About Us
Newsletters
Members
Photo Album
Monthly Outings
Trail Reports
Forums
Join
Links
Email
Home






DOING DEATH VALLEY
FEBRUARY 13-16, 2004


It's time for the first big outing of 2004 and what has become a President's Day weekend tradition for Associated Blazers - Death Valley. Because this national park is so vast, it has been requested to continue with a tailgate style trip as we did last year to see as much of the terrain as possible. We will continue to visit some new sights as well as return to some previously visited areas and trails. Flexibility however, is the name of the game. We will always leave our options open for a sudden change in plans.

Friday:Camp at Wildrose Campground, Thorndike or Mahogany Flat Campgrounds (as snow permits)
Note: For those who wish to arrive Saturday morning, it is about a 4 hour drive to Wildrose Campground from the San Gabriel Valley area.
Saturday:Meet at Charcoal Kilns (Thorndike Campground) at 9:00am. Take Hwy 178 (Wildrose Road/Emigrant Canyon Road) North to turnoff for Skidoo (site). Backtrack to Hwy 178 and continue North to Telephone Canyon Loop and/or Tucki Mine. Investigate springs, mines and sites along the way. Camp on trail or we will go onto Emigrant Campground if time allows and/or location dictates. Mike & Jeannie promise another Death Valley quiz/game at Saturday night's campfire.
Sunday:Depart camp at 9:00am. Continue North to Stovepipe Wells or onto Furnace Creek and take on gas, food, ice, wood etc. as needed.
Continue South on Hwy 190 and Dante's View Road to turnoff for Greenwater Ruins. Back to Greenwater Valley Road and continue South to turnoff for Gold Valley for those who are staying overnight or for those who must return home, continue South on Greenwater Valley Road to Hwy 178 to Shoshone, Dumont, Baker and civilization.
Monday:Depart camp at 9:00am.
Option 1) Deadman Pass to Hwy 127 to Shoshone, Dumont, Baker and home or
Option 2) Greenwater Valley Road to Hwy 178 to Old Ibex Pass Road (just pass Ibex Pass) to Saratoga Spring (where Mormon Pioneers were saved from lack of water) to Harry Wade Exit Route at Hwy 178 to Baker and home.


Note:Top off gas tank(s) at Trona on the way in, either Friday night or Saturday morning.
Note:Bring firewood for evening campfires. There is little or no wood in certain areas of the National Park.
Note:R.S.V.P. to President Rick Bartelme so we know who to expect at camp on Saturday morning.


Directions to Death Valley for Friday night camp and Saturday morning departure:
Take Hwy 14 or Hwy 395 to Ridgecrest. Take Hwy 178 through Trona. About halfway through Panamint Valley, turn right on the Trona-Wildrose Road. Cross over to the East side of Panamint Valley and up the 4X4 road to Wildrose. Turn right to campgrounds and Charcoal Kilns.


Death Valley covers an enormous area and we all wish to have sufficient time to take in the sights and still make camp at a reasonable time each night. Please do your part and be ready to depart camp at the proposed times. Let's all be safe and have a great time.