Butte Valley is awesome. I definitely want to hit that and Mengel Pass again sometime...
Quick hijack Steve, which compressor are you using again? For airing up tires...
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Death Valley 2016 Trip report
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Butte Valley is awesome. I definitely want to hit that and Mengel Pass again sometime...
Quick hijack Steve, which compressor are you using again? For airing up tires...
n
Cruiserdrew
On the way there
Hey, @surfpig , look at the Puma charger too on @LandCruiserPhil 's mount. Great in an 80 and not terribly expensive. Lots of volume and pressure for the $$.
I want portable probably. My cheapo MV50 keeps chugging away...
To keep on-topic, sort of, memory lane ...
Cruiserdrew
On the way there
That's awesome @surfpig . I remember that trip and meeting up with you in Butte Valley. Kevin in the Land Rover, was towing @NorCalDoug 's trailer when Doug's trailer hitch broke in South Park Canyon. We ended up staying that night at Stella's Cabin. And Dylan was there in his 60. Good times.
You're on the invite list for sure next trip down there, but I know you don't like others so your call. My idea for next year is a week long trip, with 2 days at 3 spots. Saline, Butte Valley, Hidden Valley,i not necessarily in that order.
You're on the invite list for sure next trip down there, but I know you don't like others so your call. My idea for next year is a week long trip, with 2 days at 3 spots. Saline, Butte Valley, Hidden Valley,i not necessarily in that order.
That is my kind of trip.
It's not that I don't like others, I just don't like other's schedules a lot of the time. Solo trips are always easier...
Meld in some bouldering/camping around Bishop, the White mountains...
That's two weeks. Easy.
Cruiserdrew
On the way there
You know, I can see a 2+ week trip there too. Starting in the Sweetwaters, then Fish Lake Valley, then Saline, Panamint, Death Valley etc. It's all part of the same system. Another year or two, and that could be a reality.
Cruiserdrew
On the way there
But you only stayed 2 days this time!
But cool you'd be part of it. Stay tuned. Ghost towns, abandoned mines, forgotten backwaters, this is one of the last great places! It's so big that even a month out there would not be unreasonable.
Funny, I was going to tell you I just bought the MV50 for Andrea's 80 and it's a good little unit - but you already knew that!
2 years and I'd go if u guys don't mind a sarcastic east coaster.
Cruiserdrew
On the way there
East Coast?---The light and space of Death Valley would really put the zap on your head...
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That's just what I need.
I will be available to travel the earth in 2 years hopefully in some sought of Toyota.
We are planning a shake down trip to Detroit. If we survive that we no we are good to survive everywhere else.
Cruiserdrew
On the way there
Do you need lockers for Detroit? I'm guessing yes.
Unfortunate.edit...Whoa--that's like a triple entendre.
Please join in when you get a chance.
Would love to jump in on that list for that trip if you don't mind and have room?
Nekkit hippie chicks? Pics or it didn't happen.
Thanks for the write up. I'm planning ~ an 8 day trip right after Christmas. I plan to enter from Big Pine as I'm coming from Portland. The plan is to get in the sighting of the nekkit hippie chicks at the springs for a couple of days and then take my frustrations to the rest of the park on a little drive.
Question....will I need to get a permit from the NPS? If so, can that be had in the Big Pine area?
Any good intel please pass it along. Thanks again for the report and I'm looking forward to some I don't give a #%#)($( time in Death Valley.
Thanks for the write up. I'm planning ~ an 8 day trip right after Christmas. I plan to enter from Big Pine as I'm coming from Portland. The plan is to get in the sighting of the nekkit hippie chicks at the springs for a couple of days and then take my frustrations to the rest of the park on a little drive.
Question....will I need to get a permit from the NPS? If so, can that be had in the Big Pine area?
Any good intel please pass it along. Thanks again for the report and I'm looking forward to some I don't give a #%#)($( time in Death Valley.
Cruiserdrew
On the way there
You do need a park pass, officially, anyway. However, it's honor system, and I've never been asked. Personal opinion: You should buy an annual National Park Pass. It's good for unlimited entries to all the parks and monuments in the system.
From Big Pine, you'll have 3 ways into the park. If your first destination is Saline you'll have 2 ways in. North Pass, Or through Eureka Dunes and Steel Pass. Watch the Death Valley website carefully, to see if North Pass or Steel Pass become impassable. North Pass is much easier, and much faster, but it's higher and tends to get closed by snow in your time frame. Steel pass is the lowest pass into saline, and more fun, but longer. If the weather is really bad, you may need to detour through Lone Pine and come through South Pass.
Be aware that in park service speak, "Road Closed" means passable but they aren't responsible for you. "Impassible" means don't go there and is usually right. Also in saline in December/January, it is possible to get stuck there for several weeks due to snow and/or wash outs. Unless the conditions are really good, I would avoid Hunter Mountain. It gets closed by snow and mud almost every winter. SO that means if you go into Hidden Valley, you'll have to come back out the way you came in--over Last Burro Gap. Still a great place to go for solitude and wide open desert.
From Big Pine, you'll have 3 ways into the park. If your first destination is Saline you'll have 2 ways in. North Pass, Or through Eureka Dunes and Steel Pass. Watch the Death Valley website carefully, to see if North Pass or Steel Pass become impassable. North Pass is much easier, and much faster, but it's higher and tends to get closed by snow in your time frame. Steel pass is the lowest pass into saline, and more fun, but longer. If the weather is really bad, you may need to detour through Lone Pine and come through South Pass.
Be aware that in park service speak, "Road Closed" means passable but they aren't responsible for you. "Impassible" means don't go there and is usually right. Also in saline in December/January, it is possible to get stuck there for several weeks due to snow and/or wash outs. Unless the conditions are really good, I would avoid Hunter Mountain. It gets closed by snow and mud almost every winter. SO that means if you go into Hidden Valley, you'll have to come back out the way you came in--over Last Burro Gap. Still a great place to go for solitude and wide open desert.
I think the nekkit hippie chicks has gotten a little over blown in this thread. Yes it did happen and maybe for those along that had not been to the springs before it was a bit eye popping, but way less than anything you can find on the internet. And some of the "chicks" there were hippies in the 60s and 70s, so again nothing to get too excited about.