Death Valley off roading November 22-25

I drive a 96 FZJ80 and would like to go off-roading in Death Valley with a couple of rigs this Thanksgiving November 22-25. Anyone interested please PM or reply ASAP. Or send me email andytanviolin@gmail.com. Thank you.

 

still VERY up in the air for me, but i am planning to be there the 18th and 19th. i have to be home for thanksgiving or my better half will kill me

 

You have family plans for Thanksgiving? And are you going there by yourself (one rig)? Let me know if you change your mind.

 

OK here's the plan. Please take a look at the backcountry road map provided by DV:
http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/upload/Backcountry Roads-2.pdf

Day 1:
We enter the park from north of Trona, CA. Via Escape Trail (not marked on map), we go across Slate Range. After entering Goler Cayon, we go over Panamint Range via Mengel Pass. Continuing on Warm Springs Canyon Road. Reach Furnace Creek by night fall. Attractions: Barker Ranch, Gold Hill Mine, Badwater (lowest point of USA), Devil's Golf Course.

Day 2:
Visit Borax museum at Furnace Creek, Artists Drive, Stovepipes Wells Village. Night stay at Mesquite Spring/ Scottys Castle.

Day 3:
Departure from Mesquite Spring, visit Ubehebe Crater, and Race Track (the weird moving rocks). If we can make it through Lippincott Pass, it'll be super fun, since this trail is famous and challenging.

 

Yes, family plans. I've been trying to do thanksgiving in the desert for the last 5 years, but still no luck.

As of now, the trip is lookin like its not gonna happen at all. keepin my fingers crossed tho.

 

Heres my trip down Lippencott, back in January. Who knows whats changed since then. I dont remember where i saw it, but there were a bunch of road closures about a month ago due to wash outs.

http://youtu.be/NM4DC5_oCNY

 

OK keep me posted.

 

The fam and I will be there Monday to Saturday of Thanksgiving week, inclusive. Our focus is the Saline Valley.
Entering via my usual route from the south via Trona to the old superintendent's house in the Panamints (not on map). Show the fam the kilns, maybe tackle a bit of Wildrose Peak. Then head to Ubehebe lead mine, stopping in at a couple of the easier slot canyons for some hiking. Go by the Racetrack on our way through Lippencot to get to Saline Valley. Couple days at the springs (including Turkeyday), exploring the wider area (like Cerro Gordo and the tramway). Then head up Steele Pass to get to Eureka Dunes. On our way out we'll stop by the bristlecone forest. If there's time, we'll work our way to Bodie via some backroads.
Wednesday is my son's birthday, and Thursday is Turkeyday. Both of those I plan to celebrate at the springs.

I have no plans to visit Tourist Town (the major paved attractions at DV, like Badwater, Furnace Creek, Zabriski, etc.). Been there, done that -- seen it once, seen it enough.

I've been planning this awhile, so I've found some great info. Check out the following sites:
http://www.gbr.4wdtrips.net/4x4/steelepass.html
http://www.deathvalley.com/dvtalk/dvtalk.shtml
http://forum.salinepreservation.org/


If y'all let me know what your rigs look like, I'll try to keep my eyes out for ya.
Mine: debadged Barcelona Red DCLB, ARB winch bumper with CB antenna on passenger's side, black billet grille, SnugTop shell with black rack on top (loaded with a half dozen fuel cans, a few water cans, and ammo boxes of all sizes), rolling on 255/85/16 KM2s on black teflon wheels (yet to purchase, but they'll be on by then).

 

Awesome tips! Thank you. I drive a 96 FJ80 in light blue gray. All stock with no running board.

 

Man, I've been wanting to do this trip for a year now, more specifically head to Racetrack Playa. That's the only "tourist" attraction in DVNP I have yet to see. Of course, I'm sure all the best stuff is miles away from pavement.

 

This sounds like a lot of fun. My question is how friendly is something like this on a stock truck, in this case a 07 DCLB TRD Sport 4x4?

 

So are you down for it? Right now I have my FJ80, and a Jeeper from Irvine down for sure. I'm still waiting to hear from a family from Arizona with a FJ Cruiser, and a Cherokee from SoCal.

 

I'm relatively new to off-roading so I'm not quite sure. My FJ80 is all stock with factory lockers. Mine has bigger tires so it has a better clearance. If you put off-road tires on your truck it shouldn't be a problem. Check out this link, one of the rigs looks like a stock Tacoma:

http://www.off-road.com/trails-events/trails/offroad-travel-death-valley-part-1-53449.html

And by the way that's very similar to what I want to do this time.