Decemburr Death Valley Run
- Thread starter NorCalSam
- Start date
pismo62
Adventurer
Here's some photo's from our trip.
1) Burro Smit's tunnel
2) Marble Cyn.
3) Panamint crater
4) Camp at Hot springs (lower)
5) The boys posing above fossil falls
6) Lone wild flower
7) Poser shot
8) Titus cyn.
Spressoman we were at the first Hot springs and we left fri mourning. Wish we would have run into some other members.
Joanne I think we saw your trailer at Furnace creek, we were in and out of there pretty quick, so we didn't get a chance to stop by. Another time!
1) Burro Smit's tunnel
2) Marble Cyn.
3) Panamint crater
4) Camp at Hot springs (lower)
5) The boys posing above fossil falls
6) Lone wild flower
7) Poser shot
8) Titus cyn.
Spressoman we were at the first Hot springs and we left fri mourning. Wish we would have run into some other members.
Joanne I think we saw your trailer at Furnace creek, we were in and out of there pretty quick, so we didn't get a chance to stop by. Another time!
Last edited:
spressomon
Expedition Leader
pismo62 said:
Nice pics. Yeah...we saw you camped Thursday night when we drove in...sorry we weren't social but it was late, it had been a longer day than expected and we wanted to get camp set-up, dinner cooked and on to R&R.
Where's that crater? Hopefully not at "Crater" on the map...we drove all over there looking for a "crater" only to discover that was the name of the little mining town...
pismo62
Adventurer
Were you the guys lighting off the fireworks? sorry we missed you. In the mourning we sat in the hot spring until my hands were shriveled up and my body core temp was at a all time high. Then ate, packed up and went exploring.
The crater is almost directly across the valley from Ballarat. It's on the topo. I'll look up the cords. manana.
The crater is almost directly across the valley from Ballarat. It's on the topo. I'll look up the cords. manana.
spressomon
Expedition Leader
pismo62 said:
No...the fireworks and valley filling music were from the crowd from San Jose I think. This was the first time there for us...we will be going back mid-week non holiday ;-)
pismo62
Adventurer
Spressomon,
That was our first time out at the Hot springs. Great spot, but my boys weren't to hip on the cothing optional bit, with a naked guy sitting next to them. Of coarse, that was the first thing out of thier mouths when we got home. Me, I don't mind it, but it was new to them. I'm sure we'll hit it again, on another trip.
The cords. for the Pananmint Crater are 36 05.852 N 117 22.428 W. You can also do a search and learn alittle more about it on the web.
Maybe we'll see you on a trip some time. :safari-rig:
That was our first time out at the Hot springs. Great spot, but my boys weren't to hip on the cothing optional bit, with a naked guy sitting next to them. Of coarse, that was the first thing out of thier mouths when we got home. Me, I don't mind it, but it was new to them. I'm sure we'll hit it again, on another trip.
The cords. for the Pananmint Crater are 36 05.852 N 117 22.428 W. You can also do a search and learn alittle more about it on the web.
Maybe we'll see you on a trip some time. :safari-rig:
Joanne
Adventurer
pismo62 said:
It was probably mine since we were there the entire weekend. I was amazed at all the cool expo rigs that were around the campground. If it was you guys on the south west side of the campground, I almost wandered over and introduced myself. Then it occured to me that if they weren't exp members they would be wondering who this crazy woman was. I went back to my campsite... (that's where they KNOW I'm crazy!) LOL!
Joanne
Moody
Needs to get out more
Wrote this up about my little Death Valley trip:
Death Valley NYE Excursion
“I’m going to Death Valley National Park for New Years, “ I said to my lunch mates in the faculty lounge. “Death Valley?” they replied. “Yeah, Death Valley, you know, out in California.” I said. “Won’t it be cold?” a Health Teacher commented. I could see where this was going, so I told them all I would bring in a magazine and show them some pictures. The magazine I brought in was Overland Journal, the first edition. Opinions changed.
I was given a copy of the first issue of Overland Journal in November while I was in Moab. I read that issue cover to cover, and I subscribed shortly thereafter. Perhaps one of the best articles I had read in quite some time was the article on Death Valley. I had read about a few people spending New Years in DV, and thought it might be something different than the normal Moab trip we tend to do.
We looked around at some possible campsites and came back the next day to book online, only to find most of the Furnace Creek Campground booked. Seems Death Valley is a hot place to spend NYE. We quickly booked our piece of the valley, and a day later, the entire campground was full.
