Death Valley Off-Road Adventures

might spend a day on the other side of the park driving titus canyon. would you guys say this link is pretty accurate? they have a ton of info about this drive and the area: https://www.birdandhike.com/Hike/DEVA/Roads_DEVA/TitusCyn_Rd/_TitusCyn_Rd.htm

 

Soon (hopefully)

 

Accurate, if not a bit dramatic. Its very scenic but I wouldn't describe any of the road as precipitous.

 

The park's FB page posted of an explosion at the park in the area of employee housing. Something to do with the propane system.
Their comment was "no serious injuries" which I take to mean there were some injuries but nothing serious.

 

Like a stone skipping across the surface of water, ripples form. Threshold speed causes it, and the sand remembers it, each pass amplifies it. "Just about any time a malleable surface is acted upon by a sideways force, you will get ripples" (UOT, 2009).

The article is now almost 12 years old; I first posted it November 2009 after a rough trip.

My opinion is that Death Valley washboard, roughest on Earth, there are moguls in the Mojave desert that are second to none. They form based on the same principal and consequently "fun."

Reference

University of Toronto. (2009, July 9). Physics Of Bumpy Roads: What Makes Roads Ripple Like A Washboard?. ScienceDaily. Retrieved March 8, 2021 from www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2009/07/090707131834.htm

 

just saw your post! Might take my 2wd tacoma out to cottonwood canyon for one night in a few weeks from stovepipe wells. pretty easy dirt road?

 

i actually enjoy washboard...reminds me i've left civilization...

 

It's doable for the first 8 miles or so in 2WD. The second portion is a bit more challenging and might require 4WD in some spots, but otherwise if you have ground clearance you'll be fine.

 

I've read the science and I've seen the demonstrations but someone please explain to me how the ripples can form across the entire width of a two-way dirt road in perfect, unbroken parallel lines!

 

Simple. Drivers try and avoid them so they move what ever direction seems to work for them.

 

Agreed. However, we were there about four weeks ago and saw a 2WD van that made it to about a two miles from the Cottonwood Canyon trailhead. You'll be fine in a 2WD Tacoma.

 

Thanks for the responses guys. Planning to just do a one-nighter from Long Beach (am i crazy?). might setup camp at one of the small campgrounds near furnace creek, maybe texas springs campground. i want something basic and it's just my son and i, but a campfire pit is a requirement since no fires allowed in the backcountry. i wanna see the sunset at zabrinkse point that evening. wake up early in the morning and do titus canyon, "hike" around ubehebe crater, back down to the 190 and head out to darwin falls area and father crowley overlook, then head home. not sure if i'm doing too much but i'll see how our time is looking. don't expect to be home until after dark.

if anyone wants to recommend a better place to camp that would be great. just gonna be sleeping in the truck bed. it'll be midweek to avoid the crowds

 

AWESOME !!!!

 

I did such things in my younger days from Pasadena. Do yourself a favor and make sure you time things to avoid LA traffic - it is already a long enough drive. Presumably easier these days with COVID. 405 to 14 or heading out to the 15 and up 395 are just about the same miles. I generally prefer the 14 route over the 395 route myself if I can choose (the 395 has a number of long, dangerous two lane sections) but it's good to have options so you can check routes when it is time to leave and choose the least pain. For both of these routes head through Trona and up the Panamint Valley. You can bypass Ridgecrest entirely unless you feel you'll need to provision there by taking Trona Rd. off of the 395 well south of Ridgecrest. Be advised there really is nothing but gas and snacks in Trona.

Texas Spring was always my choice for Furnace Creek campgrounds. Lower circle is tent only and avoids any generator noise. If you don't end up staying at Zabriske through twilight the badlands surrounding the campground are delightful to walk around in twilight or moonlight (though you'll have just a little moonlight in the early evening next week). You can pop over one low ridge and feel you are entirely in another world away from camp lights and sounds.

Zabriskie Point is one of those spots that is nice both at sunrise and sunset. At sunset however there is a long gap between the "golden" hour there when you still have direct sunlight on it and the "blue" hour when you get the best twilight. This is because the sun will drop behind the Panamints a bit early and then take a good long while to get below the actual horizon. Also this is backlight to Manly Beacon which is a bit awkward but still a nice raking light on the badlands to the southwest. Sunrise tends to give a more continuous period of good light all the way from deep morning twilight until direct sunlight is raking it. But of course you have to be up quite early for that... Anyway, delightful spot regardless of morning or evening. Just be aware if you end up there after "golden" hour but before "blue" hour in the evening it is going to be rather unimpressive. If you miss the gold plan to hold out for the blue...

Yeah, it'll be dark before you get to Ridgecrest with that day! All together not too insane though. Shooting up to Ubehebe from the end of Titus is a natural fit. Keep in mind it is a good 1.5 to 2 hrs from Ubehebe to Darwin Falls or Father Crowley Pt.

Jealous you can just pop up there

 

sounds like my plan is somewhat reasonable! Since Darwin Falls is on the way home, I can cut it out of the trip if it's getting too late. Leaving my wife and daughter at home for this trip and my 9-year old son likes getting an early start like I do, so we might be able to squeeze it all in. We shall see. thanks for the response.

 

Not DV specifically, but the only other place I've gotten anything like this was in Eureka Valley, and I know folks here are just as fascinated by these as I am.

I experienced this the other day. So awesome. Story here, as usual: It's a Bird, It's a Plane, It's Pahranagat Man - Mid-Winter #1

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Sounds like DV had some weather! From their FB page.

 

Thanks for the update. Will wait til next week as I wanna do Titus Canyon in my pre-runner, without the possibility of snow on the ground

 

The tubs in Saline Valley will be filled in the not too distant future.

And a new to me book discovery...

Edna Brush Perkins
The White Heart of Mojave

 

It’s gonna be such a mob