The Getaway...Crom's build and adventures

lol

Thanks DD. Appreciated. There are so many great accessories that make the jack more useful. If it weren't for owning the extreme model, I'd have picked one of these up too.

 

I vote for a name change to this thread:
Crom's Brother Nature Build and pics...

 

Death Valley Day 4 Part 4. The Flowing Well / Death Trap / South Warm Springs Road.

Prior to taking this trip, I exchanged call signs and frequency information with @HBMurphy and shared rough itineraries through PM. I wanted to see if he was at the springs. I had never been there and I wanted to check them out from all the great things I've heard. I hear they have warm water and that would have been really great!!!

In Ham radio practice, when you are looking for another known party, you call out for them on your agreed upon frequency. I did this every half hour or so. I did find a party using the MURS frequencies around Lippincott mine. I was ten miles away and talked to them briefly to obtain some basic information which they gladly obliged. Radio traffic can be fun.

So, having arrived at the bottom of Lippincott I drove straight ahead for the junction with Saline Valley Road and turned North. This trail is maintained by Inyo County. It's legendary for its roughness and remoteness.

Saline valley road is long, like 100+ miles long, and it crosses varied terrain. It is also not signed well. I was able to maintain some really fun speed on Saline Valley Road. I was chasing two vehicles that had passed before me about 40 minutes prior. But I never found them. It's 16.4 miles from the bottom of Lippincott to S. Warm Springs rd turnoff.

But the section from Lippincott to Saline is very rocky.

This was my general route.


Now for my mistake. I make an error. I did not consult the park map. Had I done that, my trip would have been different.

Here is the right way to the springs, turn East, just North past the dunes.


Instead I was navigating with software on my tablet, phone, and GPS. All of which have historical routes of travel in them. I made the mistake of following some two track into a place called "The flowing Well." It may have been a flowing well at one time, but it is a death trap now. Here were my two attempts to get to lower warm springs (Yellow Box pictured below.)



Here is THE ONE PICTURE I took leaving.


Words cannot aptly describe how freakish this place is driving around at night. The trail is two track that is made in these trona or tufa formations. I don't know what it is, but if my tires went off trail in the slightest, the tires blast through 6-8" of powder and dust goes everywhere. It's a dry/wet lake bed and I worried tremendously that I'd hit some damp / wet / quick sand spot and sink to my doom. It's a little bit insane.

The Flowing Well place was the weirdest of all. There were all these standing and fallen dead trees haunting the place, and I ran over a cattle guard and I found myself inside an old cattle pen! WTF! There was a beat up sign placed there by the park service that said no camping. Only Satan himself would camp in a place like this.

I stopped the truck and carefully looked at my electronic map to see what went wrong. I saw it. I was on a spur that took me off course from the main route to the Warm Springs Camp. Surely I could find the right path. It turns out I could not. The route is overgrown and has been lost to time.

This place looks bad enough from sat imagery, imagine driving it at night! lol



Death trap inside the Flowing Well.


I got myself turned around and headed back knowing this was not the right way.

I backtracked and was about 1 mile from Saline Valley Road when I found a young man and woman, looked to be in their early 20's. They had found a rare hard pack pullout, seeking escape from the trona/tufa formation madness. The woman approached as I slowed. They asked if this was the right way to the Springs. I replied, no. And told them not to go down that route, or they'd get stuck for sure. I looked carefully at my GPS and saw a third route to the Springs to the North around the dunes. I advised them to go that way. It was 29°F here. I think it's the lowest elevation in the Valley, a cold sink.

At this point it was getting late and my timeline was getting shorter. Tomorrow was go home day. I looked at my gas gauge, and I had just less than a third of a tank left. I could have gone to the North to try and go around the dunes, but I was tired and I knew I'd have to break into my reserve fuel to complete the trip safely. I was a little disappointed in myself for not being more prepared and knowing I'd have wait to to check out the springs, and meet Paul another time.

Live and learn and that's okay.

I decided to head South towards Hunter Mountain. I knew of a good camp site. And I knew it was going to be cold at 4,000'

On the 1 hour drive from the spur to my campsite, I conducted some impromptu shock research. I was able to haul ass on the washboards, and after 40-45 minutes the shock temperature rose to about 80*F above ambient temps. It was really fun! Saline was dreamy compared to Racetrack Valley.

When I got to my campsite it was 28*F.

