Death valley

[MATT_B]

I'm planning on heading down to death valley some time at the end of march. I have never been there so I would love some suggestions of things to see and do. I know about all of the climbing in the bishop area so no need to comment on that. The trip will likely be more about hiking and exploring but if there is good climbing in the park I could be talked into that too.

[lummox]

i have heard of hot springs. if you like hanging out with old leathery naked people you should go.

[chucK]

We drove up the Saline Valley Road and car camped way out in the middle of nowhere one time. That was a cool adventure. Might be closed now, might also be more civilized. It was on the West side of the Park, heading North from the main entrance road coming in from the West then curving East to the northern section of Death Valley. Goes by someplace called "Devil's Racetrack". Also, there's a big curvy canyon that descends into Death Valley from the East we drove down that too. Fun.

[specialed]

i have heard of hot springs. if you like hanging out with old leathery naked people you should go.

 

The one time I went to hot springs around Bish there was young nekkid ladies. And they had beer.

[Jim]

Very cool place. If you have a decent 4x4 you can get up into the foothills via the canyon roads. There are some cool ridge hikes and canyon exploring to be done. If you would like something off the beaten trail go over to the Saline Valley, which is one over from Death Valley. It's a huge valley with the Inyo's on one side. In the upper reaches there are two set of hot springs. The upper is the better as you need a good 4x4 to get there. Some hippies with the BLM "borrowed" some blasting supplies and made these great rock pools with an intricate drainage system, and planted some palms. You soak in the pools in the early morning and watch the Top Gun school zip up and down the valley a couple of hundred feet off the deck. They tip their wings when the go over the springs.

[gapertimmy]

Death Valley is waaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaay plab.

 

I spent a few days there in the late fall a few years ago and there is quite a bit to do/see. I camped at Emigrant, dirtbag car camp, but nice and simple and far away from RV crowd. Some things that i did and really enjoyed are:

 

- Hike telescope peak 11049': from the summit you an see the lowest point in the US, and the highest point (whitney) in the lower 48, great views, easy enjoyable hike. on the drive there you'll pass by the charcoal kilns, kinda cool, and various ghost towns, i did a side trip to skidoo, very neat ghost town, the solitude and the desolation are amazing.

 

- jayhawker canyon: very neat hike, some awesome petroglyphs, one rock in particular had antient native graphitti and was also tagged by the jayhawker gang that was the first wagon train to go through death valley.

 

- mosaic canyon: good quick hike

 

- sand dunes by stovepipe good stuff

 

I also did the drive up to rhyolite ghost town, and back via Titus Canyon, neat 4x4 route, cool only if you dig ghost towns and remote spots.

 

I also did some crazy wandering in the badlands below artists pallete

 

En route, if you are a history buff I'd go swing by Manzanar along hwy 395, fascinating stuff... and a trip to see the bristlecone pine forests in the white mountains is neato also... and don't forget to stop at the chevron station in lee vining, good food.

 

HAVE FUN

[chucK]

Yeah Titus Canyon. That was the curvy canyon we drove on the East side. We did the Saline Valley Road and Titus Canyon with my old '84 GTI Rabbit. We followed the advice of this Tomboy chick gas-station attendant, "Ride the high center".

 

Cruising up the Saline Valley Road at dusk sitting on top of the car (via the sunroof) and drinking beer, that was cool.