Death Valley Off-Road Adventures

This one is a tough one. The road has been left un-repaired for so long that it would be difficult to repair. If you did repair it, what's to say another flood doesn't take out the new road? And of course, if you build roads through wild places for access, what's to say you should build them through wilderness or other places inaccessible?

I don't have an easy answer that satisfies all the boxes for this one except to say that I do know there will come a time I am unable and that's kinda OK with me.

"No standing" isn't a win or a loss. It's a "nah, can't be decided in my court because the plaintiff has nothing to lose or because the plaintiff isn't sufficiently harmed by the condition (roughly speaking). Definitely, the environmentalists are better off because as a whole, they are joiners and donators.

 

I wasn't implying specifically that Surprise Canyon should be rebuilt. Rather it shouldn't have been closed in the first place. Let the jeep clubs maintain what was left. Mother nature would have had her way sooner or later.

We lose access all the time to our public lands for various reasons. Look at the current fight for Pismo. There are areas I don't want to see closed to vehicular access just to make the environmental groups feel better about their goals. It's like the old moniker with age comes wisdom. Youth can be short sighted in what they wish for.

 

What a cinematic masterpiece, 1:08 Is shot by the smokestack at Panamint City, I'm not sure if those buildings were at that location in the 60's, but there were some similar further up the canyon in the late 90's when we were there.

 

easy rider also starts off in ballarat...dennis hopper must have had a soft spot for that area...
don't miss easy rider

 

I think there are still mining claims up there, at one time, the Bakersfield Jeep club was talking about buying one, so they could get access, I think expansion of the National Park may have killed that plan.

 

Yes you're correct, I believe it was the Bakersfield Trailblazers adopted the Surprise Canyon trail thru CA4WDC adopt a trail program

 

The quoted post was suggesting that handicapped access was the reason it should be kept open so my comments should be taken only in that context and only in so far as where you might draw the line if that were the case.

Should Surprise be open to vehicular traffic? I don't see why not. Do local clubs have the resources and expertise to keep it open? I don't know.
How do you create partnerships within the agencies responsible for managing the land such those agencies aren't 100% influenced by environmentalists (as they are today).

 

Is the whole Death Valley floor covered in salt?

 

No. There are lots of areas in Death Valley with salts on them though.

 

Want to visit Death Valley but i want avoid salt for obvious reasons. Any places or highways to avoid. Am I overthinking?

 

You are overthinking it. Any salt you get on your truck will wash right off. You can find car washes in the nearby towns but I usually wait until I get home.

 

Go and have fun. I've been there many many times and have not once even worried about it.

 

Totally overthinking it

 

Death Valley is a massive area with rock, sand, dirt, trees, lakes, flowers, rivers, snow, and even pavement. Salt is a pretty small portion, and you can only drive on roads in the park anyway, and most of the salt is not on the roads. It ain’t Michigan.

 

Thanks guys, I emailed the NPR about this and they say not to worry, the employees live their year round and have no corrosion issues on their vehicles.

 

What is the most fun time to visit? How do the Tacoma’s do in intense heat? Can you pull a light trailer up a grade and not kill your truck?

 

I've only wanted to go in the cooler months, and usually stick to October/November and late February/early March. I have no desire to be out there "testing" the heat....I prefer to enjoy the cooler temperature. That being said, there are times even in the "cooler" months that it has been hot.

 

Most fun time, is subjective. However good rule of thumb is, don't go in summer.

Tacoma does fine in heat.

 

the Op has spoken !!!

 

anyone been up Mengel Pass lately? how are the conditions and what kind of vehicle did you havE?