Panamint 2025 Trip
For the second year in a row a small group of Club members opened the season with a trip to explore Panamint Valley the second weekend of February.
Fernando, Brent and Jim arrived first to a campsite near Surprise Canyon, and just as we were arriving Brent’s Turtle trailer suffered a catastrophic axle failure! Bryan and Oliver arrived just in time to help attempt a repair to limp it to the road, but despite Bryan’s best efforts with the Club welder the axle didn’t hold.
We unloaded the trailer and set up camp, with Brent spending the weekend in the group tent brought to stay out of the strong winds expected for the first few nights. Brad showed up later in his fancy Lexus. The winds arrived as advertised.
On Friday, while Brent followed his trailer to a shop in Ridgecrest the rest of the group first stopped in at the Ballarat general store.
After checking out Ballarat the group ran the Fish Canyon/Escape Trail, a historic route where Manly led his expedition out of Death Valley. This was a new trail for all of us.
By the time we got to Trona to refuel, Brent rejoined the group! We continued with our day of exploring historic trails by running the Nadeau Trail, admiring the very fine craftsmanship of the Chinese laborers who built the retaining walls almost 150 years ago as the trail went straight down Searles Pass and straight (very straight) up Panamint Valley.
The group explored a side canyon with an old townsite, and eventually were halted by an impassable washout. It was getting late so we decided to call it a day and head back to camp.
On Saturday we decided to venture into Death Valley via Goler Canyon, a classic route most of the group had never done.
Brad’s Lexus was stopped by a waterfall near the beginning of the canyon, but a quick pull from Brent got him past the hump and we were on our way, stopping occasionally for a ruin here in there until we reached the turnoff for the Keystone Mine.
The trail to the Keystone mine was a steep shelf road in sometimes dubious condition.
Eventually Fernando, Bryan and Jim made it to the Keystone Mine and decided to explore, going in the mine until stopped by a cave-in about 100 yards in. During their exploration they found a new-ish looking box of dynamite (probably from when the mine was restarted in the 1980’s and 90’s) but left it alone.
Entering Death Valley proper, the group continued on Goler Wash Road and reached Mengel Pass for the most difficult part of the trip. Everyone eventually made it through with the help of some spotting.
We stopped for lunch at Russell Camp. Fernando spilled tinned trout oil in his cooler.
Then checked out Geologists Cabin, admiring the view of Striped Butte.
Realizing we were running out of daylight and wanting to make sure we crossed Mengel Pass and Goler Canyon in daylight, we decided to head home.
We decided to take the long way around the Alkali Flat to avoid the washboard of Wingate Road, and drove the last hour or so in the dark, getting to use our trail lights.
Saturday night the wind finally died down and we enjoyed our first and only campfire.
Sunday we all left for home, Brent without his trusty Turtleback, making it back in time for the Super Bowl.
Members: As usual, check out the members only section where we have 177 photos and videos contributed by the members on this trip.