Manley Pass, Slate Range - Fun!
Posted by Last Chance Rand on September 04, 2001 at 14:41:17:
Planning to go to up Goler Wash? Rather than via Ballarat, try going up and over Manley Pass! This is an easy to moderate 4x4 route that terminates at the start of the Goler Wash trail.
North of Trona is a commercial sand & gravel pit, well signed on the highway. Follow this well improved dirt road east to grove of athel trees, almost to the gravel pit work yard.
Note a good dirt road heading northeast, marked, I believe, as P168?. Follow this up the wash, it turns north, then after a mile or so the route climbs up onto a series of ridgelines until reaching Manley Pass. From here I believe are the finest panoramic views of the southern Panamints!
The route steeply but easily decends into southern Panamint Valley via Fish Canyon. Once exiting the mouth of the canyon, the route is "paved" with volcanic cobble stones which can challenge lower quality tires.
After a total of about 4 to 5 miles, the route reaches the edge of Panamint dry lake at an intersection -- turn right (south) to skirt the southern tip of the dry lake (warning: can be wet and muddy after rains) to the start of Goler Wash.
For the adventureous, a high-clearance rig can rock crawl up Fish Canyon to Briers Silent Supulture, and hikers can follow the Escape Trail markers to the gravesites of Fish (marked) and Isham.
This is one of my favorite routes! Note that this route traverses BLM lands and is not within Death Valley National Park.
- -Goler Wash--charles Manson chris 18:35:55 03/17/02
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