AdventureTaco - turbodb's build and adventures

I would love to live in the forests of Washington. Seems like the perfect place if you like rain and mud lol

 

Yeah thats why my friend lives outside the city. I just started heading up to seattle once a month for work, the city is cool, but living in big cities isnt my favorite. I like visiting them n checking em out. I have to go on sales calls in spokane with my local rep eventually. I do like seattle better than pdx though.

 

They work to sleep in with my 3 kids. Until the other half finds out.

 

Back to Death Valley - Day 1, 2 - A Struggle from the Start
April 11-12, 2018.

If our first trip to Death Valley taught us anything, it was that our adventures there were far from complete. The three days of exploration had just scratched the surface of the vast wilderness before us.

So, when I found out that @mrs.turbodb was headed out of town for a week, I was quick to make plans for a return trip. Going solo, my route did include a few of our favorite spots (Butte Valley and Goler Wash), but focused on several new areas as well - most outside of Death Valley proper (West Side Road, Charcoal Kilns, Saline Valley + Warm Springs, Steel Pass, and Eureka Dunes).

It was a lot to cover in such a short time, and I knew I'd be once again be left wanting more. But that was good in my book - so as departure time arrived I turned on APRS and headed out.

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Headed south, I was keen to make good time. I'd gotten started 90 minutes later than our first trip, but I figured I could make that time up with a little speed and no detours (we'd had a 2-hour goof-up on the previous trip). And then, 30 minutes from home, this orange light meant that I had a decision to make...

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Engine lights are never a welcome sight, but I figured it was better to get one close to home than in the middle of nowhere, so I set about diagnosing the issue. Of course, I kept heading south as well - time was of the essence.

I quickly determined the code to be P0171 (bank 1 too lean); unfortunately not an easy code debug and fix. Essentially, running lean means that there's either too much air or not enough fuel, so any of the following might be at fault:

• Dirty air filter
• Dirty or failed Mass Airflow Sensor (MAF)
• Vacuum leak (introducing extra air)
• Failing Air-to-Fuel Ratio (AFR) sensor
• Dirty fuel injectors (restricting fuel flow)
• Dirty fuel filter (restricting fuel flow)
• Bad/weak fuel pump (restricting fuel flow)

So my approach was twofold: first, I stopped at Napa to purchase some MAF cleaner (since I've previously dealt with codes that were resolved by cleaning the MAF); second I asked the good folks on TacomaWorld three questions:

1. What would they try to diagnose the situation?
2. Was it serious enough to abort the trip?
3. What was the worst that could happen if I drove 2500 miles with the error code.

After a couple questions about fuel trims (my Long Term Fuel Trims were in the 30%+ range), the general consensus was that P0171 is most commonly caused by a vacuum leak, so @Speedytech7 suggested spraying some starting fluid around in the engine bay - if the engine started to rev, I'd know the vacuum leak was near. @Blackdawg was emphatic that "fuck no, you'll be fine to wait" with regard to aborting the trip, and that if I were to do more damage, it'd be to the catalytic converter and associated AFR/O2 sensors.

I pulled over an hour later for my first refueling, and whipped out the starting fluid, spraying it liberally in the engine compartment, hoping to hear the engine rev. Nothing. Figuring I had nothing to lose, I quickly pulled out the air box and MAF sensor (which was definitely dirty) and cleaned it thoroughly. @m3bassman suggested resetting the ECU (rather than just clearing the code) so I disconnected the battery for 15 minutes to do that as well.

30 minutes later, I was back on my way south. Hoping.

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I made it into the fog of Oregon before the light came on again, 96 miles later. But, at this point I was committed. I knew it could cost me a new catalytic converter, but I chalked it up to part of the adventure.

