Death Valley Off-Road Adventures

I’ll just feed them to the hound, she’s got a taste for fingers now

She was having none of the ear scratching today and let me know!

 

Death Valley NP is asking for input in updates to Rogers Peak communication facilities.

 

There’s already gear up there so technically, only the dome is new. I am more concerned about the long term plans for the dome and how that affects military expansion. Not that I’m anti military, just feel like expansion always comes at recreational use cost.

 

I'd love to see a HAM repeater get thrown up there, would motivate me to take my test.

 

As I said, not anti-military either. But I'd rather not see that part of the park turned into a place that's off limits to the public.

 

It won't. Neither of those bases will ever expand their ground footprints. Nearly everything out in that region is already wilderness area as well. But the restricted airspace does already cover the entire NP above a certain altitude and there are MOAs in most of the valleys as well. My understanding is the telemetry antenna proposed for Roger's will improve coverage for aircraft already operating in the existing restricted airspace. They frequently fly approaches much larger than the range footprints themselves which is why the restricted airspace is huge compared to the bases themselves and why they need very broad radar and telemetry coverage.

My only concern with that antenna is it is suppose to be housed in a radome. Those are typically much more visible from long distances than towers or the much smaller microwave antennas. Right now Rogers is pretty much invisible. I worry after this there will be an obvious golf ball teed up on the peak...

One battle fortunately won a number of years ago was to keep a ground level radar out of Saline Valley. That would have been an entirely new site on the Saline Valley floor. Would have been like the one on the Panamint Valley floor near Ballarat.

As to the cell service I could go either way. I like not having cell coverage in general but it certainly is nice to be able to check the weather and radar in certain cases. It would almost certainly save a few lives over the years I suspect...

Thanks for the heads up on the comments! I'll make one on potentially camouflaging the radome. It can actually make a huge difference...

EDIT: Looks like the "preferred alternative" already includes neutral/natural coloring for all the infrastructure and specifically mentions the radome.

 

I could go with cell service. I currently use an inreach to keep intouch with friends and family when I’m in DV. That being said it is nice to just tune out work and all the other bs going in and just relax.

 

I'm pretty sure it won't happen. But if you want things, even when you think they won't happen, just gotta ask.

 

I think you guys are right, then again there is the Bear Ears and Grand Staircase/ Escalante debacle going on right now.

 

Are those potential changes related to communication/military involvement?

 

Yes, but those are NMs established by executive order originally and now undone by executive order. DV is a NP and the associated wilderness areas are by an act of Congress making them much, much, much harder to rescind.

If you are worried about the desert focus your concerns on non-wilderness BLM land. Especially those areas where solar or wind development is possible. Broadwell Valley almost got a solar facility a little while back.

 

These solar facilities take way too much area for not a lot of return. I want to say Ivanpah makes only enough for 140k homes or so.

 

Hello DV experts. I have been doing a bunch or research but I wanted to get your input. I will be traveling to DV Saturday the 22nd spending the night and them moving on Sunday the 23rd to L.A. You can see the details of my road trip here...
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads/assistance-plz-x-mas-road-trip-from-utah-to-socal.582540/

My question is, If I have to pick one canyon, which is the best to see and camp in?
Trail, Hanaupah, Johnson, Galena, or Queen Sheba?
We will be checking in at furnace Creek Visitors center and getting a backcountry camping permit, picking a canyon to explore and camp, then on Sunday leaving west via Warm Springs Canyon. I know we will be pressed for time but are there any "MUST SEE" things we should try to squeeze in?
Thanks for your input.

 

One night is not much time for DV.
Your goals seem scattered to me. You want to end up in Warm Springs Canyon but do not want to do any hardcore wheeling. That would mean Mengel Pass and Goler Wash are out and you'd have to back track east and south to LA.

Then another goal is to enjoy actual hot springs. Saline would check that box but again you aren't giving much time to savor Saline Valley.

I have a few suggestions. One is to leave Vegas early as possible and go to Saline Valley and camp there. Next is going to the Whitmore Hot Springs Area. It's free to camp and you will see Owens Valley. The third option is to camp at Panamint Springs or somewhere in Panamint Valley.

 

Thanks for the responses.
I agree it is scattered because I am going into this very ignorant without much time to do the proper research. A couple hours a night to read and study maps if I am lucky. I know it will all fall into place once we hit the road. My screw it voice just keeps telling me "Just go with the flow and don't set too many goals." Camp on the side of the road if need be. The Dad and Husband in me just wants the whole thing to be perfect. I am also coming to the realization that to get from point A to point B in California takes a lot longer than here in Utah . Traffic and Speed Limits are very different.

 

I want to say also that the majority of DV is doable with a stock trd OR 4x4. I know because I've done it as have others in this thread.

 

You have a helluva lot of driving in that trip! Sounds like you want to end up in Pasadena then? You also probably want to avoid the I15 from Vegas to LA. That’s murder around the holidays. I’d recommend getting into Pasadena from the DV area via the 14 to the Angeles Forest Highway to the 2 (also called the Angeles Crest Highway). You will avoid all sorts of traffic and pain plus have a nice drive through the San Gabriel mountains with knock out views of the filthy smog pit of LA on the way down.

Keep in mind the area and distances involved are huge. You do not need a backcountry permit, skip the trip to the VC for that.

You’ll kill your self and your family getting to the Saline Valley hot springs with so little time. Skip that entirely.

Enter DV via 178/Badwater Rd. in the south near Shoshone. Get to Shoshone from Vegas by taking the 160 to Pahrump and then the 372/178 to Shoshone. No traffic on this route and some nice views along the way.

Camp somewhere in the southern end of the valley. You need to be one mile from pavement or “day use roads” like West Side. Queen of Sheba has a few nice flat terraces but technically being a mine site you aren’t suppose to camp at it. The other roads off West Side road all have lots of “flat” but sloped spots to camp on, the alluvial fans here all have very well developed desert pavement. Flat but very hard, bring good sleeping mats!

Alternatively you could pop down Harry Wade road at least one mile to camp but for most of the first many miles there are few good spots to camp - not many flat spots and mostly braided washes full of poorly sorted cobbles.

For your next day’s drive head up Badwater Rd. to Furnace Creek. Lots to see along the way. From Furnace creek take the 190 to Stovepipe. Continue west on 190 now with two routes to choose.

Option one take the 190 all the way to the 395 in Owens Valley. This is more miles to LA but you see the Sierra. You could poke around Alabama Hills and Darwin Falls but now you aren’t actually exploring DV.

Option two is to take Emigrant Canyon Road into the Panamints and then down Wildrose Road into Panamint Valley. Onward to Trona and the Trona Pinnacles. Lots to see along this route.

Anyway, that is in my mind the most sensible route. There are a few weeks worth of sights along that route to see and it is the most direct transit of DV on the way to Pasadena while avoiding the miserable I15 entirely.

Let us know how much hiking, scrambling, climbing your family is up for and we can recommend specific sights along the way.

 

No, it's by oil and gas exploration. It's related to encroachment on public lands by leasing the land. There is a difference between the sign on the fence stating "US Military Base" and a sign stating "Acme Oil Company lease" but the fence is pretty much the same in deterring your passage.

 

Thanks, didn't know that, just found this on the DVNP site:

Saw a suggestion somewheres on the internet about camping at Lost Burro Mine. Good to know you aren't allowed to camp there nor within 1 mile of mining structures.

 

So back on topic anyone know what the road conditions are like I should be there in a couple days