DV Road Conditions - and Wildflowers

Lighthawk said:
Trippy photo, what with long exposure and different white balance.
Love that cabin. Where did you park? We found the best level spot was right in front.
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The parking at the cabin is starting to get a little washed out. I can remember a few years ago when the area on the backside of the cabin was fairly level. Now, not so much. It's starting to get a little steep on the drive up to the cabin due to erosion. It appears that a lot of this erosion is caused from vehicles driving up. I ended up parking up near the outhouse as the area right behind the cabin is fairly level but right next to the cabin. I used the cabin but slept in the camper.
 
Busy weekend in DV. I've never seen more vehicles in Goler canyon/Mengel pass/Butte Valley. Solid bloom at the bottom of Warm Springs. Looked far more vibrant and dense compared with the Daylight Pass area. Leaving the park today the Furnace Creek area was as busy as I've ever seen it, fortunately it is still easy to find solitude in the back country.
 
Death Valley National Park is reporting this for what is called North Pass into Saline Valley -

SALINE NORTH PASS IS NOW OPEN!
Washouts have been fixed, but there is currently grading equipment on the southern part.
 
I tried to talk the future spouse into a quick run down there this weekend, but she pointed out it's the beginning of spring break.
 
From DV Road conditions page:

"Lippincott Road - A SEDAN is stuck on this road at this time. We are currently assessing the situation. Most likely impassable until the vehicle is removed. Stay tuned."

Wow. Just wow.
 
SunMan said:
From DV Road conditions page:

"Lippincott Road - A SEDAN is stuck on this road at this time. We are currently assessing the situation. Most likely impassable until the vehicle is removed. Stay tuned."

Wow. Just wow.
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Stupid people are everywhere nowadays. That will end up costing him some serious money. I'm sure the question has already been raised by the powers to be within the park as to whether the road should be permanently closed. Morons like this will screw it up for the rest of us.
 
I hear tows from Miller Towing in Lone Pine run ~$1K from Saline Valley. I'd like to know what the "Lippencott Factor" will be in this one. Will probably need to be drug down (or up) by a Park Service vehicle first.
 
I read a story (first person account) about a guy who followed his gps up lippincot in a rental Camry. I think it was a couple grand to extricate. It was posted on death valley.com but I can't find it now. The guy made a very long series of very stupid decisions and was lucky to have survived.
 
I remember that, he walked quite a long way for help. I believe he actually joined DV dot com and tried to defend himself. The thread turned ugly real quick.
 
SunMan said:
I remember that, he walked quite a long way for help. I believe he actually joined DV dot com and tried to defend himself. The thread turned ugly real quick.
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That was the one. He got roasted bad. He was so lucky he found a cell signal, otherwise I suspect he, and his girlfriend, wouldn't have made it.
 
Shadyapex said:
That was the one. He got roasted bad. He was so lucky he found a cell signal, otherwise I suspect he, and his girlfriend, wouldn't have made it.
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Speaking of people not making it. While I was staying at the Geologist Cabin in Butte Valley a couple of weeks ago there was a full write-up on the findings of the remains regarding the German couple and their two kids. I was aware of the story about how in the mid 90's they simply disappeared but was unaware the remains of the woman had been found and positively identified. The write up was placed in the cabin by the guy that spent months on end researching and eventually finding the woman's remains. It was a real interesting read with photos covering the entire story of the couple, the research that went into the possible scenarios and where he thought the search operation went awry. It was certainly a series of poor decisions that cost all four of them their lives. The mystery was finally solved something like 20 years after the incident occurred. Good read next time you're at the cabin.
 
park said:
Speaking of people not making it. While I was staying at the Geologist Cabin in Butte Valley a couple of weeks ago there was a full write-up on the findings of the remains regarding the German couple and their two kids. I was aware of the story about how in the mid 90's they simply disappeared but was unaware the remains of the woman had been found and positively identified. The write up was placed in the cabin by the guy that spent months on end researching and eventually finding the woman's remains. It was a real interesting read with photos covering the entire story of the couple, the research that went into the possible scenarios and where he thought the search operation went awry. It was certainly a series of poor decisions that cost all four of them their lives. The mystery was finally solved something like 20 years after the incident occurred. Good read next time you're at the cabin.
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Park here is a link to the Lost Germans story as told by the searcher:
http://www.otherhand.org/home-page/search-and-rescue/the-hunt-for-the-death-valley-germans/

As you say, quite the read.
 
Doug Stewart said:
Park here is a link to the Lost Germans story as told by the searcher:
http://www.otherhand.org/home-page/search-and-rescue/the-hunt-for-the-death-valley-germans/

As you say, quite the read.
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A very sad tale indeed. Quite captivating though, once I started reading I couldn't stop until I finished.

I can fully understand how something like this can happen to those individuals who have no concept of a true wilderness.

Europe, for all intents & purposes is an urbanized continent.
 
Tuff Guy 62 said:
A very sad tale indeed. Quite captivating though, once I started reading I couldn't stop until I finished.

I can fully understand how something like this can happen to those individuals who have no concept of a true wilderness.

Europe, for all intents & purposes is an urbanized continent.
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It was the same for me. I started reading it late one night and couldn't put it down until finished. I've hiked some of the areas in question and it is indeed some remote terrain. Sad part is they were only about 4 miles from the Geologist Cabin back in Butte Valley. Had they simply walked back to the valley they would have had shelter and good water. Eventually, someone would have come along and their lives would have been saved. What I really felt sorry for was the children in question. The adult(s) made stupid decisions which cost those children their lives and put them through a living hell. Roasting and dying from lack of water in that kind of heat must be unimaginable. I've done quite a bit of desert training while in the Marines and I know what that kind of heat and terrain can be like. I can't imagine trying to haul small children through that type of terrain in the dead of summer and watching them perish.
 
Shadyapex said:
I read a story (first person account) about a guy who followed his gps up lippincot in a rental Camry. I think it was a couple grand to extricate. It was posted on death valley.com but I can't find it now. The guy made a very long series of very stupid decisions and was lucky to have survived.
Click to expand...

SunMan said:
I remember that, he walked quite a long way for help. I believe he actually joined DV dot com and tried to defend himself. The thread turned ugly real quick.
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The story was also posted on Wander the West -

Stranded in Death Valley
 
Here is the young man's word press blog -

Stranded in Death Valley

There are links to the following two parts and epilogue at the bottom of part one. Also, it appears that the blog owner needs to renew so it is unknown how long this well written story will remain available. When it first came out I saved all parts as .pdf files on our android pad. It makes great out loud night time reading at lonely Death Valley campsites with the stars brilliant overhead.
 
ski3pin said:
Here is the young man's word press blog -

Stranded in Death Valley

There are links to the following two parts and epilogue at the bottom of part one. Also, it appears that the blog owner needs to renew so it is unknown how long this well written story will remain available. When it first came out I saved all parts as .pdf files on our android pad. It makes great out loud night time reading at lonely Death Valley campsites with the stars brilliant overhead.
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This story is clear proof of the existence of male-pattern hubris. Even if he'd had a map, he'd kept on driving his rental sedan (that in his mind was insured) past all the warning signs along Saline Valley Road. Jeez, he was on the road and on the ground, what more did he need?
 
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