Possibly going to Saline Valley Warm Springs this next week

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hoyden

Lady Bug
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Carbondale, IL
Just wondering if anyone from here is going to be there too?
If my plans work out, I'll get there Tuesday afternoon (Apr 11)
 
hoyden said:
Just wondering if anyone from here is going to be there too?
If my plans work out, I'll get there Tuesday afternoon (Apr 11)
Click to expand...
Tee hee...last time we were there, we met a man who shall forever be known as ZZ Topless...turned out to be one of my better campfire stories.

Enjoy, that's a really great spot.
 
Howdy

We drove up the Saline Valley road about a month back....from the south.

It was washboarded enough that we camped before reaching the Springs....

There seemed to be a LOT of unladen ...."not camping" cars to and fro on the road driving really fast......we decided we were not interested enough in visiting the springs.

Hope to transit the Saline Valley road from the north some other time....supposed to be some interesting canyons on the north end.

David Graves
 
I'm planning on arriving there on Wednesday the 12th and stay through to the 15th. Will be right at the hots springs. Hoping to meet some friends at Keough HS tuesday and driving into SV the next morming. Plans tend to vary by a day depending on weather,road conditions,mood,etc. I'll keep an I out for your rig and say hi. I'll be in my 2014 Silver Tundra with FWC Hawk. Have a fun ride in!!
 
Ronin - yay! Argos doggie and I will see you there!

dustboy - I want the story! :-D

David - I've read that it's really washboardy. My experience with washboard is that there is usually a sweet spot speed where it isn't as bad. Often it's around 35, it seems. Either way, washboard sucks. Argos especially dislikes it. I'll give him extra treats. :)
 
Howdy again

I know about the washboard sweet spot....best if you are driving a 66 Mailibu with fifty zillion miles.

I just cannot bring myself to speed up with the camper.......seems stupid to TRY and break something.
Sometimes driving in the opposite lane side seems to soften things a little.


I would be interested to hear if anyone has driven down from the north into Saline Valley road ?

How late for snow melt ?

How long ago did you do it ?

How bad was the road ?

We heard from a local that he only does it North to South for the gradient....ever little bit helps with a hard route.

David Graves
 
Yes, I was there last Sunday and Monday along with another FWC. We came in from the south and was no problem. A bit rough in sections but easy. We left on Tuesday out Saline Valley Road north and it was better than the south entrance. The north road is also shorter.

Jim
 
Kinsey/ Jim - Saline Valley road the dirt part is shorter? Hmm. I'll have to look at maps and see if that route makes sense from my direction. Thanks!
 
DavidGraves - yeah washboard sucks no matter how you look at it! Yuck! I've had too many turnbuckles break already. Don't need to deal with that again! I'll check out the northern route and see if that makes sense for my route!
 
I'll second Kinsey we were there last weekend. Coming in from the south suxed. I tried the let me find the sweet spot around 42mph for me was the best it got then along comes a curv, or dip or hole so not really an option. I did air down to 40psi was way nicer. Left via the same road but headed north, I enjoyed that route more, no snow on the road, but there were patches on the north side of the mountain in places.
Couple water crossings, with a washed out road in a large dip it was on the north bound side. If your going slow no problems. Water is great, burros in full force. One camper left food out and apparently coyotes got in to it. Have fun it was nice and relaxing.
Russ
 
Looks like I'm probably still in Prescott tomorrow working on getting housing sorted out. So, Warm Springs by Thursday.

What's the Northern route?
 
There are four ways in and out of Saline Valley by vehicle:
North Pass
Steele Pass
Lippincott
South Pass

I went in via south pass last month. It is as has been noted washboarded. It is no where near the condition as the road to The Racetrack from Ubehebe Crater. That road is REALLY bad. On south pass I could get speeds between 40-55. The higher the speed the more attentive to the road ahead you have to be. There are some wide open parts that are safe to do at the higher end of the speed range I noted.

I left via north pass and it is much better than south pass. My preference over the years coming from the LA area is to head up 395 and fuel up one last time at Fort Independence south of Big Pine. Sometimes I also have a spare fuel container and fill it there as well. Then take North Pass in. You can pretty much coast down the whole grade saving fuel. I fill up from the spare fuel as soon as I've used that much quantity. I'd rather have it in my tank than in a container inside the camper. If you carry fuel outside your camper it would be helpful to keep in the container for any folks you encounter who mismanaged their fuel. My preference for north pass is because it is less off-road time and more highway. Now if I have something I want to check out from one of the other routes then that changes that particular trip. Scenery wise there are great things to see from each way in/out.

