Racetrack - Death Valley

ehughes

I made a trip laweek to Death Valley to finally visit the Racetrack, I've heard about this place for years and always wanted to have the time to make it out there, it's a rough 30 miles from Ubehebe crater but it is well worth the journey. It has to be one of the most interesting places I've been to in quite some time. I'd love to grab the tent and spend a few days out there.



A few more from the trip can be found here. http://www.edhughesphoto.com/gallery/4725658_qsDhW#279784043_gF7MZ

Cuong

That place is just surreal. Did you use a 4x4 vehicle to get there?

Cuong

ehughes

Cuong wrote:

That place is just surreal. Did you use a 4x4 vehicle to get there?

Cuong

Yes but it wasn't really needed, just about any car with a bit of clearance could have made it. I talked with another photographer out there that told me the road was much better this year than when he visited last year.

anwmn1

Great Stuff Ed!!

This is one of my all time destinations. I would need to camp though considering it is a little more than a half day drive from Phoenix.

Great stuff in your gallery!

sanaka

Sweet stuff, Mr. Hughes! clap

But... what is going on with those rocks? Do Death Valley rocks come alive and just... motor around? scratch

Peace,
Sanaka

Hikin' Mike

I've always wanted to go to Death Valley, but it was 250 miles out of our when we went to Arizona in November. Nice job, Ed!

Pezpix

So in other words Ed, my POS photo excursion car is doomed either way right? I've heard that you can gingerly make your way to the Playa Racetrack with no 4x4 BUT considering the logistics of a breakdown and rescue there, it seems a bit well advised to stick with a high clearance vehicle anyway heh.

I, like you have always wanted to make the trek to the Playa Racetrack as well, but have yet to make the journey seeing that its quite an adventure just to get there. One of these days though

As for your compositiong I loved it, but can you do me a favor next time? Tell that rock to hold still longer. It seems like it made a trail behind it as it was charging towards your camera at inconcievable speeds

Thanks for sharing bro

schmoo

sanaka wrote:

Sweet stuff, Mr. Hughes! clap

But... what is going on with those rocks? Do Death Valley rocks come alive and just... motor around? scratch

on both counts! I've seen photos of these things but what's going on here? Do they sprout legs?

Great shot and I would love to visit this place someday.

wfeller

A popular theory on movement is a combination of water-ice on slippery-silty soils, and high winds blow them around. No one has ever seen them actually move.

ehughes

wfeller wrote:

A popular theory on movement is a combination of water-ice on slippery-silty soils, and high winds blow them around. No one has ever seen them actually move.

It appears they move when the playa is wet because of the way the mud builds up on one side of the rock, but it must be one heck of a wind because some of those rocks are huge...

Tango

the rocks are moved when the alien spaceships come in to land.....:D

Ed, great shot, wheres your journeys thread?:D

ehughes

AaronNelson wrote:

the rocks are moved when the alien spaceships come in to land.....:D

Ed, great shot, wheres your journeys thread?:D

I like that theory a much as some of the others I've heard :s85

I'll try to work on a Journeys thread in the next couple of days..

wfeller

ehughes wrote:

It appears they move when the playa is wet because of the way the mud builds up on one side of the rock, but it must be one heck of a wind because some of those rocks are huge...

Some of them weigh up to 700lbs.

Here's a few more theories.

http://digital-desert.com/death-valley-geology/racetrack/

Tango

anwmn1 wrote:

Great Stuff Ed!!

This is one of my all time destinations. I would need to camp though considering it is a little more than a half day drive from Phoenix.

Great stuff in your gallery!

yes camping there will prolly make for some serious celestial night photog...

wfeller

AaronNelson wrote:

yes camping there will prolly make for some serious celestial night photog...

Racetrack 360 composite of 30 photos - Dan Duriscoe
http://antwrp.gsfc.nasa.gov/apod/image/0705/deathvalleysky_nps.jpg

Tango

there you have it Aaron Newman, your mission is to beat that pano...

(how many shots with your 7mm would that be?)

anwmn1

AaronNelson wrote:

there you have it Aaron Newman, your mission is to beat that pano...

(how many shots with your 7mm would that be?)

With 114 degree viewing angle-

and 1/2

Then I can go

:snore


I would get more sky and foreground too!!

Sam

Ed,

I am so jealous you can't believe it. Last year I started down the road to the race track, but it was soo bad I could only manage about 5 or 7 mph. Since I had already had one flat tire that cost me $$$ plus a day, and the park ranger was explaining that the cost to get towed out of there would be $2000.00 should I need it, I decided to give up. :cry

What kind of speed where you able to maintain? How long did the 30 miles take you?

I really want to get in there, and I will be staying at least over night.

Sam

ehughes

Sam wrote:

Ed,

I am so jealous you can't believe it. Last year I started down the road to the race track, but it was soo bad I could only manage about 5 or 7 mph. Since I had already had one flat tire that cost me $$$ plus a day, and the park ranger was explaining that the cost to get towed out of there would be $2000.00 should I need it, I decided to give up. :cry

What kind of speed where you able to maintain? How long did the 30 miles take you?

I really want to get in there, and I will be staying at least over night.

Sam

Sam, the road really wasn't that bad, took me a little over an hour to get there, a little longer coming out in the dark.

