Two 4runners and a Jeep Go to Death Valley

djobike

Observer
Mines and a Ghost Town

From the resort we headed south down Panamint Valley we made a sharp right and up towards Minnetta Mine. After exploring around there for a while we headed to Ballarat ghost town, which has people living there so not sure what kind of ghost town that makes it.



















We climbed out of Ballarat into Pleasant Valley, and well, it was quite pleasant. We stayed the night beside a park cabin. It was pretty rundown and full of bullet holes. The outhouse only had two sides left and the picnic table had the seats ripped off. A tree had been cut down as well, and lit on fire at some point. It was a little sad to see the damage within a great park like Death Valley.











 

djobike

Observer
Up Some More and Then Down

At the top of the road is Rogers Pass with a sign explaining the significance of the pass and how the name of Death Valley originated. Great view as well.
















Back down in the valley we decided to head to the town of Trona, Mark and Aaron needed Wi-Fi to deal with some work stuff. Had some lunch and then headed back to Ballarat and down to Mengel Pass in search of the Barker ranch. Well we ended up missing the turn for it and camped the night just below the top of the pass. It was a little windy that night. Also hearing a burrow’s call at the two in the morning was a little unnerving, those things are loud!

















 

djobike

Observer
Backwards then Forwards

We retraced our route the next morning and located the Barker Ranch turn off.





Retracing our path yet again we passed our previous nights camping spot and made our way to the top of Mengel Pass. Making our way down the other side we stopped at Greater View Spring cabin for some lunch. After lunch we made our way out to the highway; stopping at Warm Springs mine.





























Once back on pavement we headed over to Shoshone for gas and as it turns out a late lunch. We camped out in the desert one last night before the drive out of summer and back into winter.





 

djobike

Observer
Heading Home

We had breakfast at Death Valley junction enjoying the last of the warmth. We stopped in Ely for the night and had a great meal at the Cell Block restaurant. Back through Deer Lodge, but getting there after the kitchen closed, we forced ourselves to have a few night caps on the bar side.













We split ways the next morning already planning our next trip later this year and a return to Death Valley to get to all the spots we missed this time around. We travelled over 900kms within the park and at the highest point we were at 7500ft and the lowest was a little below sea level.



Thanks Aaron & Cassidy, Mark and my wife Jenn for being great travel partners and even better friends!

And thanks to everyone who took the time to read the report.:sombrero:
 

djobike

Observer
Thanks for the trip report. I was there around Jan 1 and did the trip in the opposite direction on "the steps." Ran into a couple of guys in a "brand new" 4runner that were stuck in the middle of the first step. They had nothing. No Hi-Lift, shovel, max trax....nothing. Eventually got them unstuck....they turned around and I proceeded to the dunes. What an incredible place.

I too encountered a closed road outside of stovepipe wells. Wanted to go to cottonwood canyon (as I recall). This is a National Park and the Park Service needs to protect us from whatever might happen. Maybe they say it's for the environment. Regardless, National Parks aren't for me.

Thanks again for the trip report.

Surprise canyon and Scotty's castle were closed as well while we were down there, too bad but we wouldn't have had the time anyways. Underestimated how big Death Valley is. We would have needed another two weeks to do the stuff we missed.

Dunes were amazing!! Steps were fun. It was our first experience on rock and sand on this trip so we just took our time and walked a lot of the stuff first. We are used to mud up here...lol
 

Curly

Adventurer
Great pics! We were there in March as well, and did a lot of the same things you did, including a visit to Trona and Ballarat. The pic of your campsite near Mengel pass looks to be the same place we camped on our way out of the park.

Curly
 

djobike

Observer
That trip looks awesome! Trucks look good, dogs look good, all of it lol


Great pics! We were there in March as well, and did a lot of the same things you did, including a visit to Trona and Ballarat. The pic of your campsite near Mengel pass looks to be the same place we camped on our way out of the park.

Curly

Thanks! It was a great trip, so much to see. Need to go back someday. The camp site was just below the top of the pass on the south side, it was very windy that night and the donkeys were yelling too..lol
 

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