Death Valley Off-Road Adventures

gettin ready to head out to DV in a few weeks. sucks to see Titus canyon is still closed. can only imagine the damage that was done.

 

It's not so much the damage, rather prioritization of fixing roads that are more regularly travelled (vs. 4x4-only routes). They are only now getting around to Wildrose, which is paved, and Saline Valley Road was only addressed a few months ago (though people had been driving it - given that the "correct road bed" is much more well-defined - for more than a year while it was "closed.")

Where are you heading when you go out? If you've not been to Titus before and really want to see it, you can still drive up to the mouth of the canyon (from the DV side) and park, and then hike into the Titus narrows/the most dramatic part of Titus.

...although, if you're after a hike of a dramatic canyon, might I suggest Fall Canyon (next door to Titus, same parking for trailhead).

 

We've been through Titus canyon several times, we go once a year in February but always try to make Titus canyon one of the stops, wife loves it. Usually spend 4 days/ 3 Nights out there. Starting to plan out this years trip and just viewing current road conditions etc. should have started the planning sooner but never know what the weather will bring. Last year a lot of roads were closed, I had broke a LBJ the 2nd day in so trip was short. sucked, but it happens.

 

I feel you there. I'm planning a Friday-Monday trip through the northwestern part of the park in a few weeks.

 

we'll be out there 2/13-2/16.

 

We should be getting into Lone Pine in the late evening on Friday 2/14 (figure we'll camp at Alabama Hills or the paid campsite), and then heading home up 395 (weather permitting) on Monday.

 

When they first talked about this repair, I was hoping it wouldn't affect access to Wildrose itself. Just looking the photos, the paved part really suffered during the flooding. I'm surprised 3 months is enough to accomplish what's described as a fairly major repair.

 

I mean, Wildrose was in really tough shape... I was up there a few days before Christmas and while the barrier they'd setup on the Panamint Valley side had seen plenty of traffic go around it, it was clear that major work needed to be done from about the point where East Panamint Valley Road comes in.

Emigrant Canyon seemed to be in OK shape to me when we were there. By OK shape, I mean, easily drivable. Nothing like Wildrose... so, it'll be interesting to see what work they do there/why they completely limited access by closing it at the same time...

Mike Reynolds, park superintendent on Wildrose after "a bit of rain." (photo, NPS)​

 

I'll be heading south from Carson City tomorrow...not sure if I'll have to go through Benton because of restrictions on the 395.

Not DV related other than the railroad that ran from Dayton to Keeler...been snowing up here for the past two days.

 

The Death Valley Dark Sky festival is taking place Feb 21-23 this year:

https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/darkskyfestival.htm

Should be a fun time. Looks like I'll be participating this year.

Update: I'll be at Astro on Tap Friday, at Stovepipe.

 

North Pass as of yesterday

 

In the past, this has been a great event. This year, there's a lot of cool activities like astrophotography meetups, presentations from NASA Ames & JPL, Cal Tech & booths over at Furnace Creek.

Might have to consider going.

 

That North Pass photo has me like: "I have a sneaking suspicion that Hunter Mountain is going to be closed in two weeks and I'm going to re-planning @Impoy47 and my route at the last minute."

 

If not closed, probably cold AF up at those elevations. We lucked out and got a week at Thanksgiving (in the teens) and at Christmas (somehow, in the low 30s) up in that area. Seems like the snow waited quite a while this year.

I'm trying to figure out where to go in a couple weeks as well, but I'm thinking lower.

 

My plan was to dip out of Alabama Hills pretty early, drive up and over Hunter Mountain to Teakettle Junction, stop at the Racetrack, and then take Lippincott out to Warms Springs Camp, and then roll out to Big Pine by way of Steel Pass and Eureka Dunes the following day. Definitely wasn't planning on camping up there - the better half would murder me before setting up Starlink to order a diesel heater.

 

There may be more snow coming the middle of next week.

 

Got one!! Just need a split duct y pipe. Sharing is caring..

 

But first it's gonna be high 60's in Bishop Sat-Tue. That will take care of all snow below 7000'. lol

 

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