We decided since I had the entire week between Christmas and New Years off we would go and visit my grandmother in Cedar City for a day before making the trip to California. We finally made it to the entrance of the park on Sunday the 30th. It was early still, and the shadows cast some unique forms across the floor of the desert. The initial stopping point was Zabriskie Point. It is a nice overlook into the valley, and gives a virgin Death Valley traveler their initial taste of the scale of this park. It is huge.
I grabbed an ice-cold Diet Coke w/Lime from the fridge (yea Engel), and jumped back into the 80, ready to see more, but also itching to get out and ‘be’ in the park. We found the campground entrance shack vacant, so we found our site, and set up camp. Interestingly enough, there was a built 80 parked 3 or 4 cars away. These are walk-in camp spots, so as I was toting Action Packers back and forth to the tent, I got a friendly “Nice Truck” from the other 80 owner. Turns out he was a member of Mud, as well as the Expedition Portal, and had come up with a few other Cruiser owners.
We spent the rest of the afternoon doing the touristy stuff, such as seeing the visitor center and just enjoying being out of the car. It was also imperative that three and a half year olds get time off for good car behavior (Portable DVD players are fantastic) so allowing little Alexander to get out and run around and climb on rocks was in order. I even caught a few people taking pictures of the wreath and rubber chicken strapped to the front of my truck. Thanks to Paul May for the great white elephant gift.
Hilary was busy with Olivia and so I was able to walk away and out off the road to sit in the dirt. I like to plant it in the dirt wherever I go, so I can get a feel for the land. I like to pick up the rocks, and inspect them closely, smell the air, run my hands through the dirt, and really experience an area close up. I like to think I am getting connected to the land, and not just seeing it from the drivers seat.
Back in camp, as soon as the sun went down, the nice 60+ degree weather turned cold. We attempted to buy wood from the market there, but similarly cold overnight temps cleaned them out the night before. I decided to burn part of the bag of charcoal I had brought for the dutch oven. It is amazing how a little heat from a fire can really make or break a cold night. I set the Engel thermometer on top of my truck before turning in for the night. It has a setting that displays maximum and minimum temperatures, so I reset the unit to observe the nighttime temps. When I awoke the next morning, the display read 25.5 as an overnight low. It certainly was much colder than the 36 weather.com had forecasted.
We knew of a few Cruiser and ExPo folks in the campground who were staying in the RV/trailer section as they were pulling Adventure Trailers, Teardrops, and Kamparoos. We made up our camp to be away for the day, and met up with the group. I was able to inspect an Adventure Trailer and a Kamparoo side by side. We will most likely be purchasing one of the Kamparoo Trailers next summer. The group decided to head for warmer climates in AZ, so Hilary and the kids loaded up and went on our way to the see where rocks move across the desert floor all by themselves-The Racetrack.
I was told by the more experienced DV travelers to air down my tires, and “drive fast.” After about 3 minutes on the road to the Racetrack, which just so happens to be the worst washboard I have ever been on, I stopped to air down. Once I was done fiddling with the tires, we went on our way, through Joshua Tree forests, washes, and eventually we made it to Teakettle Junction, which was more than just a sign for us. We had been beaten up on that road, and we knew we had to make it back out the same way. The junction indicated to us that we were very close. I believe the entire road is 29 miles, one-way.
We finally made it, right when the sun was on the Western horizon, threatening once again to take our nice warm temps away. The Racetrack is an awkward place. All at once an eerie silence tugs at you to leave, yet some sort of omnipotent power gives you an overwhelming sense of peace. I immediately started walking. I walked out to the middle of the ‘playa’ and sat down, once again to ‘be’ there. Off in the distance, I saw a car, “a Subaru?” I thought. I snapped a few pictures of the floor, and heard “Daaaaaddy!” from just out of earshot. I turned to see a fantastic sight out in front of me. It was Alexander, bungee cord in hand, telling me he wanted to go climb “those rocks.”
The look on his face is one that is forever etched into my mind. The young look of eagerness, passion, and of discovery was all over his face. I almost cried. I loved seeing him out there, ready and carefree. I was so proud that he was my son, and the sense of adventure he has developed in such a short time from his first camping trip when he was three months old.
We rounded up the bungee cords, and after a quick nursing of our little six-month-old Olivia, we were on our way back down the truly beaten path. We arrived back at the Ubehebe Crater as the sun was setting. We were getting some strange looks as I unloaded the roof rack (which had rattled loose) of gas cans, water cans, and such to fix the rack and gas up. I broke out the new air compressor, and set the pressures back up as I tightened up the rack again. The extra ten gallons we brought proved to be just right, and we were able to avoid buying the $4.12 gas in the valley.
