Our epic "Death Valley Expedition" took place during January 2008. With an ambitious itinerary, we set out to circumnavigate as much of Death Valley and the surrounding areas as possible in four days while ensuring ample time for sightseeing. Despite some unplanned challenges, the group pulled together exceeding all of our expectations along the way.
The lengthy manifest for this journey included a variety of infamous characters brought together through the Expedition Portal website. With colorful "noms de guerre" like MuddyMudskipper, FourByLand, Gear, Miles, Fergie, McTaco, 1Leg, Wesel123, Viatierra, Green Ganesha, Rob the Brit and Cowboy Roscoe we had no idea who or what we were in store for other than the beckoning vastness that is Death Valley.
In retrospect, it was the people rather than the scenery that made this trip so epic, and we made a lot of good friends on this trip that we still maintain contact with to this day.
There are few areas in North America that are as vast or unforgiving as Death Valley, an ancient place where harsh terrain, fierce weather and extreme temperature swings from blistering hot to freezing cold are the norm. The World Meteorological Organization considers Death Valley the hottest place on Earth with a recorded high of 134F (56.7C) at Furnace Creek. These same characteristics, when respected, give Death Valley it's beauty and mystique making it one of the top destinations in North America for back country travelers. A National Park and part of the Mojave and Colorado Desert Biosphere Reserve, it features the lowest location in the western hemisphere at Badwater Basin (36° 15' N 116° 49.5' W) at 282 feet below sea level. Death Valley is bordered by the Amargosa Range to the East and the Panamint Range to the West. Death Valley is the largest National Park outside of Alaska and includes over 3.4 million acres of land.
As a result of this challenging environment, vehicles had to be carefully prepped and logistics like fuel and water had to be tightly planned in advance. Trevor (aka Green Ganesha) hammered out a detailed plan including mileage, times to destinations and all intel needed for individuals to plan ahead, members of this trip were expected to be fully self sufficient and prepared for all emergencies. It was a good thing, because Death Valley would test the groups resiliency with many surprises along the way. Here is the itinerary we intended to follow initially:
Friday: 122 miles (mixed pavement/dirt)
- Meet Friday morning at the Panamint Springs Resort, in Panamint Valley.
- PSR has both simple motel-style rooms ($64–$119 for various sizes) and a campground ($15 per site, with flush toilets and showers).
- Friday morning breakfast at Panamint Springs resort. Gas up.
- Drive south along the Panamint Valley East Side Road (difficulty rating = 2) to the ghost town of Ballarat.
- Head east into the Panamint Mountains via Goler Wash (rocky dirt, difficulty rating = 2).
- Visit the Barker Ranch, where Charles Manson was apprehended.
- Drive through Mengel Pass (difficulty rating = 3) into Striped Butte Valley (elevation 4,300 feet, difficulty rating = 2) for a picnic lunch.
- Descend into Death Valley via Warm Springs Canyon (easy dirt, difficulty rating = 1).
- Back on pavement, head north up Death Valley, stopping at Badwater, the lowest elevation in North America.
- Camp Friday night at Furnace Creek. This is an established campground with flush toilets and full services. Campsite reservations cost $18 and may be made online.
- Group potluck Friday night.
Saturday: 94 miles (mixed pavement/dirt)
- Breakfast at Furnace Creek campground. Meet up with anyone who skipped Friday. Gas up.
- Drive to Rhyolite ghost town (mostly all pavement over Daylight Pass, elevation 4,400 feet, difficulty rating = 1).
- Optionally, gas up at Beatty.
- Return via Titus Canyon (Red Pass elevation 5,300 feet, dirt, difficulty rating = 1).
- Continue to Scotty's Castle (paved) and take a tour.
- Either before or after visiting Scotty's Castle, make camp at Mesquite Spring, which is just south of Scotty's.
- Mesquite Spring doesn't take reservations, and on holiday weekends its 30 spots can fill up. Ideally, reserve campsites early. They're $12, and accommodate two vehicles each.
Sunday: 71 miles (all dirt)
- Drive from Mesquite Spring to Ubehebe Crater (paved).
- Head south past Teakettle Junction (maximum elevation 5,000 feet) to the moving rocks of Racetrack Valley (easy dirt, difficulty rating = 2).
- Descend into the Saline Valley via Lippencott Road (dirt, with psychologically challenging drop-offs, difficulty rating = 3).
- Visit ruins of the Saline Valley salt works and tramway, alongside Saline Valley Road (difficulty rating = 2).
