Panamint Valley Rd. to West side Rd. DV

Christopher Thwaites · 03-24-2010, 06:43 PM

Anyone have info on a passable SMB road? Surprise canyon? Pleasant canyon?
Chris

**daveb** · 03-24-2010, 06:59 PM

Only what we did in early Feb...don't know how bad things were tore up after that. We were there when snow was fairly low (at the geologist cabin) after coming over Mengel via emigrant escape trail.

Jeffrey · 03-24-2010, 08:29 PM

The only two possibilities going from Panamint valley to Death Valley is Goler Gulch/Mengel pass or over Towne Pass on the hiway.

Christopher Thwaites · 03-24-2010, 08:42 PM

Ok..I'm not locating either route on my gazateer. I'm looking at Panamint Valley Rd./Trona Wildrose Rd. headed south off 190 just esast of Panamint Springs.

**daveb** · 03-24-2010, 08:52 PM

Check out the emigrant escape trail over the Slate range. I really enjoyed it and will give some great views of Panamint.

[edit] about 7 miles N/O Trona on 178 and it crosses over into Panamint S/O Ballarat and runs into the Mengel Pass route.

http://books.google.com/books?id=HjMozd ... q=&f=false

cellularSTEVE · 03-24-2010, 10:02 PM

The Slate Range trail coupled with Goler to Mengel makes for a very nice trip. I need to post a trip report. In the meantime here a couple of photos on the Mengel side of the trail headed into DV. This is the worst of the trail and only for a hundred feet or so.

Great trails.

steve

Christopher Thwaites · 03-24-2010, 10:43 PM

Ok..I think I have it. Trona Wildrose Rd. southbound to Ballarat Rd. East to wingate Rd. then south to Coyote Canyon Rd./ Goler Wash/Mengel Pass/Butte Valley Rd. to the southern end of the West Side Hwy. Thanks..headed down next week.

**daveb** · 03-24-2010, 11:21 PM

well the Slate range trail is before you hit the Ballarat rd when coming from Trona. I don't recall if it was marked but if you want to bypass it and just take the Mengel route you can hit that trail right out of Ballarat. This map shows Mengel and Ballarat but doesn't show the Slate range trail. It leaves the Trona rd and goes basically East-north east over the Slate range and into Panamint then comes in fairly close to where the Mengel trail turns 90 degrees and heads up over the pass.

http://www.nps.gov/deva/planyourvisit/u ... Amap1a.pdf