Death Valley 2022/23

[MojaveGeek]

Interesting, just few weeks ago the ranger I spoke was like "cotonwood road is awful im not taking my subaru there, big sand trap at the start".

I still havent been up there and I so want to explore some. Ill call them again end of the week before we head out.

Cottonwood was closed till recently. I suspect it was recently graded, so not surprised it is in great shape. Once I was out there, up in Marble Canyon, coming out, we were going to be late to meet my friend's wife at SPW, no way to communicate, we were going to be way late... but when we got up to that parking area, it had been graded and we just zoomed out much faster than we'd gone in (we had a jeep on that ride).

And yet, I've seen sand streaming into the roadway on windy days...

So it's getting pretty tedious with Echo and H in W if you have to drive past the last designated site to be legal... I mean I could appreciate not parking in a designated site for a day hike but that's nuts.

There's two spots just before the Hole that are sweet spots to camp but also great to park for the Slit. I wonder if they are now designated. I bet there is no way for us mere mortals to find out.