Cautions about Death Valley
I have been going to Death Valley for 30 years in the winter and wandering in the desert which is a very interesting thing to do. I have taken a TT once, but enjoy going in a pickup and remote camping in the true boondocks with no one around. DVNP is the largest Nat Park in the lower 48 and is mostly designated wilderness.
Last week we visited the Saline Valley which is the remote part of the park in my friends new Nissan Frontier pickup. It took 2 1/2 hours to go around 40 miles off the highway from Lone Pine. The roads are rough, the elevation varies from about 2-6,000 feet which can be cold in winter. There was ice on the road. There is no water for 60 miles. Few people, no cell phone.
We had two maps, DeLorme atlas, and Nat Geog DVNP. We headed over Saline Range to the Racetrack. The road looked similar to the road we came in on. The familiar roads had cautions listed. The new Saline road had no cautions. About 7 miles in the wash outs started, large boulders, severe bank in the wrong direction. We backed out until we could find a place to turn around. Might be pasable with a Jeep with lockers and big tires and a winch but not really with regular 4wd pickup.
After talking to Park Service personnel, there are two other roads in the park, Steele Pass is one of them. The NPS is well aware that some of their roads are terrible after the recent wet winters. They need to put some signs up before somebody gets killed. If you wreck your oil pan or diff you are walking out a long way and there is no help out there. I will be talking with the Park Superintendent soon about it. Use caution in the most remote part of a giant desert park with no water.
Last week we visited the Saline Valley which is the remote part of the park in my friends new Nissan Frontier pickup. It took 2 1/2 hours to go around 40 miles off the highway from Lone Pine. The roads are rough, the elevation varies from about 2-6,000 feet which can be cold in winter. There was ice on the road. There is no water for 60 miles. Few people, no cell phone.
We had two maps, DeLorme atlas, and Nat Geog DVNP. We headed over Saline Range to the Racetrack. The road looked similar to the road we came in on. The familiar roads had cautions listed. The new Saline road had no cautions. About 7 miles in the wash outs started, large boulders, severe bank in the wrong direction. We backed out until we could find a place to turn around. Might be pasable with a Jeep with lockers and big tires and a winch but not really with regular 4wd pickup.
After talking to Park Service personnel, there are two other roads in the park, Steele Pass is one of them. The NPS is well aware that some of their roads are terrible after the recent wet winters. They need to put some signs up before somebody gets killed. If you wreck your oil pan or diff you are walking out a long way and there is no help out there. I will be talking with the Park Superintendent soon about it. Use caution in the most remote part of a giant desert park with no water.
