Beautiful shots. I'd been hoping to maybe cross paths with y'all and bang out a hike, but now I'm not so sure! Out of morbid curiosity, do you know the mileage and elevation for this bastard?

(2024-01-12, 10:05 AM)TacoLand Wrote: Beautiful shots. I'd been hoping to maybe cross paths with y'all and bang out a hike, but now I'm not so sure! Out of morbid curiosity, do you know the mileage and elevation for this bastard?

About 9 miles and 4,900 feet of gain after the peak and wandering around Coffin a bit.  

I'm going to be in either butte valley or eureka Valley next week where there are substantially easier peaks.

No thank you !!!

Lot of great stuff in both Butte & Eureka Valley – can't wait to see what you explore next.

I scrapped out 8.5mi and 3700ft of gain wandering around a lot and not going for the peak. That was still a bit much for me. Lol.

I finished off the Black Mountains with a climb up to the Buckwheat dunes highpoint.  The wash where the dunes are located is called buckwheat wash, in case anyone was wondering.

To get there, I followed the Ibex springs road which has sustained significant damage from the hurricane.  I don't recommend driving it.

I took the dune ridge on the left to the summit, and the fast, very steep way down 



Walking on pristine dunes is so enjoyable.  It makes me wonder why anyone bothers with mesquite dunes.  Everything that's great about dune hiking isn't possible there most of the time.



At the highpoint looking south towards the Avawatz mountains. The rocks were all carved with intricate patterns from the blowing sand.

I've never visited those dunes .... probably because I can't drive my SUV straight into them from the parking lot

If it isn't too revealing / sensitive – where have you been backcountry camping down there? Much human activity? Looking like I'll focus on that area but would rather not post up right next to Harry Wade Road every night.

"Walking on pristine dunes is so enjoyable."

Ditto That!!!!! People may find pristine dunes textures to be boring photography but the infinite diversity of such textures never tire me. I have hundreds of photos of wind creations in the sand and love to revisit 'em.

(2024-01-13, 06:07 PM)TacoLand Wrote: I've never visited those dunes .... probably because I can't drive my SUV straight into them from the parking lot

If it isn't too revealing / sensitive – where have you been backcountry camping down there? Much human activity? Looking like I'll focus on that area but would rather not post up right next to Harry Wade Road every night.

Check the most recent DVNP Backcountry Roads/Dispersed Camping Map but we found a nice site after turning right at the turnoff with Saratoga Springs. After going the required distance to be legal on a HCV road toward Ibex Spring we camped with a great view of Ibex Dunes.

(2024-01-12, 10:36 AM)Brice Wrote:

(2024-01-12, 10:05 AM)TacoLand Wrote: Beautiful shots. I'd been hoping to maybe cross paths with y'all and bang out a hike, but now I'm not so sure! Out of morbid curiosity, do you know the mileage and elevation for this bastard?

About 9 miles and 4,900 feet of gain after the peak and wandering around Coffin a bit.  

I'm going to be in either butte valley or eureka Valley next week where there are substantially easier peaks.

My only time up on that peak I was too spent to drop the 400 feet of vertical loss to the canyon, knowing I had to retrace it climbing back out and over the summit in order to get back to the valley floor.  I, too, wanted to view the non-technical portion of Coffin, hoping to see some beautiful waterpolished rock that you two seceeded in finding!

Thanks, John. I'm definitely going to set aside a day or two down in that area to check out the once-pristine sand dunes that Brice absolutely ruined (kidding!). If anyone is in the Park and sees a gold first-gen Tacoma with a low-profile silver camper shell being driven by a dude that looks like an off-brand Frank Zappa feel free to say hi.