- Make camp at the Saline Valley hot springs (dirt with some washboard). A favorite alternatative Death Valley campsite location, there is no organized "campground" at the hot springs, just lots of open space between the bushes and washes. Plenty of space, no reservations, no fees, no worries.
Monday: 78 miles to Big Pine (mixed dirt/pavement)
- Exit Saline Valley via Steele Pass (elevation 5,100 feet, rocky riverbed, difficulty rating = 3). Visit the mysterious "marble bath" formation.
- Descend into Eureka Valley via Dedeckera Canyon (some rock "stairs," difficulty rating = 3).
- Climb the Eureka Dunes (at 700 feet, the tallest sand dunes in North America).
- Exit the park via Death Valley/Big Pine Road (maximum elevation 7,700 feet, paved, difficulty rating = 1) to Big Pine, in the Owens Valley.
- For dinner Monday, a stop at the Still Life Cafe, a gastronomic bonanza in Independence (along the 395 in the Owens Valley). The bistro is run by Malika Adjaoud, a chef of mixed Alsatian French and Algerian Berber descent, whose masterful cuisine seems totally out-of-context in the sleepy county seat.
PANAMINT SPRINGS RESORT
Fuel, water and accomodations can be found at Panamint Springs. Be prepared for rustic accomodations and "maybe" menu items, fuel and supplies - PSR is at the end of the logistics trail so demand can easily exceed supply depending on how many people are passing through. Be prepared for higher prices and the "no gas sign"... what did you expect at the end of the line anyway?
Fuel, water and accomodations can be found at Panamint Springs. Be prepared for rustic accomodations and "maybe" menu items, fuel and supplies - PSR is at the end of the logistics trail so demand can easily exceed supply depending on how many people are passing through. Be prepared for higher prices and the "no gas sign"... what did you expect at the end of the line anyway?
Panamint Springs Resort offers camping, rooms, a restaurant and fuel for those enroute to Death Valley
PSR gas price 2008
Click on the map below for a detailed top of this area:
BALLARAT
Eager to begin, we left Panamint Springs early and made the short trip over to Ballarat. Not all maps show it so the question spread through the group, “where the hell is Ballarat?”. Situated in the Panamint Valley in an ancient lakebed, the town was founded in 1897 as a supply point for the mines in the canyons of the Panamint Range. A quarter-mile to the south is Post Office Springs, a reliable water source used since the 1850s by prospectors and desert wanderers. Boxed in by the Panamint Mountains that form the western border of Death Valley and the eastern face of the Sierra Nevadas, this is extremely isolated country; cell phones don’t work out here and the nearest gasoline (or any other services) is over 30 miles away in Trona.
GOLER WASH
Heading south from Ballarat on Wingate Road passing the gravel pit operation we found the P52 signed marker on the left. Goler Wash runs up the west side of the Panamint Range to Mengel Pass and Striped Butte, then drops down into Death Valley with several stream crossings, rustic ranches, old mines and cabins including Newman's Cabin and the infamous Barker Ranch, Stella's and Geologist's cabins along the way. Teaming with life and beautiful scenery, this is an epic 4WD trail.
Heading south from Ballarat on Wingate Road passing the gravel pit operation we found the P52 signed marker on the left. Goler Wash runs up the west side of the Panamint Range to Mengel Pass and Striped Butte, then drops down into Death Valley with several stream crossings, rustic ranches, old mines and cabins including Newman's Cabin and the infamous Barker Ranch, Stella's and Geologist's cabins along the way. Teaming with life and beautiful scenery, this is an epic 4WD trail.
BARKER RANCH
Conditions vary in Goler Wash, the trail can wash out and be nearly impassable after severe storms. Luckily for our crew, things were looking good so we pressed onwards and upwards passing short spurs leading to points of interest like the Newman Cabin and the Lotus Mine. We entered Death Valley National Park just before a spur on the right that ends at the infamous Barker Ranch, the shadowy hideout of Charles Manson and his “family”. Here is a picture of Barker Ranch before the infamous fire that destroyed most of the place...
The cabin was built around 1940 and later sold to the Barker Family. In the fall of 1969, the Inyo County Sheriff's Department and other law enforcement agencies descended upon Barker Ranch. They were out to crack the case of a destroyed $40,000 bulldozer, and their suspects were a ragtag group of hippies - strangers who'd recently moved in. Instead, they came across 24 members of a hippie cult known as the "Manson Family" who, unrealized by investigators at the time, had murdered seven people and were suspected in two other "Helter Skelter" slayings in LA about two months prior to these arrests at the ranch.
