Death Valley CLOSED: Fall/Winter 23/24 Trip Planning

[AlanMcR]

As DAW mentioned in another thread, Big Pine Rd/North Rd/Eureka is to officially open 1/22 along with Keane Wonder.

It was also reported that Emigrant Rd to the Kilns should open 1/31.

It figures.  We just left DV on the 20th.  Having those open would have made the trip so much better.

trip report please?

This visit was quite short.  Mostly an opportunistic detour from a SF->LA->SF trip that I couldn't wiggle out of.

Briefly:
We drove into DV much later than expected the on night of 1/18.  Entering from the south on Saratoga Springs Road, which has been graded into glassy smoothness with just enough surprises to keep me on my toes.
We camped a ways from the wetlands parking area.  Very quiet there.  I did a night hike into the wetlands area and that proved to be very worthwhile.  There was an amazing frog concert going on.  Very much worth the experience.

Next day we hiked up Willow canyon out of the Mormon Point parking area.  Quite a bit of water flowing out of the narrows at the end of the hike.  After that drove to Badwater.  Manly lake is quite large still, and I got a decent photo  of the lake. 
   
Then a rushed drive to the FC ranger station to try and snag an Echo campsite.  Too late.  So we drove up nearly 4000 feet to the Armargosa Cutoff and camped there.  Echo Canyon has also been graded to within an inch of its life.  Our Tesla would have made it in there without a scratch.  The parts of the cutoff that I drove and walked were in decent condition, just like I remembered it from many previous trips.  I walked back to the big step.  It had been "improved" by someone by knocking off some of the rock that made it difficult.  A dumptruck worth of rock had been added to make passage pretty easy.  Didn't go back any further.  Another peaceful night.

Since we were up there, we visited Inyo Mine.  Some of those buildings need some engineering love if they are to remain standing for the short term.  The mine is still open.  

Then down to Zabriskie for a walk halfway down.  Got an official designated campsite at the end of Marble/Cottonwood just before closing.  Then dinner at the Saloon, to appease my football loving wife (49rs playing). 

The sandy part of Cottonwood road had a few surprise woop-de-doos in it.  Otherwise, smooth sailing.  The campsite (closest to Marble trailhead) is nice and only one vehicle drove by at night.  Might have been the ranger, don't know.  
   
Marble Canyon has a wonderful if unchallenging narrows. Spent a good part of the day poking around some of the canyons past the narrows.  Then off to home by way of Trona and Lake Isabella.