Safe travels.
 
Is this the northern route? Looks like a lot of sand. https://goo.gl/maps/JnLosLJAk1R2

Yep, I have 5gal gas can on back of my rig!
and Russ, I have been checking out that forum for the past few days, but haven't found actual directions.
I have good directions from the south, but not from the north.

Thanks!
 
hoyden said:
Is this the northern route? Looks like a lot of sand. https://goo.gl/maps/JnLosLJAk1R2

Yep, I have 5gal gas can on back of my rig!
and Russ, I have been checking out that forum for the past few days, but haven't found actual directions.
I have good directions from the south, but not from the north.

Thanks!
Click to expand...
Yes that is North Pass. Your route will take you on quite a journey. Not a bad one mind you. If this is your first time to Death Valley or you haven't driven Titus Canyon I'd say come in that way from Beatty then down to 190 and stop at Panamint Springs Resort. PSR has camping for $10, showers included. And they have a good all you can eat breakfast buffet for $10. Then see Father Crowley Point and Rainbow Canyon. After that take south pass into Saline.
There is a lot of dirt and some small gravel like rocks on the route you provided. No big deal. No sand as in dunes/beach sand unless you go south of Bat Rock Road (road to the springs from Saline Valley Road) to the Saline Valley Sand Dunes.
 
South route would be a lot closer from my direction. Maybe I'll go in South and leave North.

Thanks for the advice ETAV8R! I'll try to stay away from the Dunes - I'm not fond of sand, except on my DR350.
I had fun on sand with that bike! I need another one of those.

I signed a lease on a house in Columbia, Mo, so leaving Prescott tomorrow morning towards DV!
 
Hi Hoyden
The southern route not bad, if you have never been and coming into the park would be the closest. Of the four routes previously mentioned take Steel and Lippencot off your list. Saline valley road is essentially the same road and runs on the western edge of the valley North and South for each way in. If you can stop by the ranger office in Furnace creek pick up a map, they weren't real knowledgeable but the map is good. Fuel is cheaper in Stove Pipe wells. Check out this PDF.
https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/upload/Death-Valley-Backcountry-Roads.pdf
Read number 16 on page 2


When you turn right (north)on to Saline Valley road off 190 it is a wide road you will want your second left a decent ways in. The first left is for the Cerritos Gordo mine.Not hard to find Saline Valley red. there are smaller secondary roads but if you look you will see the primary road is more heavily traveled. It took my wife and I a good 3.5 hours. There is a small mountain pass to navigate, you will be able to see the valley. Look for the salt marsh in the distance there is the remnants of a tram to get the salt over the top, next is the dunes can't miss them, on the north edge there is a funky intersection where you turn to head east for the hot tubs, about 8 miles from there. When you leave the hot springs and return to the funky intersection you will turn right to head north on the same road you came in on, it is also picksup another name Waucoba Saline Valley Road before you get to the pavement Waucoba splits off. When you hit asphalt that is Death Valley Road. Turn left (west) and follow to 168 Westgard Pass turn left your a couple miles to Big Pine. I think all of it is beautiful, you will see a lot, have fun. Don't know what kind of mileage you get but I'd top off agin in panamint even if it's only a gallon or two. I think I used 18-20 gallons from Stove pipe wells to Big Pine.

Russ

Enjoy the road signs I thought they were a hoot, would love to maintain them.
 
Good to know! Thanks for that .pdf! Handy! I'll download it onto my phone too so I have it handy.

I like to gas up at 180 miles on odometer. I can go another 20 usually, but I am paranoid. I do have a 5 gal can on the back, tho I only have 4 gal in it now because hoisting 5 gal up to the holder was a bit difficult last time. Der. I need to get back to the gym. and wear platform shoes.
 
Jealous - I love Saline Hot Springs... South route is easy usually, some washboard, speed helps. Make sure your fridge is securely closed :) . Lots of sand - might want to air down, but you can decide on the spot. I saw plenty of cars make the run. I also saw plenty high centered a year later when the tire ruts were too deep. North route can be windy but i remember it being shorter to well graded mining type roads. One of the scariest drives I ever took was coming north out of Saline in an ice storm... Wish I could join you.

Cheers.
 
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