I talked to a couple of different rangers in DV and have come to the conclusion that they are so full of $%#^ that it's not even funny. One ranger told us that only and experienced 4X4 driver should ever attempt that road and one told us that a family sedan should make it down the road just fine just watch out for the big rocks.

I had the feeling that at least one ranger was trying to discourage us from going out there, they do have a lot of trouble with people taking rocks from the playa, or people scratching their names or initials on the rocks.

The road was plowed but there are a lot of sharp rocks that could take out a tire with little effort, but if you take it easy down the road most cars should be able to do it fine. ( But be prepared for a flat, I was completely willing to trade a tire for the pictures and had prepared for it) I had a brand new floor jack, tire plugs, rubber glue, small air compressor etc...

Tango

it sounds to me we need to get a shootout arranged:D

Ed gets to be our master pro guide

schmoo

AaronNelson wrote:

it sounds to me we need to get a shootout arranged

This thread has been incredibly educational. I had no idea it was so rough to get out there. The place looks so calm and innocent

ehughes

AaronNelson wrote:

it sounds to me we need to get a shootout arranged:D

Ed gets to be our master pro guide

I would be more than happy to go out there again, just not in the middle of summer

anwmn1

ehughes wrote:

I would be more than happy to go out there again, just not in the middle of summer

And I was going to suggest late June!

dogwood

ehughes wrote:

Sam, the road really wasn't that bad, took me a little over an hour to get there, a little longer coming out in the dark.

I agree, though I realize winter rain can change the character of the road. I drove the road at night last year with no problems. A sedan showed up the next day so high clearance and 4x4 definitely weren't mandatory... but then again I had just come off Steel Pass which is definitely a high clearance, 4x4 road in parts.





I suspect the NPS simply wants to keep the place semi-pristine -- that and they don't want any more tea kettles showing up at Tea Kettle Junction!

Cuong

dogwood wrote:

... they don't want any more tea kettles showing up at Tea Kettle Junction!

For those who can make it there, it's one less thing to worry about for the trip. Just borrow and use one from the sign post for tea or coffee.

Cuong

dogwood

Cuong wrote:

For those who can make it there, it's one less thing to worry about for the trip. Just borrow and use one from the sign post for tea or coffee.

Cuong

Too funny. I'm quite frugal (okay, okay I'm a cheapskate) when I travel but I hadn't even thought of that! I think the park service removes the kettles every year anyway, so it's not like anyone would miss a one or two of them.

And of course there's always crankcase junction if you need a spare crank shaft... and all the salt in badwater basin if you need salt... and borax in many of the nearby mines if you need to wash your clothes...

OffTopic

Sam wrote:

Ed,

I am so jealous you can't believe it. Last year I started down the road to the race track, but it was soo bad I could only manage about 5 or 7 mph. Since I had already had one flat tire that cost me $$$ plus a day, and the park ranger was explaining that the cost to get towed out of there would be $2000.00 should I need it, I decided to give up. :cry

What kind of speed where you able to maintain? How long did the 30 miles take you?

I really want to get in there, and I will be staying at least over night.

Sam

Sam the best way to handle the road to the Racetrack playa is to air down your tires. Probably about 20psi for a stock vehicle. I go much lower but my tires are made for it. The bumps don't feel nearly as bad that way! And you always want to air down when you're driving in sand, the bigger footprint helps your tires "float" on the sand instead of digging in. You can drive to a gas station on pavement to air up if you drive slowly and carefully, but better to carry a compressor. The cheap $50 one at Costco is a champ; hooks up to your battery and easily airs up two vehicles. And yes, a night at the Racetrack for sunset and sunrise is easily worth the cost of the compressor in my book.

There's no camping allowed along Racetrack Road, but if you continue past the playa for a few miles there is a designated primitive camping area. It's first come first-serve and if you don't find a spot with an established fire ring you can't build a fire, so best thing to do is get there well before sunset and stake out your campsite, then drive back to the playa in time to hike out for sunset. Photos don't do it justice, but the playa is huge and you can be walking for miles, especially if you start where most of the rocks are (about a mile in) and then walk down to the Grandstand.

Oh, and nice pics to the OP!

Tango

OffTopic wrote:

Sam the best way to handle the road to the Racetrack playa is to air down your tires. Probably about 20psi for a stock vehicle. I go much lower but my tires are made for it. The bumps don't feel nearly as bad that way! And you always want to air down when you're driving in sand, the bigger footprint helps your tires "float" on the sand instead of digging in. You can drive to a gas station on pavement to air up if you drive slowly and carefully, but better to carry a compressor. The cheap $50 one at Costco is a champ; hooks up to your battery and easily airs up two vehicles. And yes, a night at the Racetrack for sunset and sunrise is easily worth the cost of the compressor in my book.

Tango

im an odd duck, i just dont like campfires, they just make everything smokey....
i was a scout leader for a great deal of time and on every outing i would try to talk the boys out of making a campfire...but you guessed it, they always got one:D

Tango

anwmn1 wrote:

And I was going to suggest late June!

june is on the edge for me....why suffer like that ...

so lets plan on july:giggle

Tango

ehughes wrote:

I would be more than happy to go out there again, just not in the middle of summer

im guessing october is the soonest i can really seriouly plan for..whatcha all say?