March - April camping/hiking trip

[Vic Harder]

We've done Utah in May a few times, and love it. Looking to start a bit earlier in 2019, and wondering about where to go where:
1) It will be warm enough to enjoy campfires at night
2) There is great day hiking & scenery

Eastern Sierra's come to mind, as does Arizona, but I'm not sure about hiking/camping at elevation that early in the season.

Ideas/suggestions are most welcome!

 

[Cayuse]

We've done Utah in May a few times, and love it. Looking to start a bit earlier in 2019, and wondering about where to go where:
1) It will be warm enough to enjoy campfires at night
2) There is great day hiking & scenery

Eastern Sierra's come to mind, as does Arizona, but I'm not sure about hiking/camping at elevation that early in the season.

Ideas/suggestions are most welcome!

Mojave Rd might be a possibility. Camino del diablo would be another possibility. I'm sure others will suggest Death Valley and Big Bend as well.

 

[Vic Harder]

Should have done my usual R&D before posting!

Here is what I have found so far:

Ski3pin experiences in Death Valley
http://www.wanderthewest.com/forum/topic/15530-death-valley-national-park-november-2017/
https://ski3pin.blogspot.com/2018/02/death-valley-national-park-february_26.html
https://ski3pin.blogspot.com/2018/02/death-valley-national-park-february.html
https://ski3pin.blogspot.com/2016/01/death-valley-national-park-december_7.html

Books
https://www.amazon.ca/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=Death+Valley+SUV+Trails+

Maps
[SIZE=10.5pt]the AAA map is quite good. Another good map for DV is the one printed by National Geographic plus the park prints a free one called Death Valley: Backcountry Roads. [/SIZE]


Weather
https://www.google.ca/search?q=temperature+death+valley+march&oq=temperature+death+valley+march&aqs=chrome..69i57j0l2.7380j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8


NPS
https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/backcountryroads.htm
https://www.backpacker.com/trips/17-things-every-hiker-should-know-about-death-valley-national-park
https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/hiking.htm

Some options

Titus Canyon
https://birdandhike.com/Hike/DEVA/Roads_DEVA/TitusCyn_Rd/_TitusCyn_Rd.htm

Echo Canyon
https://www.birdandhike.com/Hike/DEVA/Roads_DEVA/EchoCyn_Rd/_EchoCyn_Rd.htm


Hole in the Wall road
https://birdandhike.com/Hike/DEVA/Roads_DEVA/HoleWall_Rd/_HoleWall_Rd.htm


[SIZE=9pt]Willow Canyon[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]https://birdandhike.com/Hike/DEVA/Willow_Cyn/_Willow_Cyn.htm[/SIZE]


[SIZE=9pt]BackCountry Roads[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/backcountryroads.htm[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/upload/Backcountry%20Roads.pdf[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/backcamp.htm[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]http://www.wanderthewest.com/index.php/areas?area=1[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]https://www.amazon.com/Valley-Interesting-Four-Wheeling-Excursions-Country/dp/097071159X/ref=pd_cp_14_4?_encoding=UTF8&pd_rd_i=097071159X&pd_rd_r=5Z54JJMZDD2GE9K445FC&pd_rd_w=bONOR&pd_rd_wg=12wN1&psc=1&refRID=5Z54JJMZDD2GE9K445FC[/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Comments from a few threads[/SIZE]
[SIZE=10.5pt]If you do Titus Canyon you may as well do Ubehebe Crater and then head to the Racetrack which is a must see...camping is nearby at Homestake Dry Camp. You could drop into Saline from there via Lippincott or return the way you came. A drive up to Aguerreberry Point or Dante's View is always worth the time, the views are pretty spectacular. There is way too much to see so you will need to pick and choose to suit your needs.[/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]I always suggest Titus Canyonhttp://www.wanderthewest.com/index.php/spot?record=2406, the Race Track[/SIZE], or Butte Valley (if you want to get a bit more off the beaten track).
[SIZE=10.5pt]Perhaps we should add that it is a lot easier to drive in and out of [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]Butte Valley[/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt] from Death Valley's West Side Road through [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]Warm Springs Canyon[/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt] than it is from [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]Ballarat[/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt] in southern Panamint Valley through [/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]Goler Wash[/SIZE][SIZE=10.5pt]. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=10.5pt]If you want to grand overview/super-duper adventure tour and you don't mind driving: Enter via Henry Wade Road in the south, drive north through DV seeing all the sights, go to Ubehebe Crater, on to The Race Track, take Lippincott Road down into Saline Valley and the Hot Springs (soft ball game on Sunday), leave via South Pass and then through Panamint Valley and on home. [/SIZE]

[SIZE=9pt]Places to see around DV[/SIZE]
[SIZE=9pt]http://www.chinaranch.com/[/SIZE]

 

[Ace!]

Do you snowshoe? Winter is one of the most amazing times of year to get out where few others go.

 

[Vic Harder]

we do snowshoe... what are you thinking?

 

[Ace!]

Anywhere in the Cascade range. There are many mountain lakes that you can snowshoe into and possibly ice fish. I'm in So. Oregon, so that's what I know, but fishing a section of the Rogue river or one of its tributaries when no one else is around and you can only hear the rush of the water and the snow crunching as something walks through the area is pretty cool. Tracking birds and cats is pretty fun too.

I don't have a specific place to recommend, but any place that you love in the other parts of the year might be worth at least checking out when 98% of the people are snowbirding in AZ.