Death Valley Off-Road Adventures

I was wondering about that.

There is an old one from a few years back where there were biologists on scene doing a routine population count or something and a very distant earthquake caused an amazing amount of wave action there requiring everyone flee topside in a hurry.

 

Here

 

Thanks.
Unfortunately still have to log into FB.

 

Here

https://youtu.be/a6h82PIi_-0

 

Just saw a FB post indicating that the stacks in Panamint are standing still.

 

Just wanted to share that the FB video plays fine on a computer workstation, no FB login required.

Waves were much bigger than the 2012 video I posted.

 

KOWABUNGA!

 

My copy arrived today and while I haven't had a chance to look through it all, I like it.

I was surprised to find a short personal note and autograph a couple of pages in. That was kinda cool.

 

..some interesting content for sure. i happen to like the photo on page 54 of the expo-rigs with the pop-up campers, especially that double cab IH

 

Just got mine as well, wouldn't have know about it except for this thread, thanks DVexile.
I'm super interested in the SV Salt Tram, book has some great old photos.
I've tried twice recently to get up there, 1st time coming in from SV Rd. alone with the wife, found the trail a little sketchy to try solo. 2nd time coming from Cerro Gordo, again solo with the wife, got about 75% there, and a lightning storm scared us off the treeless mountainside. we're determined to get up there as soon as it cools off a little.
Any advice on favorite routes is welcome. Got a '15 4x4 with rear locker, sliders, skid plates.
If anyone want to hook up for a trip in the fall, I'm interested.

 

Easiest route I'm aware of is from Cerro Gordo. Last summer I went up there but still needed to engage my locker and ATRAC. It's not a hard route. Not sure what I would have done in a lightning situation. It would make for some amazing photo opportunities but hairy at the same time.

 

We had just come down a steep hill with loose rocks that would be a real bitch to get back up in the rain (that came a few minutes after clearing that section), flash floods were a real concern as well.

 

It’s been 16 or so years since I’ve been to the tram and as I remember it coming up from Swansea was a slog no doubt but the most terrifying road I’ve ever been on was from the tram across to Cerro Gordo. Only time I’ve honestly felt like I was at some significant risk of death if I made a minor mistake.

Conditions have definitely changed since then as the road has washed out and been rebuilt a handful of times since then I suspect. A few folks - including the thread OP have done the loop in the past year though so you should get better intel in not too long I suspect!

 

Being 75% done and above the treeline I'm having a hard time picturing where you were. Once above the treeline it seems quite mellow from my memory. One of my earliest off-roading trips was to the crossover station. I learned a lot from great mentors on that trip.

 

Above the treeline and almost the entire route was a mellow delight with amazing views. The part that was awful when I did it was the descent going north to south into the head of a canyon a bit before you get back to Cerro Gordo. About here:

https://www.google.com/maps/@36.5707213,-117.8212622,587m/data=!3m1!1e3

At the time the road was very degraded and the surface would slide under the truck during the descent. I did it in 4LO in 1st gear (on an MT) and it felt like if I had applied the brake the truck and the road bed would have just slid over the edge of the switchback. There was one turn where even letting the truck crawl under engine compression I really wasn't sure there would be enough traction to guide it around a switchback turn and felt it might just decide to continue straight down off the road. Things were also way off camber with large rocks in places making it feel like the rig was going to roll. Basically the vehicle felt like it was right on the edge of control despite only going about 3 mph. I had my foot off the gas the whole way and was worried if I touched the brake things would get worse fast. Oh - and to make things worse I was an idiot doing this not aired down so that undoubtedly made the traction problem worse.

I suspect the whole area has been reworked since because I recall from the limited reports on that road that some summer thunderstorms made portions of the road essentially impassable for a bit (maybe around 2010?). I think Ridgecrest Gear Grinders do road maintenance these days and keep things in much better shape than when I did it back in July 2003. Looking at the more recent aerial photos it looks like a pretty good road through that section now (well, good in a relative sense - the terrain is steep).

Based on the more frequent reports that show up on-line I've been assuming there isn't much of a problem there anymore - at least no one is complaining about it! I had hoped to make it back there in a group trip last year but scheduling didn't work out .

 

@DVexile Yeah. I have not finished my trip report from last Ocober with @CVYota . The trail from the Salt tram to Cerro Gordo is a shelf road in several places and has plenty of pucker factor. Places where it feels like there is only 6-12" of margin before truck is off trail and into an uncontrollable death roll. As I recall from last year, the trail in decent shape. I'd like to go again this year.

 

Post up when you want to go, I'm in

 

That's about the area where I had the electronic stuff doing some of the work. One small area I was having trouble getting up and over in 4Lo. ATRAC and locker and it was easy peasy. That's probably the toughest part. Still in the treeline though. As Crom noted there are pucker spots but that's part of the joy of going to these places. Take it slow and safe.

 

I took the Cerro Gordo Road from Keeler, CA and highway 136 in May, 2018. I remember a lot of single lane but don't remember problems in the section DVExile links to. But that section may have been improved and I was also headed uphill. I recall some sections after the Tram being rocky. Nothing I couldn't do at stock height but it was certainly slow going in several sections. I came out at Swansea.

Definitely worth going back.

I've heard the real challenge is going up or out from the Tram to Saline Valley Road. Quick look at Google Earth and seems to me you'd need to be on foot or a donkey.

 

Now Swansea I have heard is more difficult than coming in from Keeler/Cerro Gordo.