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As the fog turned to rain, I continued. Out of the Oregon rain and into the cold and dark of northern Nevada. Having picked up two sandwiches earlier in the day, my only stops were for fuel, and by midnight I was just outside of Austin, NV. @mrs.turbodb had been following my progress on APRS and suggested a nearby Forest Service road where I might find camp - so I headed that way and found a nice little spur where I setup the tent and promptly fell asleep, mentally exhausted.

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I was up early the next morning, not to capture the sunrise, but to get on the road - I still had a few hours to my last fuel stop in Beatty, NV and I wanted to have as much time as possible exploring Death Valley. As I passed through Austin and an early morning snow flurry, I marveled at the road ahead - the clouds were clearing and the sun was out.

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I continued south until I hit Goldfield and the International Car Forest. I knew I had to stop to capture the vivid colors, and unlike the last trip, there was no concern about running out of fuel, so despite the 40-50mph wind gusts, I spent some time exploring. The art here changes regularly, so it's always worth a stop. I was also excited to see a new addition - painted, but not yet planted - with just the sort of cha-bling attitude that you'd expect out there.

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From there it was a straight shot through Beatty for fuel and then into Death Valley. Worried about time (which I shouldn't have been), I opted not for Titus Canyon, but instead for Hwy 374 into the park. It had been newly resurfaced and the going was easy.

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Then, as I came over Daylight Pass, I realized that the 40-50mph winds in Goldfield were at least that strong in Death Valley. And today, it was Dust Valley. I could just barely make out the Last Chance Range across the valley floor.

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Not to be deterred, I headed south - hoping that the southerly wind would mean clearer skies where I was headed, and it wasn't long before I was airing down at West Side Road. Happy to be on dirt, I made my way through Devil's Golf Course (much cooler from West Side Road than from the main viewing area) and past several markers and mine sites. And I drove through fields of green scrub as the sky continued to clear of dust.

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Behind me, there wasn't much to see.

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At the southern most point of my trip, I started up Warm Spring Canyon to Butte Valley, keeping a good pace, but also exploring several sites we'd missed on our last trip.

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The canyon was full of color and life. While no super-bloom, several species of flowers were abundant, painting the surrounding hills with streaks of brilliant yellow. A hummingbird nest, sheltered by the shade of dried reeds, partridge's with bright red beaks, and burros.

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And then, the first glimpse of Striped Butte and it's valley. Even looking at the back side of Striped Butte, this is truly a special place in our world.

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At this point, even though my original itinerary made camp in Butte Valley the first night, I had all but made my mind up that I was going eat a quick lunch at the Geologist Cabin and then push on - into Goler Wash to get a jump start towards new-to-me areas of the park.

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But as I ate lunch I realized that Butte Valley itself was still new-to-me. We'd stayed a night on our last trip, but we'd arrived at dusk and left early in the morning - and we hadn't really investigated any of the roads, mines, cabins, or other sites in this beautiful place.

So I stayed.

And I explored.

And it was amazing.

Several of the roads were washed out in various places, but nothing was impassable - even when you're sporting a P0171 code - so I had fun doing a bit of flexing and poser-ing here and there as well.

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It's clear that the Geologist Cabin is the premier cabin in the valley. Though there usually seems to be someone at Stella's Cabin (and there would be on this night), it's much more rundown. And the Cave "cabin"...well, it's hard to get to, and so reasonably safe to say that not many people make it up there.

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Having explored most of the roads, it was time to settle on a camp site. Having experienced the Geologist Cabin on our last visit (and the associated wind), I opted instead for the more sheltered camp site a bit further north - still with a great view of Striped Butte - and set up camp as the sun got lower in the sky, eventually casting a purple hue across the mountains and valley floor. It'd been a long two days. Beef tacos with guacamole and chips made for a great dinner, and then it was off to bed. I knew the next day would be a long one, but it'd be nearly all new territory - the whole reason I'd come back in the first place!

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Beautiful pix!

 

well..i wasn't wrong..haha

 

Thanks! I sort of felt like they were a bit meh this time - I think because I was tired when I was taking them - but a few did come out well. Like I always say - take enough, and you're bound to get lucky on a few.

