Sorry I can't help with any directions as it's been a few years since we were in Pahrump on our way down into Death Valley.
We also wanted to know how good one of the roads down was. We were staying in 'Terribles' and started asking people in the Casino. "No Idea, never been there" was the answer ! Obviously travellers just like us. So then we first asked if they were local. "Yes I live here, but never been to Death Valley" was similar to the reply we got. No one from Pahrump we asked had ever been to Death Valley! We couldn't believe it.