Grave Cyn, more Owlsheads, Anvil Spg Cyn backpacking

[MojaveGeek]

In case Sugarloaf doesn't have a register, you might want to take one. It's a nice obscure destination!
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My Death Valley panoramas:
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[SteveHall]

I read some of the reviews on Sugarloaf on the DPS archives, and it sounds like there is indeed a register.

I finally got it confirmed that our group will be doing this backpacking route through Lost Spring Cyn & Anvil Spring Cyn in exactly 3 weeks, towards the end of February. Already started preparing and also continuing to work on my fitness, as I have dropped more weight since my Fall trip concluded (lost about another 12 lbs. so far). I've really started to appreciate that fitness is key in order to get the most out of hikes in DV and also to be able to successfully keep hiking long distances everyday.
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Steve's Death Valley Adventures-
www.panamintcity.com

[SteveHall]

Working up an early list of planned hikes for my upcoming Spring trip. I'm figuring on 12 days, but not sure yet if I can go for that long. Also, 6 of the 12 days involve backpacking, which puts a unique spin on things.

SPRING 2010 early itinerary (*hikes involve overnight backpacking)

1- Happy Cyn (to 4800 ft level to cross Death Valley boundary)
2- Indian Pass Cyn
3- *Talc Cyn (backpacking overnight, camping at head of Owlshead Cyn)
4- *Owlshead Cyn, Contact Cyn (to wrap up all 3 northern Owlshead cyns)
5- Tin Mtn
6- Moonlight Cyn
7- *Dry Mtn east summit (backpacking overnight, camping near east summit)
8- *Dry Mtn main summit
9- Mill Cyn (out and back to mouth hiking down from South Pass)
10- Cottonball Marsh
11- *Sagenite Cyn & Owl Lake (backpacking overnight, camping on Owl Lake playa)
12- *Lost Lake & Ibex Dunes (dunes time permitting returning from backpacking)

The last two days will involve parking as close as I can drive to Sagenite Canyon. After exploring the old workings there for about 2 hours, I will backpack out to Owl Lake and set up camp for the night. The next day, I will continue backpacking to Lost Lake, before looping back down to the road and heading back to the vehicle. Ideally, I would have liked to include hiking out to the mysterious and small Wingate Wash Lake, but I think it might be trying to do too much.
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www.panamintcity.com

[desert varnish]

Steve, sounds like an awesome trip to places few people have ever been.
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[SteveHall]

Thanks, Greg. I'm definitely planning to get to at least 2/3 of the places on that early draft list. The 4 days in the Owlsheads will be in for sure.

Here's a map which shows the backpacking route between Sagenite Cyn - Owl Lake - Lost Lake - Wingate Wash Lake - Sagenite Cyn. As the map shows, adding on a side trip to WWL would probably be a bit too much.


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Steve's Death Valley Adventures-
www.panamintcity.com

[SteveHall]

I was informed that 4 days and 3 of my destinations will not work out for mid-March. Those include Dry Mountain, Tin Mountain, and Cottonball Marsh. The reason is the heavy winter storms (around 2.68 inches of rain during the last 2 months at FC). Thus, reaching the summits of high peaks will be blocked by snow and reaching Cottonball Marsh would be too muddy. So I'm trying to decide between postponing by a few weeks or a month or changing up a few destinations. I just hate to not do any peak hiking once again.

I am considering increasing from 4 days to 5 days in the Owlsheads. I could go "all in" with the hope of finally spotting a desert tortoise in their main DV habitat. The timing is right, the destination is right, but it still will be all chance. So far I was going to hike Talc Cyn, Owlshead Cyn, Contact Cyn, Sagenite Cyn, Owl Lake, and Lost Lake. But I could add on either Sand Cyn, Drone Cyn, Epsom Salt Works monorail, or Wingate Wash Lake. It definitely requires some more thought. I really wish there were some more Owlshead fans like myself out there.
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Steve's Death Valley Adventures-
www.panamintcity.com

[SteveHall]

I love having this forum space to figure out what to do on my trips. It really helps a lot to get things sorted out, even if I'm mostly talking to myself. But I came up with an idea today which I think I'm going to implement. Basically, I need to figure out what to do with the 4 extra days.

On 2 of the days, I'm thinking I will start at Scotty's Castle Road and backpack up to the mouth of Dry Bone Canyon. After setting up camp, I can then hike up and explore the canyon north of Dry Bone. On the next day, I can hike through Lower Dry Bone Canyon and see the 3rd narrows, before returning and backpacking out. That should be a really nice way to spend 2 days.

Hike starts on upper right side of this GE map:

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www.panamintcity.com

[David_Bricker]

You're not talking to yourself, Steve We're just listening. Even though I don't hike as much as I ought to, it is very interesting to read of your plans. We are debating a Spring run to PC, or perhaps the Albatross. I'm not in shape for either, but maybe I can get there.

David Bricker / SYR

[Tom]

[SteveHall]

Hey David and Tom,

Good to hear from you both as always. I was just joking about talking to myself, actually I view my posts under these Trip Planning threads kind of like a blog. It's just useful for me to sort out my plans by keeping a record here, other than just in my head or on paper somewhere.

David-- PC or Albatross? Sounds awesome. If you do Albatross and we are in the park at the same time, let me know, because I'll join you. I need to get up there and get some pictures for a better report on the hike.

Tom-- If you do the Smoke Tree loop you will really enjoy it. Actually, after I came home and posted my Through Canyon report with the info about seeing Owl Lake from there, I had somebody write to me a couple of weeks later and say they tried it. They backpacked Through Canyon all the way through, camped one night, and then took it a step further by continuing all the way to Owl Lake. And they really enjoyed the entire hike. So I'm glad a few people are at least checking out the Owlsheads. I really can't wait to get out there and spend 5 days or so exploring some more areas. Oh yeah, and I don't know how to save those red dots (or even my path for that matter). I simply plug in the route and then hit "print screen" to save my images.
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Steve's Death Valley Adventures-
www.panamintcity.com

[Tom]

[SteveHall]

Thanks for the tip, Tom. That will come in very useful instead of losing my paths everytime. Somebody asked me by PM regarding the Epsom Salt Works and Monorail Ruins hike, which I've decided to add to my March trip (another replacement hike). I took these Google Earth images which might help anybody interested to visualize the boundaries when hiking out there from Relay Station Road. Actually, the Crystal Hills and Epsom Salt Works area looks very pretty and definitely worth visiting. And I noticed on the forum that Original Bigfoot made the hike in 2006 and wrote about it. I'm planning on following in his footsteps.

DV Boundary maps for Crystal Hills & Epsom Salt Works:



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[Tom]

I visited the Epsom Salt Works in Nov. '07. Lots of historical remains there.

My pics are posted here http://community.webshots.com/album/576745504bmTyUw

[SteveHall]

Tom, you've been there and you have photos! Thanks for uploading them to the web album. Looks like an interesting place. If I go out there I'm thinking that a side trip north to Wingate Wash Lake might fit in perfectly.
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Steve's Death Valley Adventures-
www.panamintcity.com

[Tom]

Steve,
It should be an easy hike from the epsom works to Wingate. I have posted some pictures I took of Wingate Wash from high in the Owlsheads north of the defunct radio tower.
http://community.webshots.com/album/576752778JvgSuq