Michal C Posted March 20, 2014 Report Share Posted March 20, 2014 Sounds good for me. I will still be arriving Saturday mid day. As this is my first DV trip could you let me know whether we will be able to purchase food/water/fuel sometime during the trip as I don't know how much provisions I actually need to bring with me (water being the main issue). Thanks Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertcrawler Posted March 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 20, 2014 Michal; That sounds good. For a family of "4" -- I'd recommend 2 5 gallon water containers, plus 1 5 gallon can of extra gas. We also bring lots of water bottles/soda/etc. in a big cooler. There is water available along the trail just about every day -- it is potable if boiled. As I plan out our routes this weekend, I'm planning on the assumption that everyone will have the 5 gallons of extra gas along -- usually and there will be one or two gas stops along the way. You'll quickly see the only places we can get gas based on where we are going are Shoshone, Trona, and Panamint Valley. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertcrawler Posted March 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 I updated the trip schedule. We will be leaving Bay Area early Friday morning, right now planning on driving to Baker where we will overnight, gas up. If we make it earlier, we may head in to Ruperts Camp. Will need to figure out where they are staying though -- don't want to get lost in the dark! Post up if your status has changed -- still waiting on a couple confirmations.... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michal C Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 I updated the trip schedule. We will be leaving Bay Area early Friday morning, right now planning on driving to Baker where we will overnight, gas up. If we make it earlier, we may head in to Ruperts Camp. Will need to figure out where they are staying though -- don't want to get lost in the dark! Post up if your status has changed -- still waiting on a couple confirmations.... Hi Chuck, Sounds good with me. I should be leaving the Bay Area around noon on Friday and thus should make it to Mojave city around 8pm. I may want to get a motel there and then head to DV or, if I feel adventurous, I may drive all the way. Could you give me the exact coordinates for the camp site (Is it an established camp?) If I decide to stay overnight before heading to DV what is your schedule for Saturday (when do you plan on leaving the camp in the morning?) I would love to catch up with you before you guys hit the trail and thus my questions. Thanks a lot for organizing it! Best, Michal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michal C Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 I updated the trip schedule. We will be leaving Bay Area early Friday morning, right now planning on driving to Baker where we will overnight, gas up. If we make it earlier, we may head in to Ruperts Camp. Will need to figure out where they are staying though -- don't want to get lost in the dark! Post up if your status has changed -- still waiting on a couple confirmations.... Chuck, Thanks for answering! I am also planning on taking my dog with me (very gentle golden retriever). Do you think it is ok to take the dog on this trip? I am afraid about the extreme heat (don't really know the temp ranges for DV in end of April). Best, Michal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertcrawler Posted March 24, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 Hi Michal; I think the dog should be OK -- but there are rules about keeping them on the leash in the park. Why I am not exactly sure. Should not be a real issue. I would plan on temp extremes from 30' to 110' -- that is what we ran into last year. I know that isn't much help....but I'd guess the heat won't be that bad. Check out the historical weather here: http://weather-warehouse.com/WeatherHistory/PastWeatherData_DeathValley_DeathValley_CA_April.html but realize we will be going to areas that may still be snow covered (8000 feet up) and it could dip down to 30' at night. I would prefer us to head into the park together, if possible. The first nights camp is not yet determined. We are trying to get a spot that is pretty remote but very cool. I'd prefer not to camp at Dumont Dunes, since we will have to pay a fee and will also be surrounded by a lot of crazies on ATV's. But that is a backup. I'm hoping we will be able to post or text out the coordinates once our campsite is confirmed -- and I should have good direcitons to it. That said -- heading in together is still preferred. The road we are camping off of is the same one where a nurse from Las Vegas got stranded one weekend and tragically lost her son due to heat prostration. So we need to plan carefully -- and make sure everyone knows where everyone is at...don't want to leave anyone behind! Do you have HAM radio or CB radio on your rig? I will be setting up a call (conference call) for all trip participants once I figure out who is actually confirmed. In the meantime - keep posting up questions and I'll do my best to answer. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michal C Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 Hi Michal; I think the dog should be OK -- but there are rules about keeping them on the leash in the park. Why I am not exactly sure. Should not be a real issue. I would plan on temp extremes from 30' to 110' -- that is what we ran into last year. I know that isn't much help....but I'd guess the heat won't be that bad. Check out the historical weather here: http://weather-warehouse.com/WeatherHistory/PastWeatherData_DeathValley_DeathValley_CA_April.html but realize we will be going to areas that may still be snow covered (8000 feet up) and it could dip down to 30' at night. I would prefer us to head into the park together, if possible. The first nights camp is not yet determined. We are trying to get a spot that is pretty remote but very cool. I'd prefer not to camp at Dumont Dunes, since we will have to pay a fee and will also be surrounded by a lot of crazies on ATV's. But that is a backup. I'm hoping we will be able to post or text out the coordinates once our campsite is confirmed -- and I should have good direcitons to it. That said -- heading in together is still preferred. The road we are camping off of is the same one where a nurse from Las Vegas got stranded one weekend and tragically lost her son due to heat prostration. So we need to plan carefully -- and make sure everyone knows where everyone is at...don't want to leave anyone behind! Do you have HAM radio or CB radio on your rig? I will be setting up a call (conference call) for all trip participants once I figure out who is actually confirmed. In the meantime - keep posting up questions and I'll do my best to answer. Hi Chuck, Thanks a lot for answering my questions. I do have both HAM and CB radio. I am still on the fence whether I should take my dog with me (might be a last minute decision). As for the rally point, I agree that we should all enter the park together. I should be leaving the Bay Area around noon and thus with 8-10hrs of driving I should get there by 10pm. That being said, I think we should have a plan B for early Saturday in case "stuff" happens. Traffic can sometimes be a problem and also I don't know how we would find eachother in the dark if we are not planning on using established camp sites (that being said, I am a huge fan of non-established camp sites and thus I am with you on finding a remote spot - maybe we could look at google maps and determine a spot off the highway and lock in GPS coordinates?). I presume that regarding food I should plan on taking all the food with me and that we will not be having any stop overs at roadside diners etc.? I will take 5 gallons of drinkable water / 10 gallons of brown water (washing/cooking) / 10 gallons of fuel (I have an LR4 and thus my range is quite limited) and food for the whole week. I also have a portable grill that fits on my spare tire (we could all use it for grilling over campfire). I will also take wood for one night. Am I missing anything? Best, Michal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROVRMAN2 Posted March 24, 2014 Report Share Posted March 24, 2014 Chuck,Trip DV 1a for prior week, Dan has prior commitment, Dave is still possible. No solid commitments as yet.Again trip will be a modified reverse of yours. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROVRMAN2 Posted March 25, 2014 Report Share Posted March 25, 2014 SPOT has "deal" on satellite phones now. Still expensive..... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertcrawler Posted March 26, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 26, 2014 We plan on hooking up with Lizzybus for the second part of the trip. Should be a blast! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertcrawler Posted March 28, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 28, 2014 Getting closer 0 here is where we are at from a participant perspective.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertcrawler Posted March 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2014 Post has been updated with the trip details (see the attached PDF and the GPX file for routes). So far, there are only 4 vehicles confirmed -- if you are still on the pending list now is the time for you to get off the fence and commit! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertcrawler Posted March 30, 2014 Author Report Share Posted March 30, 2014 Dhappel is OUT. Also, I did speak to the owners of Cerro Gordo -- rooms (primitive, no water) are available for $50 per night in the old bunkhouse. There is also apparently a two story house that can be rented. Right now, the Swansea loop can't be run (still snow) -- but they expect that in the next few weeks it will open back up after a little more sun hits the trail. I'd suggest that everybody bring a shovel - I'll also bring my tire chains in case we need to "break trail" a bit in order to plow through a few drifts. If you look at the trip plan, you'll see that we are doing the "loop" the difficult way -- depending on conditions, we may end up running it the opposite way if needed. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertcrawler Posted April 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 Bad news -- the early trip (Death Valley) is being cancelled. But the good news is that the trip leader (Rupert) is now confirmed to join us on our trip. He will be meeting us mid-way (most likely at Briggs/Minnietta/Osborne) on Tuesday for the back half of the trip. Attendee list updated... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ROVRMAN2 Posted April 1, 2014 Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 "5. Rupert (dragging an offroad trailer)" Hey, don't knock my "RV" it's my:1) upper end mobile homeless shelter2) Alaska Last Frontier cheapskate RV Prepping for AK in June. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertcrawler Posted April 1, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 1, 2014 "5. Rupert (dragging an offroad trailer)" Hey, don't knock my "RV" it's my:1) upper end mobile homeless shelter2) Alaska Last Frontier cheapskate RV Prepping for AK in June. And the source for our firewood for our blazing bonfires during the cold nights in Panamint and at the 9000 foot level in Cerro Gordo... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michal C Posted April 8, 2014 Report Share Posted April 8, 2014 Getting closer 0 here is where we are at from a participant perspective.. Hi Chuck - just fyi I do have both HAM and CB. I also have Delorme InReach SE sat messaging device and thus we will be able to send text messages to regular cellphones or other inreach devices. Let me know if you are scheduling a conf call before the trip. Best, Michal Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertcrawler Posted April 9, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 Hi Chuck - just fyi I do have both HAM and CB. I also have Delorme InReach SE sat messaging device and thus we will be able to send text messages to regular cellphones or other inreach devices. Let me know if you are scheduling a conf call before the trip. Best, Michal Sounds good! Just to confirm -- you are coming solo, correct? I will set some time up for us to talk through.. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TomOwen Posted April 9, 2014 Report Share Posted April 9, 2014 We plan on hooking up with Lizzybus for the second part of the trip. Should be a blast! THIS IS SO COOL!!!!! Have fun! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michal C Posted April 10, 2014 Report Share Posted April 10, 2014 Sounds good! Just to confirm -- you are coming solo, correct? I will set some time up for us to talk through.. Coming solo (no wife/ no daughter / no puppy) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertcrawler Posted April 11, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 11, 2014 Confirmed participants - I just sent out a PM (I think just Michal and Rupert on this forum). Want to get emails, contact info. Also am thinking about a conference call on my 800 dial in this SUNDAY NIGHT at 8pm. Walk thru the PPT, talk about menu planning, other trip logistics like camp fees for Cerro Gordo, etc. Trying to see if I can get the Lizzbus on the call too or not. Let me know if that works... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertcrawler Posted April 13, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 13, 2014 Spoke to Gordon at Cerro Gordo. Sounds like the White Talc Road approach to Cerro Gordo is open -- there have been a couple groups through this year already. Additionally, the Swansea loop has been run as well, but reports are it is "challenging". Might require vehicles with lockers, or a tug for those without. We'll bring plenty of recovery gear and have some fun. There is a shelf road that is apparently a bit challenging, especially under wet conditions. As of today, the temperature at 9200' was a balmy 54' and sunny, with not a lot of wind. There is a house (will sleep 4) that can be rented for $100 per night. And a bunkhouse (sleeps up to 8) with rooms that go for $50 each. If we just camp there - he asks for a donations of $20 per night per vehicle. Figure that's a worthy contribution, given the town that he's trying to maintain and restore for posterity to enjoy Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michal C Posted April 14, 2014 Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 Spoke to Gordon at Cerro Gordo. Sounds like the White Talc Road approach to Cerro Gordo is open -- there have been a couple groups through this year already. Additionally, the Swansea loop has been run as well, but reports are it is "challenging". Might require vehicles with lockers, or a tug for those without. We'll bring plenty of recovery gear and have some fun. There is a shelf road that is apparently a bit challenging, especially under wet conditions. As of today, the temperature at 9200' was a balmy 54' and sunny, with not a lot of wind. There is a house (will sleep 4) that can be rented for $100 per night. And a bunkhouse (sleeps up to 8) with rooms that go for $50 each. If we just camp there - he asks for a donations of $20 per night per vehicle. Figure that's a worthy contribution, given the town that he's trying to maintain and restore for posterity to enjoy Both options sound good to me. I will follow what the groups decides. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Michal C Posted April 14, 2014 Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 Confirmed participants - I just sent out a PM (I think just Michal and Rupert on this forum). Want to get emails, contact info. Also am thinking about a conference call on my 800 dial in this SUNDAY NIGHT at 8pm. Walk thru the PPT, talk about menu planning, other trip logistics like camp fees for Cerro Gordo, etc. Trying to see if I can get the Lizzbus on the call too or not. Let me know if that works... Chuck - are we having the call tonight ? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Desertcrawler Posted April 14, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 14, 2014 No call but spoke with Michal and also facebooked Lizzybus. Have phone numbers for all but Sean and Bill .. I think they are out for this trip. will be sending text when we leave for baker. Look for lizzy on road they are driving down from sf bay Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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