*Note: Due to a fire in May 2009, most of the ranch structure has been destroyed with only the cement and rock portion of the cabin still standing. Still worth a visit, but not as pictured above.
MENGEL PASS
A large stone cairn marks the gravesite of Carl Mengel, a famous miner in Death Valley who lost a leg in a mining accident and continued to mine anyway until his death in 1944. This point also marks where the trail becomes more difficult and extremely rocky as it continues towards Butte Valley.
This was also where carnage visited our group. Fergie's Grand Cherokee suffered a catostrophic failure of the plastic tank on the radiator, rendering his cooling system DOA and mandating a rescue operation be mounted to tow the disabled Jeep out of the Butte Valley and down Warm Springs Canyon to the hardball where a flatbed tow could be arranged.
Stopping at Stella's Cabin, the group rallied around the task at hand as rigging lines were secured fore and aft for braking and towing down the canyon. The party set off, part of the group continuing ahead to Furnace Creek to secure lodging for the night while the recovery team gritted out the arduous job of carefully easing the disabled vehicle out of the canyon. Roscoe soon suffered a failure of his own as the welds on a custom chromoly A-arm on his race inspired Dodge Durango gave up. Rigging a field repair chain to hold it in place the Durango limped out to the hardball where a flatbed tow could be arranged to Pahrump, Nevada for repairs.
WARM SPRINGS CANYON
Despite the adversity and personal inconvenience, the people on this trip stuck together and made the longest and most difficult back country recovery I have ever seen happen with zero injuries or further carnage. These efforts stood as a true testement to the caliber of people that had signed on for this trip.
Hours later and with the stricken vehicles rescued and headed for repairs in Nevada, the group passed Badwater and blazed north along the 190 and made camp at Furnace Creek.
FURNACE CREEK
The World Meteorological Organization considers Death Valley the hottest place on Earth with a recorded high of 134F (56.7C) at Furnace Creek. Luckily, being the middle of January temps were mild and we were pleased to find a nicely maintained campground surrounded by mesquite trees with real bathrooms for the ladies and tidy numbered spots. For the weary desert traveler, Furnace Creek is a true oasis with 136 campsites, drinking water, picnic tables, flush toilets and a dump station. Reservations had been made ahead of time so we quickly made camp. Food was prepared and fires were lit as we slipped into relaxation mode for the night with a group potluck and some great conversation about the days challenges.
FURNACE CREEK
The World Meteorological Organization considers Death Valley the hottest place on Earth with a recorded high of 134F (56.7C) at Furnace Creek. Luckily, being the middle of January temps were mild and we were pleased to find a nicely maintained campground surrounded by mesquite trees with real bathrooms for the ladies and tidy numbered spots. For the weary desert traveler, Furnace Creek is a true oasis with 136 campsites, drinking water, picnic tables, flush toilets and a dump station. Reservations had been made ahead of time so we quickly made camp. Food was prepared and fires were lit as we slipped into relaxation mode for the night with a group potluck and some great conversation about the days challenges.
In the morning we shared a quick breakfast, stowed our gear and made a run for the Nevada border and our planned visit to Rhyolite and journey through Titus Canyon and back into Death Valley.
RHYOLITE
Rhyolite is a ghost town located in Nye County, Nevada near the eastern edge of Death Valley. Situated in the Bullfrog Hills with the town of Beatty and the Amargosa River roughly 4 miles to the east, the town began in early 1905 as one of several mining camps that sprang up after gold was discovered nearby. Thousands of workers settled in the area of Rhyolite due to it's proximity to the areas largest mine, the Montgomery Shoshone Mine. By 1907, Rhyolite was a bustling hub of commerce with estimates of the town's peak population somewhere in the range between 3,500 and 5,000 in 1907 to 1908.RHYOLITE
After the richest ore was exhausted, mining production and local fortunes fell and Rhyolite declined almost as rapidly as it rose. By the end of 1910, the big mine was operating at a loss, and it closed in 1911. By this time, many out-of-work miners had moved elsewhere, and Rhyolite's population dropped well below 1,000. By 1920, it was almost a ghost town.
TITUS CANYON
Cut into the Grapevine Mountains, the canyon features limestone rock formations, petroglyphs, and wildlife of various kinds. An amazing, easy trail into Death Valley, visitors may enter on foot from the west, but vehicles may only enter from the east. Our trip to Rhyolite complete, we sought to pass through this giant crack in the mountains and back into Death Valley to our next stop at Scotty's Castle.