Nope, you weren't. You know I was really just looking for someone to tell me to keep going. Sure hope one of these parts I ordered takes care of it. I was telling @mrs.turbodb that I need to get a parts truck so I can test this stuff more quickly.

Yeah, solo solo. First major trip that way. Not as fun, I discovered (even if it's still really cool) - it's just so nice to share the experience with someone else in the moment. Oh, and I'm happy to go back and explore Butte Valley (or anywhere else) again. Just let me know when.

 

LOL yeah. Go for it! I tried to get one but missed it. But i can't seem to stop getting them anyways..

and its not in me to say turn around.

 

Always inspiring! Great pics and great write up. Gotta love the cbi bumper shots too!

 

There is something to be said for solo exploring and with others. Small groups, two to five vehicles, are better than six or more. If the company is a bunch of jackasses then solo is the way to go. It is an amazing feeling being all alone far from most souls. Not a good or bad feeling, an indifference which allows for introspection.

 

Damn those are beautiful pics man!

 

Solo solo is a different type of fun though. The thought of knowing you only have yourself, you rig, and your skills to rely on is exciting as hell. Not to mention the tranquility and self reflection at camp.

 

Good. I'm up for either! My sense (but I have no actual experience with this) is that Utah will be nicer in the fall. But maybe late fall - like Thanksgiving? - DV could be the place to go as Utah might be a bit chilly.

Thanks! Glad you guys enjoyed. Bumper is looking great, though a bit naked, only half full . I didn't even run the Jerry can holder this time 'cause it would have been goofy to be empty the entire trip! hahahahaha

Yeah, I'm with you on the group size - the smaller groups are ideal generally, esp. when you know the company and have a rhythm and camaraderie built up.

With you guys on this too - solo was still an extremely fun (if different) experience. Going at my own pace, not worrying if I was stopping too frequently or not frequently enough, eating when I felt like it - all great things. But I do also enjoy the radio chatter from a group of buddies, or the color commentary from a co-pilot who is monitoring reading material as we drive by some geological formation or historic site. And, I think there's a really great bond that gets formed between friends when you're able to experience (and reflect around the camp fire) the sights, events (good and bad), etc. of the exact same trip together.

 

Return to Death Valley - Day 3 - A True Oasis
April 13, 2018.

Having hit the sack relatively early (a drawback of being solo and not chatting into the evening around a fire), I was well-rested as I awoke to catch the sun chasing the moon on the eastern horizon.

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One of my favorite times of day, I climbed out of the tent and sent a mental message to the burros to shut the hell up. There were approximately 20 of them in the valley, and they'd been going at it all night. I found myself yearning for the last trip - where we'd not seen a single burro - clearly a blessing (though we viewed it as a bummer at the time).

Of course, the burros didn't stop, but either did the sun - and I took full advantage of the morning light coming into the valley, and eventually onto my camp.

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As the sun rose, I packed up the tent and ate a quick breakfast - eager to get on my way, a full day ahead. The plan was to end up at the north end of Saline Valley, at the warm springs by the end of the day - but there was a lot to do before that, starting with a drive through Goler Wash - one of the highlights of the south end of the park in my opinion!

And then - as I pulled out, I saw a fast moving object in my side mirror. And then a crunch from the back driver tire as I rolled over our headlamp and nighttime shoe storage container. Man, I really can't catch a break this trip.

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After picking up the pieces, I made my way out of the valley, and it wasn't long before I came to the "gatekeeper" obstacle between Goler Wash and Butte Valley.

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While this section of trail is more technical than anything on Warm Springs Road, it's still not really that bad for a Tacoma and I made my way up with little fanfare, stopping for a photo-op at the top of Mengle's Pass.

