BACKCOUNTRY & 4X4

Posted by Last Chance Rand on December 28, 2001 at 13:58:00:

Trail Report for: Steel Pass - Saline Valley to Eureka Valley

The south side of this lonely route was all but obliterated during July '01 storms. It was reportedly reopened by the Ridgecrest Gear Grinders on October 7, 2001. Here at DeathValley.com we fielded several inquires this fall about the route's condition and was anxious for a look myself.

Two days after the big Thanksgiving weekend, we departed Warm Springs in a group of three Land Rovers. It just began to drizzle, but it was obvious that the rain that had threatened the valley all week had finally decided to descend upon it from the lofty peaks of the Inyo Mtns. to the West.

Immediately above the Upper Warm Springs we encountered our only trouble of the day -- finding the route through the braided wash. Twice we lost the trail and had to resort to scouting on foot.

The higher the elevation became, the better the trail's condition. However, the storm hit us quite hard just below the pass, briefly requiring wipers on full speed despite our low-range pace.

After a quick and rainy stop at Marble Bath, we crossed over the pass, finding only a few puddles along the way. The plateau had received a light dusting of snow just minutes prior to our crossing.

Descending Dedeckera Canyon was most memorable as we followed its meandering, tomato-soup red stream all along the way. The staircase near the mouth of the canyon was well-stacked with rocks making for a smooth descent, but is definitely still high-clearance territory.

The remainder of the route into the Eureka Dunes was in good shape, as was the main road out to Big Pine.

Although I found the route to be back to its normal condition, soon it'll likely find itself under a thick carpet of snow, rendering itself impassable until the Spring thaw.

DeathValley.com Trail Reports are provided without warranties or representations. Although our scouts are invited by DeathValley.com to submit trail reports, their accounts and findings are not necessarily verified. Any opinions they express are those of their own and do not necessarily represent the opinion of DeathValley.com. Visiting the backcountry of the Death Valley region can be dangerous without proper preparation, and driving on backcounty roads may cause damage to your vehicle. DeathValley.com and its trail scouts are not responsible for any resulting property damage, injury or loss of life.