I turned on the heat full blast and made the truck interior as hot as it would go. I got ready for bed and climbed in and shut the truck off. Finally went to sleep about an hour later and I was pretty comfortable all night long.

 

Too bad. I should have sent a rescue crew! lol

 

lol Welp, Just have to plan another trip out there and do it right next time. Thinking about it, it kills me I didn't stop and examine all my maps. The ten cent paper park map, had the answer. It was right there in my front passenger seat. I think that's what can happen though to a driver after a long day. Fatigue and memory lapse.

And from looking at a lot of electronic topo maps on the desktop computer, every single one of them show historical routes of travel that are closed or truncated. Very common problem. I usually always cross check my maps with good aerial photography to confirm that a trail is still in use. IN fact, I tried to do this while out there, but I did not cache Saline satellite map prior to departure. Another mistake, but really I didn't expect to make it out that far as my plans were to stick to the lower southern region of the park.

 

Wow, I thought you were just going to do the typical miss the turn and blow past Bat Rock Road for a few miles in the dark before you realize it and then double back. Getting off into the weeds down by the salt lake, now that's exciting! Sorry you didn't make it this time. Park Map, Tom Harrison map or AAA map and your odometer would have served you better than the GPS and topo in this case - you missed it by many, many miles

Glad you got out with just a fun story. In the past year someone got turned around on foot around where you were in a hotter part of the year. He did at least have the wits to follow some burros to water. Was there for a few days before springs goers noticed his vehicle along Saline Valley Road hadn't moved in awhile and called the rangers. They found him and he survived, but apparently some extensive muscle damage that takes a long time to heal due to the severe dehydration and poor water source he shared with the burros.

Loving the trip report!

 

I would chuckle if I hadn't done that on a very late night romp! My friend still ribs me about it all the time. I was repeating, "This is not cool!!!" Over and over when I realized where I was!!! we nearly endo-ed it off a ledge! That trip I blew out a Fox coilover that I still need to order a new can for.

 

Thanks. I was coming from the south, so I never made it to the dunes. I had the park map, just didn't look at it, fatigued from the long day, memory lapse.

Where is bat rock road turn off? Is that the one that connects to Saline Valley Road just North of the dunes?

Short story, I found this rig disabled on Saline Valley Road on August 6th, 2011. It was a sizzling 107*F. I looked and called, but nobody could be seen or heard.


Saline Valley Road tried to claim my vehicle too that day with a mangled fence staple. But I was ready for that, made shade for myself and plugged it for the win, and kept on truckin'

Probably a good thing.

It's crazy how much more difficult trails are in the dark. As a personal policy I usually don't wheel at night, which is why I never sprung for off-road lighting. Only wheeled in the dark twice in the last two years. lol

 

Don't feel bad. On that same trip we were going some new-to-me petroglyphs and all I had with me was gps coordinates. I knew I should have looked at a topo but I was convinced I knew how to get there... Long story short I made a few more stupid decisions and Z has the scars to remind me. :/

 

And I know a few that work for the park that would let someone stuck out there do the same. True story.

 

I think we made that same mistake on my trip out there last May but didn't go so far before realizing we were off-course. We had a little extra light before complete night darkness but it was still tough to make out. That poofy sand on the road is insane!

 

I tried searching around for an answer as to what chemical composition the lake bed is made from. Everything I found points to salt. Best historical resource on the net for the Saline Valley operations (salt tram) is this document here. Really neat stuff!

 

Death Valley Day 5 - Part 1 - Go Home Day.

I woke up new years eve day and it was time to go home. It was cold at 23*F, elevation was 4,000' at this cold camp in the Inyo Mountains.


My entire drivers window was covered with Ice, ON THE INSIDE!!! lol


I started the truck up immediately and let it warm up. It was 21 miles of dirt to reach pavement.







I had to laugh at my new pinstripes from the night before.


It didn't take long, maybe 20 minutes and I was headed out.

I was stunned to find these cattle grazing about 4,200'.


Meet #173

And #670


I know there are private in-holdings in the Valley and on the Mountain, just never seen the cattle here before.

Picture of the trail winding up the mountain.

I've mentioned it before, but Saline Valley Road is not signed well at all. There are lots of signs like this:

Snow and Ice on the mountain and on the trail.

Ice on trail.


Finally cleared through the pass and into the sunshine. I kept going to Lee Flat to photograph all the wonderful Joshua Trees.


Goodbye Saline Valley Road.


Right before I hit pavement, I stopped and aired back up to 36PSI before heading West on CA-190.

