"Overnight group size limited to 15 people, 6 vehicles"- Death Valley National Park

Handlebars · #1 01-01-2002, 04:58 PM

I got that from the flyer the park service hands out when you cough up the $10 for admission. I'm leading a run there in a few weeks and I know that we will be exceeding the number of vehicles. Can they fine me for having too many vehicles in a group? How about airstrikes, there are a lot of airplanes flying through Saline Valley and Eureka Valley, where we'll be. We won't be passing any of the entrance stations on the entire trip, it will all be the backcountry roads. I might just be a worry-wort anyways. Last year I spent a week there and only saw one ranger patrolling the backcountry roads and he was in an Expedition. But if the park service is patrolling the area fron the air, we will stick out like a sore thumb. But seriously, what can they do if I am exceeding the alottment of vehicles?

97 2-door 5-speed XJ
"Yes, tow hooks are required!
Trail Crew SoCal 4x4 Club

Stu Olson · #2 01-01-2002, 05:53 PM

Interesting....I wonder if that 10 vehicle limit was the result of our RAM+JAW newsgroup March 2000 run? LOL

In the near future I'm going to build a thingy for the back of my Jeep and carry more stuff.
http://www.stu-offroad.com

speaceman · #3 01-01-2002, 09:05 PM

Why don't you just register as how ever many separate groups you need to accomidate everyone in your group.

IE: 12 vehicles = 2 groups.

That way if you get stopped by the rangers, "you've just had the good fortune to run into another group of your friends offroading on the same trail as you."

Grey 98 ZJ.

Chris L · #4 01-01-2002, 09:56 PM

Good idea shalom.
Alex if need be, I can register the second group if that helps. We can always say where lost and following you to find our way home....hehehe

97 ZJ 8.0" lift, Armed and plated bus.

TJRON · #5 01-02-2002, 09:34 AM

My my, I used to live in Bishop, CA in the early 70s and we hardly ever saw any body in Saline Valley. We could even play on Eureka Dunes in those days. Things change, that's for sure.
Ron

I like the way my Jeep is now..... I'd just like it, well, a little higher off the ground with more ground clearance!

Scott Hill · #6 01-02-2002, 03:15 PM

What are the details on this trip. I would like to get out that way again. I would sugest you stay in balarat it has a store and a shower and it is private or semi private.

a little TJ with a few mods check her out at www.real-jeeps.com

Handlebars · #7 01-02-2002, 04:36 PM

well, we won't be "registering" anywhere as our route won't take us past any of the ranger stations. Buuut a lot of the guys that are going are also in TTORA and have the stickers on their trucks so it will be easy to say we are 2 different groups.

Scott- we are leaving Saturday the 19th of January. We are camping at the crappy Homestake campsite at Racetrack Playa Sat. night. Sunday night we'll camp at the Saline hot springs, Monday we'll drive up through Steel Pass to the the Eureka Dunes where we will spend Monday night. Tuesday we'll head home.

Go to my club's website in my sig, you will be able to follow a link to my Fototime album from that same trip last year, there is also a flyer in there with all the details.

I'm looking for somebody who knows that area well that could lead a group of weekenders out from the Ractrack on Sunday afternoon, it looks like there will be a LOT of trucks going and many of them don't want to spend 4 days there. Buuut I'm worried about them floundering around in the snow in those passes and getting stuck and lost. Any volunteers? Preferably someone who has traveled in that area in the winter before.

97 2-door 5-speed XJ
"Yes, tow hooks are required!
Trail Crew SoCal 4x4 Club

Scott Hill · #8 01-02-2002, 04:52 PM

We did in in march or april had some snow but not a lot. are any of the areas you mention challenging?? I would like to go up pleasent canyon and cross the old bridge there.

a little TJ with a few mods check her out at www.real-jeeps.com

Handlebars · #9 01-02-2002, 09:13 PM

I was there this time last year- just in time for the winter's biggest storm. The snow was down around 5000 feet and put a lid on Saline Valley, where I just happened to be at the time.

It will all be easy 'wheeling- I did it with 30 inch tires and open diffs on my Cherokee last year. And I was by myself- no tow strap options or second opinions on lines. But it is an opportunity to spend quite a lot of miles on primitive roads far, far, far from civilization.

97 2-door 5-speed XJ
"Yes, tow hooks are required!
Trail Crew SoCal 4x4 Club

Robert J. Yates · #10 01-03-2002, 12:08 PM

<BLOCKQUOTE><font size="-1">quote:</font><HR>Originally posted by Stu Olson:
Interesting....I wonder if that 10 vehicle limit was the result of our RAM+JAW newsgroup March 2000 run? LOL

[/quote]

Heh, I was wondering the same thing. Its interesting though, if you look at literature promoting Death Valley, the one thing they always talk about are the backroads and desert exploration opportunities. Whats interesting about it is that they definitely do not tolerate that very well at all. They at the least ought to change their promotional stuff. Maybe something like "Hey, we want your money but don't show up if you actually want to do something that might disturb the old folks we have wandering around".

98 TJ Sport
D44ARB/D30Detroit/Teralow/35" MTr's