From: ed@titipu.resun.com (Edward Reid)
Newsgroups: rec.backcountry
Subject: Re: Death Valley
Date: Wed, 11 Nov 92 23:48:48 EST(-0500)
Organization: Accuracy, Ltd.
Reply-To: ed@titipu.resun.com (Edward Reid)
X-Mailer: uAccess - Macintosh Release: 1.6v0

Here's something I posted last year; the info may help you.  Note that some of
the comments relate specifically to April or May.  I would guess that it will
be very crowded over New Year's, as it is a major RV mecca in the winter.  The
RV parking lots will probably be stuffed to the gills.  There doesn't seem to
be any camping between the edges of the RV lots (where a small area is
designated for tents) and backcountry camping, though the latter seems to apply
to some vehicle-accessible areas.

Subject: Re: Death Valley in May
Date: Sun, 21 Apr 91 15:13:25 EST (-0500)

In article <14165@hacgate.UUCP>, sandberg@ipla01.hac.com (K. M. Sandberg) writes:
>
> I am going on a trip to Death Valley in the beginning of May

I passed through Death Valley only a few days ago.  Weather in the valley
was comfortable but heating up quickly.

The following publications are useful.

                                           North entrance
                                           .  Furnace Creek vistor center
    Probably available at:                 .  .  Stovepipe Wells store
                                           .  .  .  info boxes
                                           .  .  .  .  outside DVNM
                                           V  V  V  V  V
NPS DV brochure          incl in $5        X  X
                         entrance fee
Backpacking in DV        ?? (did not buy)     X  X
Trails Illustrated       $6                   X  X     X
  topo of DVNM
USGS topos 7.5' & 15'    $2.50 each           X        X
Sand Dunes Story         $0.50                X  X  X
Wildrose Charcoal Kilns  $0.50                X  X  X

The NPS DV brochure is the standard format NPS map, showing services and
highlights. Roads are classified as paved, unpaved, or 4WD.  It gives the
following weather information (presumably for Furnace Creek):

                   Jan Feb Mar Apr May Jun Jul Aug Sep Oct Nov Dec
     Ave high (F)   65  73  81  88 100 110 116 114 106  91  75  66
     Ave low        39  46  54  62  71  82  89  86  78  62  48  40
     Record high    87  91 101 109 120 125 134 126 120 110  97  86
     Ave rain (in) .21 .33 .15 .12 .06 .02 .11 .06 .10 .11 .19 .19

"Backpacking in Death Valley" seemed thorough.  It notes that you cannot assume
any backcountry water will be available at any time of year and devotes an
entire section to water caching.

The Trails Illustrated (TI) topo is their normal waterproof, tearproof map.  The
scale is 1:133,333 and the contour interval is 50 meters (feet not given). It
classifies roads as paved, unpaved, high clearance, or 4WD; and trails as
maintained or primitive.  It also lists and describes trails and backcountry
roads.  For off-trail travel you would want the more detailed USGS topos.  The
visitor center was out of stock on some of the most popular USGS topos; if you
are near an REI store you can probably get both the TI and USGS maps there.  A
good map store will also have both, at a slightly higher price (REI doesn't
seem to know how much it costs to stock maps).  Trails Illustrated phone:
800-962-1643.

The Sand Dunes brochure is informative but poorly written (second grade reading
level).

The Wildrose Charcoal Kilns brochure is both informative and extremely well
written, and worth picking up for the latter alone.

Now for specific info: phone for DV Superintendent's office: 619-786-2331.

There is a standard campground at Mesquite Spring, near the north entrance,
which you might use as your meeting point.  There are no campgrounds near the
south end, or anywhere south of Furnace Creek.  Backcountry camping is
permitted  at least 5 miles from maintained campgrounds, 1 mile from major
roads, and 1/4 mile from water sources.  Voluntary backcountry registration is
available at the visitor center.  Groceries are available at Furnace Creek and
Stovepipe Wells; water may be available elsewhere, but the NPS brochure,
disappointingly, does not indicate where.

You have a wide choice of road conditions; the TI map might be especially useful
to you.  You could certainly spend four days without needing a truck; it
depends on where you want to go.  Most dirt roads will be heavily washboarded.

Most of the valley is near sea level (lowest point, near Badwater, is -86m) and
will have weather similar to Furnace Creek.  The large campgrounds are in this
area.  I found the sun oppressive between about 11 and 6 (in mid April,
remember); the valley seemed much friendlier in the early morning and late
afternoon.  The west side has three campgrounds at higher (cooler) elevations:
Wildrose at 1300m, Thorndike at 2300m, and Mahogony Flat at 2500m.  The two
latter may require a high clearance or 4WD vehicle or a short backpack.
Temperatures will be much cooler at these elevations, especially at night.

I enjoyed playing in the sand dunes near Stovepipe Wells.  (Read the brochure
first, for information and cautions.)  Do it very early in the morning when the
sand is still cool enough that you can take off your shoes.  Six o'clock is
probably not too early.

Mosaic Canyon, also near Stovepipe Wells, is an interesting 4-mile round trip
hike. The canyon is steep enough to offer at least some shade even in midday.

If those are too hot, there are trails up Wildrose Peak (2760m) and Telegraph
Peak (3368m).  The latter will certainly be solidly snowed in even in May; the
former had plenty of snow in April.

My impressions of DV: I couldn't shake the feeling that I was in the middle of a
vast construction zone.  Broken piles of rubble.  Mud.  Gravel.  No escape from
the sun.  No vegetation.  Ugly.  Awesome, truly awesome (dude) but ugly.

Enjoy.

Edward Reid  (8*}>
  eel:   ed@titipu.resun.com  or  nosc.mil!titipu.resun.com!ed
  snail: PO Box 378/Greensboro FL 32330
Newsgroups: rec.backcountry