Death Valley Snow & Road Report 2012/2013

[DanOGrande]

Stay at Panamint Springs.

[cjbiker]

Originally Posted by rufus

Please recommend some good maps and books about DV. I did a countdown DS ride from Ridgecrest to Beatty and back a a few years ago. I also road a street bike from Scottys castle al the way south throught the park, So I am vaguely familiar with the area but I need details. I want to spend a week or so there on a DS. Thanks.

Originally Posted by joefromsf

Get the Tom Harrison Death Valley map: http://www.amazon.com/Death-Valley-N.../dp/1877689572

and the California Trails Desert Region 4wd guide book: http://www.amazon.com/California-Tra.../dp/1930193203

Get on http://www.gpsxchange.com/ and get the Death Valley tracks from Countdowns private library (need to register).

Have fun. DV is great.

Surprisingly, the AAA Death Valley map is really good. I would also recommend Countdown's GPS tracks and the Tom Harrison map.

[larryboy]

Originally Posted by rockydrxrvr

I just retired, so I am new to this, If I pull my trailer into D.V. and it's late, with dark upon us, and all camp grounds are full, can I find a wide spot on a side dirt road in the monument till next morning....or will I get rousted?by a park ranger?

Don't do that, big ticket if you don't camp properly...BLM land in the Panamint Valley you can camp anywhere you want, check your map and make sure you're legal.

[jrsride2002]

Originally Posted by rockydrxrvr

I just retired, so I am new to this, If I pull my trailer into D.V. and it's late, with dark upon us, and all camp grounds are full, can I find a wide spot on a side dirt road in the monument till next morning....or will I get rousted?by a park ranger?

Originally Posted by larryboy

Don't do that, big ticket if you don't camp properly...BLM land in the Panamint Valley you can camp anywhere you want, check your map and make sure you're legal.

Great question, and a knowledgeable response.

Rocky,
Larryboy(IMO) is the most knowledgeable about DV. I have been reading and following his stuff for a long time now. As a beginner to all of this, I would do the same. I have already rolled into DV late one night, and stumbled on to your sceario, the ranger was a cool guy and advised us to just roll into Panamint Spring Camp ground, pay the tab in the morning, and enjoy the environment. We MAY have "accidentally" left a cold beer on the side of the road when we were driving off....

~Junior

[rufus]

Originally Posted by joefromsf

Get the Tom Harrison Death Valley map: http://www.amazon.com/Death-Valley-N.../dp/1877689572

and the California Trails Desert Region 4wd guide book: http://www.amazon.com/California-Tra.../dp/1930193203

Get on http://www.gpsxchange.com/ and get the Death Valley tracks from Countdowns private library (need to register).

Have fun. DV is great.

Thanks!!.....Stuff ordered.

[Lost Rider]

Originally Posted by rufus

Please recommend some good maps and books about DV. I did a countdown DS ride from Ridgecrest to Beatty and back a a few years ago. I also road a street bike from Scottys castle all the way south through the park, So I am vaguely familiar with the area but I need details. I want to spend a week or so there on a DS. Thanks.

Besides the one's already mentioned I find the National Geo Trails Illustrated or Benchmark California Road and Recreation Atlasmap and the good old DeLorme California Atlas to be quite useful. If you put all the maps you can buy together and study them, none of them seem to have everything listed like all of them combined. Pick your poison, make notes on one to carry is how I roll.
I gave away my Nat Geo map on this last trip to a couple fellow riders from Montana I met who were trying to explore the area for the first time with a park map so it's time for a new one for me to carry also.

There's also some GPX tracks on my website, though since roads have changed I can't promise you can get through on the same roads this year. Many of the tracks were made riding on a loaded F800GS before going more lightweight, sorry I don't have the tracks more organized.


-Finn

[spafxer]

Just talked to a guy in a Tacoma. Made south pass both ways. But was quite rough.

[petzi-baer]

Sunny, clear and cold. Getting ready for the ride to Death Valley. Need to do some shopping first - forgot warm underwear.

Petzi-baer

[LeDakaR!]

just got back home, its the coldest ive been in DV day and night.
pack accordingly.

[2on2off]

Originally Posted by rufus

Please recommend some good maps and books about DV. I did a countdown DS ride from Ridgecrest to Beatty and back a a few years ago. I also road a street bike from Scottys castle all the way south through the park, So I am vaguely familiar with the area but I need details. I want to spend a week or so there on a DS. Thanks.

You have already gotten some good advice. Be sure to read all of Larryboy's ride reports on Death Valley. It will take some time but it is well worth it. I have a few reports on Death Valley as well.

The Tom Harrison Map is very good. I also plan all my DV rides with Garmin's Map Source GPS software and then load my routes into my Garmin Zumo 550. Creating routes before I leave have made my rides to DV very enjoyable.

If you have any questions, post them here and you will get lots of helpful advice from the inmates on advrider who have spent many days in DV.

Enjoy.

[petzi-baer]

Originally Posted by LeDakaR!

just got back home, its the coldest ive been in DV day and night.
pack accordingly.

I got back yesterday. I was kinda cold - everybody I met was complaining about it. In the valley it barely got to 60. As soon as you gained some elevation, it was freezing.

I stayed at the Furnace Creek Campsite, which is pretty nice. When I came in around noon on the 31st there were only a few tent sites available with reserved signs all over the place. But after ( 1st and 2nd) that there was plenty of space.

DId ride through Titus canyon which is lovely

Went back home through Wildrose, which had a tiny bit of ice at the top of the rough section.

petzi-baer

[LeDakaR!]

Originally Posted by cjbiker

Surprisingly, the AAA Death Valley map is really good. I would also recommend Countdown's GPS tracks and the Tom Harrison map.

Doesn't show lippencott and that fucked me up because it shows hunter and my dumbass got them confused

[itsatdm]

On some maps, it shows as Ubehebe rd.

[larryboy]

Originally Posted by itsatdm

On some maps, it shows as Ubehebe rd.

or Ubehebe Lead Mine Road.

[Rob.G]

Originally Posted by LeDakaR!

Doesn't show lippencott and that fucked me up because it shows hunter and my dumbass got them confused

This is my favorite map of Death Valley, short of the actual Nat Geo paper one. http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisi...%20Roads-2.pdf

It shows Lippencott and lots of other trails. I keep it in my iPhone and iPad for easy reference (note: it won't display using the Adobe PDF reader; you'll need something like GoodReader for it).

Rob