CA | 2015, Death Valley in FEB/MAR

[Byron Kinnaman]

This about as non organized as you can get.
Anne and I are going to be in Death Valley the end of February through most of March 2015. The campground hosts are Mountain Dulcimer players as is I. There should be lots of music and good conversations.

There's nothing specific planned other than music, other instrument plays are invited to join in too.

Non organized, no reservations or registration necessary. For those that haven't been there the campground is huge and mostly empty that time of the year. Just show and join in the fun.

[BatDude]

I spent part of my undergraduate youth in DV during the summers (park was closed) studying water beetles...

That would be/ could be doable for us in a 16' Scamp... would be a great place to paint, walk our dog and just soak up the atmosphere of clean air...and meet new friends!

We will be in Blythe on the lower Colorado River the first few weeks of Feb working on a Bureau of Reclamation funded bat conservation research project. Everything after that is up in the air other than we do not want to come back to Michigan until the snow is gone in April.

More details would be interesting.

I am sure we can not get into Saratoga Springs now as we did in the early 70s to look at the water beetles.

My wife has never seen the Valley, Scottie's Castle or Bad Water...

PM me and perhaps we can continue via email...

[Byron Kinnaman]

I forgot to mention the campground. It's Sunset across the road from Furnace Creek Ranch.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by BatDude

I spent part of my undergraduate youth in DV during the summers (park was closed) studying water beetles...

That would be/ could be doable for us in a 16' Scamp... would be a great place to paint, walk our dog and just soak up the atmosphere of clean air...and meet new friends!

We will be in Blythe on the lower Colorado River the first few weeks of Feb working on a Bureau of Reclamation funded bat conservation research project. Everything after that is up in the air other than we do not want to come back to Michigan until the snow is gone in April.

More details would be interesting.

I am sure we can not get into Saratoga Springs now as we did in the early 70s to look at the water beetles.

My wife has never seen the Valley, Scottie's Castle or Bad Water...

PM me and perhaps we can continue via email...

Summer time is just too hot to be in Death Valley. But Jan/Feb/and Mar are great. We'll be in a Scamp 13. There's lots of stuff to do in Death Valley.

We'll be at Sunset campground across the road from Furnace Creek Ranch.

[Avey]

Hi everyone, we are one of the newbies on the block and we are so excited! We have a Death Valley trip already planed for the 23rd of February through March 3rd. But the best part is we love the Mountain Dulcimer!
Looking forward to meeting everyone
Cathy & Zac

[BatDude]

Hi Avey,

We are also Newbies so still on the upward learning curve. Sure much to learn from experienced folks like Byron.

DV will be an interesting venue.

I doubt we will be able to get into Saratoga Springs in the south (road goes north from Baker). I will check in with the Park Service to see if that is even possible. As I think it is now a protected part of the natural area it may not be open to the public. Having worked there back in the day as a budding biologist, I would love to see it again.

Certainly not an option with the Scamp, which would remain in the campground for that day trip.

Look forward to meeting everyone!

Cheers!

Bat Dude

[Avey]

Hi Bat Dude, my husband was looking at a Death Valley map and it shows that Saratoga Springs road is still open. But it also says it is a graded and sometimes a 4X4 road. It looks like a really neat place to go on a day adventure though. We will be pulling ore burro with a ford 150 and it a 4x4 so it won't be a problem for us.
Have a wonderful day
Cathy

[BatDude]

Tnx Avey,

I will see if I can find a map on line. I known Google Earth will have images, but likely years old.

Saratoga Springs is where I spent many a summer in a small aluminum trailer pulled by a 4x4 International back in the day.

I would spend my days, tagging and observing water beetles, while other worked on the endemic fish there. Others also did lizard studies, which I also participated in.

I recall my soap dish was stolen by a pack rat and it took me hours to find a slim and long but strong bit of stick to fish it out from under a very narrow ledge about 5' under a large outcropping.

I also nearly wet myself on early morning when I went out walking in the pre sunrise light looking for darkling beetles by following their tracks in the sand and a big horn sheep I had walked up on and not seen jumped up very startled and ran off about 3' in front of me where it had spent the night next to a small creosote bush.