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From there, I continued into the wash, soaking in what was essentially a new experience since I'd never driven (or seen) the wash in the east-to-west direction. Perhaps because of this, there were also a couple places where I got off-track - fun, since it allowed me to explore even more new places in the canyon, until I eventually came to the only other semi-technical part of the trail. There's a bypass here, which seemed to be getting a lot more traffic recently, but I headed down the main trail to do a little flexy-flexy.

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And then, I stumbled upon the highlight of my trip through the wash. Our last time through from the west, we'd completely missed the Lotus mine - I mean, we had no idea it was there and drove right by. From the east though, it was impossible to miss, and I spent a good half hour exploring the site, which is in remarkably good shape with a bunk house, main house, vehicles, and lots of mine fixtures in various states of disrepair.

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Continuing towards the western mouth of Goler Wash, I couldn't help but stop at Newman's Cabin and the surrounding mine. Surrounded by lush cottonwoods (now covered in leaves - a dramatic change from January) it seems like such a great site. It's really too bad that it's not well maintained in the same way as the the Geologist Cabin in Butte Valley.

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As I wound my way west, the walls of the wash tightened up, grays, blacks, and oranges illuminated by the sun and covered in barrel and cottontop cacti. And then, with no warning, you're spit out into Panamint Valley.

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As I took in the vastness of the valley, I was delighted to see that it was much less dusty than Death Valley had been the day before. I'm not sure if this is generally the case (I suspect not - it was quite dusty in Panamint during our trip in January) but I took full advantage, stopping to investigate the salt flats that we'd skipped, as well as making a quick stop in Ballarat, where several different groups of Jeeps were staging for (I assume) Goler Wash.

I was glad to be out before they'd started in.

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From this point on, the trip was going to cover a lot of new ground, and as I started up Wildrose Peak Trail toward Charcoal Kilns, I was immediately caught off guard. I'd expected that since the Kilns were a ways up in the Panamint range, that the trail would be rough - or at least slow going. So, when I saw that it was paved...well, I had myself a good laugh.

Maybe getting to Saline Valley today wasn't going to be as tough as I thought!

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An astute reader may notice that in the previous photo, the driver-side d-ring is still (barely) on my front bumper. Despite many photos, I didn't notice until 24 hours later, but within the next 6 minutes (given time stamps on the photos), I'd be running without it.

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As the pavement eventually gave way to the one of the most nicely graded gravel roads I've driven (understandable, given that upper Wildrose had only been opened to vehicles a few days before), I quickly found myself at the Charcoal Kilns - a place I'd regretted not visiting on our last trip.

Quite a sight to behold, I found it interesting that the "upper walls" of the kilns seemed to be more rushed in their assembly - a sign that the masons were ready to be done?

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Now, I'd planned to turn around at Charcoal Kilns and make my way north, but given the quick ascent and the realization that it takes a lot for me to get all the way down to Death Valley in the first place, I decided I should continue on - to see where the road would end.

I hoped it would take me to Telescope Peak. Or at least close. The map I had suggested it might!

As folks more familiar will know, it didn't (of course) - the road continues up and up, eventually reaching Mahogany Flats campground and a (locked) service road to Rogers Peak and a seven-mile foot trail to Telescope Peak.

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I decided that this was a great place to eat lunch - with a view of both Rogers Peak and Death Valley (Badwater Basin) in the distance.

I found a relatively wind-sheltered site with a view, and soaked in the sun and solitude as I ate my PB&J.

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Retracing my steps (and obviously driving right by my lost d-ring), I made my way back to Panamint Valley and filled up with outrageously expesive fuel in Panamint Springs before heading northwest out of the valley, the views getting grander the entire time.

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And then I entered the next phase of the trip - the suspension test, aka Saline Valley Road. The sign warned of a 60-mile trek with no services. By the time I was done, I was sure I'd put 600 miles of wear on the truck. But we're getting a bit ahead of ourselves...

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Headed up south pass, I stumbled upon another cabin I'd not seen on our previous trip - Boxcar Cabin - so I spent some time looking around. A cute little cabin situated in the foothills and Joshua Trees around Lee Flat, Boxcar seems well maintained (like the Geologist Cabin) and like a great little place to setup a base.

