Date:         Tue, 14 Feb 2006 16:36:26 -0700
Reply-To:     bueses <bueses@EARTHLINK.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         bueses <bueses@EARTHLINK.NET>
Subject:      Death Valley Trip Report
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Thanks to all who responded  w/ info on going to Death Valley.  We went on
the quick 4 day journey last weekend & got home last nite.

Drove from Salt Lake City to Wendover, NV, then south to Ely, west to
Tonopah, and south again to the northeast end of DVNP-took about 8.5 hours
for the 510+- miles.  Beautiful drive, very few people, pulled into Scotty's
Castle hoping to sit in the bar & watch the Opening Ceremonies of the Winter
Olympics!  Oooops, can't do that, but we did camp at Mesquite Springs &
enjoyed the warm weather at 2000' elevation.

Next day did the tourist stuff, Castle Tour, volcanic crater, petted/fed the
coyotes, then headed for the San Dunes, & Stove Pipe Wells-too commercial,
Boy Scout Troop 1814 from La Habra, CA there in their matching red T-shirts
setting up camp in the parking lot like camp sites, decided to get out of
Dodge & headed up Emigrant Pass to the Charcoal Kilns & Wild Rose
campground.  Camped at Wild Rose at 4100' elev. where it was definitely
cooler than on the valley floor.  The westy did not like going slow up
long/steep grades & started to get hot-3/4 to 7/8 on temp gauge, so decided
not to go the rest of the way to the upper campgrounds which were open at
7400' & 8100' elevs.

Next day cruised down the hill to Mosaic Canyon for a short hike, Salt Creek
to look for Pupfish(too early), & then on to the thriving metropolis of
Furnace Creek where we got the 2nd to last good camping spot at around 3 pm
on Sunday afternoon. Minding our own business later on & having a cocktail,
when 4 women in 2 Eurovan Winnebago campers pull in next to us to camp in
the last good spot left. They also had Utah plates, & it turned out we sorta
knew them.  You can run, but you cannot hide!

Next day headed out for more site seizin, hikes, & drove home via scenic
Pahrump, NV, Los Wages, St. George UT, etc. back to SLC.  I had between
30-35 episodes of "Vanagon syndrome" between the trip down & the trip
back-getting pissed enuf now that I gotta fix this problema, otherwise, the
westy ran like a charm when it wasn't overheating or bucking.

DV was nice, especially if you have not seen desert before, but I gotta say,
as an unbiased observer, that S Utah/N. AZ's deserts are much more scenic
than CA/NV's deserts!  Who'd a thunk DV would have a golf course?

Tom-back to my hole to avoid the flames