Travel 7848 miles through the desert southwest - a 2025 adventure
- Thread starter wngrog
- Start date
Stories, Adventures and Travels of our members and their rigs.
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- Thread starter
- #82
We eased back to Baker on I-15 then turned north for DV
When we started that way a very large part of the park was closed due to storms a couple weeks before. Knowing this we decided to maximize what we saw by starting in the south and hitting that section.
Tons of cool stuff down on the south side. We stopped at a cool spot that had a natural lake in the desert. It was full of ducks. Pretty cool.
The rest of the trail was one way with a few side trips to mines
Oasis. The have them fenced off because the non native Burros will wreck them
Mines everywhere
When we started that way a very large part of the park was closed due to storms a couple weeks before. Knowing this we decided to maximize what we saw by starting in the south and hitting that section.
Tons of cool stuff down on the south side. We stopped at a cool spot that had a natural lake in the desert. It was full of ducks. Pretty cool.
The rest of the trail was one way with a few side trips to mines
Oasis. The have them fenced off because the non native Burros will wreck them
Mines everywhere
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- #83
We chased the sunset to find a spot to camp. The road we were on was deep sand and 100' or so below sea level. Sun sets fast in this desert.
If you have to camp in the wild here you just find a wide spot in the road and camp.
Day 2
If you have to camp in the wild here you just find a wide spot in the road and camp.
Day 2
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- #84
Good luck to us, the road to the north and west of us opened up and we did not have to backtrack again.
Warm Spring Mine camp.
Striped Rock
Geologist Cabin.
Amazing morning of exploring.
Warm Spring Mine camp.
Striped Rock
Geologist Cabin.
Amazing morning of exploring.
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- #85
Mengel Pass was a little tight section for sliders and 4Low then down to Barker Ranch to where the Manson Clan was arrested.
We broke out of the mountains to water in Panamint Valley. May never see that again in my lifetime
We broke out of the mountains to water in Panamint Valley. May never see that again in my lifetime
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- #86
The next part was what I had been looking forward to for weeks. South Park Loop and Pleasant Canyon.
It's unreal up there. Trees. Snow.
Chicken corner was intense.
A++ trail all the way to Ballarat where the (supposed) Manson truck is.
It's unreal up there. Trees. Snow.
Chicken corner was intense.
A++ trail all the way to Ballarat where the (supposed) Manson truck is.
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- #89
We rolled into Panamint Springs "Resort" and grabbed some hotel rooms and hot showers and then ate some burgers and had some drinks.
Unreal Day. Only 106 miles. About 1/2 a normal day for us. Lots of technical stuff.
Gaia link
Unreal Day. Only 106 miles. About 1/2 a normal day for us. Lots of technical stuff.
Gaia link
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- #91
Man. The west was rough on the HJ60 but Jonathan misses the Saudi 80. The 37s are just too much on the washboard. He's having to hang way back a lot of the time.
@orangefj45 is going to lower it and add 35s and Do a few more things.
The Tacoma, as you have seen, is truly amazing in every situation.
SteveO just made it through DV in the turd GX. It's at Valley Hybrids now. I'm hoping it gets stolen.
@orangefj45 is going to lower it and add 35s and Do a few more things.
The Tacoma, as you have seen, is truly amazing in every situation.
SteveO just made it through DV in the turd GX. It's at Valley Hybrids now. I'm hoping it gets stolen.
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- #92
We were a bit ahead of schedule so I wanted to show them the "tourist" spots in the park. We ate a $20 burrito at the restaurant and headed into DV with the sun
Look up in this pic for the white sign. That's sea level. This spot is 300' below
We ran up from there to Dante's Point to look out of Badwater Basin
At this point, to say we saw the most of the park, we turned south to explore the SE corner of the park
The side trek into the Gold Valley was superb. Really scenic round trip.
From there we went back to Furnace Creek. Gassed up. Ate at the ice cream bar and beat feet north to camp.
Look up in this pic for the white sign. That's sea level. This spot is 300' below
We ran up from there to Dante's Point to look out of Badwater Basin
At this point, to say we saw the most of the park, we turned south to explore the SE corner of the park
The side trek into the Gold Valley was superb. Really scenic round trip.
From there we went back to Furnace Creek. Gassed up. Ate at the ice cream bar and beat feet north to camp.
- Thread starter
- #93
We camped in a park campground that had nobody in it but us. $20 a car. They had fire rings so we made a huge fire and drank a little 4 roses before we racked out at about 8.
The next morning we turned back south for the Racetrack
Due to the rains and the south end of the racetrack being flooded there were very few of the famous rock tracks to be seen but I found a few.
Lippencotte Road is an amazing shelf road from there over to Saline Valley
The next morning we turned back south for the Racetrack
Due to the rains and the south end of the racetrack being flooded there were very few of the famous rock tracks to be seen but I found a few.
Lippencotte Road is an amazing shelf road from there over to Saline Valley
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- #96
Saline Valley.
The road to Warm Springs was the roughest roads we had driven in the park. The floods had really done a number on them.
A bunch of old nekked men were in the springs so we took some pics and as we were pulling out 2 F-22s passed us at 150' and scared the living s*** out of us.
We saw a total of 5 jets using the springs as a waypoint. I got one on video and the last two in the video are from @OGBeno
The road to Warm Springs was the roughest roads we had driven in the park. The floods had really done a number on them.
A bunch of old nekked men were in the springs so we took some pics and as we were pulling out 2 F-22s passed us at 150' and scared the living s*** out of us.
We saw a total of 5 jets using the springs as a waypoint. I got one on video and the last two in the video are from @OGBeno
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- #98
Down through Dedeckera Canyon into Eureka Dunes.
Awesome crawling.
Jonathan lost a tire just before the dunes and we had it swapped out in less than 10 minutes with the impact and ARB jack.
Awesome crawling.
Jonathan lost a tire just before the dunes and we had it swapped out in less than 10 minutes with the impact and ARB jack.
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- #99
We made our way out to Big Pine, had some spectacular ribs and tri tip at CopperTop BBQ.
Gas.
Down to Alabama Hills to camp. The most epic views ever.
GAIA link
Gas.
Down to Alabama Hills to camp. The most epic views ever.
GAIA link
- Thread starter
- #100
We got up fairly early and took off on a mixture of 2 lane and gravel across the southern end of the Sierras.
Hwy190 is paved but it's got a million turns. Very slow and scenic.
Lots of wildfires in this area that burned up some beautiful sequoias.
Hwy190 is paved but it's got a million turns. Very slow and scenic.
Lots of wildfires in this area that burned up some beautiful sequoias.