4wd does death valley

[weasel]

So over xmas I borrowed one of my old 87 4wd 5 speeds that I'd sold to a friend a few years ago (mine died 6 months ago due to costing too much to pass smog).
I took off for 10 days in death valley. I love death valley for its vastness, and the ability to escape from the crowds with just a little off-pavement driving.
I started with a very snowy drive across the sierras at tahoe, then down 395 past mono lake and mammoth, where it was a nasty blizzard (thankfully I had great snow tires). Then from Big pine across the inyos and into eureka valley. I was going to attempt steel pass into saline, but discovered I had a busted shock so went back into lone pine to get it fixed, then came into saline valley via the north pass which was very snowy - couple of feet. After xmas and boxing day at the springs in saline I headed for racetrack and did the lippincott mine road - that's some seriously fun 4 wheelin right there - I was very glad for the low compound. A few places I had to get out with a trenching tool to do a bit of road maintainance to make sure I didn't hit bottom, but it was mostly fine - the van excells in that it has a short wheelbase and is nice and narrow. It was a blast to reach the top of that road in a lil old toyota van and see the shock on the face of the guy in a jeep camping up there.
Racetrack was amazing - spent a couple of very cold nights there (temps in the low teens), then headed for death valley proper, where I hid from the masses by camping in the 4wd only canyons (marble, hole in the wall etc.). Then back over the sierras via remington springs, and a great roadtrip under my belt!
Some pix to whet your appetite:
http://nephology.org/gallery/list.php?exhibition=188
Conclusion - 4wd vans rock.
Git out there and roadtrip!
Jon

[Josh Hennen]

Awesome trip! I have been to death valley in a 2WD Van so had to keep it on the main roads, still a beautiful place. The pics you took are very good. I am jealous!

[slosurfer]

awesome pics!!!!

I love DV and hope to get there again this year. I haven't been to the racetrack, teakettle junction, area yet.

Have you been to the charcoal kilns yet?