US West Death Valley Grand Traverse

OTG_one · Jan 31, 2020

To the 580 convoy crowd-- what time are you guys thinking about leaving? I'm most likely going to be working from home in Marin, but was thinking of bouncing around noon, and camping out at a coffee shop to work remote the rest of the day. Also, any ideas on camping for Thursday night?

OTG_one · Jan 31, 2020

@1Louder I think you just need to come roll with us-- you're watching this thread way to closely if you're not gonna come join in the festivities :)

dpurdy85 · Jan 31, 2020

Traxx said:
To the 580 convoy crowd-- what time are you guys thinking about leaving? I'm most likely going to be working from home in Marin, but was thinking of bouncing around noon, and camping out at a coffee shop to work remote the rest of the day. Also, any ideas on camping for Thursday night?

I get off work at 3pm in Danville. I’ll be mostly packed up the night before.

1Louder · Feb 1, 2020

Traxx said:
@1Louder I think you just need to come roll with us-- you're watching this thread way to closely if you're not gonna come join in the festivities :)

If I wasn't just there I would consider it. Also hard for me to get to the rally point by 10am from the Phoenix area. I will be camping somewhere though!

1Louder · Feb 1, 2020

SuperSeven said:
Nice trailer @1Louder! I've just started looking to buy a trailer and OGT are top of my (admittedly short) list...

Thanks. PM me or head to the Off Grid Trailer thread if you want to ask questions. I don't want to cause thread drift here. We love it. I just did a demo today for someone. Have fun if you make it to DV.

Ruffrnr · Feb 3, 2020

Traxx said:
\"Ruffrnr said:

I\'m headed to Death Valley on Sunday for 3 days. I\'m going to try Hunter Mt Pass to Tea kettle but if its too iced over on the backside I\'ll do Lippincott to the Racetrack. I\'ll let you know how the road conditions are when I get back as I\'ll be doing most of the tracks your route follows with the exception of Titus.

Click to expand...

Let us know! I\'m curious what the snow level is like on Hunter Pass.

I got about halfway up the westside of Hunter Mountain Pass and turned back. There was compressed snow that had turned to ice. Someone with chains had gone beyond where I turned around, but the backside at the spring was iced over on October and my Toyo M/T's are not good on ice and the narrow switchbacks and thought of ice freaked me out. I went to Lippincott Mine Road which I have a love/hate relationship with. The washouts give me cottonmouth, but it was ice free. I'm in a 5th Gen 4runner; I would not attempt Lippincott in a full size truck like a Ram. There is also packed snow and ice for the first 4 miles of Saline Valley Road going North from the fork of Hunter Pass. In two weeks none of this may be an issue. By the way the top of Lippincott has the best cell reception in all of Death Valley! Up to 4 bars.

Ruffrnr · Feb 3, 2020

1Louder said:
There is a storm hitting AZ with major temperature drops and snow on Monday. No idea if it is cutting through DV or not. Just be prepared.

Look at the temp drop in Furnace Creek!
View attachment 138006

It was Cold and windy! Dust Storm at Eureka Dunes turned me back to Big Pine.

OTG_one · Feb 3, 2020

Thanks Ruffrnr! Sounds like we'll need to go with an alternate route that uses the paved exit at the north boundary. Here's what I'm thinking everyone:
Death Valley Alternate Route

We still get to hit saline valley, Eureka Dunen, and Ubehebe Crater-- we'll just end quite a ways north of alabama hills, but should be easy going since it'll be all pavement from the crater back to the 395.