micahpop
Well-Known Member
- Thread starter
- #1
I've been to Death Valley National Park a few times and have hit all the usual tourist spots - Badwater Basin, Zabriskie Point, etc... - but had never really ventured off-road there. An article in Expedition Portal laid out what seemed like a pretty interesting route so I started researching and planning my trip.
The plan was to start from Olancha, head up to Hunter Mountain, down to the Racetrack Playa, over Lippincott Pass, through Dedeckera Canyon and make my way out to Big Pine.
The drive up to Hunter Mountain was nice and uneventful.
A little further down, the ruts were getting bigger and deeper. These things never really show up well in photos but from the driver's seat, it looked like the ruts were axle deep.
So I decided to stop and step out to take a look and well... it was deep alright. I sunk ankle deep into some fine, talcum powder dust.
After getting as much dust off my shoes and socks as possible, I made my way through the pancake mix and onto my camp spot for the night. You can disperse camp pretty much anywhere in Death Valley backcountry and I guess people were really dispersed because I didn't see any other people. I settled on a nice, flat spot right next to the road and had a delicious dinner of fried pork belly and rice.
Thankfully, it was not as windy overnight as the weather service had forecast and in the morning, it was dead calm. Enjoyed the pre-dawn light with a cup of coffee and headed out to check out the Racetrack.
Turn left at the Teakettle Junction sign to get to the Racetrack.
The Racetrack Playa is a cool place. Even if there weren't any moving rocks here, I think it'd be worth a visit. It's almost 3 miles long and dead flat... the northern end is only 1.5" higher than the southern end.
Also, the dried mud patterns remind me of those oyster crackers you get with clam chowder.
The next attraction was Lippincott Pass and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit nervous about this part of the route. But it turned out not to be as bad as I had imagined in my head. Sure, it's fairly steep and rocky in spots. And yes, it's pretty narrow with huge drop offs but if you just take it easy and your brakes are in good working order, no biggie. Mind you, if you're afraid of heights or hate driving on the side of a cliff, you might not want to go this way.
The obligatory shot next to the sign.
The drive through Saline Valley toward Warm Springs was... long but scenic. Does anybody know what these tires are for? Saw a few of them spread out randomly...
Steel Pass road may have been my favorite part of the trip. The scenery is grand (as it is in most parts of DV) and the road is rocky/gravelly with no washboards (hallelujah!). There were a couple of "technical" spots heading into Dedeckera Canyon but it was mostly just an enjoyable backcountry drive.
Dedeckera Canyon may be the highlight of this route in terms of offroading. There are 3 or 4 small-ish obstacles to navigate through and having a spotter would have been helpful with tire placement but even stock Wranglers should not have any issues here.
Heading out of the canyon, you see Eureka Dunes in the distance. They are pretty impressive from afar or close up.
After the dunes, I fought my way through more powdery dirt and never-ending washboard roads. Finally hit pavement, aired up and prepared for a long slog back home. Next time, I think I'll try it in the other direction. Going up the obstacles at Dedeckera Canyon and up Lippincott Pass would probably be more fun.
The plan was to start from Olancha, head up to Hunter Mountain, down to the Racetrack Playa, over Lippincott Pass, through Dedeckera Canyon and make my way out to Big Pine.
The drive up to Hunter Mountain was nice and uneventful.
A little further down, the ruts were getting bigger and deeper. These things never really show up well in photos but from the driver's seat, it looked like the ruts were axle deep.
So I decided to stop and step out to take a look and well... it was deep alright. I sunk ankle deep into some fine, talcum powder dust.
After getting as much dust off my shoes and socks as possible, I made my way through the pancake mix and onto my camp spot for the night. You can disperse camp pretty much anywhere in Death Valley backcountry and I guess people were really dispersed because I didn't see any other people. I settled on a nice, flat spot right next to the road and had a delicious dinner of fried pork belly and rice.
Thankfully, it was not as windy overnight as the weather service had forecast and in the morning, it was dead calm. Enjoyed the pre-dawn light with a cup of coffee and headed out to check out the Racetrack.
Turn left at the Teakettle Junction sign to get to the Racetrack.
The Racetrack Playa is a cool place. Even if there weren't any moving rocks here, I think it'd be worth a visit. It's almost 3 miles long and dead flat... the northern end is only 1.5" higher than the southern end.
Also, the dried mud patterns remind me of those oyster crackers you get with clam chowder.
The next attraction was Lippincott Pass and I'd be lying if I said I wasn't a little bit nervous about this part of the route. But it turned out not to be as bad as I had imagined in my head. Sure, it's fairly steep and rocky in spots. And yes, it's pretty narrow with huge drop offs but if you just take it easy and your brakes are in good working order, no biggie. Mind you, if you're afraid of heights or hate driving on the side of a cliff, you might not want to go this way.
The obligatory shot next to the sign.
The drive through Saline Valley toward Warm Springs was... long but scenic. Does anybody know what these tires are for? Saw a few of them spread out randomly...
Steel Pass road may have been my favorite part of the trip. The scenery is grand (as it is in most parts of DV) and the road is rocky/gravelly with no washboards (hallelujah!). There were a couple of "technical" spots heading into Dedeckera Canyon but it was mostly just an enjoyable backcountry drive.
Dedeckera Canyon may be the highlight of this route in terms of offroading. There are 3 or 4 small-ish obstacles to navigate through and having a spotter would have been helpful with tire placement but even stock Wranglers should not have any issues here.
Heading out of the canyon, you see Eureka Dunes in the distance. They are pretty impressive from afar or close up.
After the dunes, I fought my way through more powdery dirt and never-ending washboard roads. Finally hit pavement, aired up and prepared for a long slog back home. Next time, I think I'll try it in the other direction. Going up the obstacles at Dedeckera Canyon and up Lippincott Pass would probably be more fun.
Sponsored
. Thanks for sharing. You did this solo?
