Death Valley Off-Road Adventures

I've worked in a semi-retail gig for a few years. We are open T-Sat. That is so fucked up.

 

I think moonlight helps you see a place in such a different way. I haven't done much planning as I'm just following But I did do some planning for the sites we'll be and I'm looking forward to the Race Track stop. More so than the other spots...

 

I have a trip set for Great Basin in July just for the Milky Way

 

That would have to be one of the better Dark Sky spots. Isn't there a Dark Sky event there in July?

 

The neatest thing about the desert night is that it's dynamic. You can have a night with moon and without depending on time and phase.

Going for a night stroll in desert moonlight makes the Earth look and feel like an alien planet. I miss it terribly.

 

The Dark Sky event is September 17-19. If you haven't ever been to Great Basin, I would encourage you to go. It's a really special place, like Death Valley.

 

I'm going up specifically on the new moon weekend in July for the milky way. The Persiods are supposed to be really incredible there too.

 

I did notice there are some closure notices for the Wheeler Peak campground-that's one I like-it's at 10k feet and the views are just incredible.

 

Trip report completed for my visit to Death Valley a couple weekends ago. Thanks to all contributors on this thread for the inspiration for this trip, and also for the inspiration to better document the voyage.







https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWKL9530Qe0

 

I still haven't been there. I've been to literally every NP that's west of Colorado but GB is just so out of the way lol

 

100% visit the park.

 

Pretty fantastic cave tour too at GB.

 

Summited in the morning, cave tour in the afternoon

 

It’s not so much the moon as it is the landscape it paints

 

..many years since being on that summit, ascend, then descend as thunderheads build and flashes and soaked before back to trailhead. spent a week there at a SU geologist field camp with a friend the sister of the geologic Professor, summer field instructor...not far from Baker is a small reservoir and beyond that through a ranch and a trail is the spring source, a cool pool with an overhanging bank and a cave, narrow, rocky, just enough space to crawl/swim under the water into the tiniest open chamber, enough room to turn around in, and lift your face into air, breath, then, claustrophobia setting in, duck under and slither out banging knees and elbows on rocks

 

The Wheeler peak campground is the best but it's hard to get a spot unless you get there mid-week. I ended up reserving a spot in Grey Cliffs campground just to make sure I didn't have to go outside the park to camp. There's plenty of places around there but it's a pain. There is a chance the road could be closed up there too. Hopefully I get lucky.

It is the most remote park in the lower 48. Even from Vegas is a solid 5 hour drive.

 

You got some good pics there, man. Enjoyable reading.

 

I'm hanging out in the Stovepipe Wells Saloon, crazy storm rolling through... Kicked off sandstorm before the rain. Bummed to hunker down in the Flip-Pac for the rest of the evening.. Gas station is closed due to wind.

 

I can picture this so well. Thanks for the update.

 

Just got back from a couple of days Anza Borrego as well as National Forest outside Tucson. ANB is pretty amazing ... like Death Valley, lots of rough off pavement roads to quiet dispersed camping sites. And while the NF in AZ was nice once we got way in, we had a lot of target shooters and SxS folks to navigate past to get there.