Death Valley Off-Road Adventures

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LhWOy4fQdDA&feature=share

 

I had been unaware of this recent rescue in Dry Bone Canyon this past December until researching for an upcoming trip. I’ll need to be more careful than this person obviously but I suppose it is reassuring that the PLB got signal out of something as deep as Dry Bone.

https://inyosar.com/drybone-canyon-rescue/

The Inyo SAR site seems to get really slow so here is the video directly:

 

That is so cool.

 

Pretty impressive what those guys can do.

 

I did SAR in northern CA for a few years and got a couple rides on CHP helos. I can confirm that those guys definitely know how to fly. They will do things and put their helos places many other agencies won’t.

 

That's how The Rock "tipped the hat" in San Andreas!

EDIT: FACK link won't work...

https://y.yarn.co/e0a2f33e-4aae-4c69-a3e7-8c88ea9809d4.mp4?1556330295491

But Wait!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=82TRzmKj17s

 

Racetrack Valley Road claims another victim:

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The level of stupid here is sort of overwhelming. Ludicrously low profile tires. The wheel rims on the other side of the car were also chewed to crap though the tires hadn't fallen apart yet. Vehicle was gone two days later so it got out somehow. Appeared they left with one rim presumably to get a new tire with the hopes of continuing on on the micro-donut spare? And yeah - that's a rear facing child seat in the back.

Anyway there is plenty of traffic on this road these days so I'm sure there plenty of folks to help them get out and they weren't in any real danger.

 

^^^ I think the auto manufacturers are more to blame than the drivers. Sure it’s rough, but it’s just a dirt road. The first and only time I’ve been to the Racetrack, in 1987 on my motorcycle, there were a bunch of 1980’s Civics and Corollas there, on ‘80’s style 75 or 80 profile tires, and people knew it was OK if they went slow. An old VW or Volvo on 15” wheels was even better.

Our current four wheel fleet rides on 16” 75 and 15” 65 profile tires, and I can’t imagine dealing with urban potholes let alone the Racetrack in anything lower than 60 profile. An Accord doesn’t really need those low profile tires.

 

He should have jumped on here and asked if 35's would fit...

 

Years ago when I was at the furnace creek and I overheard another table did something similar, they tried to go out to the race track and lost 2 tires and were shit out of luck and had to get a ride out and tow their vehicle out. I've heard folks say it's worse after the track gets graded since the grader fractures & breaks the gravel and turns them into knives that shred through "P" rated tires.

 

Got back to PNW from DV:

Started in Eureka Valley to Dedeckera canyon "obstacle" to the upward side of Steel Pass and camped.

Down Steel Pass to the Saline Valley Hot Springs for lunch and a head dunk in the "shower", then bat pole, then 45 minutes of washboards at 45-50mph, started climbing out of Saline Valley to the intersection of Hunter Mt and my transmission temp light lite up. Waited 20 minutes and then limped to the intersection. Headed up to the top of Hunter Mt, found an awesome campsite and noted it, then headed down. At near the bottom of the mountain, we decided to turn back due to daylight and gas sitch; I heard the sound like air rushing out of a tire, I backed up and it increased, I drove forward and the sound decreased?!?!? wtf??? Got out of truck to passenger side and the air sound was a giant rattler about 5 feet from the truck! It saw me and slinked away. Headed back to awesome campsite at the top of Hunter Mt and it started to sprinkle, which was a nice change from the 90 degree heat.

Next AM, helping buddy fold up the ground cover for his tent, there was a scorpion! Me and scorpions have history (Me - 0, scorpion - 1) I settled the score (Me -1, Scorpion - 0). Headed back out of Saline Valley near the surreal scape of thousands of Joshua Trees. Out on 190, headed to Darwin to a "short cut" into Panamint Springs = fail. It was a dead end... turned around to get back onto 190 and descend into Panamint Springs to the tune of $5.60/gl and no ice. thankfully, the restaurant had ice and a spot to toss trash. After lunch, head to Ballarat and up into Pleasant Valley pass the Jungle to Prospector's Cabin, which was really awesome place to stay for the night.

Next AM, headed back down Pleasant Valley toward Striped Butte and Mengel Pass and camped not at Geologists cabin as there wasn't space for 7 tents.

Then headed towards Bad Water Basin and yet another A/T temp issue for me. I slowed down from 45 to 25 and that seemed to assist. Got to Furnace Creek and made the decision to head home, a hard decision but faced with the alternative of an expensive tow back to Seattle area, I tapped out. Heading out and crested the top of 190, we finally got buzzed by America's finest flying hardware!

I'd go again as everything is so spread out... I am sure I missed lots...

EDIT: forgot to add that at Prospector's Cabin, we left some reading material of our groups planned DV adventures... (think of nerdy D&D type dungeon master quest)

 

any pics??

 

Yeah, I'll download them from iPhone...

 

Trip report including a hike down Dry Bone Canyon.

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Lithium mining exploration wells proposal in Panamint Valley:

https://www.latimes.com/local/calif...ne-california-environment-20190507-story.html

If you want to know what this kind of mining would look like imagine giant evaporation ponds like in Trona. That would become the view from Telescope Peak and the rest of the Panamints.

Article covers interesting internal conflict with environmentalists regarding impacts of lithium mining vs. its usefulness for batteries in electric cars.

Info at BLM:

https://www.blm.gov/press-release/b...lley-exploratory-drilling-project-inyo-county

The public comment period is already closed.

 

It's interesting the comment period is closed yet we're just hearing about it.
Makes me think it's a go regardless of public comment.

 

Just like the LADPW Reservoir/Dam project at Wheelers Ridge, the comment period was kept lowkey

 

The Saline Valley Warm Springs Management Plan has been finalized...
https://parkplanning.nps.gov/projec..._7qcw4CisNejn0MD5DGgV413-73ypl26v1WgCOPyfmBDo

 

Well it looks like the NPS did nearly everything they promised they would seriously consider as feedback from the users:

• The lawn is staying.
  
• The large fences aren't happening, neither are fencing the pools themselves. Only fences around the sources and settling pond and they will be "artistic" fences.
• The palms will eventually die and they won't let new palms grow but they are planting native species for shade now such that they should be mature enough for good shade by the time the palms die. Honestly I consider that an improvement as those palms are damn loud in the wind.
• They are leaving the dish washing stations and just labeling them non-potable.
  
• No camping fees, no significant change to the current camping areas.
• Almost all the art stays.

I think the only two things some folks still wanted to which they said no - and to be fair they said the answer was likely no during the meetings:

• The automobile repair "facility" of Lee's is going to go. Personally I'm glad. This should be handled with proper user education of what to expect and prepare for.
• The Burro Spring diversion that waters the tree line south of the main lower springs camping area will go away and so probably will those trees which provide some sheltered camping spots.

In general I'm pretty impressed with the NPS here.

 

This sounds promising, I hope it sticks.