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And from there, it was through the amazing Joshua Tree forest, eventually dropping into Saline Valley.

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And this is where every mile you put on the odometer puts about 10 miles on the truck. Saline Valley road now takes first prize for "Worst Washboard Road Traveled," previously held by Cottonwood Canyon road. Ultimately, I channeled my inner-twenty-something and pressed the skinny pedal, knowing that I had to be ultra-alert for any washouts or larger holes in the road.

Eventually (and still hours later), I made reached the north end of the valley. My butt was numb and my ears hurt from the rattling - this was a pounding I'd only wish on my worst enemy. But as the sun grew lower in the sky, two surprises awaited - the first, the towers from an old salt tram, used to remove 20 tons of salt per day from the Saline Valley floor (thank goodness it only operated for a few years).

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The next was even more of a surprise. At the far end of the valley, I came upon three mailboxes - two of them with outgoing mail! Holy smokes I thought, ranchers live out here?

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Anyone who knows me will know that I'm a curious bugger, and I couldn't help but see what the heck two people had going out to the world. Imagine my reaction when I realized that these mailboxes weren't serviced, but were instead a desert treasure - in place for folks like me to stumble upon. Such a fun experience, and something I'm extremely happy I hadn't known about beforehand. The two "outgoing" boxes each contained goodies for a traveler-in-need, and though I'm sure they change every once in a while, I'm only showing the contents of the less interesting one - so you can go experience the surprise for yourself!

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From there it wasn't far to the Saline Valley Warm Springs - there were some dunes to cross, and of course I ran into the Bat Sign before seeing the oasis that is the Warm Springs.

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As I approached the springs themselves, my hopes were not high as to what I'd find. It was a Friday night, and recent reports generally indicate that the springs have become overpopulated and a bit kitchy if you show up any time but mid-week in the off-season.

For me, this couldn't have been more true. I snapped a few pictures since this really was a striking oasis in the middle of the desert, but I didn't linger.

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Now nearing sundown, I continued up the road to what I thought was the upper springs, delighted to see that there were significantly fewer people, and several other Tacoma's and FJs. I selected the most remote site possible (up the road toward Steel Pass), and walked over to check out the source spring and pools.

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That was as close as I got to the water however, because even "less crowded," each pool had 10-15 folks in it - and that wasn't what I was looking for. So I headed back to my remote camp to take in that special time when the sun hits the horizon and paints the sky in amazing ways.

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I read my book, took a short nap, and made a delicious dinner of skirt steak, roasted cauliflower, and a cold soda (the only sweet thing I'd taste all trip).

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As I crawled into the tent, a warm light breeze and quiet sounds of the desert lulled me to sleep quickly. Even if the springs weren't the amazing destination that they used to be, the desert itself made up for it - that was for sure.

Little did I know that as I slept change was afoot. It wouldn't be long before the adventure continued...

. . .
catch up on [day 1,2] [day 3] [day 4,5]
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No not a great idea depending on where you are wanting to go. Higher areas could have snow by then and it'll be cold too at night.

Unless we have a fall like 2016..then it would be awesome.

 

Yeah, that's why I think DV would be good then. Like around Thanksgiving. Cooler, fewer people. But still much warmer (and not snow covered) than UT.

 

Well, I'm here. New page. "The adventure continues..." an' all that. Please continue.

Great read, nice pics.

 

I'm going with hallucinations induced by traveling over 35mph on washboards

 

Thanksgiving is a great time to visit DV. For years, we'd go and camp up at Wildrose. 70 during the day but pretty darn cold at night.
If it snows, it's usually higher than Wildrose. Of course, you might not be able to go everywhere and if you camp in the flats, it's likely gonna be windy AF

 

I hate to say it but you keep showing me where I need to go haha, great picks, n nothing like a good pb n j