Harry Wade Rd and Owlshead Rd

[MojaveGeek]

I can vouch for Sand as well. It's real nice. It's fairly long so having two days to do it would be awesome and you'll have solitude and dark sky! Maybe you can work out a loop where you go up one canyon and back out another? It can be slightly tricky figuring out precisely where you're going as you leave your vehicle and cross the big wide flat valley. If you use GPS, putting in a way point (and also marking one for your vehicle for the trip back out) is a good idea.

Usually the Amargosa crossing is dry and a non-event. Sparky makes a good point about traffic.

The comm tower is perhaps one of the most remote places you may be able to reach in a rental sedan. But there is some white knuckle driving and I just prefer to have a greater fraction of my day walking than driving.

[TacoLand]

Yeah, I was going to type out something longer, but basically I'd ditch the Farabee's Jeep Rental idea ($$$$$) and use the money on aforementioned provisions, getting a mid-size SUV w/ spare in Vegas, and absolutely rent a GPS / Satellite emergency device like Garmin inReach.

I would focus on hiking the aforementioned canyons in the Owlshead, and skip the comm tower. From what I remember that road up to the comm tower is by far the roughest thing out there and having camped up there I thought it was neat, but nothing I'll ever tell my imaginary grandkids about.

[Algol]

Thank you so much for all the feedback. I am glad I joined the forum to ask. Not only you all have a lot knowledge
but also you are very welcoming, I appreciate that very much.

Any tips on how to deal with parking on the side of the road if the berm is high?
I've seen that in some pictures and I am curious to know how people deal with that

MojaveGeek: Is the Amargosa river bed fairly flat and shallow? I was assuming a pretty rocky crossing, with deep tracks left by other 4WD
vehicles.

I suppose if the river is dry almost always then, the wind will push sand into the river bed and there would not be as much mud for the 4WD
vehicles to create ruts behind.

I also looked at a possible loop going up Sand Canyon and returning via  South Quartz Canyon. The return looks doable, and the pack would be lighter without the water/food consumed. The only thing to contend with is the dry falls in South Quartz Canyon. Also, doing a yo-yo on Sand Canyon does not sound that bad either, looks like a great place anyway.

[David_Bricker]

Anytime I've crossed the river, it's been dry. It's dry most of the time, and when it is wet, I would not recommend crossing it at all. Too hard to tell how deep it might actually be.

Generally, the crossing is all sand. That sand can be deep at times, hence the caution in crossing. Best way it to look at previous tracks, to help determining the depth of the sand, or simply walk out there.

David Bricker / SYR

[MojaveGeek]

I have never had an issue parking for access to the Owlsheads or a bit further north. The road is generally wide enough. The first few miles south of pavement are a bit narrow but there are a number of places where people pull out for some excellent dispersed camping. As long as people can reliably get by you, you're good - don't wedge yourself into or on the berm.

As David says, it's usually dry. I crossed once when it was just barely wet, and the sand was actually packed, not really mud. Definitely just walk across it if in doubt. Remember, if you get caught in sand, you can always use your rental's floor mats and trunk mat for traction. If you can't get on them, jack up just a bit to place them. And as posted up thread, never spin your wheels - you are just digging your own grave.

The only canyon I've gone all the way up is Sand. I presume you've looked at Steve Hall's trip reports? He is a big fan of the Owlsheads and I've followed his footsteps out there. I know he's done a few trips in there with loops.

There is also a cool area a bit north, nearer the Confidence Hills, where the Amargosa makes a long narrow channel in the valley floor. Its deep enough that your head is beneath the overall land surface, so a "narrows" experience, and sometimes we found pools in there, though of course all depends on whether it has been a wet year or not. Mostly dry and cracked mud. It was sort of eerie to cross the broad flats and suddenly drop in narrows.

Algol, I hope you realize that the price you pay for our learned advice is that we love to see trip reports

[Kauri]

There is also a cool area a bit north, nearer the Confidence Hills, where the Amargosa makes a long narrow channel in the valley floor.    Its deep enough that your head is beneath the overall land surface, so a "narrows" experience, and sometimes we found pools in there, though of course all depends on whether it has been a wet year or not.  Mostly dry and cracked mud.  It was sort of eerie to cross the broad flats and suddenly drop in narrows.

That sounds neat! I hadn't heard of this spot, and will need to add it to my ever-lengthening DV to-do list

[Algol]

Thank you again for all your excellent advise. I am feeling pretty good about the options and certainly that will help make this trip a reality.
You all are very generous with your time and knowledge and it is pretty neat to find a community like that.

MojaveGeek:  I am well aware that a trip report is required and mandatory after all the help y'all have provided.
Lucky for me I have some time to bush up my camera and writing skills a bit

[TacoLand]

I’m a big fan of the Owlsheads and I’ve been all up and down the Harry Wade and Owl hole roads over the last 5 years. If you go reasonably slow those roads are fine for a vehicle with good clearance. There are a bunch of great dispersed camp sites off those roads too. DM me if you want some details on the campsites. I’ll be out there again in late Feb and most likely in the fall too.
I haven’t hiked Through cyn yet but Sand cyn is great. For me to do Sand all the way to Owl lake with a overnight pack would be a grind but I’m not in the best of shape. There’s a nice open area with classic Owlshead scenery in upper Quartz cyn that I want to overnight in someday. I had lunch there a few years ago and really didn’t want to leave.

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If you have time I also highly recommend Contact cyn. The hike through the Confidence hills is interesting and the colorful area near the head of Contact is pretty great.

Did you make it out to Sand Canyon on Feb. 28 by any chance? Driving a Toyota with Montana license plates?

If so .... I think I owe you an apology!

[shane]

We camped near where you start the Sand cyn hike 2 nights, Mar 1-2. I drive a Tundra with CA plates.

[TacoLand]

We camped near where you start the Sand cyn hike 2 nights, Mar 1-2. I drive a Tundra with CA plates.

Ahhh, good chance we saw each other. Were you camped pretty close to the road and just south of the main pullout? We were the (probably obnoxiously loud) group with a silver 4Runner and maroon Tundra parked further back off the road than I would have liked on Feb 28 & Mar 1. Felt bad having 4 people hike up & down Sand Canyon and leaving so many foot prints. Hope it was a good hike for you, sorry if we were lousy neighbors.