Cottonwood Marble loop question

[GowerGulch42]

I just looked and it was something like 21 miles from Emigrant to the Dead Horse Canyon pass! Much more doable to upper Cottonwood, about 15 miles each way

[Beardilocks]

Bicycles not permitted on Titus currently ... le sigh.

GG's backpacking idea sounds righteous, but might be a little ambitious for a first backpacking trip in DV.

I believe bicycles are only banned from the lower narrows.  I don’t think NPS would care on the NV side as long as you didn’t go all the way through.

[Beardilocks]

I was having a hard time believing that Cottonwood would be closed for very long so I called in and asked.

No projected date but when I asked for order of magnitude 1wk or 1mo they said being open in a month is a safe bet.

So looking for alternatives is prob a good idea.

[MojaveGeek]

Gotta wonder what got damaged on the road. The Cottonwood drainage can flow mud all the way down to SPW but the road mostly avoids that, but maybe those side canyons collect enough to cause trouble. Well if the road is open by mid-March it will probably be freshly graded then!

Greenwater to the valley via Sheep would be a nice option. Sheep is supposed to be passable; I read a blog of someone doing it recently as it is on some whole valley hike route.

Or how about Indian Pass Canyon? There's usually water up at the top. Maybe do two nights where the water is and hike over into the Amargosa or something in between? I've never been in there because out and back probably out of my pay grade for a day hike these days. Need ability to navigate.

There are other options, but I'd hesitate to recommend for folks whose abilities I don't know.

[Bluegreen kayak]

The nice folks at Farabee's say I can cancel with 24 hours notice to them, so I guess we will just prepare for either eventuality. We have water filtration equipment if Cottonwood is open, but I think they should carry the 3 gallons (each) anyway. My thanks to everyone for your help, especially checking on the opening, Beardi.

Gower, if I understand you correctly, they would hike from Emigrant camp to Lemoigne Canyon, over to upper Cottonwood and back down to ... hmm, not sure I've got this straight. Can you clarify?

My internet searches have yielded only trip reports for going down Titanothere; if the boys do hike up the canyon, it'll be an outlier. That might appeal to them.

[John Morrow]

Gower, if I understand you correctly, they would hike from Emigrant camp to Lemoigne Canyon, over to upper Cottonwood and back down to ... hmm, not sure I've got this straight. Can you clarify?

In November of 2022 the trail that departs directly out the back of Emigrant Campground was still clear, cairned and initially well traveled (behind the 2nd or 3rd campsite from the SW corner of the campground).  It crosses 3 miles or more of bajada west to the mouth of Lemoigne Canyon (or it did).  Since all the flooding there is bound to be steep drops in and out of washes.  It is importtant to go up the North Fork of Lemoigne.  This route gains more than 4000 vertical feet so it would be arduous.  This is a report doing N Fk Lemoigne to Cottonwood in reverse:
https://www.nwhikers.net/forums/viewtopic.php?t=8022827
Loop by John Morrow, on Flickr

NOTICE that the loop is incomplete, lacking the crossing to Emigrant Campground.  We were lucky enough to be offered a ride by a party visiting the mines!  I would not cross the bajada NW like we did to reach the lower Cottonwood Mtns if I did it again.  Too many deep wash crossings.  If the trail still exists, I'd take it to near the Lemoigne mouth then walk the edge of the range to the canyon we entered to avoid all the drops/climbs of the washes.  Or park on the highway at Lemoigne Jeep Road and use it.  I feel safe parking at Emigrant for that amount of time

[Brice]

We have water filtration equipment if Cottonwood is open, but I think they should carry the 3 gallons (each) anyway. 

I believe the rangers keep up to date on whether the cottonwood loop has water (it usually does) because it's the most commonly backpacked route in death valley. 

I recommed talking to someone before heading out and they can let you know if the springs are flowing.  It will be much more pleasant to not be carrying so much water if it's not needed. 

There are other backpacking options listed on the DV website in case you're unaware. 

https://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/backpacking.htm

[MojaveGeek]

There is a trail from pavement to Lemoigne that is slightly higher up the bajada, parallels the one that takes off from the Emigrant campground. I prefer it. Also being a bit higher it is less likely to get washed out, and the wash crossings are not bad, but you always have to be attentive to where it will come out on the other side of one.

That trail actually continues north into the canyon immediately north of Lemoigne, then turns upstream before disappearing in the wash. My spider sense tells me this was an old route, the most direct route, from the old toll road to Goldbelt, but I've not seen evidence of it further up that canyon in satellite views. Exploratories like that are really not meant for first time DV backpacking though.

[John Morrow]

There is a trail from pavement to Lemoigne that is slightly higher up the bajada, parallels the one that takes off from the Emigrant campground. I prefer it. Also being a bit higher it is less likely to get washed out, and the wash crossings are not bad, but you always have to be attentive to where it will come out on the other side of one.

That trail actually continues north into the canyon immediately north of Lemoigne, then turns upstream before disappearing in the wash. My spider sense tells me this was an old route, the most direct route, from the old toll road to Goldbelt, but I've not seen evidence of it further up that canyon in satellite views. Exploratories like that are really not meant for first time DV backpacking though.

Wow, MG, that trail is super obvious on GE, thanks! I'd like to check it out sometime. It is a great way into the canyon system east of Lemoigne, too, that roughly parallels the S Fk. The upper reaches are mentioned on a map in Digonnet's S Fk Lemoigne pages map.
I've noticed that canyon you mention north of Lemoigne, that roughly parallels the N Fk. It is steep in its head but looks reasonablish....

[Bluegreen kayak]

On my way and should arrive tonight, yea! One of my sibs will be with me for part of the visit. This should result in either her telling the rest of them that Death Valley really is great and worth my twice-yearly visits, or confirming to them that I am crazy.