That night, we were invited to a potluck with some fellow adventurers, but we were quite tired, and didn’t see anyone at the group site when we drove by. Once back in camp, I fired up some charcoal and put together perhaps one of the best dutch oven peach cobblers I have made to date. After about an hour of cook time, and Alexander getting his fill of Transformers in the tent, we enjoyed a little New Years celebration of our own. I had expected to hear a little bit of the New Year festivities, but it was surprisingly quiet. We decided to call it a night after sitting out quietly and watching satellites slip across the sky, (and after I fell asleep laying on the bench).
We broke camp early anticipating the long drive back to Salt Lake. We made a pit stop in Vegas, and then again in Cedar City to have dinner with Grandma. Finally, we made it back. I commented to Hilary, “Maybe we should do that again next year?” She smiled and rolled her eyes all at once saying, “Oh yeah Rog, how about Hawaii?”
Overall, Death Valley is a ‘must see’ destination. I don’t think I realized the scale of the park, and I really didn’t budget enough time. There is easily a solid month of exploring out there. Go prepared, all of the basics, and then add a few more. You are far from any major cities. I highly recommend the Racetrack, and sitting down for a few minutes out there. All by yourself, of course.
Death Valley NYE Excursion
“I’m going to Death Valley National Park for New Years, “ I said to my lunch mates in the faculty lounge. “Death Valley?” they replied. “Yeah, Death Valley, you know, out in California.” I said. “Won’t it be cold?” a Health Teacher commented. I could see where this was going, so I told them all I would bring in a magazine and show them some pictures. The magazine I brought in was Overland Journal, the first edition. Opinions changed.
I was given a copy of the first issue of Overland Journal in November while I was in Moab. I read that issue cover to cover, and I subscribed shortly thereafter. Perhaps one of the best articles I had read in quite some time was the article on Death Valley. I had read about a few people spending New Years in DV, and thought it might be something different than the normal Moab trip we tend to do.
We looked around at some possible campsites and came back the next day to book online, only to find most of the Furnace Creek Campground booked. Seems Death Valley is a hot place to spend NYE. We quickly booked our piece of the valley, and a day later, the entire campground was full.
We decided since I had the entire week between Christmas and New Years off we would go and visit my grandmother in Cedar City for a day before making the trip to California. We finally made it to the entrance of the park on Sunday the 30th. It was early still, and the shadows cast some unique forms across the floor of the desert. The initial stopping point was Zabriskie Point. It is a nice overlook into the valley, and gives a virgin Death Valley traveler their initial taste of the scale of this park. It is huge.
I grabbed an ice-cold Diet Coke w/Lime from the fridge (yea Engel), and jumped back into the 80, ready to see more, but also itching to get out and ‘be’ in the park. We found the campground entrance shack vacant, so we found our site, and set up camp. Interestingly enough, there was a built 80 parked 3 or 4 cars away. These are walk-in camp spots, so as I was toting Action Packers back and forth to the tent, I got a friendly “Nice Truck” from the other 80 owner. Turns out he was a member of Mud, as well as the Expedition Portal, and had come up with a few other Cruiser owners.
We spent the rest of the afternoon doing the touristy stuff, such as seeing the visitor center and just enjoying being out of the car. It was also imperative that three and a half year olds get time off for good car behavior (Portable DVD players are fantastic) so allowing little Alexander to get out and run around and climb on rocks was in order. I even caught a few people taking pictures of the wreath and rubber chicken strapped to the front of my truck. Thanks to Paul May for the great white elephant gift.
Hilary was busy with Olivia and so I was able to walk away and out off the road to sit in the dirt. I like to plant it in the dirt wherever I go, so I can get a feel for the land. I like to pick up the rocks, and inspect them closely, smell the air, run my hands through the dirt, and really experience an area close up. I like to think I am getting connected to the land, and not just seeing it from the drivers seat.
Back in camp, as soon as the sun went down, the nice 60+ degree weather turned cold. We attempted to buy wood from the market there, but similarly cold overnight temps cleaned them out the night before. I decided to burn part of the bag of charcoal I had brought for the dutch oven. It is amazing how a little heat from a fire can really make or break a cold night. I set the Engel thermometer on top of my truck before turning in for the night. It has a setting that displays maximum and minimum temperatures, so I reset the unit to observe the nighttime temps. When I awoke the next morning, the display read 25.5 as an overnight low. It certainly was much colder than the 36 weather.com had forecasted.
