Scheduled Events

Death Valley Geology Tour Narrated By Department of the Interior Senior
Geologist
Trip Leader- Frank Buddenbrock
Trona Pinnacles to Furnace Creek To Ubehebe Crater To Racetrack to Olancha

Trip Level- Easy to Moderate. Stock Vehicles welcome.

Please remove air dams and side steps.
Only one 60-foot long technical section- the rest is mainly highway and
washboard-y dirt road.

This trip is similar to the trip I led in November except with one MAJOR
improvement: I've invited a Department of the Interior Senior Geologist to
come along and educate us about the incredible geology that is Death
Valley. (He's almost more excited than I am to make this trip!) His name
is Allan Shareghi.

My plan is to have Allan narrate while I drive (so bring lots of batteries
for your handheld radios) and to teach and inform us at each of my
planned/unplanned stops.

As the headline suggests, this is to be a three-day trip instead of the
two-day trip we did in November. I'm anticipating longer stops (as Allan
explains things to us) plus I've added a number of spots we didn't get to
in November. My itinerary is listed below.

If you're not able to make all three days, you could catch us on Saturday
or Sunday.

I plan to make Furnace Creek Ranch
(http://www.furnacecreekresort.com/furnace-creek-ranch-1223.html) our base
of operations for Friday and Saturday night. (Furnace Creek Inn is
Closed.) Furnace Creek Ranch has two great restaurants, a “general store”,
and GAS. There is food available at the general store suitable for
on-the-trail lunches for Saturday and Sunday.

If we get 10 or more reservations at the Furnace Creek Ranch, we’ll get a
reduced rate. The rate per night will be $125.00 plus fees ($142.50
total). Otherwise, the rate is $148.00/night (plus fees). We’ll also get a
break on the cost for dinner at the Furnace Creek steak house if we have
more than 10 reservations.

The phone number for reservations is: (760) 786-3355.
Ask for Tina Wiant-- tell her you’re with SCLR and mention my name, Frank
Buddenbrock.
Give her the Booking Number: 164950.
!! We need to book the rooms by May 1st to get the better rate. !!

For those who would rather camp, there is camping available just up the
road from Furnace Creek Ranch.

Bring all your typical gear and LOTS of WATER— temps will most likely be
in the 90s.
Furnace Creek has a spring-fed pool- bring your swimsuits!
Bring sunscreen, hats, cameras and lots of batteries for your GMRS/FRS
radios. If you don’t have a radio, borrow one, buy one, steal one (just
kidding) but you must have one to listen to Allan as he narrates our trip.

Lunch will be on the trail all three days.


Here is my ambitious itinerary for our Death Valley trip, for May 15, 16,
17 2009. Please be aware that we may not get to all of the planned-for
spots. But hey, just an excuse (as if I need one) to go back again.

Look forward to seeing you all there!


Friday-

Trona Pinnacles- (N35 37.091 W117 22.318)
Searles Lake
Fish Canyon Trailhead (N35 50.677 W117 20.171)
Goler Wash (N35 51.5148 W117 10.78)
Lotus Mine (N35 51.56 W117 7.12)
Barker Ranch (Charlie Manson's hideout and capture ranch) (N35 51.64 W117
5.33) LUNCH STOP
Mengel Pass (N35 53.96 W117 4.96)
Geologist’s Cabin (We HAVE to stop there!)
Striped Butte (N35 56.91 W117 4.31)
Warm Spring Canyon
White Point Mine N35 58.020 W 116 55.838)
Talc Mine
Badwater (N36 13.73 W116.46.20)
Furnace Creek Ranch- (N36° 26.901' W116° 51.145') DINNER

Saturday-

Natural Bridge (N36 16.977 W116 46.056)
Artists Palette (N36 20.05 W116 48.24)
Zabriskie Point (36 25.16 W116 48.73)
Hole In The Wall (36 24.841 W116 43.463)
Hells Gate (N36 43.401 W116 58.690)
Chloride City (N36 42.37 W116 52.96)
Rhyolite (N36 54.19 W116 49.77) LUNCH STOP
Titus Canyon (N36 51.182 W117 3.775)
Leadfield (N36 50.78 W117 3.47)
(I have conflicting reports on whether or not Titus Canyon is open. I'm
still checking. If it's closed, I plan to make our way over to the:
Charcoal Kilns (N36 14.9582 W117 4.8290)
Skidoo (N36 26.180 W117 8.824)
Aguereberry Point (N36 21.473 W117 2.828)

Sunday-

Salt Creek
Devil's Cornfield (N36 37.3600 W117 3.1875)
Mosaic Canyon (N36 34.0796 W117 8.5554)
Stovepipe Wells Sand Dunes
Niter Beds (N36 42.2575 W117 6.9407)
Ubehebe Volcanic Crater (N37 0.6322 W117 27.3408) LUNCH STOP
Teakettle Junction (N36° 45.612' W117° 32.542') Bring a tea kettle if
you'd like to leave it on the signpost at the Junction.
Ubehebe Mine
Racetrack (N36° 41.589' W117° 34.274')
Lippencott Mine
Lippencott Grade (N36° 38.488' W117° 34.473')
Saline Valley Road (N36° 37.203' W117° 38.930')

Olancha (N36 16.8997 W118 0.4063) DINNER STOP
Then back to Los Angeles.

Until the next one.



Frank Buddenbrock
SEO EINSTEIN
28191 Laura La Plante Drive
Agoura Hills, CA  91301
(818) 991-7135