Death Valley April 8th to 15th

[Teds]

Come explore Death Valley in April from the 8th to the 15th! Chuck (Desertcrawler) is also planning a trip the week after, but my kid's spring break dictated my schedule. We will be rendezvousing with his group at the Gold Point ghost town just outside of Death Valley the end of our week. I will be limiting the trip to 8 trucks due to park restrictions and mobliity. The terrain in Death Valley is not technically too difficult and  modern rovers with good tires should be sufficient. We will be exploring the backcountry and dry camping so be prepared to bring all essentials with plenty of water, food, gas etc. 90 percent of the trip will be off pavement. Death Valley is a place of extremes... one trip, we changed a tire in 100 degree weather and it snowed on us 2 days later! Come prepared!

 

Confirmed:

Ted, Ella(10), JT(8), Liam(7) - P38, lifted, 33 inch tires, winch

Nick, Brooklyn (4) - RRC lifted, 35s, winch (thru Wed)

Alan, Jill, Maeve (11) - LR4

 

 

Plans for this trip will be to explore the north and western areas of the park. Tentative itinerary:

 

Fri - drive to Big Pine and Bristlecone Motel

Sat - Start in Big Pine - Eureka Dunes - Steele pass - hot springs - camp

Sun - Marble bath - Lippincott grade - racetrack - tea kettle junction - hunter mountain - boxcar cabin - camp

Mon - Darwin falls - Panamint springs (gas/shower) - minnieta mine cabin - defense mine - camp

(2 days here - day trip to charcoal kilns/ballarat/hiking or lookout city)

Wed - Ballast - Barker ranch (Manson) - Mengel pass - striped butte valley/cabin- camp

Thurs - warm springs - badwater – Furnace Creek (gas) â€“  Dante's point - Inyo canyon - camp

Friday - Ubehebe crater - Gold Point camp - meet up with NCLR

Saturday/Sunday - hang in Gold Point with NCLR - explore area/castle/ head home

 

Please let me know if you are interested in attending. More details to follow.

 

http://www.speichers.com/pictures/dv2012/dv12_d1_descent_suttle.jpg

[DHappel]

I put it up on the calendar for you.

[Gotrovr]

I need to skip this event.  Work and family events scheduled are in conflict with this time line.  At best, I can catch up with Chuck's group Monday at Saline Springs

[Teds]

Sorry you can't make it Will.

 

Planning our route. We will be exploring the backcountry on corrugated and dirt roads, so the pace will be slow. With a small group, we should be more mobile ad able to cover ground though.

 

Day 1

Big Pine to Eureka Dunes : 46.1 miles, (Google estimate 2hrs 6 min) Stop at dunes to explore and hopefully see some military aircraft, lunch.

Eureka Dunes to Warm Spring: 29 miles. We go thru Steele pass, minor obstacle and continue on to find Marble Bath. Please bring some blue marbles! continue on to the Warm Springs an area of natural hot springs. Camp here overnight away from some of the 'wildlife'. Winds can pick up overnight so be prepared.

 

Day 2

Warm Springs to Lippincott grade 19.7 miles. Corrugated road flat. Will explore and see old salt tram on the way. Lippincott is steep and narrow but maintained. ove the top of Lippincott, we stop at the Racetrack, a bizarre dry lake bed with mysteriously moving rocks. Lunch

 

Racetrack to Teakettle Junction - 9.5 miles. Leave a decorated teakettle on the signpost

Teakettle to Boxcar cabin - 27.3 miles. will explore Lost Burro mine along the way and climb into the mountains changing from desert floor to alpine climates. Before Lee Flat, a big Joshua tree forest, we will spend the night near Boxcar cabin if it is not occupied.

[Teds]

Day 3

Boxcar cabin to Darwin Falls - 19.9 miles

Drop down through Lee Flat, a Joshua tree forest and hit pavement for 10 miles or so on our way to Darwin Falls, a natural spring I have not visited yet.

 

Darwin Falls to Panamint springs - 2.4 miles. Gas up in civilization and can take a shower at the campground, Lunch at the restaurant if inclined.

 

Panamint Springs to Minnietta mine/cabin - 12 miles. We will continue on pavement for a few more miles and turn back out of Death Valley proper into Panamint Valley to another BLM cabin to camp. Dry toilet and firepits. Depending on he time of day we arrive, we can attempt Defense mine, a more challenging trail with a 'safe' mine at the top.

 

Day 4 - Minnieta Mine to Thorndike campground - 27 miles. Charcoal kilns are a famous site in DV that I have not seen yet. Up the road at 7400 feet is Thorndike campground accessible with 4x4 and most likely not crowded. My only concern at this elevation is how cold it will be at night. There is ample hiking in the area and another campground at 8400 feet we can check out.