We knew of a few Cruiser and ExPo folks in the campground who were staying in the RV/trailer section as they were pulling Adventure Trailers, Teardrops, and Kamparoos. We made up our camp to be away for the day, and met up with the group. I was able to inspect an Adventure Trailer and a Kamparoo side by side. We will most likely be purchasing one of the Kamparoo Trailers next summer. The group decided to head for warmer climates in AZ, so Hilary and the kids loaded up and went on our way to the see where rocks move across the desert floor all by themselves-The Racetrack.
I was told by the more experienced DV travelers to air down my tires, and “drive fast.” After about 3 minutes on the road to the Racetrack, which just so happens to be the worst washboard I have ever been on, I stopped to air down. Once I was done fiddling with the tires, we went on our way, through Joshua Tree forests, washes, and eventually we made it to Teakettle Junction, which was more than just a sign for us. We had been beaten up on that road, and we knew we had to make it back out the same way. The junction indicated to us that we were very close. I believe the entire road is 29 miles, one-way.
We finally made it, right when the sun was on the Western horizon, threatening once again to take our nice warm temps away. The Racetrack is an awkward place. All at once an eerie silence tugs at you to leave, yet some sort of omnipotent power gives you an overwhelming sense of peace. I immediately started walking. I walked out to the middle of the ‘playa’ and sat down, once again to ‘be’ there. Off in the distance, I saw a car, “a Subaru?” I thought. I snapped a few pictures of the floor, and heard “Daaaaaddy!” from just out of earshot. I turned to see a fantastic sight out in front of me. It was Alexander, bungee cord in hand, telling me he wanted to go climb “those rocks.”
The look on his face is one that is forever etched into my mind. The young look of eagerness, passion, and of discovery was all over his face. I almost cried. I loved seeing him out there, ready and carefree. I was so proud that he was my son, and the sense of adventure he has developed in such a short time from his first camping trip when he was three months old.
We rounded up the bungee cords, and after a quick nursing of our little six-month-old Olivia, we were on our way back down the truly beaten path. We arrived back at the Ubehebe Crater as the sun was setting. We were getting some strange looks as I unloaded the roof rack (which had rattled loose) of gas cans, water cans, and such to fix the rack and gas up. I broke out the new air compressor, and set the pressures back up as I tightened up the rack again. The extra ten gallons we brought proved to be just right, and we were able to avoid buying the $4.12 gas in the valley.
That night, we were invited to a potluck with some fellow adventurers, but we were quite tired, and didn’t see anyone at the group site when we drove by. Once back in camp, I fired up some charcoal and put together perhaps one of the best dutch oven peach cobblers I have made to date. After about an hour of cook time, and Alexander getting his fill of Transformers in the tent, we enjoyed a little New Years celebration of our own. I had expected to hear a little bit of the New Year festivities, but it was surprisingly quiet. We decided to call it a night after sitting out quietly and watching satellites slip across the sky, (and after I fell asleep laying on the bench).
We broke camp early anticipating the long drive back to Salt Lake. We made a pit stop in Vegas, and then again in Cedar City to have dinner with Grandma. Finally, we made it back. I commented to Hilary, “Maybe we should do that again next year?” She smiled and rolled her eyes all at once saying, “Oh yeah Rog, how about Hawaii?”
Overall, Death Valley is a ‘must see’ destination. I don’t think I realized the scale of the park, and I really didn’t budget enough time. There is easily a solid month of exploring out there. Go prepared, all of the basics, and then add a few more. You are far from any major cities. I highly recommend the Racetrack, and sitting down for a few minutes out there. All by yourself, of course.
ntsqd
Heretic Car Camper
Nice trip report!
It was off line for a while, but now I see Roger Brown again has his very helpfull (to me anyway) DVNP page posted. Roger has a lot of time in the area and is fairly knowledgeable about it. A nice guy as well. Should anyone ever see one of his vehicles out there, stop and say hello.
It was off line for a while, but now I see Roger Brown again has his very helpfull (to me anyway) DVNP page posted. Roger has a lot of time in the area and is fairly knowledgeable about it. A nice guy as well. Should anyone ever see one of his vehicles out there, stop and say hello.
HMR
Rendezvous Conspiracy
DV is near the top of our list for this year's NYE trip. We'll be solo but will keep a lookout for other Expo'ers.
PS- Didn't we see you in Valley of Fire SP sometime around NYE last year? If we see you in DV, don't worry, we're not stalking you.
