- Gregg, Rachel, Reilly in my '95 Jeep Wrangler.
- Joe and Lloyd in his Nissan MPV
- Rob and Kat in their Chevy Tahoe
- Raymond and Amy in his Dodge Ram pickup
Moderate
Moderate
First of all, Death Valley is huge. We underestimated it's size. We entered the park on the east side on route 190 and met the rest of the gang at a campground not far inside the park (relatively speaking). I think it was the Stove Pipe Wells campground. We got in before sunset, but others rolled in late (with some frantic phone calling to help with directions). The campground, like everything else, is pretty much out in the open. Days were very hot and nights were cool. Rob and Kat brought their telescope and we did a little star gazing the first night, including the comet.
The next morning we headed north on a dirt road towards Hunter Mountain. At first, it was mostly flat desert. Easy going, with only washboard roads to deal with. We stopped at a fork in the road to regroup. We were missing one, the MPV. After waiting a while and getting worried, I headed back down the road to look for Joe. We crossed a couple miles back. He was delayed with a flat. Apparently shredded his tire. The rocks out there are very sharp. Luckily he had a full sized spare that kept him going. Getting back to the fork, we stopped and had lunch. After lunch, another flat. Rob's Tahoe had a slow leak while we ate. Lesson: buy light truck tires. Again, full spare, keep chuggin.
Going up Hunter Mountain was tuff. We talked to people coming down, and they said it got difficult in spots, and that the van and truck might have problems. We tried it any way. Partway up, the truck slips a tire off the edge. With only 2-wheel drive, it needed help getting back on the road. We all pushed, and it was finally back on track. I led and went a little further. It only got worse and I recommended a retreat.
So, "the mountain wins again" (at least this time). We went back the way we came and stayed at Furnace Creek campground. By this time, pickins were slim, and we were in an overflow area (basically, a gravel parking lot). Not the best campground in the park, but just as many stars. The comet that night was spectacular. Visible with the naked eye, it was bright and stretched across a quarter of the sky.
The next morning we explored the southern area of the valley. We drove down the main road through the center of the valley, stopping at a few of the attractions, including Badwater and Devil's Golf Course. All easy dirt roads. We stopped at an old mining site for lunch (shade was the objective) and headed home afterwards.
