Hello fellow future FJ owners, we have a group of toyota's that will be doing an exploration expedition to Death Valley on march 24-28. If you guys are interested, check it out! you can post here in this thread or on the original thread at (
http://www.yotatech.com/showthread.php?t=75371). Either one is fine as I'll be managing the event. This is a family friendly event that is open for all ages and levels! Prerunners are welcomed!!! Most of the trails will be 2wd friendly so feel free show up. I will be doing a head count prior to the event so if you are interested, please make sure to contact me so we can swap contact information. The last thing I would hate to see is someone showing up and not getting together because of the miscommunication.
Thanks!
Dates: March 24 (Friday) – March 28 (Tuesday) plus or minus
Itinerary:
23-Thursday
Arrive and sleep at PSR campground or lodge
24 Friday
Meet at PSR 8:45am - 9:00am
Stop 1: Depart from Shell Station at 9:15am
Stop 2: Depart from Ballarat at 10:00am
Run Pleasant Canyon or Lookout Mountain, sleep at PSR. (Not 2wd friendly - please buddy up for this run with a 4wd vehicle)
25 Saturday
Meet at PSR 9:15am - 9:45am
Depart from Shell Station at 10:00am
We can do Lippencott/Racetrack/maybe even Teakettle/Ubehebe and return to PSR via Lippencott, or preferrably we could do Darwin Falls/Lippencott/Racetrack then back to PSR via Lippencott. If we do then it means an extra night at PSR for those camping there. Again, spaces go fast that time of year! (prerunner friendly)
26 Sunday
Goler Wash/Mengal Pass, sleep B/C somewhere in Butte Valley Sunday night (maybe we’ll find an empty Adopt-A-Cabin??) (prerunner friendly)
27 Monday
Exit Butte Valley via Warm Canyon Rd./Westside Rd. and head to Furnace Creek via many attractions (probably not enough time to do them all, though): Eagle Borax Works, Badwater, Devils Golf Course, Artist Drive/Palette (if open by then), Mustard Canyon and Salt Creek, run part of Echo Canyon trail to Eye of the Needle or maybe even up to the dry fall and bang up our trucks), the FC Visitors Center, set up camp or check in hotels, etc. Group dinner at the restaurant?
28 Tuesday
see whatever is left over from the previous day. Head home, passing thru Stovepipe Wells for those that want to see Grotto Canyon and Mosaic Canyon and maybe even The Sand Dunes.
Communications:
CB = Channel 16
FRS = TBA (This will be a back solution for those w/o CB's. CB's are highly recommended.)
Please email goodtimes (at) chaosedition.com or pm "Good Times" with your contact info (name, username, phone number, email address). Once completed, a follow up email will be sent so everyone with this list.
Pot Luck Dinner:
Saturday March 25 at the PSR Camp Site. Please bring ample food to cover a few additional members outside of your party. Don't forget to bring your own chairs/tables/utensils/drinks!
Directions:
To Panamint Springs Resort (PSR)
Driving From Las Vegas (175 miles)
From 15 Freeway, just south of Las Vegas, take Highway 160 West to Pahrump. Just 3 miles past the intersection with Highway 372, turn left on Highway 210, called 'State Line Road,' and proceed 27 miles to Death Valley Junction.
At Death Valley Junction, highlighted by the Amargosa Opera House and Hotel, make a quick "right-and-a-left" on Highway 190 toward Death Valley and Furnace Creek. Remain West on Highway 190 for 93 miles to Panamint Springs Resort, passing Dante's View, Zabriskie Point, Furnace Creek, the Sand Dunes, and Stovepipe Wells Village.
Driving From Los Angeles (235 miles)
From the 5 Freeway North (Golden State Freeway), a few miles past its juncture with 405 Freeway, stay right for 14 Freeway North (Antelope Valley Freeway).
After 70 miles, passing Palmdale, Lancaster, and Rosamond, the 14 Freeway North continues on to become Main Street for the town of Mojave. At the end of town, turn right to remain on the Highway 14 North. After 40 miles, Highway 14 North merges and becomes Highway 395 North.
Continue another 45 miles to Olancha, turn right onto Highway 190 toward Death Valley.
The next 15 miles proceeds northeast along the shore of the once great Owens Lake, then merges with Highway 136, and continues east another 25 miles to Panamint Springs Resort.
Things to Consider:
1. This is a family trip. As such, I’m sure it would be appreciated by most if not all of us that there not be any recreational drug use, drunken stupidity, lewd and crude behavior and language, gun play, fireworks, etc.
2. An entrance fee is required, and is expected to be paid when we are within a reasonable proximity to a NPS fee station. Unless some of you are passing thru DV on your way to the Friday meeting spot, the closest one will be in Furnace Creek when we get there. Those who don’t have an annual pass should expect to pay $20 (per their own vehicle) at that time.
