Christmas Road Trip '09

[rich]

Hi Guys,

I'm finally getting around to putting up a trip report from our Christmas roadtrip. We did just under 2,400 miles hitting Pismo Beach, Joshua Tree, Glendale AZ, Sedona AZ, Flagstaff AZ, Death Valley, Manzanar and Mammoth Lakes. We spent the most time in Death Valley. We covered about 460 miles inside Death Valley only about 35 of it off road. That may sound like a lot but with 3.4 million acres to explore we didn't see 1/100th of the place but we did see enough to fall in love with the place and the desert! Here are some pics and stories from the road.

We hit the road on 12/21 in a rain storm of course - but we had ATC put all new siding and a new roof on our '89 FWC Fleet before we left so we were water tight and ready to go!

We got to Pismo around 9pm, we only had one night to spend because we had to get to my wife's Grandmother's home by the 23rd. The plan was to drive out and camp on the beach but it was pitch black, dumping down rain and the tide was rising which was just more than we wanted to deal with at that point so we grabbed a camp site at North Beach which is by far the nicer of the two campgrounds that are not directly on the sand.

The next morning was a blue bird day so we dried out, went for a run on the beach and then took the truck out for some exploring before heading off to Joshua Tree


Ryder contemplating the worlds big issues

 

[rich]

By choosing the route we did we had to go through LA, it was worth it because we got to get Pismo in and Joshua Tree but driving through holiday LA traffic with the truck an camper was a nightmare. It reminded me why I live in the mountains....I can't stand traffic.

We finally pulled into Joshua Tree about 10 pm into the cottonwood springs campground from the Hwy 10 entrance. I have been to J-tree many times before on climbing trips but never to this entrance. The Cottonwood Springs campground is very exposed and the wind kicked up over night. We didn't bring the jacks to cut weight and because we would be going off road in Death Valley so we had nothing to stabalize the truck. It was like sleeping in a boat in 10 foot seas. There were a few times I didn't think the 20 year old vinyl on our camper was going to hold and had visions of having a nice view of the stars from the cab over bed. These pics were taken the next morning. The wind was still going hard so we skipped exploring J-tree for the day and got going to Grandmas. J-Tree is known for it's wind so it's best to try to get into some of the more protected campgrounds with rock outcroppings.

heading out Hwy. 10 to Glendale from J-Tree we hit the worst dust storm I have ever been in on 10. It was about 20 miles long and the visibility was a car or two in front of you max. Surprisingly there were no accidents but we were very happy to see this sign and be out of the dust storm.

With rain storms, wind storms, sand storms and almost every biblical plague behind us we headed for Glendale keeping our eyes out for locust or frogs falling from the sky. We spent Christmas at my wife's Grandmother and Uncle's home which is a cactus farm and nursery. The family re-potted well over 200 fruit trees while we were there for Christmas before hitting the road again. We had a camper jamboree in the parking lot although my in laws 5th wheel eclipsed our little pop top

Here's a quick shot of some more mods we did before we hit the road. We put in all new 2" and 3" foam on the seat cushions and new upholstery plus a new 4" memory foam bed with new upholstery. The carpet and linoleum will be done next. I slept as good if not better on that memory foam bed than on our bed at home.

 

[rich]

We had planned to go to the Grand Canyon but it was snowing too bad up there so we detoured to Sedona AZ which was a wonderful detour. The hiking and dirt roads are endless and the desert views are just amazing. I will definitely go back and spend more time there.

This is Montezuma's Castle a well preserved cliff dwelling of the Sin Aguan indians

The desert of Sedona

This is an amazing Catholic church designed by a sculptor and Frank Lloyd Wright that you can see coming for miles as you drive into Sedona, it is an amazing place with an amazing view. We went and checked it out before even finding a campsite for the night.

The top of the Cathedral Rock hike which affords you an almost 360 degree view of the Sedona Desert it's a short hike .7 of a mile one way but it is straight up the slick rock and it's the best view in town.

My in laws had taken the main freeways to Flagstaff that night so we went and met up with them. This is us driving the snowy pass of 89A between Sedona and Flagstaff. It was a beautiful drive in the snow.

 

[rich]

This is the Museum Club in Flagstaff which started as a taxidermy shop in the 30's, then had a still and sold shine during prohibition and today is a restaurant and saloon. There are 5 old tree trunks that hold the building up still today and a lot of stuffed animals but it is a must see. The food is terrible so eat first and just grab a cocktail here. My wife's folks have been there many times over the years so we met them there for dinner. No insulation in this place either so if it's winter plan to wear your coat inside. This is a true piece of Americana.