[Teds]

Day 5

Thorndike to Ballarat 34 miles - mostly pavement to visit this famous backcontry town and Rocky who runs it. Grab a cold Coke and keep heading south

Ballarat to Barker Ranch 17 miles - back on dirt, we will go through Goler wash, which is now just a graded incline and head to Barker Ranch made famous by Charles Manson when he was captured here 40+ years ago.

Barker Ranch to Striped Butte Valley - 6 miles - descending Mengel pass can be challenging and will require low range. The trail then opens up into Striped Butte Valley where there are 3 maintained cabins for us to visit. Hoping one of them is vacant for us to stay nearby.

 

Day 6

Striped Butte to Warm Springs (different spring) - 11.4 miles - Warm springs is an abandoned resort where we will hike up the canyon less than a mile to where the spring emerges from the rocks and take a dip. This is also the place I broke down 2 years ago with a busted radiator.

Warm Springs to BadWater - 36.5 miles - visit the lowest point in North America. We will have to air up as this will be pavement for awhile

Badwater to Furnace Creek - 17.3 miles - back to civilization in Furnace Creek. Gas up and grab a ice cream while we are here.

Furnace Creek to Chloride Cliffs - 23 miles - explore the ghost town of Chloride cliffs dating back to the 1870s. Hoping to find some camping in the area.

 

Day 7

Chloride Cliffs to Titus Canyon - 7.1 mile - tour one-way Titus canyon as it cuts through the cliff

Titus Canyon to Gold Point - about 55 miles partial pavement - Scotty's Castle is still closed so we will head to Gold Point. Can do a side trip to Ubehebe crater if inclined.

Meet up with Chuck's group Friday and Saturday

 

Gold Point is a cool ghost town run by Sheriff Stone. We will discuss with him cooking dinner and/or breakfast for us. Cabins are available for rent and showers are available as well as gas if needed.

 

Day 8/9 hang out in Gold Point area with NCLR folks or head home!

[Desertcrawler]

I like it! I did speak with the Sherrif - town will be open. People can camp with showers -- or stay in a cabin. Sunday is Easter Sunday - some of our group are going to early morning services - and then Sunday afternoon we will be touring Hard Luck Castle - rumour has it the organ has been installed. We will need to give counts for breakfast and dinner.

 

He also takes ONLY CASH. So bring lots of it if you plan on paying for a cabin or drinking at the bar. I'll post up more details over on my thread once I get time to document them.

 

If I could suggest a couple adds to your itinerary - you should try and hit Lost Burro mine - it isn't far out of your way as you head to BoxCar.

 

Also it is worth stopping at Bev Hunters cabin - it is a good break stop and may even have a restroom off of the trail along Hunter Springs. I can give you coordinates for both if you need em.

[Teds]

This itinerary is flexible depending on how much ground we cover each day. We may want to change/combine Day 4 and 5 and camp at Thorndike two nights instead of Minnieta mine. This can give us some rest and allow for day hiking. We might come across some snow, so I don't think we will be able to hike to the top of Telescope peak at 11,043 which is accessible just up the road from the campgrounds. Its one of the highest peaks in the US (34) and 7th most prominent peak in the US.  I will be monitoring conditions over the next month. It will be much cooler in the mountains

 

Vehicle Prep:

Every must have a truck in good running condition. Please check it over and be current with all maintenance concerns. Bring necessary spares/fluids and 5 gallons of gas is recommended. All terrain tires or better are highly recommended. We won't be doing any technical rock crawling, so a stock rover should be plenty capable. Sliders and armor for protection is recommended for Mengel pass. Video of NCLR going down here: https://vimeo.com/63510816

 

Food/water:

Death Valley is a desert. Be prepared to bring plenty of food and water for extensive backcountry travel being self-sufficient for at least 4 days at a time. We will be stopping for gas/food/water on Day 3 and 6. Even though we may not cover many miles, our rovers drink gas so expect less than 10 miles to a gallon on the trail. A 12v fridge makes life easier but we can stop for ice every 3 to 4 days.

 

Clothing:

Be prepared for hot weather and cold weather. The floor to mountain fluctuation in temperature can be 70 degrees so pack accordingly. April can also bring showers and snow. Bring layers and tough shoes, rattlesnakes and thorns abound. Large brimmed hats and sunscreen are important.

 

Need to Leave Early or Join Later?

Throughout the trip, there will be points where someone could join mid-week or head home. We will coordinate as needed. Let me know.

 

More to follow...

