Ah Que Dicha - Death Valley/Panamint Valley 2015

[Bryan C.]

Wow, it has been 2 years since I have wheeled my rig. I had just finished running the 2 hardest trails I have ever run, Windy Ridge and Snake Bait both near Ridgecrest CA, flopping twice in the same day, and limping my rig 400 miles home. I parked the rig in my garage and said I have had enough of the Jeep thing. So there it sat, untouched for 18 months. I went though the gambit of emotions, sell it, chop it up to make a buggy, complete axle and suspension change-over. All of which made no sense. Some of you know I bought a tow rig, and recently bought a trailer. I told myself, It's time to get that POS back on the trail. So after a few months of work I picked up my 12yr old daughter and hit the road for a spring break trip to Death Valley, and camping in Panamint Valley.

First stop is the Trona Pinnacles. These are ancient rock formations made when the Searles valley was covered in water. Geological activity under the lakebed formed these pinnacles, when the water evaporated a few thousand years ago these pinnacles were left behind.

My daughter on the right for a size comparison.

 

[Bryan C.]

Next stop was Death Valley, only had 2 days to look around but we made the most of it.

First stop was the Racetrack Playa, where the rocks seemed to move by themselves. Some of the mystery had been solved recently by video of ice flows on the lakebed pushing the rocks around but it was still pretty cool to see for myself.

The rocks fall off this ridge and then get pushed onto the lakebed.

Spring brought out many flowers along the way.

The Racetrack Playa valley.

Ubehebe Crater

 

[Bryan C.]

Stopped by Scotty's castle and took the tour. Pretty neat place to go check out.

Scotty himself was said to have sat below this sign and told many stories of Death Valley and beyond. Translated it means "Oh what Joy."

 

[Bryan C.]

Next up was a hike up Mosaic Canyon. This is a canyon formed by water flowing over thousands of years. The nearly polished marble walls were an awesome sight to see.

Titus Canyon, one of the most popular off road trails in Death Valley, not to be missed.

In the middle of the canyon there is an old ghost town, Leadfield.

It was getting late, had to turn around and head back to the truck. Last day in DV.

 

[Bryan C.]

The next day we headed out of DV and into Panamint Valley, just one valley to the North of DV. Met up with an old former member Andy AKA Porch Puppy.

After setting up camp we headed up to Jackpot mine. First the staging area, and then the mine itself.

Embarrassing your pre-teen daughter is always fun.

 

[Bryan C.]

Abandoned mine buildings....

Pomegranate tree bloom, this tree was huge.

The miners also planted a fig tree there.

 

[Bryan C.]

Along the road to the actual mine we ran into some wild Burros. They aren't native to the area but are considered to be either run away's or released by the miners when the mines closed down. These guys are rounded up and captured on a regular basis but I saw more this year than I had ever seen since I first visited the valley almost 10 years ago.

2 babies, 5 adults, and one more that looked "very" pregnant.

This one didn't make it but must have been a great meal for the coyotes.

 

[831_xj]

Damn that is rad!!

 

[Bryan C.]

Jackpot mine....

Even the cactus' were blooming.

 

[Bryan C.]

Visited the Indian petroglyphs again. Pretty cool to touch the rocks that were touched by the natives so many years ago.

More flowers...

Is that Godzilla on the bottom right?

 

[Bryan C.]

Our last stop on the trip was Defense Mine, an old Tungsten mine. It is bored into solid rock and has multiple levels to explore.

The last shots are from Lookout City, a miner boomtown around 1873.

It was a great trip, "Oh What Joy" indeed. Thanks for checking out the pics.

 

[EricsXJ]

Thanks for sharing! I hope to do a trip there someday. There is so much to see and explore. That racetrack playa with the sliding rocks is mind-blowing....

 

[831_xj]

Wow that's pretty damn amazing out there!

 

[the_weirdo]

Great pics. I've always wanted to go explore that area with my old man.

 

[Bryan C.]

Honestly, there was so much more to do that I want to go back next year. Death Valley is much bigger than I had thought. I stayed in Beatty NV for 3 nights. It was really close to DV, but wow that town sucks.

 

[cal]

If there is a 'best' 'welcome back to jeeping' trip, you just did it.

Not a day goes by that i don't check CL for a good deal on a stocker XJ that I can build into an expo rig, specifically to do that trip.

 

[Forceful Llama]

Death Valley: I have been there roughly 10 times the last 15 years and still have not seen it all. I went there in January for 4 days and enjoyed every second of it. There's ok camping in stovepipe well and furnace creek. Mesquite campground is a more rustic setting. I've gone as late as may to do geology stuff and it gets scorching hot. I recommend November thru march, with the best time being February if you can catch the wildflower blooms.

Back on topic: lovely pictures man. I still need to do the racetrack and Titus. It's easily my favorite park to go to.

 

[Rob D]

Great pic's Bryon. Looks like a great place to explore. Is that Porch Puppy (Andy) I see in a couple of those pic's? I haven't seen him since, oh crap, I can't even remember. Maybe the year we had to do Coyote/Red Lake instead of Swamp Lake when he still had that really nice XJ with a roof that went all the way back to the d-pillar.

 

[blondejoncherokee]

Looks so fun!

 

[rocknxj]

Nice pics. We did Titus and Racetrack in late December. Always a good trip.