Death Valley.

[Captain Ron]

Scrappy and Robert had never been there. I only had Sunday to go, so we flew.

I took an indirect route. One reason is all the restricted military airspace out there, another is the MEA's. Pretty hard to top them out in a 172. Also, I wanted to scope out some trails...



http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc02.jpg

Departure, KCMA.


http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc03.jpg

Crosswind departure, looking towards Oxnard and the coast.


http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc04.jpg

Santa Rosa Valley.


http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc05.jpg

Lake Castaic and the beginning of the Grapevine in Santa Clarita.


http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc06.jpg

Looking towards Lake Pyramid.


http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc07.jpg

Scrappy told me he saw this sundial and took a picture of it. I flew the 229 radial of the Lake Hughes VOR for the first leg over the mountains. This is the Lake Hughes VOR, or sundial. :D


http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc08.jpg

Edwards. Crestline to the right, Big Bear off in the distance to the left.

--ron

[Captain Ron]

Tehachapi.

http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc09.jpg


One of many test tracks. I heard this one close to Mojave is privately owned now. See the pond in the upper left inside the track? They filmed a majority of "Water World" there.

http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc10.jpg


This one is operational. I know Hundai uses it, and BMW. It's hard to see in the pic, but there's an off road track there too...

http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc11.jpg


East of California City. The entrance to Last Chance Canyon is clearly visible on the right. I finally figured out where the "other" canyon is. Time to go back there...

http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc12.jpg


A closer view of the entrance.

http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc13.jpg


The major exit.

http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc14.jpg


An area I'll leave unidentified. Looked very promising.

http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc15.jpg


We flew by Andy's place. Ridgecrest.

http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc16.jpg


China Lake, R-2502 was active. We doglegged up the corridor between R-2502 and Edwards R-2542.

http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc17.jpg


Looking towards Vegas over Trona.

http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc18.jpg


Salt City / Trona. It's at the bottom of Panamint Valley.

http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc19.jpg

--ron

[Captain Ron]

More Salt City. The place is gigantic.

http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc20.jpg


http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc21.jpg


Looking North from Trona, Panamint Valley in the distance.

http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc22.jpg


Telescope Peak from the south end of Panamint Valley.

http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc23.jpg


Hmmm...

http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc24.jpg


Southern end of the Panamints.

http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc25.jpg


East side of Death Valley.

http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc26.jpg


Valley floor.

http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc27.jpg


Eastern slopes of the Panamints.

http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc28.jpg


Flying up the middle of DV, looking east.

http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc29.jpg

--ron

[Captain Ron]

Looking east.

http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc30.jpg


Descent into Furnace Creek, looking east.

http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc31.jpg


A trail into some badlands south of Furnace Creek.

http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc32.jpg


Ummm... :D
A first for me. If you know how to read an altimeter, you'll understand the significance. The wheels have not touched down yet.

http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc33.jpg


http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc34.jpg


Good advice? :D

http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc01.jpg


Looking out at the Furnace Creek Ranch and airstrip from the Inn.

http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc35.jpg


The Inn.

http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc36.jpg


The Ranch, with the Inn in the background.

http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc37.jpg


Where the locals party.

http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc38.jpg


The Inn from the party hut. Amazing place. We did the Sunday brunch there, reasonable price, the full spread, and it was pretty good. Consider also it's out in the middle of nowhere.


http://www.liracon.com/ron/post/fc39.jpg

--ron

[oo7ravisXJ]

Thats pretty cool, especially the pic with the jeeps in the picture

[uncc civilengineer]

very cool...

[karstic]

How long was the one-way flight?

[IntrepidXJ]

very cool pictures Ron :)

[Captain Ron]

How long was the one-way flight?

Averaged 115 knots ground speed out there with a 15 knots quartering tail wind. Exactly 2 hours from Camarillo to Furnace Creek. And thats with taking a very indirect route, and loitering over a few areas of interest. A more direct route would be something in the 1 hour 30 min. range.

Last time I drove it direct, about 4 hours one way.

--ron

[Matt S.]

Sundial.... VOR.... I like sundial better.



:)

[Captain Ron]

very cool pictures Ron :)

Scrappy was the designated passenger/photographer/sundial seeker this trip. :D

--ron

[karstic]

Averaged 115 knots ground speed out there with a 15 knots quartering tail wind. Exactly 2 hours from Camarillo to Furnace Creek. And thats with taking a very indirect route, and loitering over a few areas of interest. A more direct route would be something in the 1 hour 30 min. range.

Last time I drove it direct, about 4 hours one way.

--ron

Now you just gotta get someone to tow the buggy out there for you.

[Captain Ron]

Now you just gotta get someone to tow the buggy out there for you.

Working on it.

--ron

[Gerr]

dude that looks like so much fun

[ZacSquatch]

Diggin the negative Altimeter reading... We have a couple of those out In SC.

*Csshh* This is November 918 Victor Tango..... Uhhh.... where's the bottum?*Csshh*

Haha

[Captain Ron]

Diggin the negative Altimeter reading... We have a couple of those out In SC.

*Csshh* This is November 918 Victor Tango..... Uhhh.... where's the bottum?*Csshh*

Haha

I was thinking: "Sheesh, are we down yet?"

:D

--ron

PS: The local tower guys call that plane "Virgin Taco" when it's not busy. :D

[Jes]

Great pics!
A new view for me of places I've been many times.

[Pat]

very cool...thanks for sharing!

[TheAlmightySam]

Great photos!

Definitely a place I'm going to have to explore sometime. Very cool.

[Goatman]

Nice pics, Ron.....and Matt.

Somehow I have missed ever going to Death Valley. I need to rectify that.



Nice shot of those misc canyons...............we need new trails. :D

[ZacSquatch]

I was thinking: "Sheesh, are we down yet?"

:D

--ron

PS: The local tower guys call that plane "Virgin Taco" when it's not busy. :D

We used to lease a Cessna Skymaster push/pull that was 396WT They called it White Trash at the local tower.. Whenever the jumpers were about to go, they would call out "396 White Trash Jumpers Away"

[Ghost]

That would not work well out here. There are too many trees to block the view of the trails. What do you guys do for shade? I like my oaks. :scared:

[BruceB83]

About that Altimeter....YIKES....All I'm gonna say is United Airlines 389.