Death Valley Overland Trip Report - Complete
- Thread starter Adventure Ready
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'round n' back again
Explorer
Gus is a burro, he asked me to correct u on that point
burros are very sensitive to being called a mule,
and they resemble nothing like the human idiot for whom we reserve the word **************....
really a bad term for such a regal little animal
you might even call him the fj40 of the equine world
im sure gus wouldnt mind me describing him that way.
burros are very sensitive to being called a mule,
and they resemble nothing like the human idiot for whom we reserve the word **************....
really a bad term for such a regal little animal
you might even call him the fj40 of the equine world
im sure gus wouldnt mind me describing him that way.
Awesome! I LOVE Death Valley. I've been several times. I'm a huge fan of the National Parks and never pass one up. I'd say that Death Valley is probably one of the most overlooked National Parks there is. The last time I was there, was in July of 2014. My brother was moving from Hawaii to San Diego and his car was being shipped. He flew to Oklahoma and borrowed my old beater truck, a 1996 S-10. It has 270,000 miles on it and a 2.2L motor with a 5 speed transmission. Anyways, his car showed up and I flew out to San Diego to pick up my truck. I stayed in Death Valley for a few days. I showed up to that lodge in Stovepipe Wells and it was 120 degrees. The guy there at the lodge told me NOT to go out to the Racetrack. Especially when he saw my old truck. HA! But it's not every day I get to go to a place like Death Valley. I bought about five gallons of water. I also had a personal locator beacon. I headed out. I didn't see another human being the entire time. That road about beat me to death and even though it was only 70 miles from Stovepipe Wells, it took me several hours. Driving an under powered 2WD truck didn't help. It was totally worth the journey though. I hung out for hours until it started to get dark. The rocks are amazing and the peace and quiet is incredible. I'm hoping to head back out there this Spring with my Jeep when the weather is more reasonable and camp out there.
I also climbed Telescope Peak while I was there. It's the highest point in Death Valley at 11,049 feet. The mountain has Bristlecone Pines on top. They're the oldest known singular living organisms on earth. Some are over 5,000 years old. Very cool trees that are like rocks. You can drive up to about 8,000 feet where the trail head is. My old truck could barely make the climb. I had to climb the last mile in 1st gear. But at the top there, there is an absolutely incredible primitive camp site that is overlooking the Badwater Basin to the east.
I've been to pretty much all of the big National Parks. Denali, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Rocky Mountain, Acadia, Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains, etc. I've been to tons of others too. But Death Valley is a place like no other. Millions of people miss out every year when they just fly over it or drive around it. That's fine with me though. More solitude for me!
I also climbed Telescope Peak while I was there. It's the highest point in Death Valley at 11,049 feet. The mountain has Bristlecone Pines on top. They're the oldest known singular living organisms on earth. Some are over 5,000 years old. Very cool trees that are like rocks. You can drive up to about 8,000 feet where the trail head is. My old truck could barely make the climb. I had to climb the last mile in 1st gear. But at the top there, there is an absolutely incredible primitive camp site that is overlooking the Badwater Basin to the east.
I've been to pretty much all of the big National Parks. Denali, Yosemite, Yellowstone, Rocky Mountain, Acadia, Grand Canyon, Great Smoky Mountains, etc. I've been to tons of others too. But Death Valley is a place like no other. Millions of people miss out every year when they just fly over it or drive around it. That's fine with me though. More solitude for me!
Adventure Ready
Observer
Right on! Airing down is really dependent on tire size and model. I ran 30 psi all the way through Death Valley which was fine for me, but I've got a very heavy rig. I run BFG All-terrain KO2's.
8mpg is a pretty standard running average for my 80-series when fully loaded and mixture of gravel roads and rugged trails with climbing. Don't have many more photos to post, sorry. Have a great trip! You'll love it.
Adventure Ready
Observer
Went after OE West in May. Didn't get up past 100 which was pretty comfortable to me. I've seen photos next to the temp sign at the visitors center above 120. That's insane. hahaha.
Adventure Ready
Observer
sethmeister
New member
Wow, what a beautiful place! I'm an East Coaster, so this is now on my bucket list. Great pics!
CCPAJeeper
Observer
tremendous write up and pics. Thank you for the time taken. Looks like an awesome trip.
NM-Frontier
Explorer
Great write up, I did a very similar route a few years ago, still one of my favorite trips.I just couldn't get enough of Eureka and "The Race Track". Thanks for sharing!
Buttermilkbiscuit
New member
Great info, Thanks!
AZ WANDERING BEAR
New member
Superb write up and great photos. We are heading that way in late February on our first DV trip. Your report makes we know that we will definitely enjoy the trip.
