Death Valley Off-Road Adventures

Update regarding the recent events (non-fatal) at SVWS...

Saline Valley Preservation Association (SPA) meeting
January 21, 2021

Those Present:
President, John Runkle aka OJ
Vice President/Treasurer, Mike Ramsey aka Flipper
Secretary/Data Base Manager, Michelle Hamilton aka Red Molly
Board member, Gary Kremen
Board member, Fred Dickson aka Farmer Fred
Board member, Bonneau Dickson

OJ called the meeting to order at 6:05 p.m. and Flipper seconded the motion. The primary purpose of the meeting was to discuss recent reports from Saline Valley. SPA members had been notified by recent visitors to Saline Valley that pipes had been removed from the Palm Springs, and the palm trees at the were not being watered. Prior to the meeting SPA members made calls and inquiries about this issue. Park Liaison, Tim Hynes aka Timbo could not attend, but sent emails and made phone calls to the National Park Service (NPS) to determine whether they sanctioned the removal of the pipes. He forwarded them to the membership before the meeting.

During the meeting discussion it was determined that:

Superintendent Mike Reynolds appointed a new Head Ranger by the name of Rob Wissinger. He made several visits to Saline Valley and observed damp pools of water in the tubs at the Palm Springs indicating visitors were NOT adhering to NPS rules of no soaking, despite signage telling them not to do so. About the second week of November, the NPS made it known that if visitors could not be stopped from violating NPS rules, they would have no other option other than to fill the tubs with sand. He left it up to the camp host to determine how to accomplish this. The pipes were removed and are being stored at Lee’s camp. The pipes are not damaged and can be put back, when the NPS gives the clearance to do so. The removal of the pipes has stopped water from going to the palm trees. When SPA expressed concern over the health of the palm trees, they were told palm trees could exist for at least a year without water. Neither Rob or Lee notified SPA about the pipe removal or the palms not being watered. The recent visitors to the springs told SPA the palm trees looked distressed and SPA members agreed to take measures to see the palms were watered.

Flipper was approved to spend $160 for hoses and a pump to water the palms at the Palm Springs and plans to visit Saline Valley the last week of January weather permitting. Future watering of the palm trees would be discussed over President’s Day.

Timbo’s email report said he explained to Rob Wissinger that SPA had a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the NPS. Rob said he had been working in Death Valley for two years, but not Saline Valley and was not aware of the MOU. Timbo explained to him the MOU had strict guidelines for the NPS to WORK together with SPA when it came to ANY work involving Saline Valley. Rob agreed to inform him of any future work or dismantling of established work in Saline Valley.

The discussion turned to the zero communication from the Camp Host Lizard Lee as well as violating his agreement to water the palm trees in Saline Valley, not just the ones at the Lower Warm Springs. SPA members talked about the need for transparency and a rotation of the Camp Host as is done in other National Parks. SPA wanted to be a part of that rotation and felt the Springs would benefit from Camp Hosts that would be willing to engage in the user community and new visitors. They discussed the NPS Management Plan and its desire to educate new visitors and users to the Springs. The Board members felt Lee’s 30-year tenure as a Camp Host was unheard of in other National Parks.

Gary Kremen agreed to research the NPS camp host rotation policy and Red Molly agree to research the NPS camp host expectations within the NPS Saline Valley Management Plan. This was to be done in a week. SPA then planned to draft a letter to the NPS about this issue.

SPA voted to have Red Molly draft a newsletter to be approved by the Board and emailed to all SPA members.
Meeting adjourned 7:00 p.m.
Saline Preservation Association (SPA) is a 501(3)(c) Non-Profit Organization supporting Saline Valley
Donations to SPA always welcomed either through PayPal or snail mail to support maintenance of Saline Valley Warm Springs.

 

About 10 years ago on a long weekend, my wife took our 4wd to go skiing with some friends, and I took her Prius to DV with our daughter. We drove into the parking lot at the exit of Titus Canyon, maybe a mile of graded dirt, planning to hike up the canyon a bit. A guy in the parking lot with an SUV asked how the Prius handled the road. I explained that we hadn’t come through the canyon, just up from the Valley. He replied “Yeah, I saw you pull in ... but still that’s a pretty rough road for that little car!”

 

That guy would explode if he ever saw what my brother did with his 84 VW GTI, lol.

 

Yes the Instasham bullshit certainly has a lot to do with ruining places as loads of asshats decide to "monetize life". But that is of course only part of it. Behind the pathetic breadcrumb harvesting shit storm that is social media are companies and brands that exist solely to create demand for their products. They range from the huge auto manufacturers that pour untold dollars into TV ads full of aspirational brand shaping centered around driving around the wilderness to smaller vendors promoting yet another camper top that will finally set you free.

For a sense of history consider the humble "dirt bike" and the subsequent "ATV" culture that now routinely converts sensitive dune systems into something more akin to a football stadium parking lot before a bowl game. Where did that come from? Answer: Post-war Japanese motorcycle manufacturers who were unable to build and import street legal motorcycles. They needed to create a market for non-street legal motorcycles and over a number of years created market demand that simply did not exist before. Through marketing strategies the "off-highway-vehicle" culture was born and nurtured essentially from whole cloth within the US by foreign companies looking to import goods. It is and has always been entirely distinct from the more ad hoc origins of the "jeep" culture that came from surplus military equipment being used to explore the wilderness (though of course Detroit was quick to pick up that mantle when it realized it was there). This was before the internet so it took a lot longer but fundamentally a commercial interest created a market "demand" that never existed before to provide an outlet for shitty motorcycles that DOT wouldn't approve for highway travel. And the entire desert southwest to this day still carries the scars of this created "demand".

Now with social media this kind of thing happens so much faster amplified by dimwits who will do anything for a nickle on Instasham. But the root cause is still the same - clever marketers trying to sell people shit they don't need by using aspirational advertising to market a lifestyle first that just happens to align with products they have on offer.

 

Off highway recreation probably has more of its roots tied to surplus military equipment than marketing. Jeep and Harley in particular. Like anything, enough people buying or converting eventually create demand and companies spring up to meet the demand and you needed to know who they were and how to get their stuff cause they were two focused on development to market. Most of that was driven by wealth created after the war.

For every “lifestyle purchaser”, there’s someone living in a van or converted 4x4 ambulance they call home traveling and “doing it for the gram” and encouraging others to come out and party.

All the shit in the desert and mountains has a lot to do with entitlement and access to gear needed-you can buy a vehicle and pay someone to make it capable. Manufacturers see the demand and create there own models. For the longest time, rei didn’t want off roaders yet today, they sell RTT and have stuck their feet in the lake that is overlanding.

All segments of outdoor recreation are experiencing the same explosive growth. Just look at the increased number of trade shows devoted to selling unique equipment or experiences the segment requires.

It’s up to all of us to make sure we’re bringing the new people on board with the respect and responsibility our hobby demands. We need to be better stewards otherwise, we’re all fucked.

 

I completely agree we need to be better stewards. There's no way anyone is gonna stop the rising popularity, but we can try to inform and educate people. On the other hand, there will always be the asshats who come along and mess everything up.

 

One of the ambulance crowd posted a picture of a stolen sign and bragged about illegal activity like it was nothing-this is the new IG mentality. And as much as I hate the idea of snitching, I also hate the idea of risky behaviors because of the consequence they pose for future visitors and because it brands all of us negatively.

 

BLM has published the DR for Alabama Hills. I know it's not DV but figured its in the hood.

 

I'm not too into snitching either, but there are certain times it's necessary.

 

Thanks for posting that. I only looked at a few sections but specifically the overnight camping plan is very sensible for an area with rapidly increasing use by the semi-clueless. Free permits that come with basic education is very much the right balance at this stage in my opinion. And from the map it appears potentially well dispersed even though designated.

 

I was surprised as I thought it would be worse than it is.

 

Was it a stolen DV sign? North Pass has had two stolen over the past couple years. People suck.

 

It was not.

 

this guy removed his comments stating that he knew it was illegal for him to be inside DV on his UTV

 

Now this gets me going! Aside from the fact that I had to log into FB which I rarely do anymore this guy has no qualms about posting up his adventure. I wonder what the plan is if the SXS broke down. Not much on board to make a night's stay pleasant.

 

The fact that he stated he's planning on additional trips with groups..

 

Well the NPS knows about him. He flies trike kites too...bet he would love to land on the playa.

 

Looks like he made his post private. The truth hurts.

 

hopefully well after when I sent the FB link to DV NPS

 

You did that too? LOL
That's why screenshots exist.