth, the ancient Bristlecone Pines living above 10,000 feet.  Found a campsite below the snow line by a creek and enjoyed a big ol' double cheeseburger.  

The storm had slammed into the Eastern Sierra and stayed there, making the weather really nice the next few days.  The next morning I headed up to Mt. Whitney to play and found this.  Doh!

http://img222.imageshack.us/img222/424/whitneyroad.jpg
Death Valley runabout


Tried a few other, double-top secret ways across the pass (that everyone else knows about too, apparently) but no luck.  Decided to play around in the Alabama Hills, where all kinds of movies have been filmed, from old 20s westerns and Gunga Din to Iron Man.  Lots of places to explore and travel in this area that continues almost all the way up to the Manzanar Internment Camp from the 40s.

http://img268.imageshack.us/img268/2544/rocksn.jpg
Death Valley runabout


Climb up to size up the gap.

http://img101.imageshack.us/img101/9318/gap1b.jpg
Death Valley runabout


Snug fit; rode the sidewalls this and the next spot out.

http://img51.imageshack.us/img51/8284/gap2u.jpg
Death Valley runabout


End of the road.  Aimed out to the highway, picked up some beef jerky and a coke and headed home.

http://img641.imageshack.us/img641/1428/endofroad.jpg
Death Valley runabout


All in all a good trip.  The whole time I kept thinking that it was the first time I ever headed out into the back-country with a suit in my gear.
 
« Last Edit: April 05, 2010, 04:12:19 PM by Bobby B. »
I like sammiches.  And bacon.  Sammiches with bacon.  And chips.  Lots of chips.

XterracerX

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Re: Death Valley runabout
« Reply #1 on: April 05, 2010, 04:56:01 PM »
Awesome journey! Great pics Bobby! Thanks for sharing!
Hope for the best. Prepare for the worst!

FrankB

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Re: Death Valley runabout
« Reply #2 on: April 05, 2010, 05:26:38 PM »
Very nice Bobby. Looks like you had some great scenery. Too bad about the wind . . . but you're probably used to that out there.

Paul

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Re: Death Valley runabout
« Reply #3 on: April 05, 2010, 06:31:44 PM »
Sure is beautiful country up there. I want to hit the northern end of the valley this coming fall - might do a Yosemite/Death Valley trip.
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Soylent Yellow

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Re: Death Valley runabout
« Reply #4 on: April 05, 2010, 06:57:44 PM »
Hey, I know Bub!  Man, he's put on some weight.
I'd rather be happy than right any day.

xtatik

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Re: Death Valley runabout
« Reply #5 on: April 05, 2010, 09:05:18 PM »
Great write-up and pics Bobby,
I'm gonna take minute a here to make a point.... It's something I enjoy about this site and wheeling with some of youz guyz. It's good to see a write-up that doesn't just contain a bunch of "my truck here...my truck there...my truck doing this....my truck doing that" pictures. It's great to see the places and sights along the way rather than the tired truck shots seen in far too many write-ups. Paul, Bobby and Frank have it down.
Hey Bobby, something I forgot to ask you the other day...How readable was the track in the first few miles above the springs? It seems each time I've been through there I end up on a different track until I reach Steele Pass, or maybe i'm just not good at recognizing the landmarks through there. Being an alluvial plain I'm sure it changes a bit from year to year. My GPS never gets it right and it seems I'm always off to the left or right of the mapped track in that area.
Glad you were able to get out buddy!! I've gotta' get back up there, it's been too long.
« Last Edit: April 06, 2010, 01:14:30 PM by xtatik »
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Bobby B.

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Re: Death Valley runabout
« Reply #6 on: April 05, 2010, 09:24:29 PM »
It was a piece of cake, actually.  Remember a few years ago when we came down to the springs that way (in the dark, no less) and were all over the place?  This time, the path was both obvious and marked -- was told by a guy at the springs that the service had gone through there not long ago and layed out new corner rocks and cairns.  The path vs. the wash were easily distinguished and the crossover points were, for the most part, marked.

Now how long that will last is the question.  Probably not the season.

Only section that was a bit unclear was in the center/highpoint of the pass; there is a Y in the path that has no posting.  Where there was once a sign posted saying no vehicle travel, I didn't see a sign and there were tracks leading off.  I still had waypoints in the gps showing a few spots I had picked out from the last trip indicating direction, so it wasn't a problem.  This was the place that -- I think -- was the spot to hike to the marble bathtub.  (I could be wrong on that.)  If you're heading to the dunes, stay left;  heading in, stay right.
I like sammiches.  And bacon.  Sammiches with bacon.  And chips.  Lots of chips.

 


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