3. There are restrictions on Overnight Group Camping and Campfires. Read this page for details.
4. This is not a professionally sponsored or organized trip. It is simply a shared itinerary for a gathering of people with a common interest, and who will probably be doing the same things for a certain period of time. All attendees understand and agree that they assume full responsibility for their own actions and vehicles, and agree to hold harmless any organizers, trail spotters, real or perceived, from any liability whatsoever.
Camping Location(s):
Thursday Night: PSR (Panamint Springs Resort)
Friday Night: PSR (Panamint Springs Resort)
Satruday Night: PSR (Panamint Springs Resort)
Sunday Night: Back Country
Monday Night: Furnce Creek
The "hotel" rooms at PSR are about 50-100 feet from the campground at PSR. Just a heads up, they are not AAA accomodations. If you mean the "adopt-a-cabins", they are spread out thru the Panamints and Death Valley, and are on a first-come, first serve basis, and will very likely already be occupied as it will be a busy time of year. We should be in the area of some if we b/c camp in Butte Valley area Sunday night, and can check them out anyways, JIC.
Those of you not staying Sunday night risk the chance of being pretty far into the trail by Sunday afternoon/evening, and will either have to backtrack or finish the trail to Badwater and take the pavement all the way back. As the Goler Wash/Mengel Pass/Butte Valley trail isn't difficult, it shouldn't be very tough to run some portion of it in the dark, as long as you tracked the trail with your GPS and are with another vehicle.
PSR Campground Info:
PSR's campgrounds are the only campgrounds in the entire national park with shower facilities for the guests, there are toilets and water, and firepits, however, only a quarter of the sites currently have benches, and these are "grab-n-growl", or first come, first served...Reservations can be made on line at
www.deathvalley.com, or by phone at 1-775-482-7680... Click on "Reserve Your Room Online", then click on Online Reservations with the yellow icon on the left side of the page. When you reserve, you will be prompted for RV site, tent site, etc. $15/day for four people. Additional people are $2.50 each. I do not know what the max. # of people are, though. I reserved tent site #20, so try to get adjacent sites if possible. I'll also be sleeping in my truck, so I think the site will accomodate two trucks and a tent.
Panamint Springs Resort is a pretty cool place to hang at. It is low key. It is not a zoo like Stovepipe or Furnace Creek. The accomodations aren't AAA, but the people are good folk, the restaurant food is good, there is a bar, and the location is great for our itinerary.
I'm pretty sure there is decent back country camping close by, so please don't anybody panic if the campground gets full and you don't have reservations. That would be off the 178 Hwy. south of 190, 'bout 5 miles or so from PSR, and it would be on BLM land and not on NPS property. We can fine tune the details on that down the road.
Attendees:
chiefiji (Henry | 04 4runner 4x4) - weekend (PSR Tent #17)
Paddlenbike (Ken +1 | 00 4runner 4x4) - entire length (PSR Tent #18)
(Received Contact Info)
ecchamberlin (Eric | 01 4runner 4x4) - fri to sun (PSR Tent #18)
Good Times (Lance +1 | 03 4runner 4x4) - fri nt to tues afternoon (PSR Tent #20)
(Received Contact Info)
Bob98SR5 (Bob +1 | 98 4runner 4x4) - fri nt to sun (PSR Tent #19)
(Received Contact Info)
Bob98SR5's Neighbor (Bob's neighbor + 1) - fri nt to sun (PSR Tent #19)
(Received Contact Info)
rizzoss669 (Ross +3 | 98 4runner) - fri nt to mon morning/midday (PSR Tent near #20)
(Received Contact Info)
Calrockx (Charles | 02 4runner 4x4) - fri nt to sun (PSR Tent #24)
Expat (Mark | 04 4runner 4x4) - fri nt to mon evening (PSR Tent #??)
(Received Contact Info)
ebelen1 (Edwin | 99 4runner) - fri nt to sat nt (PSR Tent #??)
Scottiac (Scott +1 and 2 dogs| 97 4runner) - entire length (PSR Tent #??)
(Received Contact Info)
04sport4x4 (John +3 | 05 4runner 4x4) - fri night to mon afternoon (PSR Tent #??)
(Received Contact Info)
dfireballd (Ryan +1 | 02 Tacoma 4x4) - thurs noon to tues noon (Back Country Camping)
(Received Contact Info)
VerticalToy
Maybe
DealMaker (Pierre | 04 4runner 4x4) - (PSR Tent #20)
(Received Contact Info)
RobG (Rob +1 | 93 4runner 4x4) - fri to sun (PSR Tent #??)
(Received Contact Info)
funjumper - fri to mon
Bulldog-yota - weekend
DrBeau - weekend
MeinPapa
RLJ3RD - saturday only
BruceTS (+1 vehicle)
Linear Mode
