Death Valley Rally

[simimike]

The wife and I are going to Death Valley on Presidents Day weekend this February. I don't have a '07 calender yet so the exact date isn't set yet. Would anybody like to have an FWC rally to meet each other and share a drink and some stories? I think it would be pretty neat to have a bunch of FWC together. Last time I was there in February the day time temps where around 78. If anybody has any ideas along these lines please jump in.

Cheers, Mike

 

[DirtyDog]

Gosh darn it Mike you are making it even more difficult to sell my camper! If I don't end up selling it, I'll likely be in. Sounds great! Where do you camp?

 

[simimike]

The last, and only, time I was there was a couple of years ago. This was the year of the record rains with the incredible flower bloom. We stayed at the Furnace Creek Inn ($$ ouch). I made an oath that I would return and I would have a camper.
I know of two camp grounds. One is at Stove Pipe Wells, this is a Forest Service camp ground with rest rooms and a small store near buy. The other is at Furnace Creek. This is privately owned and is a 5 acre parking lot more suited for the motor home crowd. No near buy restrooms. but a well stocked store , gas station, restaurants, golf course and motel. It is also more centrally located to everything else. I'm thinking Stove Pipe.
According to the National Weather Service we are suppose to have a mini El Nino this year so the flowers should be out again this year. Is this making it even harder to sell? Just think, A thunder storm in Death Valley. How cool would that be?

 

[Dughlas Stiubhart]

There are at least 10 campgrounds in Death Valley: Panamint Springs Resort, Emigrant, Stove Pipe Wells, Mesquite Springs, Wildrose, Thorndike, Mahogany Flat, Furnace Creek, Sunset, and Texas Springs.

Sunset is the one with 500 RV sites in a flat gravel parking lot; need I say more? For tent camping, pop-ups or smaller vans, Texas Springs is great in winter--small and quiet. My favorite for summer is Mahogany Flat, at 8133 ft at the end of a steep dirt road. There are maybe six sites and a pit toilet plus a view of Mt Whitney to the west and Bad Water to the east. I think this is the only car camp where you can see the high point and the low point in the US at the same time.

But there is also plenty of wild camping for those interested in rough or 4x4 roads.

Stew


Stew

 

[kcowyo]

I was in Death Valley for 5 days over the Thanksgiving holiday weekend. I met up with several friends and we did 4 days of 4WD backcountry exploring in some of the more remote areas, checking out old mines, ghost towns, etc.

We covered the Inyo Mountains, Cerro Gordo, Saline Valley, Lippencot Mine Rd, Goler Wash, the Barker Ranch (onetime home of Charles Manson - very creepy, bad vibes there!), the Racetrack, Hunter Mntn, Mengel Pass and a few other hard to find places. Maybe I should put up a trip report....

That said, it was 20 degrees in camp the first night and 16 degrees the second night! We were camped around 7500' elev. in the Santa Rosa Hills near Conglomerate Mesa. Not the kind of weather you think of when you think Death Valley. At one point we had six people jammed in my camper huddled around the heater. The final night we camped on the valley floor in Little Dumont Dunes and most folks were in shorts and t-shirts. Much better on the valley floor!

I like Stovepipe Wells and I based out of that campground on a previous trip to DV. Centrally located and the store and restaurant are handy. I wish I could make another trip out there to meet up, it's a great place that few people appreciate. Hope you have a great trip Mike!

Here's a few pics from my Thanksgiving 2006 trip -
In the Inyo Mountains with the Sierra Nevada Mountains in the background -

The mysterious moving rocks at the Racetrack -

The Barker Ranch where Charles Manson was apprehended -

The Panamint Dunes at sunset as seen from above on Hunter Mountain -

 

[captainkettel]

Wow!

Those are some REALLY cool photos! I have been looking into taking a trip to either Death Valley or Anza Borrego in the early spring. I might have to consider the Presidents day weekend as a primer to an extended desert stay.
I will spread the word and keep checking for more photos and details. For those who might want more info on the deserts check: www.DesertUSA.com for a really informative site.

 

[Dughlas Stiubhart]

Yes, great images, kcowyo! How is Goler Wash these days? I heard that the rains a few years ago really made a mess of it. Did you drive your FWC all the way up from Panamint Valley to Butte Valley?

I wish I could meet some of you guys down there on Presidents' Day, but my trip to DV and Anza Borrego is planned for a week later.

Take care and happy camping.

Stew

 

[kcowyo]

How is Goler Wash these days? I heard that the rains a few years ago really made a mess of it. Did you drive your FWC all the way up from Panamint Valley to Butte Valley?


Goler Wash is now darn near a highway. They filled it in and graded it. Where it used to be a series of steps and off-camber ledges with snow runoff, it's now like driving down any country two lane road. It's still an ascent, and a wet trail but I don't think I was even in 4WD.

We did drive up from Panamint Valley to Butte Valley. The Geology Cabin in Butte Valley was a personal highlight and a place I've been wanting to see for awhile. Every vehicle on the trip was well modified for off road travel. We were all over the place and I was pretty much just following the guy in front of me. I'll attach a few satellite images of our route, courtesy of Uwe and his Ozi Explorer set up

First Day, we started in Lone Pine, CA up to the Swansea Grade Road -

Day Two we started in the Santa Rosa Hills, to Lippencot & Hidden Valley -

Day Three Panamint Valley to Ballarat, Goler Wash, Mengel Pass & Butte Valley -

There were a few tricky spots going into Butte Valley; a rock garden to crawl over, off camber climbs and some deep, axle articulating ruts. Totally doable with good tires and some ground clearence though. One guy even pulled his military M101 trailer through it, although he does have a pintle hitch as a standard ball hitch wouldn't have survived that stretch. The Geology Cabin and seeing Striped Butte, as I said, were a personal highlight for me. Just a gorgeous, solitary place -

 

[b team]

Great pics.

 

[craig333]

Wow, I'd love to go if I could afford to. Only been to panamint once and never into death valley. Hmmm, if my income tax refund comes in time who knows.

 

[simimike]

Bump

Well those are some great pictures. There seems to be no end of things to see in Death Valley. If any one can make it to Death Valley on the weekend of the 17,18,19th it would be good to meet some of the folks here. Checking a map I think "Sunset Campground" is centrally located. So shall we say that is the rendezvous? If anyone has a better location, let me know.

Cheers,

Mike

 

[DirtyDog]

Really sorry I can't be there Mike. Get lots of pics