Death Valley Spring Break 2010
- Thread starter ski3pin
- Start date
simimike
Contributors
Thanks for the great pics. DV is not just about big things, The little things make it an adventure too.
Mike
Mike
Dughlas Stiubhart
It's good to be Stew
Great report Ski; now I don't have to go.
OP
OP
Stew, visit Hungry Bills in the fall when the apples are ripe. I hear there are three different varieties growing there. I don't know my trees too well without leaves, but it did look like fig and walnut trees up there also.
Dughlas Stiubhart
It's good to be Stew
Our plan for Wednesday was Titus Canyon. We wanted an early start for the morning light so after coming down from Hungry Bills we moved over to see if a camp at the upper end of Monarch Canyon would work. We made the drive up toward Daylight Pass and turned off on the Monarch Canyon Road. It ends in Monarch Canyon at the top of a 110 foot dry fall. It turned out to be a great choice for a camp. Down canyon about a mile walk is the Indian Mine and past that is Monarch Spring, all worth destinations for exploration.
Hey, 3pin, where is Monarch Cyn? It doesn't pop out at me on my maps.
Hey, 3pin, where is Monarch Cyn? It doesn't pop out at me on my maps.
OP
OP
Stew, a mile or two west of Daylight Pass on the highway to Beatty is a turnoff to the south on a dirt road. This is the Monarch Canyon Road and the road to Chloride Cliff. About 2.5 miles in you are in upper Monarch Canyon, the road branches with the right turn taking you down into Monarch Canyon about .5 mile. It ends at the top of the dry falls. If you venture down Monarch Canyon on a hike, past Monarch Spring the creek starts and spills over a 180 foot fall in the canyon. Haven't visited that yet; we will!
Marc
Fire Proof
Ski ...
Nice write up and pics. Ya gotta love DV this time of year.
marc
Nice write up and pics. Ya gotta love DV this time of year.
marc
Dughlas Stiubhart
It's good to be Stew
Stew, a mile or two west of Daylight Pass on the highway to Beatty is a turnoff to the south on a dirt road. This is the Monarch Canyon Road and the road to Chloride Cliff. About 2.5 miles in you are in upper Monarch Canyon, the road branches with the right turn taking you down into Monarch Canyon about .5 mile. It ends at the top of the dry falls. If you venture down Monarch Canyon on a hike, past Monarch Spring the creek starts and spills over a 180 foot fall in the canyon. Haven't visited that yet; we will!
Ah, yes; I see it now. Thanks, Three Pin.
Ah, yes; I see it now. Thanks, Three Pin.
Silvertip47
The Chair Bandit
WOW!!!
Great report!!!
How long would you recommend for a person to see a good deal of DV? No extensive hiking for us though!!!
Great report!!!
How long would you recommend for a person to see a good deal of DV? No extensive hiking for us though!!!
OP
OP
Silvertip47, as many here will attest there's always more to see and we just keep coming back. Yes, many of the places we visited this trip involved hiking. It's what we enjoy and plan for. The Lady totaled up our hiking miles this trip - a little over 52 miles.
This website has developed into a great resource for trip planning along with many other great trip reports and helpful opinions from other travelers. Check out the info in the National Parks section on DVNP.
Many of the most popular and interesting sites do not require much hiking and are easily visited right out of your vehicle.
One thing to remember, DVNP is huge! Stovepipe Wells and Furnace Creek are the main centers offering general store, gas (expensive of course), and developed campgrounds. For your first trip you may want to radiate out from these areas. On a first trip you may want to take advantage of some of the ranger led talks and programs. They can really help with getting in tune with the history, unique and very varied environment, and places you may want to come back and explore.
We like our trips to DVNP to between 4 and 6 days. This was our sixth trip, and only the second with our pop up camper.
After a bit of planning, just go. Get your feet wet, so to speak. Once you get there look around. I bet places will pop out at you that you'll want to stop, visit and enjoy.
Hope this helped and thanks for the kind comments!
This website has developed into a great resource for trip planning along with many other great trip reports and helpful opinions from other travelers. Check out the info in the National Parks section on DVNP.
Many of the most popular and interesting sites do not require much hiking and are easily visited right out of your vehicle.
