Death Valley Off-Road Adventures

As I mentioned in the first post, I have organized this trip report a bit differently than most. Some of the hiking locations have little or no reporting on the internet and I feel they should remain that way; as such, locations will be redacted and/or not mentioned, and the order of the trip will be randomized.

The first and last posts will cover some of the driving, in order to separate it - and location information - from the hikes. Please, if you know the locations of the hikes, I encourage you to enjoy them as much as I did - and follow my lead to keep them a little less well-known.

Part 3:
In Search of a Marble Tub​

Still a bit chilly this early in the morning...

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the whole story
In Search of a Marble Tub - Hiking #3​

 

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The last time we were thru there, we added a few hundred blue marbles purchased from

$7 CYS EXCEL Light Blue Glass Marble Gemstone Vase Filler (1 LB) | Multiple Color Choices AquariumGlass Round Marble Beads | Decorative Mosaic Glass Gem Pebbles (Approx. 80-93 PCS)

Amazon. Just a thought for others.

 

Or really, isn't this just a sexy variation of littering? Eg placing frogs by the Mojave Rd mailbox?

 

I understand what you're saying.

I'd suggest however, that in this particular case, the tub is doing more good than harm, given what it represents/distracts, and where we'd prefer people congregate.

I also think that some of the weird desert installations like the mojave mailbox and the tub are actually OK as long as they are respected and don't get out of control. Desert wanderers are a notoriously wonky group of people, and I'd certainly rather some blue marbles be added to a random tub than toilet paper being "buried" (at best) in the desert. Obviously though, it's like anything else that can get out of hand if people install more and more of these things. At that point it becomes more about education, like anything else - the same way we (try) to educate people that old mine sites (and historical sites like the marble tub and mojave mailbox) aren't trash, but if you were to leave your stuff in the desert today (in the same fashion at some new site), it would be trash.

 

I think these are really case by case kinds of things. Glass marbles contained in the tub really aren't going to result in litter. Probably some people take a few as souvenirs over time and so occasional recharging with glass marbles is an OK thing. The tub is not visible from the road so I think really it is a harmless fun nugget of zany desert rat art history I hope stays for the long term.

If the thing became a shrine to a thousand sun-brittled rubber duckies slowly shedding plastic down the wash that would be a different thing. I suspect this particular location being close to the mostly effectively community managed Saline Warm Springs would have any excesses cleaned up by someone in relatively short order. Its relative inaccessibility restricts the likely amount of visitor impact.

That's really the issue - balance. If something has a manageable number of respectful users and an effective and supportive community around it then it remains. If it doesn't and becomes a problem then that will become the end of it (e.g. The Mojave Phone Booth). In general: (ease of access) + (social media) = (end of fun).

 

A five-day trip and a mishap

Head on over for the full story...
https://www.tacomaworld.com/threads...d-some-wanderings.84336/page-11#post-27019091

Or just enjoy some photos...

 

Very good post. Finding those special places in DV, or anywhere, is always a treat. The canyon with the ferns has always given me mixed feelings. It is a beautiful place but I sense we are welcome to visit but not to stay or linger.

 

Any recommendations for camping near the Titus Canyon eastern entrance? I saw @turbodb had camped near the Beaty B but was looking to be a bit closer to the canyon if possible. We'll be 4 vehicles and are planning to go east to west through Titus first thing after camping.

 

kooks out of SF

 

Kooks with a permit to operate in Death Valley

 

Here are a few pictures from last week....

This was a photography and all around "get away for a few days" trip for me mostly, I have been out to DV a few times but not for a cpl years. Usually when I go I stay in Beatty at a cheap motel and drive in every day and explore around. This time I went the camping route. My first camping trip (in many years) occurred last October when I went up to the Redwoods. I had bought a DAC tent for that trip and enjoyed the camping part, so I wanted to keep that going....

The first night I spent at Trona Pinnacles. I haven't been there before but wanted to spend at least a night there. When I arrived at my campsite I realized I had forgotten my sleeping bag at home. Ughhhh. I thought it was packed in my black storage bin but it wasn't. Next time check, dummy.

That night reached about 30 degrees so I was pretty much freezing in the back of my truck but I tried to make the best of it.






The next morning I made a beeline back to Ridgecrest and bought a sleeping bag at Big5, turned back around and headed to Lee Flat for the night. I arrived there at 12pm and left at 8am the next morning. That entire time I didn't see anyone else there, aside from a group of 5 cars who roared in at sunset.....including a 4Runner in the group. Everyone parked, got out with cameras, the 4Runner backed up and peeled out, skidded and slid around in the dirt aiming right at everyone else who were snapping pictures of the 4Runner, then he backed up and did it again. This happened 5-6 times and then they all left. Kinda weird....






It was off to Eureka Dunes after that and the first chance I got to use my air compressor. This was by far the best investment I have made recently. I am not much of a off-roader so I didn't realize how much of a difference airing down makes. Washboard and bumps in general were much easier to handle. Came in handy for Racetrack Playa and Titus Canyon as well.







I was a little disappointed in the amount of foot prints in the dunes. I knew Mesquite Dunes were always like that but I was hoping Eureka Dunes would be a little less trampled.

After that it was a couple nights camping at Hole in the Wall....going to Dante's Peak on a hazy sunrise, Racetrack Playa on a very windy day, Titus Canyon and just exploring around....







On the final morning when I was planning on leaving, I woke up at 5am to crazy winds and haze...decided to sleep in a bit and got a last picture of the Zabriskie sunrise crowds on the way out.....

 

@Shwaa - Nice photos!

Eureka gets plenty of visitation these days so unless it has just been windy the large dunes on the north are thoroughly crawled over. But it’s a huge dune field and very few people visit the lower southern part of the dune field if looking for footprint free compositions.

Zabriske is just bonkers insane these days.

 

Thanks @DVexile!

Yea I definitely want to visit Eureka Dunes again and check out other areas of the dunes. The place was massive, so much to explore.

Zabriskie is insane, that photo doesn't even show all the photographers lined up tripod to tripod below that crowd

 

@Shwaa Great job! Aside from the sleeping bag (been there, done that), you managed to get some great shots! I like the Joshua Trees and stars.

 

Nice report and pictures! Airing down is definitely a game changer!

 

In 2008, my wife and I found the location where the U2 cover photo was shot for the 1987 album "Joshua Tree." Hint: it was shot nowhere near Joshua Tree National Park. Since 1987, the Joshua Tree has toppled over. And I think this is pretty cool, someone erected a plaque at the location asking, "Have you found what you're looking for?"



My photos:

 

I always stop and check for stickers on the marbled tub, and if I find any, ill remove them.. which I've done a few times..




There was that one time when I came across this sculpture above the marbled tub..many rumors of its origins, and it's present whereabouts..

 

Saline Valley, late January.

...The relentless elevation gain wouldn't stop all day, and while the single granola bar I'd taken along for sustenance was technically enough, it definitely wasn't. But frequent stops to take in the sights around me helped to keep my perspiration and burning quads under control. After all, the views are what I was here for, anyway....

In Search of Lucky Rich's Riches - Hiking #4​

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Full story, more photos, warning to others:
In Search of Lucky Rich's Riches - Hiking #4​

 

Not my photo (from another forum) but it appears they may simply have run out of digits for the diesel price…

 

Yikes!