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Racetrack - Death Valley NP USA
El Gato
Registered Users Posts: 1,242 Major grins
Headed to this iconic US park in early Dec.
I am looking for any advice, suggestions, recommendations, etc. on a locally based company that may offer transportation to the Racetrack, beginning from within the Park itself.
Alternatively, possibly a local DGrin member looking to share expenses and make a photo trip out to this area of the Park.
Best case would be to arrive well in advance to scout locations, find some sliding rocks at the south end of the Racetrack, be ready to photograph sunset, then stay for some late evening astro photography, and ultimately if possible, to be followed by sunrise photo ops.
Planning my arrival for early Dec. and the new moon plus/minus one day, to hope for darkest sky possible.
Any suggestions, recommendations, etc. will be greatly appreciated.
I am looking for any advice, suggestions, recommendations, etc. on a locally based company that may offer transportation to the Racetrack, beginning from within the Park itself.
Alternatively, possibly a local DGrin member looking to share expenses and make a photo trip out to this area of the Park.
Best case would be to arrive well in advance to scout locations, find some sliding rocks at the south end of the Racetrack, be ready to photograph sunset, then stay for some late evening astro photography, and ultimately if possible, to be followed by sunrise photo ops.
Planning my arrival for early Dec. and the new moon plus/minus one day, to hope for darkest sky possible.
Any suggestions, recommendations, etc. will be greatly appreciated.
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Comments
The road out to the racetrack is well known for cutting tires so it's not unusual to get more than one flat. Just a note.
Renting transportation might not be a bad idea but I would make sure of any policies they have regarding tire damage.
If you need to get a tow out of there it will cost an unbelievable amount.
Sam
It's not sandy, you don't need 4wd. High clearance helps, but isn't even absolutely necessary.
Super low sedans like a Prius or a little roadster wouldn't work, but a list of vehicles I know have made it includes a typical subaru wagon, and ford escort.
No venders in the park (NPS rules). Rental cars in Vegas, etc.
Early December I'd say your biggest obstacle would potentially be storms- be prepared for significant exposure issues.
What vehicle are you taking to get to the park?
--- Denise
Musings & ramblings at https://denisegoldberg.blogspot.com
Wow, that's fairly new. or I've just ignored it everytime I've been there. Expensive though, and a bit of overkill, considering you can't actually go off-road in DV. Glad you corrected me though.
There's a LOT to see off the beaten path. Including several cabins, a camp spot that overlook the Panamint Valley, Cerro Gordo and so many other places.
Have fun!
If you do plan to air down, take either a good bicycle pump or cigarette light compressor with you, there's a lot of blacktop back to a gas station. Actually, a bicycle pump works for reinflating a flat ok, doing all four tires with a bicycle pump is onerous.
Airing down will make an un-repairable sidewall puncture more likely, I've generally only found it really useful in sand where I need more traction, but then, I don't mind the ride so much, and am patient enough to take those kinds of roads slow.
I recommend taking either a do it yourself plug repair kit, or fix a flat, or both. Yeah, fix a flat might ruin the tire (and possibly an air pressure sensor), but replacing a tire will be cheaper than a service call out there. Cell phone reception cuts in and out along that road, you can't guarantee a call, and if you get stuck you'll be stuck waiting for the next group to come along.
A small cigarette lighter pump will handle passenger car tires but will struggle mightily with even a small truck tire. To be honest, a bicycle pump (floor type) is hardly worth it-better than nothing but look into a small compressor.
Actually there are several legal marked offroad trails in Death Valley that require a well modified vehicle...Mengel Pass on the way to Barker Ranch, Lippincott Mine Road (the back way into the Racetrack) where I had to drive with my driver side tires up the canyon wall because most of the narrow shelf road was washed out along one section (and I'm glad I had a good spotter!!), South Park Canyon, Funeral Range...plenty of trails tough enough to risk carnage for even the most heavily modified offroad vehicles if the driver isn't experienced.
Allowing that Jeep rental company was the worst thing the Park Service ever did because vandalism at the Racetrack has been steadily increasing ever since (tiretracks on the playa, footprints from people walking on the playa when it is wet). The latest is idiots stealing the rocks. I personally hope they end the contract when it expires.
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To everyone....
Thanks so much for your input, suggestions, and advice!!!
This will all be valuable as I plan out the trek to DV and the surrounding area.
Again, Thanks everyone!!!
El Gato
www.globaltrekk-photos.com
I haven't exceeded the capabilities of a 12v compressor yet, at least, it's good for flats even if not for getting tires back up to blacktop pressures. And if it's 2 hours to the blacktop, and temperatures are dropping towards freezing, and the wind is picking up with enough force to blow rocks around on the playa? I'll take better than nothing over nothing, even if it takes a half hour to pump up the second flat of the drive.
And how many people renting automatic jeeps in the park have the driving experience to handle those roads? probably a small %. The nurse that got stuck and who's son died, north of the south entrance had a 4 wheel drive jeep, didn't know how to deal with the terrain. With a 2wheel drive truck, we've had to extract a stuck jeep driver, in a pretty remote area. I tried to look at their trail map- to see if they had any restrictions on the roads they allow you take the jeeps on, but they didn't seem to have an online map.
Last time i was there there were tire tracks on the playa, around the bandstand, luckily, not over by the rocks.
Cuong