SCOTTY'S CASTLE
MESQUITE SPRING
Our long day of travel complete, we came into Mesquite Spring near dark and quickly set about making camp and the all important fire. Temperatures dropped quickly once the sun went down so we made food, huddled around our fire and hydrated. A large tri-tip that we had saved for just this occasion was roasted to perfection in some foil and we ate and drank like royalty. It was a great night with coyotes lurking on the edge of camp who made occasional forays into the light, daring to jump on our tables and tailgates for the chance of some unsecured food. A good time was had by all so with our appetites and thirsts quenched, and temps becoming painful, we turned in for the night.
Freezing cold temps await those who dare to visit Death Valley in January!
UBEHEBE CRATER
In the morning after coffee and breakfast we broke camp and headed toward Ubehebe Crater, a large volcanic crater 600 feet deep and half a mile across that was situated perfectly on our route to the Racetrack and points beyond. Some looked, some climbed down, and others tended to their vehicles or their bellies. After a short photo op we were rolling again.
TEAKETTLE JUNCTION
We made a brief stop at Teakettle Junction to honor a Death Valley tradition - we added a teakettle to the signpost complete with autographs and the date of our visit. After a few snapshots we cracked on towards the Racetrack and it's mysteries.
Now things were getting even more interesting - how in the heck are all these rocks zipping around the Racetrack in secret when no one is looking??? The large rock pile in the middle of the playa contains cracks and fissures that drop deep into the earth and can be heard hissing with hot air and pulsating with the earth's energy eminating from below - a fascinating place.
LIPPINCOTT ROAD TO SALINE VALLEY
This trail is a serious challenge for most where carnage or worse can occur if you, or your rig, are not up to the task. A 7-mile, 4LO trail from the the Racetrack Playa in Death Valley National Park to Saline Valley, this trail is a serious mountain goat path with some psychologically challenging drop offs. Identified on some maps as the Ubehebe Road, it is one of two ways to get to the Racetrack from the south. The other trail -- the Hunter Mountain and Hidden Valley route -- also takes off from the Saline Valley Road. Once across this rocky path we were on our way to Saline Valley and the springs.
Saline Valley was a significant mineral source in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. The Conn and Trudo Borax Company mined borax from the salt marsh from 1874 to 1895. The remains of this site can be seen today as a few shallow pits near Saline Valley Road. Salt mining began in 1903 at the south end of the lake, and continued into the 1930s.
Remnants of these operations can be seen stretching across the salt marshes and up the mountain where the remains of the tram are slowly decaying in the elements.
SALINE VALLEY
Located in the northernmost reaches of the Mojave Desert, Saline Valley is northwest of Death Valley proper, south of Eureka Valley, and east of the Owens Valley. The valley's lowest elevations are about 1,000 feet below sea level and it lies in the rain shadow of the 14,000-foot tall Sierra Nevada Range to the east with the 11,000-foot Inyo Mountains bordering the valley on the west.
The Saline Valley Hot Springs vibe is laid-back, mellow, uncrowded, and very natural. The hot springs attract a fascinating blend of hippy holdovers, unconventional world travelers, and eclectic expatriates from the mainstream. Requirements are simple:
- A high-clearance vehicle is best, but four-wheel drive isn't absolutely necessary. The only real threat is flat tires, so be sure to have at least one full-size spare. The road in is long (about 50 miles of dirt), with gnarly washboards but not is not technical nor challenging.
- Basic camping gear
- Warm clothes at night (layers), lighter garb during the day.
- A high tolerance for the hot springs' clothing-optional dress code. Think twice if the prospect of sharing a tub with naked octogenarians gives you pause.
- While we chose not to "skinny dip", there are plenty of private tubs and areas where you can soak in private.
The main oasis is shaded by various trees and features a grassy lawn, a real contrast to the surrounding valley.
EXIT SALINE VALLEY VIA STEEL PASS TO EUREKA VALLEY
By this time we had been on the road for several days so we reluctantly started making our way back to civilization, and reality. Hammering down the long washboard road southward out of Saline Valley, some snow and ice awaited us atop Steel Pass making for some interesting driving. Once we had crested we were greeted with a beautiful vista filled with blue skies, yuccas and snow capped mountains. The Eureka Valley looked like the land that time forgot, the only sign of human presence in this ancient place was the thin dirt trail and dust that signaled our vehicle's brief passage through.
EUREKA DUNES AND HOME
Our last big vista was the Eureka Dunes. Covering an area of 3 square miles, the dunes rise approximately 700 feet above the valley floor, making them one of the highest dune fields in North America and well worth the visit. Hiking is permitted here for those who dare but be advise forward progress on foot in these sand dunes is work!
...until next time.
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