So if there is any way to get into Saratoga Springs I am going to try. I am sure my wife will enjoy seeing the place.

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by BatDude

Tnx Avey,

I will see if I can find a map on line. I known Google Earth will have images, but likely years old.

Saratoga Springs is where I spent many a summer in a small aluminum trailer pulled by a 4x4 International back in the day.

I would spend my days, tagging and observing water beetles, while other worked on the endemic fish there. Others also did lizard studies, which I also participated in.

I recall my soap dish was stolen by a pack rat and it took me hours to find a slim and long but strong bit of stick to fish it out from under a very narrow ledge about 5' under a large outcropping.

I also nearly wet myself on early morning when I went out walking in the pre sunrise light looking for darkling beetles by following their tracks in the sand and a big horn sheep I had walked up on and not seen jumped up very startled and ran off about 3' in front of me where it had spent the night next to a small creosote bush.

So if there is any way to get into Saratoga Springs I am going to try. I am sure my wife will enjoy seeing the place.

The National Parks Death Vally sight talks about the road into Saratoga Springs. The Death Valley NP map we bought in Death Vally NP does show the road. Here's a link to pdf that talks about 4x4 roads, it's listed. LINK

[Byron Kinnaman]

Saratoga Srpings and roads are also shown on the back roads map. LINK

[Avey]

Sounds llike fun, we want to check out Darwan Falls while we are there and we want to investagate some old mining settlements off the beaten paths.
Death Valley is one of those places where the more you look the more you really see. Most people don't even take the time to even see.
Zac & Cathy

[Byron Kinnaman]

Originally Posted by Avey

Sounds llike fun, we want to check out Darwan Falls while we are there and we want to investagate some old mining settlements off the beaten paths.
Death Valley is one of those places where the more you look the more you really see. Most people don't even take the time to even see.
Zac & Cathy

I know there's much more to see than we've seen and this will be our 5th trip to Death Valley. We'll probably be there for maximum 30 days.

If want to Saratoga Springs on Google Earth here's coords. 35.684437,-116.422405.

[BatDude]

Tnx all!

Looking forward to meeting everyone and learning more about Scamping!

I did find downloadable maps on USGS web site (including one we used in the late 1960s) and added the images to my GIS system here and also Google Earth. I will check with the Parks Dept. to make sure the road is ± passable. We never needed 4x4 eons ago but it was often heavily wash boarded.

I will add the X-Y coordinates to my GPS just so I am on track.

Any of you remember the "Death Valley Days" TV show sponsored by 20 Mule team Borax? Recalling such things is one of the hazards of being an old fart I guess... LOL

[Byron Kinnaman]

It looks like we'll be in Death Vally around the 19th of February. We'll be there for about 30 days. Come on down.

[BatDude]

Hope to meet everyone there! We will be finishing up a bat project for Bureau of Reclamation along the lower Colorado River, based in Blythe.
Depending on how the bats cooperate with the radio tracking work with the project starting Feb. 3rd it may be 14 days or 21days but definitely heading to Furnace Creek with our 16' Scamp.

Plan to be there a week (or more?) to meet everyone, learn about Samping, walk, paint & enjoy the desert and trek over to Saratoga Spring for at least a partial day trip where I worked as a budding zoologist in the early 70s.

[Byron Kinnaman]

We're getting closer to Death Valley. Right now we're sitting in Katherine Landing. The plan is to get to Death Vally 17th or 18th of February and staying for 30 days.
Hope to see some you there.

[John Linck]

We hope to stop in too. Too soon to guess dates.

Cheers, John and Jill

[Byron Kinnaman]

We're in Death Valley Now.. Hope to see some fiberglass trailers soon.

[BatDude]

Hi Byron....

We are still south in Blythe wrapping up the bat project.
Looks like we may be heading to Furnace Creek on the 23rd.

See you and rest of the crowd then.

[Avey]

We'll be there on the 23 and look forward to meeting you all.
Cathy & Zac