 

Death Valley - Day 5 - Part 2 - Go Home Day.

Epic views on CA-190 driving West to Olancha, CA, then to US-395 South.

The Eastern Sierra Nevada Mountains, and Mount Whitney, left of center, highest elevation in California.

I love you open road, lol!


I had to get some breakfast.
I like this place:

Ranch House Cafe
US-395, Olancha, CA 93549
(760) 764-2363


Yummy breakfast!


While sitting at the counter I talked to a local resident named Bob G. who was perhaps 80 years of age. I stayed for 45 minutes talking to him. He was living history and told me so many great stories about his life and adventures in the area. I love meeting interesting locals.

After that great breakfast and great conversation, I headed to gas station to fuel up.





I also took time to clean my windshield so I can see properly.
I always pack a clean rag and cleaner for all my trips.



My drive home on US-395 was very straightforward. I arrived safely at home and rejoined my wife and kids and shared pics and told stories and got caught up on all the news at home.

Death Valley 2015 was a fun and rewarding trip.

 

Sweet. I mentioned Death Valley to the wife. She immediately lit up. She's been there, I haven't yet.

And Sprayway FTMFW. I keep that stuff in the truck too. Or the old truck. Shit, better put it in the new truck, at least for trips.

 

Ah, Ranch House Cafe - brings back memories! When I lived in Ridgecrest that was where I'd stop for dinner after grueling day hikes in the Sierras. Sometimes Pizza Factory in Lone Pine, but that place gets murderously busy in the summer. Something really nice and charming about Ranch House. Drove through Olancha a few weeks ago but didn't stop, had already eaten in camp.

Good call on the glass cleaner, need to put that in the truck for this year. Long term (i.e. after Sept 2016) truck will be in storage in Las Vegas except when I come out to camp with it. Don't lie storing fluids and aerosols in it with the heat sometimes causing bad things to happen. Might just need to put a fresh can on my standard provisioning list at that point.

Great trip report! Thanks again for taking the time, and I love that you take the time for photos of everything along the way. I need to start doing that too.

 

Death Valley 2015 Aftermath, Inspection, and Cleanup. Part 1 of 2

There is a lot of cleanup after a 250 mile off road trip. No major damage just the hit to my drivers mirror, and a lot of lost paint.

Extreme rock blasting of rear axle housing, u-bolts.


Parking on my front lawn. Lots of mud mess from the super salty Amargosa river crossing.


Sliders got hammered, they flash rust after washing.




Camber gussets held. Zero movement. Hurray!




Ball joint boots, are intact, but leaking. Drivers side is worse. (known about this for about half a year now).




Leaf springs / shackle look good.




Even brake lines got a little blasted.


More blasting


Dakar leaf pack zip tie silencer broke on drivers front. It used to look like this: (no pic of it broken)


I had to stop the kids and wife from playing with the dust. I worry about the paint. lol



I did manage to repaint the sliders. Like new again.



Cleaned and painted rear axle housing and u-bolts. Red was nice while it lasted.

 

1. Where do you find the time?
2. +1 DMB for telling off your family for ruining your paint.
3. Is your lawn dead yet?

 

I use a leaf blower to blow out the back of the truck and in this case the interior too, lol. For the tailage I blew some air into the latch mechanism and clouds of dust come out the other side. I used compressed air too from the air compressor. No matter how many times I did this, every time I closed it I would get clouds of dust from under the plastic top piece. It was very annoying. So I grabbed my electric impact gun and zipped out the screws and removed the skin.

Six plus years of dust I find!

So I clean up this mess too.




My oldest was in charge of the screws, to make sure they didn't get lost. None did this time.


Lots of water and paper towels, and about 45 minutes later, it was clean.


While cleaning, i noticed (4) of the bonds had been broken with the exterior skin.



Apparently, this is a common problem from the feedback I got in the thread I started. I plan on repairing the bonds and will probably get a tailgate reinforcement plate. Some of the sheet metal was a little bit bent. The toughest duty my tailgate sees is when an adult male "sits on it", lol, but true, it's nearly 200lbs in a concentrated space.

I think I can mitigate dust intrusion into the tailgate, but it will never sealed.

 

Oh and I've been thinking about something like this to help protect the teardrop if we are going to be hitting dirt roads that it can handle.
http://www.ebay.com.au/itm/Stone-Gu...t-Galv-Dipped-Universal-Fitting-/151868947850