spikemd
Explorer
Tried to plan a last minute trip to Death Valley last week and thought I had two other trucks to head down with. But as the week came to a close, work issues surfaced and they couldn't make it. Since it was Ella's 5th year and she was dying to go, we ventured off on our own for a few days. We were excited to use the roof top tent for the first time, I wired in some cool LEDs in the tent and finished the install of my lightbar. Not coordinating a group of people gave some freedom and a loose itinerary for our trip. As mentioned, I have been exploring DV the past 5 years and know the backcountry trails quite well. The areas we had planned on visiting: Warm Springs, Striped Butte valley, Goler Wash, Ballarat, Briggs Cabin, Minietta mine, charcoal kilns are far enough away from tourists, but frequented by overlanders.
We left Sacramento at 3pm and swung by my buddy Rob's place to pick up my MFC gas cans from King of the Hammers. Booked a hotel in Barstow and charged down 99. We rolled into the hotel around 10:30pm and crashed for the night. Headed to Baker in the morning to top off gas and picked up some 'alien jerky'.
Then we hit some traffic, of the people kind. They were running a foot race from Baker to Shoshone and most of the teams and runners were law enforcement and fire departments. Not a good idea to speed around them or cause any trouble. We patiently waited and then finally found some open road and turned off early at Saratoga Springs to enter DV from the south eastern side.
Once offroad, it was just the two of us. DV is such a magical place and beautiful in its starkness. The rock formations and colors are so different from anywhere else.
We ventured back onto pavement as I wanted Ella to see Badwater, the lowest point in North America at -282ft, a point she hadn't seen since she was a baby as all the other DV trips bypassed the pavement.
After that, we headed back to Warm Springs for some lunch and dip in the water. Met a nice family who was heading back to Santa Rosa after 8 days exploring. He is an airplane mechanic and avid HAM radio enthusiast. His son and Ella ran off to catch lizards while we chatted. Ella and I grabbed our suits and hiked up for a quick swim in the springs. It always amazes me when you find yourself relaxing in a little 'hot tub' in the middle of the desert.
After our swim, there was another couple camping at Warm Springs in a very nice Westfalia van. It was their 4th night when they were only planning to stay one and had run out of beer. I handed them a few and off we went in search of a cabin in Striped Butte valley. Some adventure riders had just passed through and mentioned that the Geologist cabin was vacant. Then the real adventure began...:Wow1:
We left Sacramento at 3pm and swung by my buddy Rob's place to pick up my MFC gas cans from King of the Hammers. Booked a hotel in Barstow and charged down 99. We rolled into the hotel around 10:30pm and crashed for the night. Headed to Baker in the morning to top off gas and picked up some 'alien jerky'.
Then we hit some traffic, of the people kind. They were running a foot race from Baker to Shoshone and most of the teams and runners were law enforcement and fire departments. Not a good idea to speed around them or cause any trouble. We patiently waited and then finally found some open road and turned off early at Saratoga Springs to enter DV from the south eastern side.
Once offroad, it was just the two of us. DV is such a magical place and beautiful in its starkness. The rock formations and colors are so different from anywhere else.
We ventured back onto pavement as I wanted Ella to see Badwater, the lowest point in North America at -282ft, a point she hadn't seen since she was a baby as all the other DV trips bypassed the pavement.
After that, we headed back to Warm Springs for some lunch and dip in the water. Met a nice family who was heading back to Santa Rosa after 8 days exploring. He is an airplane mechanic and avid HAM radio enthusiast. His son and Ella ran off to catch lizards while we chatted. Ella and I grabbed our suits and hiked up for a quick swim in the springs. It always amazes me when you find yourself relaxing in a little 'hot tub' in the middle of the desert.
After our swim, there was another couple camping at Warm Springs in a very nice Westfalia van. It was their 4th night when they were only planning to stay one and had run out of beer. I handed them a few and off we went in search of a cabin in Striped Butte valley. Some adventure riders had just passed through and mentioned that the Geologist cabin was vacant. Then the real adventure began...:Wow1: