Death Valley 2017

Back in 2017 some friends and I spent about ten days exploring Death Valley. Episode 1 of that trip is now up on YouTube. You can read about the adventure on our travel blog.

Death Valley 2017, Episode 1
 

Ace Brown

Retired Ol’ Fart
Good to relive an older trip. One gentleman in the group has unfortunately passed away. Some others seldom seen anymore. Thanks for posting Larry.


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Episode 2 of our Death Valley adventure in 2017 is now up on YouTube. In this episode we will turn left at crankshaft junction to visit the ghost towns of Gold Point, Rhyolite and Leadfield, get gas and supplies in Beatty NV, drive through Titus Canyon, and then camp at Stovepipe Wells. From there we will visit the charcoal kilns as well as Chloride Cliff, Skidoo, and Tucki mine sites before returning to Stovepipe Wells.

 

Ace Brown

Retired Ol’ Fart
Episode 2 of our Death Valley adventure in 2017 is now up on YouTube. In this episode we will turn left at crankshaft junction to visit the ghost towns of Gold Point, Rhyolite and Leadfield, get gas and supplies in Beatty NV, drive through Titus Canyon, and then camp at Stovepipe Wells. From there we will visit the charcoal kilns as well as Chloride Cliff, Skidoo, and Tucki mine sites before returning to Stovepipe Wells.


Again nice to relive a past trip. But for a bit I thought you forgot Titus Canyon , but there it was. Good video.


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Welcome back to our Death Valley 2017 adventure. In Episode 3 we stop at the lowest point in the continual United States, Badwater Basin, at 282 feet (85.5 M) below sea level. From there it is short drive to our campsite at Warm Springs Mine (Grantham Mine). Then it is past Striped Butte to the Geologists Cabin and a beautiful view down into Butte Valley. From there it is up and over Mengel Pass and on to the Barker Ranch then down Goler Canyon and out to a desert camp. The next day it is back to Stovepipe Wells for the night before heading north to Ubehebe Crater and a campsite at Mesquite Springs. In the morning I headed south to Las Vegas before heading home.

Death Valley 2017 Episode 3
 

dstefan

Well-known member
Also really liked the videos. Well done! I’ve roamed DV several times in my built Tacoma, but not those trails. Ive always wanted to go back and do Mengel pass and the others you show.

I’m now in a built Tundra with a poptop shell (Ovrlnd). I’m curious if you could comment on the F150 with the FWC camper in the vids. Did he do OK throughout? I’m mostly concerned with width of the rig and off camber tight spots where the top of the camper (mines ~4-5” taller than that FWC, I think, but exactly truck width with no overhang) can tilt into big boulders or overhangs even though the truck without a camper could squeeze through.

Any thoughts?
 

Ace Brown

Retired Ol’ Fart
I was on this trip and and a few others in DV. Roger in the Ford camper did all of the difficult spots except Mengel and Lippincot. He dragged here and there but no significant damage. Note he was even pulling a small trailer.


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dstefan

Well-known member
I was on this trip and and a few others in DV. Roger in the Ford camper did all of the difficult spots except Mengel and Lippincot. He dragged here and there but no significant damage. Note he was even pulling a small trailer.

Thanks Ace, I appreciate know this. Do you think in my rig as listed in my signature (it's also skid plated -- engine, Tcase and stock gas tank skid, with stout sliders and 2.5" lift front and 3.5 rear) I could do Mengel pass?

It's definitely not my first rodeo, but it is a rig I'm still feeling out the capabilities of (size-wise). I know I once saw a video of an older Ram with camper going through.
 

Ace Brown

Retired Ol’ Fart
Let’s start with the easier pass. I did Lippincot in 2014, 2017 (this trip) then again in 2019. First two trips I didn’t think much of it. In 2019 it got my attention mainly for the tippy stuff towards the bottom. I would not do it in your truck.

I’ve also done Mengel three times; 14, 17, 19. Each time it was much changed. I suppose it’s gotten harder over the years, mainly due to all the SxS traffic. The Park Service had closed the optional line on the left up the most difficult part of the pass. Anyway I would not try it with your full size unless I was with a small group of similar equipped rigs with experienced drivers. Look at Lunil’s video carefully. You will see several tight spots that I think would be too close for a full size. Also stay away on weekends when traffic can be bad.


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I will go back through the outtakes and see if I can find some additional video or the Ford and Mengel Pass for you to look at. Will take a few days. My memory is that the Ford only scraped running boards on Steel Pass.

The entry to Mengel from the east is tricky due to a couple of large boulders that you have to work around by going up on the side hill. My stock 4Runner scraped running boards on Steel Pass and was doing ok going up the Mengel rock garden with the help of an excellent spotter. Was almost through it when I broke a valve stem and had to be towed out of it.
 

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