Stayed in Flagstaff that night but it was in the teens so we stayed at KOA (one of my least favorite places, I generally avoid them) but we wanted the shore power for our electric heater and a hot shower so it worked for the night and it was the only place that was plowed enough to get the inlaws 5th wheel in.

Hoover Dam at sunset. We spent 2.5 hours sitting in traffic to get across the dam due to the construction of the new road around the dam which you can see the bridge in this picture and due to bomb checks of the vehicles. The bomb check consisted of them opening the back door to the camper, looking in and saying "ok". they didn't even look under the seats. All they would have found was tequila and laundry but still it was bunk. I feel much safer due to the 2.5 hour delay and the "ok" I got from the security guard.

We pulled into Death Valley about 10pm and the next morning hit Titus Canyon

The road has 3 distinct sections, this picture is from the first section off the road and is really bad washboard. It is one way through here.

A view of the second section Red Pass coming up. Red pass is the only "difficult" section of the road and consists of two uphill, tight, rutted turns the rest is real easy. Almost any vehicle can make it over the pass and through Titus Canyon.

Coming down off of Red Pass to Leadfield ghost town. There was still a bit of ice on the road.

Leadfield Ghost town marks the border between the second section of the road (Red Pass) and the 3rd and final section of the road through Titus Canyon.

 

[rich]

The Titus Canyon section of the road is the most fun and beautiful drive I have ever done. Tight, twisting slot canyon and you can drive right through.

Sunset at the Artist's Pallet Drive, a great end to our first day in Death Valley which also happened to be New Year's Eve. My in laws had pulled into Furnace creek with their fifth wheel so we had cocktails and rang in the new year with them.

On New Year's Day, the morning of day 2 we hit The Devil's Golf Course, Badwater, Stovepipe Wells, Mosaic Canyon and Panamint Springs.

Ryder hopped out to go to the bathroom at the Devil's golf course. By the time he had picked the best spot and gone and I picked it up he had already gotten a small cut on his paws from the sharp salt deposits so I had to carry him out of there. It's best to keep the dogs in the car at the Devil's Golf Course or to put their booties on

There is a small sign over 200 feet above our heads on that cliff

This is what it says

Bad Water Basin is the lowest point in the western Hemisphere and from what I could tell it is likely the Saltiest Too.

 

[rich]

Later in Day two we Drove to Stovepipe Wells, it was a crappy place to camp so we did some hiking and moved on to Panamint Springs. This is Mosaic Canyon which is a beautiful marble canyon you can hike through. It is a must see. For the record, as we walked out I saw a no dogs on trail sign on this one that I hadn't noticed on the way in. There are 3.4 million acres and 4 rangers in Death Valley so we didn't get in trouble but if I had seen the sign I may have made a different decision with Ryder.

I saw these two rigs while refueling at Stovepipe Wells. I talked to some guys that owned those big buses that said those were at least 2 million dollar rigs. So those two, two million dollar rigs are towing a $40k truck and a $10-$15k OHV. That is a lot of money sitting there.....do you think they have those buses in a pop top

Close up of the truck and OHV. Crazy to have two identical set ups out there. I guess that family likes the same things.

At the end of day 2 we pulled into Panamint Springs. The campground wasn't my favorite but the views were incredible. They were the best sunsets of the trip!

My favorite shot of the trip

Sunset at the end of day 2 in Death Valley, simply amazing!

The morning of day 3 we started the trek home, but first we wanted to drive out to see the charcoal kilns. It is mostly paved out to these, only a mile or so of washboard. It's a long drive but worth it. These are the most well preserved charcoal kilns in the west. They would take the charcoal and use it in the silver smelting process.

One last truck shot to say goodbye to Death Valley.....for now. I usually like to cut the umbilical chord as quickly as possible when I travel in the wilderness. I like to get above 10,000 feet or off trail on day 1 of a sierra backpacking trip or do multi day self supported river trips. Death Valley was the first place I've ever traveled that I was more reluctant to cut the chord. The desert is a beautiful but harsh and forbidding place. I found myself more cautious and staying closer to the front country on this first trip which was a strange change for me. I feel like we got a great feel for Death Valley in our 3 days there and am excited to come back with at least one other rig with us and cut the chord in this place. On the itinerary for the next trip are Eureka Dunes, the Race Track, Saline Valley Hot Springs and Darwin Falls. I can't wait to get back out there!

