Route plan??? (1 Viewer)

[chicago]

Okay, so the last couple years a small group of is head down to blotch (last weekend of April. We meet a day early on wed. And blotch formally starts on thurs) for PRE BLOTCH... An opportunity to explore other sights in the park that we don't normally see on blotch.
Last year, we met up at the dv camp site near scotties castle and camped the night. From there, we had gone up to ubehebe crater, checked out scotties, shot over to Titus canyon and then met up w/ the rest of the blotchers at the olancha sand dunes (our annual meet spot) and kicked off the run from there.
So my question is to you all who really know death valley is, a decent day run w/ some cool things to check out for that thurs day. Wheeling doesn't have to be extreme or anything. Just a cool route w/ some sites too see and end up back at olancha.
I am a looser and do NOT have any maps of the area. Can I get those from aaa??

Any suggestions would be greatly appreciated!!

K

 

[spressomon]

I really like running Echo Canyon from West to East then returning back via Titus. Last March we camped near the western entrance in the wash and it was great.

Defense Mine is another cool in/out trail with good mine stuff to see and explore...that'd be just south of Panamint Springs.

Then there's Middle Park/South Park...then there's Mengel Pass/Striped Butte Valley (great place to camp at the various cabins on the west side of SBV or Warm Springs Resort on the east side of SBV); Goler Wash, etc.

And we did a little exploring in the extreme southern end of DV in the Owlshead Mountains...really neat down there including artillery/munitions exercises going on at Ft. Irwin when we were there last November.

I assume you've been to Rhyolite? That's another not to miss town/general area too.

Then there's Cerro Gordo...snow levels have been too deep each time I've wanted to explore that area (would take a week or more to see just that area) but Jack & Darcie drove it a couple years ago.

Flat out the best map of DV is the National Geographic Trails Illustrated. http://www.amazon.com/Death-Valley-...3219/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1327469709&sr=8-2

As usual...I can't wait to get back down there myself!

 

[chicago]

Dan,
That link is no longer functioning...
Rhyolite we did last year, and cerro gordo we've done quite a few times.
I'll look into some of the other places that you had mentioned and see if we can make a route out one of them.
Problem w the way we do the pre blotch run is that it is only one day earlier, so that doesn't leave a whole lot of time to branch too far out of the way before we meet up at the dunes.
Even still... It's cool to just break out a day early.

Thanks for the info!!

 

[spressomon]

That's weird...the Amazon link functions for me.

 

[rusty_tlc]

Where is everybody coming from? We did a side trip to Gold Point coming home from Vegas a few months ago. We didn't have time to do the whole route but the road starts off of SR266 south of Gold Field (Take 168 out of Big Pine coming from the CA side). After Gold Point you can follow Oriental Wash down into DV and come out on DV road west of Crank Shaft Jct. From there you could head west and hit Eureka Dune/Steel pass/Saline Hot Springs or east and take Ubehebe Rd/Racetrack rd to the race track and Lippencott mine road to S Saline valley rd.

I've been kind of mulling that trip over in my head for a year or two.

 

[chicago]

The day in question, I could come in through 395, or 95. Most everyone else is cing in from the la area.
That defense mine looks interesting.... Looks pretty gnarly from the pics I've seen?? Is there a huge waterfall you have to go up???

 

[spressomon]

There is a technical section apart of the Defense Mine trail Keith. It probably 3/3.5 on the 5 scale. With your rig you probably won't even notice Or are you taking the Taco?

Here are a few pics of the Defense Mine trail from a few years ago...

 

[spressomon]

And two more...

 

[rusty_tlc]

There is an optional waterfall/pinch rock section on the Defense Mine road.
This guy took a crappy line I've seen video of other trucks nailing it.

 

[chicago]

And two more...

Great pics! Thanks for posting those. Looks awesome, Dan!
Nope...Matti is running Blotch this year. The taco is stayin home for most excursions except the occasional light wheeling trip.... Unless I decide to get a lift, 33's and build some sliders....

Sounds like an interesting run that might be kinda fun.
I e mailed one of the other blotchers who does the pre blotch run. Hes got a heep rubi w 33's and armor.

Can you get maps from AAA, or should I hit up barnes and nobel for a book???? Recommendations???

 

[chicago]

There is an optional waterfall/pinch rock section on the Defense Mine road.
This guy took a crappy line I've seen video of other trucks nailing it.

Cool Vid!!!
I love this s***!!!

 

[rusty_tlc]

Great pics! Thanks for posting those. Looks awesome, Dan!
Nope...Matti is running Blotch this year. The taco is stayin home for most excursions except the occasional light wheeling trip.... Unless I decide to get a lift, 33's and build some sliders....

Sounds like an interesting run that might be kinda fun.
I e mailed one of the other blotchers who does the pre blotch run. Hes got a heep rubi w 33's and armor.

Can you get maps from AAA, or should I hit up barnes and nobel for a book???? Recommendations???

AAA won't have any maps that show the back country trails. I think I have a map from the National Park service that shows the trails in the park. Most of the trails are in the Roger Mitchell guide death valley SUV trails.
ISBN-10: 0970711506
ISBN-13: 978-0970711502

 

[spressomon]

Great pics! Thanks for posting those. Looks awesome, Dan!
Nope...Matti is running Blotch this year. The taco is stayin home for most excursions except the occasional light wheeling trip.... Unless I decide to get a lift, 33's and build some sliders....

Sounds like an interesting run that might be kinda fun.
I e mailed one of the other blotchers who does the pre blotch run. Hes got a heep rubi w 33's and armor.

Can you get maps from AAA, or should I hit up barnes and nobel for a book???? Recommendations???

I'm fairly certain Keith I've seen the NG-Trails Illustrated DV maps at REI here in Reno.

 

[chicago]

Cool!
I think the best thing for me to do is get a decent map/ book. I'm usually just in the group cruising along oblivious to where were going, happy to be there, but I would like to know more info about the area.

Thanks for the tips!!

I'm all kinds of amped up now that I have a rig again!!!

Btw, rusty, I texted you earlier re. A different trail you're familiar with.

 

[450 DUDE]

You need the NG map!

 

[spressomon]

Keith,
Just to clarify: The pics and words I posted above about the Defense Mine trail were of the main trail. There is just one short little semi-techincal section, shown in the photos, apart of the upper end of the main trail. The harder, optional, line/trail is below the point where I took the photos. You'd have fun in the optional line with Matty!

And the platform at the top of the Defense Mine trail, where the big mine is/used to be, is a great place to camp for several rigs!

 

[chicago]

I'm gonna try and get the book/ map you guys posted this weekend!!