US West East Bay OB trip Report- Death Valley 11, 4-7, 21 pg2

[RAMf1]

For some reason the first thread keeps crashing and I can't edit or add anything to it... Is anybody else having problems loading in the photos? I'm going to start a new thread with the photos reduced in size to see if that works...
I'll start with the last couple of posts from the other thread as that seems to be when the trouble started...

Here we go...
Lunch at Furnace Creek was nice... Most of us sat at the picnic benches in the shade at the Borax Museum. This outside museum has some nice artifacts to see, including this Death Valley Railroad locomotive.
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We made a quick stop after lunch at Zabriski Point to take in the view dominated by Manly Beacon.
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From there, we back-tracked a bit, aired down and headed up popular Echo Canyon. We only stopped once at Eye of the Needle before getting to the Dry Falls...

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We saw many Jeeps heading down Echo Canyon... All were dejected saying the falls were impassable. When we arrived there was a small crown eying the falls and enjoying the attempts. Both Greg and Bobby drove up the falls with what seemed like very little effort as they picked the perfect line. The other vehicles had a bit more trouble... Here, Alfredo starts his attempt.
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After some expert spotting he was able to make it up...
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Next was Jeff's turn...
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Sergio made it up next...
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At this point, I decided the waterfall was a bit too much for my LX470 with its 32" tires. Even though I was assured by everyone in the group that they could get me up the falls, I decided to turn around and head back down Echo Canyon to meet up with both groups later at the Chloride City Townsite... Someplace I've never been...
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I stopped for a few photos on the way down Echo Canyon and after airing up headed back into Furnace Creek for some information gathering at the Visitor's Center and enough gas to make sure I can make it to Beatty, NV since I planned on taking the dirt road off 190 to Chloride City. It was at the Visitor's Center that I picked up the great news that the road to the Racetrack had gotten so bad that the road crew had graded the road this week. I also received the bad news that our planned route along Hidden Valley Road was deemed impassable because of a half-mile long, 4-foot deep silty sand deposit covering a section of the road. We would have to take another way down from the Racetrack...

Oh... the price of gas in Furnace Creek...
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[RAMf1]

Well... That seemed to work...Maybe I can finish the report today.
I was determined to make it to Chloride City even though I knew it would be dark when I got there. The drive from 190 was lonely... well except for a cluster of Burros blocking the road at one point. Even though I had a couple of maps, finding the road was difficult since it was unmarked and after driving quite a ways I came across this reassuring sign... at least I think I was heading the right direction. I had extra motivation... Not only was I meeting up with both of the East Bay groups, Sergio was going to prepare Glazed Pork Chops with Apples... I wasn't going to miss that!
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It was an amazing sight seeing a line of rigs with their bright lights climbing the last rough section of road up to Chloride City. When I finally made it up, the entire area was filled with rigs and lights... It was such a wonderful sight! I din't take any photos because it was dark and I was hungry...

Well, except for these two...
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A group of people got up way early the next morning to drive to the top of the Chloride Cliffs to catch a spectacular sunrise. I hope someone from that group posts some photos...


Our group headed out at sunrise so we could gas up in Beatty before heading back into Death Valley via one of my favorite drives.... Titus Canyon.


First we stopped off for a quick visit to the Ghost Town of Rhyolite.
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After some quick photos we headed down the road to the entrance to the spectacular Titus Canyon

 

[RAMf1]

Titus Canyon deserves it's own section... This is a drive everyone should do when visiting Death Valley. I have a photo of every one of my vehicles driving through the canyon... Starting with my FJ55 taken in 1980...
I tell everyone that this road is like a good book... It starts kind of slow (boring) and just gets better and better aa you enter each new chapter... canyon. Don't let the first 4.5 miles of straight washboard road discourage you as it is just a primer for what will follow...
The first stop we made was a little over 10 miles in at Red Pass... Titus Canyon Road is only 27 miles long and one-way from East to West...
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And down we go...
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There is no slowing down this group...
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Entering Leadfield at 13.5 miles...
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After Leadfield you enter Titus Canyon proper...
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Breccia...
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Dave's absolute bestest favoritest spot
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The slot canyon is just stunning... and over too soon
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[RAMf1]

After descending the Alluvial Fan coming from Titus Canyon, we made a right and headed toward Ubehebe Crater and the freshly graded Racetrack Road.
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I've never encountered this road this smooth! We made good time without the jarring steps and sharp rocks to worry about...
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The entire road was this nice except for a patch of extremely fine silty sand... Dave warned us that this stuff acts like water and to turn on our windshield wipers... Good Advice!
Here is the section just ahead of Jeff...
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You had to hit it with some controlled speed so you didn't bog down.
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We regrouped at Teakettle Junction

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The only time the entire group got together... Alfredo, Sergio, Bobby, our fearless leader Dave and his wife Kelly, Jeff, me (Russ), and Greg... You couldn't ask for a better group to spend this adventure with!
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On towards the Racetrack! That is the "Grandstand" sticking out from the playa
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The famous Sliding Rocks of Racetrack Playa
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Beacaue Hidden Valley Road was closed because of too much of the fine, silty sand speed over 1/2 mile of road, we had only one way down from the playa... The narrow, twisty, rocky, and steep Lippencott Road. This shelf road is open to two-way traffic and passing is nearly impossible... We can only hope that nobody is coming up