We then headed out of the park and up 395. Manzanar Japanese internment camp is not far outside of the park. We stopped there on the way out. It is a sad and powerful place and a good reminder of what we are capable of when we act out of fear rather than facts.

A guard tower

A beautiful monument built in the Manzanar cemetary

We picked up some educational materials that my wife could use in the classroom and then headed up 395 to Mammoth Lakes. This was our last night on the road and my wife really wanted a hotel room so we got only one room in our 14 days on the road and it was in Mammoth. It turned out to be very nice since it was 18 degrees outside. In the morning we went for a hike in the snow and saw some friends before driving home. Ryder was happy to go for a good run and took to flying down the trail. Here he is with all 4 off the floor!

So we headed home the next day and after 2,400 miles, 460 in Death Valley and 35 on dirt we had no trouble at all with our 96 T-100 with 218,000 miles on it and half bald tires in the front until we got home. It was 9:30 when we got back into town and there was no way we were going to cook so we passed the house and headed down to In and Out Burger. Exiting the drive through and getting back on the freeway my wife ran over something large and metal. We were 2 miles from the house tops. The tire completely flatted just as we entered the driveway. I didn't want to leave the weight of the camper on the tire all night so I had to change the only tire of the trip in my driveway. The next day found out that it wouldn't have mattered because the hole was too large and the tire was irreparable anyway. With that being the only mechanical hiccup for the trip I can't complain at all. It was an incredible trip!

I hope you enjoyed the pictures,

Rich

 

[Marc]

Rich
Great write-up and pics. DV is one awesome place.

marc

 

[ski3pin]

We've been looking forward to seeing your photos and reading about your adventure. You did quite a trip and we really enjoyed your report! Thanks for posting!

 

[chnlisle]

Hey Rich thanks for the wonderful pix and commentary. Great trip!!

 

[craig333]

Great report. I've never managed to get a pic of my dog with his feet off the ground

 

[rich]

Great report. I've never managed to get a pic of my dog with his feet off the ground



Yeah i can't take credit for that one. My wife was a professional whitewater photographer when we met so she is better with the active shots than I am

 

[rich]

We've been looking forward to seeing your photos and reading about your adventure. You did quite a trip and we really enjoyed your report! Thanks for posting!


Thanks Ski,

your shots of Eureka Dunes have been killing me. It looks amazing, I really wish we had gotten over there but there is just so much to see we didn't have enough time. So your pictures will have to do until we can get back out there.

 

[ski3pin]

Rich, you won't be disappointed in visiting Eureka Dunes. We could explore around that area for days.

 

[SunMan]

That's one mean trip report. Thanks for taking the time.

 

[Phil]

Thanks for the great report and pic.

 

[Tomas Tierra]

Cool stuff, thanks

 

[DirtyDog]

Great report Rich! If it makes you feel any better - I would never travel with the jacks on. Not only do they snag things, but if the weather is good and you are cruising with your windows open - they rattle like crazy!

I just discovered Death Valley a year ago at our first rally. Loved it - magical place for sure.

 

[1tonpaulie]

Hey Rich looks like a awesome trip! I hope the guys from the midwest like me get to enjoy that kind of a trip someday. Awesome pics.

 

[ski3pin]

Rich and others, please allow me to give a little more advise about visiting Eureka Dunes. Most folks park at the north end, get out of their vehicles, and up the sand they go to the high point. Yes, you've got to do that. But, also take some time to explore the south end of the dunes which are different in character than the huge sand mountain on the north. It's different around every corner and comes alive with lower angles of light and you can get get evening shots of the dunes to the north. One benefit - it is seldom visited compared to the north end.

 

[rich]

Hey Rich looks like a awesome trip! I hope the guys from the midwest like me get to enjoy that kind of a trip someday. Awesome pics.


Hi Paulie,

Yeah it's a hall from the midwest. I have about double the pictures I posted here from the trip. I sent them in a web gallery to my brother in Missouri and I'm trying to convince him to come out to Death Valley with us in April but it is a big commitment for him. It's worth the drive though. Death Valley is a National Park that lives up to the hype, you won't be disappointed when you get there and you won't run out of things to explore. The only thing to know is that the established campgrounds there are literally parking lots. Furnace Creek and Panamint springs have some trees and a little bit of interest but the others that I visited (which were not all) were parking lots complete with white space lines. So to really enjoy the camping experience it's best to try to get away from those