Death Valley Off-Road Adventures

That sounds like a good balance! DV is big and Steel in particular is slow.

If you are headed back to SoCal any reason you aren't doing South Pass instead? Would cut off a heap of driving and less subject to snow than North Pass.

 

well i can also take south pass. i was reading on another forum that taking south pass only saves about 30 minutes. it's shorter miles, but the road is a lot worse than north pass. but some recent road condition updates might change my mind.

 

From the end of Lippincott, it takes nearly two hours to drive all the way to Big Pine via North Pass under current road conditions. And that was driving like an insane person trying to make it to BBQ in time, hitting freeway speeds on the straight sections and sliding around the curves. The fuel gauge dropped pretty quick driving like that too, surprised I didn't have to coast into Big Pine.

Lippincott dumps you a lot closer to South Pass and that way will be much faster if you are going back to SoCal. I haven't driven it this year though, but two years ago it was well graded all the way. I would guess at least 2 hours shorter if going to SoCal. But to repeat, I can't comment on current road conditions over South Pass.

 

great info thanks! definitely calling ahead and researching road conditions of both of these roads. appreciate the help

 

From the springs 30 minutes savings is probably about right. If you consider Olancha the meeting point between the routes going via NP is 121 miles and via SP is 85 miles. NP is about 40 miles off pavement and SP is about 53 miles off pavement but those numbers can be a bit deceptive as on the SP route the section from SP to the 190 is like glass right now. Also on NP while you hit pavement at Big Pine-Death Valley road that pavement down to the 395 is slower than the 190 for sure. So I think the shorter NP off pavement miles are a bit deceptive.

For a vehicle with aired down tires really SP is in fine shape right now. In the past SP was much less maintained than NP and so people in standard vehicles greatly preferred NP. Right now, not so much difference and practically none with aired down LT tires. If you don't air down then it becomes a question of which has the worst washboard and that varies year to year. I've not been up NP in ages, I was up SP just a few days ago and the washboard was about typical.

The "worst" part of SP is actually from about the Lippincott turn off down to the Salt Tram. This is just because it tends to be a bit rockier than other sections slowing your speed. Sounds like you'll already have driven that section getting to the springs in the first place so you'll have a read on it already.

Anyway, either direction should be fine but I expect SP will save you 30 mins of driving. Of course if you want to pass through Big Pine, Independence or Lone Pine for some reason then then NP makes more sense.

Oh, and if you don't go to the springs but bail from Lippincott instead then as @mk5 said SP is the no brainer for sure at that point.

 

Oh, and don't expect any useful information from the park rangers on road conditions, especially Saline road conditions. Better resource:

https://forum.salinepreservation.org/?forum=162656

 

I usually prefer NP coming out of the springs unless there is something specific I want to check out on SP. NP allows for more highway miles, I can fill up at Big Pine, and Copper Top (if it isn't late in the day or the day they close). I think you will be fine since you're going with a group. I'll be out there soon too. Prepping the rig now.

 

See you guys out there. I’ll be heading out there with a group starting Saturday

 

engine on at 0420 left palms in 4low with DRL, creeping thru the camp toward SVR NP. at 0609 i'd traveled 39.3 mile in ~184 minutes, I aired up at the intersection SVR and DVBPR.
i arrived at my driveway at 1634. Saline Valley road was in excellent shape, and i drove fast in the darkness. 10/28/21

 

0420 to 0609 is 109 minutes…

Sounds like I was camping just a few miles up Steel Pass Road from you the night of the 27th then.

When I came through the springs on the afternoon of the 28th there were a bit over 40 vehicles at the upper (middle actually) springs and more than 20 outside the main camp at lower (I didn’t check the main camp behind the springs). Not my cup of tea. Stopped for a quick shower and moved on to the Saline Dunes to camp for the night.

 

Ken is right, my estimate of "at least 2 hours faster" is from the end of Lippincott, not the springs. And the section from there to the tram towers is indeed too rough to drive fast right now.

 

does not surprise me i messed up that complex math. going faster than i thought.
i'd planned to camp on that closed route with the black pipe, but decided to head home a day sooner.
ditto on long shower and skipping the lights and party.

 

Finally made it out to DV last weekend, 1.5 years later.

Went to panamint springs, explored the western panamint Valley, lost a tire to an angry rock, saw a fox and a burro.

And checked out Cerro Gordo. Didn't do much but we are planning the next one.

 

Wow PSR looks busy.

 

I was surprised, thought it would be packed but only 5 groups in the whole place

 

Did you make a reservation to see Cerro gordo?

 

Just got word that the springs are "effing packed". This is right now and comes from someone who goes there regularly. I was hoping the week after Halloween and far ahead of Thanksgiving wouldn't be too busy.

 

jeep jamboree out there right now and ends Saturday.

 

Cal4Wheel's event is November 12-14th--Panamint Valley Days and is out near Trona.

edit: It's also the DV Noob Season.

 

I drove both South and North pass a few weeks ago. South was rougher, worse than usual I think, but not bad. Certainly fine for a PreRunner. I saved about an hour from the Springs to pavement heading out on North vs heading in on South. But depending on where your next destination is, that may not be relevant. And if you come down Lippincott and don’t go to the Springs at all, South Pass should be much faster to get back to 395 southbound.