NorCalSam
Adventurer
Happy new year everyone, we are back from the Winter Death Valley Run. This trip allowed us to get away for a bit with friends and family, see some of Death Valley and of cores, test the trucks new suspension in a very different way. I also finally finished installing my 2 meter radio. And was able to test it by lessoning to the Diablo repeater from the house I could hear some guy on there very clearly complaining about gas prices in Oakland.
We left Grass Valley early Friday Morning battling snow and ice all the way from the house. After a pretty but very long drive we aired down and motored down (at rally Speed) Saline Valley Rd toward Saline Valley and the hot springs. Just before we got to north pass is were Tree almost wet herself during a mock attack from a fighter jet, it then circled back and came right at as putting on quite a show for the kids. Sayer now wants to “drive a fighter jet when he grows up”. It was very cool. We then motored quickly thru the ice and snow covered North Pass and started down into Saline Valley when I hear Ali and Dan. S on the 2 meter radio. Ali was loud and clear and just about ready to turn off of hw 190 I think this was very cool and gave me a sense of security knowing that I could get help it I needed it, even way out there.
From there we flew into the Springs were I was shocked to find a lot of people. We setup camp and waited for the Ali family and the Reno crew Dan S. and Jack and his wife Darcy to roll in. That is when I found out that we were the only ones that brought fire wood. So we had only one box of wood per night and it was very cold one of the nights was like 25 or 24 and then add the wind chill, it was down right nippy out. The only way to get warm was to go to bed early. But we were at the hot springs and I felt better knowing that the next camp spot at FC it would most likely be about 8* warmer or so and I could by 5 boxes of wood it I want. Anyway the next day we relaxed, the group went for a hike near by up to what we think was an old talcum powder mine and then napped or soaked in the springs. I also spent some time admiring Ali camp trailer.
Sunday morning we slowly packed up and headed out at about 9:30 or 9:40 our destination was FC camp grounds but we planed to see the race track and the crater along the way. I must say I let Tree drive so she could play and I could soak up the views and watch the trailers on this very rough road and to my amazement Ali’s trail seemed to bounce less then Dan’s AT trailer did. Note to self I want one of those trailers. We spent some time at the Race Track. What can I say, it was very cool and other than the private air show this might have been the highlight of the trip for me. And like they say, its just like the pictures. We stopped at the crater for pics and to air up then it was on to the camp ground.
Once at Furnace Creek we set up camp and while Tree started diner Autumn and I when looking for firewood. Come to find out do to the usually cold temps and the holiday weekend they were out of wood and so was Stove pipe wells. So the rest of the group went out to diner and got drunk I think. The Turnage family ate, had some hot coco, warmed our hands by the Colman lantern and went to bed early again! It was the only way to get warm. At this point we all had had enough.
Monday we when out to breakfast to get out of the cold, wail the rest of the group packed up. Jack and Darcy went home wail our kid did the Juror Ranger Program we then motored around to places like devils golf course, artists drive and Bad water. Finally we went our separate ways us to NorCal and the Dan and Ali clan pressed on to Arizona land.
We left Grass Valley early Friday Morning battling snow and ice all the way from the house. After a pretty but very long drive we aired down and motored down (at rally Speed) Saline Valley Rd toward Saline Valley and the hot springs. Just before we got to north pass is were Tree almost wet herself during a mock attack from a fighter jet, it then circled back and came right at as putting on quite a show for the kids. Sayer now wants to “drive a fighter jet when he grows up”. It was very cool. We then motored quickly thru the ice and snow covered North Pass and started down into Saline Valley when I hear Ali and Dan. S on the 2 meter radio. Ali was loud and clear and just about ready to turn off of hw 190 I think this was very cool and gave me a sense of security knowing that I could get help it I needed it, even way out there.
From there we flew into the Springs were I was shocked to find a lot of people. We setup camp and waited for the Ali family and the Reno crew Dan S. and Jack and his wife Darcy to roll in. That is when I found out that we were the only ones that brought fire wood. So we had only one box of wood per night and it was very cold one of the nights was like 25 or 24 and then add the wind chill, it was down right nippy out. The only way to get warm was to go to bed early. But we were at the hot springs and I felt better knowing that the next camp spot at FC it would most likely be about 8* warmer or so and I could by 5 boxes of wood it I want. Anyway the next day we relaxed, the group went for a hike near by up to what we think was an old talcum powder mine and then napped or soaked in the springs. I also spent some time admiring Ali camp trailer.
Sunday morning we slowly packed up and headed out at about 9:30 or 9:40 our destination was FC camp grounds but we planed to see the race track and the crater along the way. I must say I let Tree drive so she could play and I could soak up the views and watch the trailers on this very rough road and to my amazement Ali’s trail seemed to bounce less then Dan’s AT trailer did. Note to self I want one of those trailers. We spent some time at the Race Track. What can I say, it was very cool and other than the private air show this might have been the highlight of the trip for me. And like they say, its just like the pictures. We stopped at the crater for pics and to air up then it was on to the camp ground.
Once at Furnace Creek we set up camp and while Tree started diner Autumn and I when looking for firewood. Come to find out do to the usually cold temps and the holiday weekend they were out of wood and so was Stove pipe wells. So the rest of the group went out to diner and got drunk I think. The Turnage family ate, had some hot coco, warmed our hands by the Colman lantern and went to bed early again! It was the only way to get warm. At this point we all had had enough.
Monday we when out to breakfast to get out of the cold, wail the rest of the group packed up. Jack and Darcy went home wail our kid did the Juror Ranger Program we then motored around to places like devils golf course, artists drive and Bad water. Finally we went our separate ways us to NorCal and the Dan and Ali clan pressed on to Arizona land.
Did enough of that in the Army. We were great once we were in our sleeping bag (Cabela's Ultimate Adam and Eve), but before bed and first thing in the morning were rough! We cooked some scrambled eggs/chorizo one of the mornings and they had icicles on them in the frying pan, burrr.