It was an uneventful drive down, we broke up the driving by switching with every tank of fuel. After dark found us on Hwy 14 in the Mohave where we pulled off on an exit and went a short distance into the desert. Here we spread out our ground tarps and slept.
Bright and early we were up and at it again. Heading over to Ridgecrest where we picked up groceries and fuel. Then we headed thru Trona and into Panamint Valley on Hwy 178. Going straight over to Ballarat and Indian Ranch Road. Our objective being Jail Canyon in the Panamint Range to which none of us had been.
Indian Ranch Road wasn't bad but the road into Jail Canyon ain't nice!! Definately high ground clearance but 4x4 not needed until into the canyon itself . There it is broken up by small washes here and there with some 2ft elevation differences.
Linus was driving up the canyon and we came to a HUGE boulder in the middle of the wash fully 20' tall. The road passes next to it and drops into a wash the width of which is about the same as the rangie. We went into and out of it with no problem! Around the bend the going got tuffer so I scouted ahead. In a short distance it was not feasable to go on considering we were only 1 vehicle. There wasn't room to turn around so Linus backed up across the wash and parked next to the HUGE boulder.
We had to wait there as 3 J**ps were heading into the canyon. We watched as they struggled to get across the wash we had just backed thru. Admittedly it was poor line choice not the vehicles fault that they had trouble. After they went by Linus was able to turn around and we headed out. Did I say the boulder was HUGE?
From Indian Ranch Rd. North to Trona-Wildrose Canyon Rd took us up the side of the Panamints to the shoulder of Telescope Peak and there we looked at the charcoal kilns. Built in the late 1870's( no-one knows exactly) the kilns were built to make charcoal for the smelters for the Minnieta/Modoc/Defense Mine, located across Panamint Valley on Lookout Mountain.
Brett and Linus at the kilns.
A short drive around Mahogony Flat Campground and looking at the views down into Death Valley saw us headed down Emigrant Canyon to secure a campsite at Emigrant Campground.
That evening we were visited by a kit fox at night.
Up before light the next morning you can see in the pic above that we have broken camp and Linus and Brett are ready for a day hike. Thier objective is a 1952 plane crash of a military Albatross. Six people bailed out over DeVa and the plane crashed on Towne Peak. It is estimated to be a 5-7 mile hike one way cross country. Starting at Towne Pass(4,956') and over Towne Peak (7,287'). They started early due to the shorter days and to take advantage of the cooler mornings.
They are the 2 dots in the center of the pic.
I on the other hand planned on being a tourist due to my inability to do a long hike such as this(ankle injury). So I dropped the guys off in the growing light, then headed to Panamint Springs Resort.
Once there I fueled up and headed over to Badwater, the lowest spot in North America. I was very early it being around 0800 by the time I arrived and the parking lot was MT but for 1 other car. So I took a stroll out onto the salt pan and looked around. Very stimulating in the chill of the morning and the complete sense of desolation and solitude. My gps showed -289'.
The above pics taken on Hwy 190.
Salt pan.
I took some pics of the sign for sea level it is on the cliff above the parking lot. It looks like a white line or a dot in the pics.
From there I went and visited the Devils golf course, which surprised me by how large the salt heaves/crystals grow! It is no wonder the early emigrants and miners avoided travel across this "flat"
The cracks were knee high! Some of the holes were 4 inches across. Once I was finished stumbling around the golf course I got back in the rangie and went on the Artists drive.
The road was surprising in that it followed the desert contour thru some of the abrupt washes. I wasn't so impressed with the Artists Palate, yes, the colors were there but seemed washed out and dull to me. Otherwise for me the landscape was the best! Something about the bare tortured hills and the vast brown vistas across Death Valley itself. And being able to look across it and see places where the 49'ers passed and being in awe of thier heroic saga some 160 years ago................then to recognize places I have been like Johnson Canyon and Trail Canyon. Knowing that DeVa has a greater elevation change than the Grand Canyon. From Telescope Peak at 11,049 to Badwater at -282 is 11,331 feet! Over 2 miles in about a 12 mile crow flight.
After a trip to the visitors center I headed back to Towne Pass to pick up the guys. We figured they would be back around 3 but I wanted to get there early incase they finished sooner. I had a radio and so did they incase of an emergency but I had to be close to hear them. Good thing I got there early as soon after I had finished a beer and gotten bored they showed up! Below are some of the pics they took of the hike.
Once were were collected the next adventure was to Saline Springs via South Pass Rd. Grapevine Canyon has been signed closed by the Inyo County for years but had some new weathering this last summer. We had to find out if it was passable. Going down Grapevine was indeed different than last year, instead of having 3 water crossings there were 11 washouts! Most of them had 2-4ft sides. The rangie made all of them hugging the sideslopes and dodging the boulders, it did drag the reciever in a couple of the sharp climbs out of the wash.
The moon was up as we hit the valley floor with 30 miles of washboard road to go to get to the springs. It was dark when we got there and we soon found a campsite in the baseball field. Then it was off to the hot springs!!.........
The next day was very nice sunny and warm in the light but if you were in the shadow the air was colder. Brett and Linus opted for another day hike over to the cinder cone to the East, with the peace sign on the side. While we were breaking camp some a**hat's dog ran over and peed on Linus's sleeping bag/pillow. Fortunately Linus had turned the ground tarp over it so it was partially protected. The dog owner just shrugged his shoulders, if he didn't see it nothing happened. We had words with him later at the springs, I was pissed at him for his attitude.
So the guys headed off on the hike and I went over to the springs to do some reading. I think I was still working my way thru the Manly book. Sometime later Linus returned and we chatted on the lawn about his hike and plans for leaving on the morrow. Being a holiday the springs were busy, I wouldn't say crowded but due to the nice weather every one was out and not huddled around a fire at thier camp.
After a bit a woman came to the lawn and asked if anyone wanted to play cribbage, dominos, or some other games she had brought. No one replied quickly so I figured I'd give cribbage a try as I hadn't played in years. So she came over and started setting up the board.
I introduced myself and she responded that she was Fun Fun Debbie or Dr Fun Fun. As we played it came out that she has visted the springs for many years. I myself am a newcomer only having been there for the first time in 09. As we played the first game she took off her dress and was sitting across from me naked. Surreally here I was, sitting in arguably the most remote part of the US, in a desert, on a grassy lawn, playing cribbage with a naked lady whom I had just met. Inconceivable!
While I won the first 2 games as Linus watched and learned, other peoples started playing with Hula hoops and a game of Cornhole was set up. Fun Fun won the third game and wandered off to play Cornhole. Brett had come over and was trying the Hula hoops. After that he, Linus and I went back to camp.
An evening spent in the hot springs and an early dip for Brett the next morning in the Sunrise pool saw us off headed for home up and over South pass again.
After fueling up in Olancha, Linus thought I was asleep in the back when he hit 109mph on Hwy 395. The rest of the trip home was uneventful.
I'm not sure but I think that somewhere on this trip we bent the drag link on the steering. I found it by the extreme tyre wear on the front tyres. All in all it was a good trip!
