death valley

[jb welda]

hopefully this wont be too off topic but im going to death valley area next week and was wondering if anyone has been there this year?

specifically how are the trails, esp those along the west side road and over mengel pass to barker ranch?

one love
jah bill

 

[Cruiserdrew]

I was there with the Norcal Wagons group in March. The trails are in outstanding condition. Lippencott Grade, Hunter Mountain, South Park Canyon, Goler/Mengel and the Westside road are all open for business. There is a bit of erosion on the Eastern Slope of Mengel Pass, but not bad. Titus Canyon is still closed.

Even the North Pass out of Saline is open, as is Dedeckera Canyon/Steel Pass. Have fun, and take fanbelts and water.

 

[jb welda]

ok thanks for the quick response drew. im planning on it being hot but probably not too bad up in the panamints. i will probably go from ballarat to barker for the night and then down to west side road and up trail canyon for a day hike to hungry bills cabin or whatever thats called and maybe up to panamint pass.

one love
jah bill

 

[Cruisergreg]

You can expect anywhere below about 2,500 ft elevation to be almost unbearably hot from 8 or 9 in the morning until well after dark. I don't know what your low desert experience is, but in addition to Cruiserdrew's recommendation to take water I'd add you need to DRINK it, continuously. That "dry heat" will pull the H2O right out of you and you can get behind the hydraton curve very quickly.

 

[Cruiserdrew]

ok thanks for the quick response drew. im planning on it being hot but probably not too bad up in the panamints. i will probably go from ballarat to barker for the night and then down to west side road and up trail canyon for a day hike to hungry bills cabin or whatever thats called and maybe up to panamint pass.

one love
jah bill

Let me know how Hungry Bill's is. That hike is on the list for the trip next spring. If the group is energetic, I will be tempted to try for Panamint Pass. I'd be especially interested to know what the camping situation is like at the end of Trail Canyon. Have a great time.

 

[chicago]

Hey,
I just got back last weekend, and it was awsome out there. The temps were in the mid to upper 90's in the valley. Trails were dry and dusty (as expected). We brought a bunch of gatoraide, drinking H2O and a 5 gal surplus H2O that went on the roof for cleaning/ raidator full up.
I did a write up in the "events and trail runs section" under "blotch 2006". Check it out and lemme know what you think. It was my first write up, and my first time posting pics.

Chicago

 

[jb welda]

yeah i think i saw your writeup chicago. got me inspired...that was the one about surprise canyon?

anyway, yeah drew ive been up trail canyon a few times and have hiked it up to panamint pass and over to panamint city. the trail up to the pass is very nice but a bit hard to follow. its really amazing to see all the stone fences this hungry bill guy evidently constructed, man thats a lot of work! the camping situation at the end of the road/trail isnt too great, at least not as of last year. the map shows the trail going to the grove of willows but in fact its been washed out about a quarter mile downhill from there. so we stayed there at the end of the trail because even though we could see that someone had driven the washed out road and creek bed up i didnt particularly want to do it out of deference to my vehicle and the environment both. but if you hike camping equipment up to the grove it is really nice; as it was where we stayed two nights was kind of breezy and exposed and it rained a bit one night. no biggie though. but its incredibly beautiful up there in the canyon.

cruiser greg, thanks for the tips but i been up there a number of times and know what to expect. in my experience it can be hot as hell in the valley but as soon as you go up into the panamints its only a high of maybe 85 or so. im going a bit later than usual this year so i expect it will be warm to hot but im from sacramento and its pretty hot around here in the summer so it shouldnt be too bad. i always carry way too much water because ive been there and done that!

anyway thanks for the info, im looking forward to not looking at civilization for awhile.

one more thing, one of my favorite places is china garden spring near darwin. anyone ever go there? cool a$$ mine, lots of burros at night, lots of bats at dusk and a way wicked hike up the canyon to a viewpoint where you can see the dunes out in the valley. dont tell everyone though! as it is no one hardly ever seems to go there; havent had any competition times ive been there anyway.

one love
jah bill