[Teds]

Thanks Chuck. I had planned to check out Lost Burro mine on our way from Teakettle to Boxcar. You might have noticed the beginning of the trip is similar to my first trip to DV with you leading. Hoping not to overheat on Lippincott grade this time!

 

I will contact the Sheriff as well. Depending on the trip, we may skip Chloride Cliffs and head to Gold Point Thursday night.

[Desertcrawler]

Yes, I did arrange for a visit to the Hard Luck Castle on Easter Sunday (the afternoon). So if you want to do the same - you guys could join us then, or try to schedule another time. He doesn't start any tours after 3pm, so you probably should think about targeting that for a 1pm arrival (or earlier in the morning). On Sunday, I'm keeping morning open for those who want to do a quick Easter morning services (church) run.

 

Your route is pretty similar to the one I am thinking about this time around as well - just a bit more ambitious.

[Teds]

We may be itching to head out early Sunday after being there for a week if we dont headnout Saturday. Would be fun to have an Easter Egg hunt Sunday morning in the ghost town if we are still around.

 

Reviewing our itinerary, we do have a bit of driving but if we stick to less than 5 trucks, it might not be too bad. Was hoping to stay in one location for 2 nights, maybe Thorndike or Striped butte and not doing Chloride Cliffs. We have the flexibility to change the route and make adjustments.

 

Looking forward to getting out there. Can't believe it is a month away!

[AlanB]

 

Mapping out the route and I like what I see sir.

 

 

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[Desertcrawler]

Yes - Easter Egg hunt for any kids there on Sunday is a must.  You should really talk to Herb about Hardluck - maybe we move the tour up to Saturday instead of Sunday? 

 

I am still thinking about my route from BoxCar cabin on. I am thinking about staying away from the Defense mine side of the Valley and exploring more of the Ballarat side. Ideally, I'd like to snag Briggs Camp for 2 nights. But we may not be able to - so instead I am thinking about heading up Jail Canyon and camping there as a backup. 

 

You'll have to bring pictures from Darwin and share with us. I am also debating adding that into our loop, as I've never done that route before with a group. 

[Teds]

I was debating about Briggs cabin as well, as I have heard it is very cool but always seems claimed. A few places I have not seen yet include Darwin falls and the charcoal kilns which are on the Ballarat side. There are two campsites located near the kilns at altitude which could be good if hot, or bad if cold. I like to avoid other established camps, but I don't think anyone will be at those campsites this early.

 

I am not familiar with Jail canyon but will start researching.

 

Agreed, would like to do the Easter egg hunt Sunday and will have to see how we are doing. That ill be our 10th day gone from home!

[Teds]

Alan, so glad you are familiarizing yourself with the maps and destinations. Any places you want to see, just let me know. We are flexible and traveling with a smaller group will allow for easy itinerary changes.

 

I am working with GAIA GPS this week for waypoints.

[Teds]

Jail Canyon looks really cool with lots to explore. We might change our Day 3 itinerary and camp there if available or head straight to Thorndike and do Jail canyon the following day. Will read up some more and plot some alternative routes.

[Teds]

Loaded first day into Gaia GPS public folder for everyone to download. Waiting on upgrade to PRO from Gaia soon. Overall, not too hard to work with, though my first points laid down don't seem to follow trails until I manipulate them.

 

https://www.gaiagps.com/profile/199742/spikemd/

 

Will keep working on the week and alternative routes.

[Desertcrawler]

I won a pro subscription but need to figure out how to use it. Do I just call main support line? I won at last years raffle

 

 

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[DHappel]

I won a pro subscription but need to figure out how to use it. Do I just call main support line? I won at last years raffle

 

 

Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk

You can call or email them through the website.

[Desertcrawler]

Ted, do you have access to the club banner? If you could bring it, then hand it off to me -- I'd like to use it in some pictures. 

[Teds]

I have uploaded all the tracks for our trip with alternate route to Thorndike by the charcoal kilns to gaia website. Searching on Gaia website is a pain, but that link above should work. I am waiting on my PRO subscription as they are out of the office this week.

 

Since I am in Sacramento area, don't have access to the banner as I assume it is Bay area. Will have my small flag though.

 

They are public files, so anyone with gaia or android or apple or pc should be able to download them.

[Teds]

Checking road conditions, states road closed after charcoal kilns due to snow and ice. Might be too cold to camp up there. Was also going to check out lower Wildrose canyon area as park states it is closed due to road conditions but we may be able to make it with our rovers.

 

So, we might go back to our original plan of Minnietta mine or possibly Jail Canyon as well. Jail Canyon has a bunch of mining equipment and looks like it will be fun to explore.  Have also wanted to check out Briggs cabin south of Ballarat which is supposed to be a cool cabin, but ha been occupied the past few times.