One thing to remember, DVNP is huge! Stovepipe Wells and Furnace Creek are the main centers offering general store, gas (expensive of course), and developed campgrounds. For your first trip you may want to radiate out from these areas. On a first trip you may want to take advantage of some of the ranger led talks and programs. They can really help with getting in tune with the history, unique and very varied environment, and places you may want to come back and explore.
We like our trips to DVNP to between 4 and 6 days. This was our sixth trip, and only the second with our pop up camper.
After a bit of planning, just go. Get your feet wet, so to speak. Once you get there look around. I bet places will pop out at you that you'll want to stop, visit and enjoy.
Hope this helped and thanks for the kind comments!
Dughlas Stiubhart
It's good to be Stew
Great report Ski3! I'm looking forward for the next one.
SunMan
King Taco
So, prior to the trip, we were contemplating continuing up Warm Springs Canyon Road up to Butte valley. The Lady's idea changed this. She said she enjoyed staying in upper Panamint Valley at the end of our last trip and wanted to return. "How 'bout camping up there again but this time hiking over to the dunes?" "Let's come back up to Butte Valley another trip and spend the whole trip exploring up there." Panamint Dunes are accessed by Lake Hill Road north off of 190 on the east side of Panamint Valley. We arrived in the afternoon and set up camp about 5-6 miles in at a place it appeared all good things in the world were aligned.
<BR><BR>Nice spot indeed. We camped about a mile up that two track behind your truck in February. The views in northern Panamint Valley are incredible. Look forward to the rest of your trip!
<BR><BR>Nice spot indeed. We camped about a mile up that two track behind your truck in February. The views in northern Panamint Valley are incredible. Look forward to the rest of your trip!
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OP
OP
Nice spot indeed. We camped about a mile up that two track behind your truck in February. The views in northern Panamint Valley are incredible.
Wow SunMan, you were able to find a spot level enough up there to camp? That is a steep road. We'll keep that it mind for future trips.
Up past there is where the next part of the story takes us.
Wow SunMan, you were able to find a spot level enough up there to camp? That is a steep road. We'll keep that it mind for future trips.
Up past there is where the next part of the story takes us.
SunMan
King Taco
Wow SunMan, you were able to find a spot level enough up there to camp? That is a steep road.
It wasn't easy but we found a small knoll to straddle and did some creative leveling with rocks. The view up there is money. We really wanted to explore the mines but it started pi$$ing rain the next day so we beat feet. Loving your pics...esp. the dune shot!
It wasn't easy but we found a small knoll to straddle and did some creative leveling with rocks. The view up there is money. We really wanted to explore the mines but it started pi$$ing rain the next day so we beat feet. Loving your pics...esp. the dune shot!
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Dughlas Stiubhart
It's good to be Stew
Friday afternoon we were headed north on 395 and got to Bishop around four. We had no destination in mind for the night, there was a stiff wind blowing, and we needed to check on weather and road conditions further north to see about getting home. So after five great nights in our camper we looked at each other and said, "Motel!"
We like older, well kept and clean, small, single story motels. Kind of old fashion places. The Trees Motel on West Line fits that bill nicely. "The rate is $50 dollars and that includes the tax." Works for us.
After a long hot shower we walked down to our favorite Mexican food place, Las Palmas. It has a full bar for those of you who are so inclined. Great food.
On Saturday we headed north after breakfast, pulled in around 9:00 at one of our favorite hot springs near Bridgeport, and found we had it all to ourselves. Forty five minutes of utter relaxation. Sorry, you don't get photos. We then sneaked across the Sierra between storms.
What a great trip!
Yes, a great report of a great trip! 395 is one of my favorite roads.
Funny, I like the Trees Motel, too.
Stew
We like older, well kept and clean, small, single story motels. Kind of old fashion places. The Trees Motel on West Line fits that bill nicely. "The rate is $50 dollars and that includes the tax." Works for us.
After a long hot shower we walked down to our favorite Mexican food place, Las Palmas. It has a full bar for those of you who are so inclined. Great food.
On Saturday we headed north after breakfast, pulled in around 9:00 at one of our favorite hot springs near Bridgeport, and found we had it all to ourselves. Forty five minutes of utter relaxation. Sorry, you don't get photos. We then sneaked across the Sierra between storms.
What a great trip!
Yes, a great report of a great trip! 395 is one of my favorite roads.
Funny, I like the Trees Motel, too.
Stew
