Easter SUV Trekking through the Backcountry of Death Valley.

My 4WD Hybrid Ford Escape had already proven its worth on a 7,000 mile winter trip, crossing the Rocky Mountains twice in bone chilling weather with record snow falls. My sure-footed companion sips fuel like a compact car, yet offers the storage of a family van and enough ground clearance for backcountry adventures. Hybrids are fun, as long as you don't drown the battery in mountain spring water like I did. 

As a photographer, I constantly seek out new places together with Dani, my partner in crime. In the past, our accommodations used to restrict our travels into remote wilderness areas. With my new rooftop tent strapped to my hybrid car we are mobile and efficient, a fantastic combination to explore endless miles of backcountry. Maybe we will be the only ones out there once oil prices return to past record highs.

Eager to explore trails away from civilization, I wanted to spend all my time in remote wilderness. Skeptical of my newfound appetite for adventure and wondering how long we would need to hike out from trouble, Dani wanted to stay on familiar territory for our first trip. We compromised and spent the first night on a civilized campground. Then we headed into the unknown.

We packed the car with supplies and gear, anything we could need on a remote trip. Imagine a situation where only a Coleman heater could thaw our laptop with the GPS software that we desperately needed to find the next store to replace our toothpaste. We were prepared. 

For all the things we carried, we failed to test most of them. It is hard to appreciate the difficulty of assembling a Coleman gas lantern at night without any light and while chasing after the instructions carried away by the wind. We also learned that sleeping in a tent with high winds blowing is noisy and extremely unpleasant.

Grouchy and tired we started our trek into the desert.

Into the Wild

On my first photo stop before heading out, we overheard a couple discussing the rooftop tent on our car. He, the outdoor type, explained to his wife, the high heel type, that the large mystery box on our roof was a tent that we could open to the side. She declared that he didn't know what he was talking about and pranced away.

Our first destination would lead us to Racetrack Valley, a remote area in Death Valley famous for its sliding rocks, which leave fascinating tracks in a dry lakebed. The road is renowned for its sharp stones that slash through tires with ease. As my hybrid battery sits in place below the floor mat in the trunk, leaving only room for a small, wimpy emergency tire, I bought 4 bottles of slime tire sealant and a compressor to help the situation. I needed none of them.

At Teakettle Junction

A large number of teakettles adorn the odd road sign. Travelers leave their teakettles, often with an inscription on the outside and a surprise inside.

After driving circles around sharp stones for some time, the road surface changed to a nasty washboard with deep ruts. Sometimes driving faster will rattle the boat less. I asked Dani if I should try.

"It's up to you."

I love definite answers. Shouting "Hold on honey," I mashed the gas pedal. The hybrid awoke from its silent battery operation, the engine sprang on, and we lurched forward. Yeeeeeahhhh!

The rattling became much worse and Dani called out:

"Maybe you should keep your tongue in or you might bite it off!" Good advice. I kept my tongue in and didn't bite it off.

At 40 miles per hour things calmed down. The roof rack squeaked under the load and the heavy rattling, but the ride was far smoother than before. However, things can get dicey when the oncoming traffic follows the same philosophy and you try passing each other. Clinching teeth, staring at the road, you nod towards the other driver before his dust engulfs you and day becomes night. I assume this is where we got the leak.

Overnight at the Racetrack

We were very unlucky to hit the racetrack just after an enormous cloud had covered the sun for the rest of the afternoon. The tracks left by the stones were barely visible and suddenly that nasty cloud had darkened my mood as well. You need strong shadows for good images here.

Dani tried a few desperate attempts at lightening the mood; no hope.

Disaster strikes

We made camp in a primitive campsite south of the Racetrack playa. Setting the tent up took less than a couple of minutes.

It was then, when I pulled out the chairs and table to set up for dinner, that I found water in the trunk. Our Arrowhead container sprung a leak and spilled its guts everywhere. A thought shot into my head. The Hybrid Battery!

We unloaded the car and put the carpets outside, drying the battery with paper towels as best as we could. Meanwhile Dani evaluated the damage on her clothing and personal bags.

"Did we damage the car", she asked?

I did not have an answer, not today, but I knew that I wouldn't trust those containers again. Thankfully, the bladder that held our sanitary water worked well.

Dinner and No Movie

I broke out the stove, started to heat up dinner, and cracked open a beer. Dani prepared the sleeping bags and we settled in for a night out in the middle of nowhere.

Mysteriously, Dani did not object to the mountain of chili I consumed, probably because the tent has many vents. Enjoying our dinner, we chatted about the day's events and tomorrow’s plans. Our voices were the only sounds out there. Listening to the silence, the stress of our daily hectic lives slowly started to release.

We strapped on our headlamps and turned off the gas lamp. The stars popped amazingly bright, but the tent was darker than a bears a**. We lay in complete silence, seeing absolutely nothing. This is how a sensory deprivation chamber must feel. No sound, no sight, only feeling, and the incredible sensation of deep relaxation.

That night I woke up twice. The first time I went into the bushes with my headlight, the second time the moon was up and so bright that I could see as if it was day. I thought I heard an owl, but without trees around, I wasn’t sure what to make of it.

Lucky Luke visits the Camp

The desert gets cold at night, especially at higher altitudes. In the morning, Dani refused to get up from her warm sleeping bag. I, on the other hand, couldn't wait to get out of my cold sack. I started breakfast while Dani packed up the sleeping bags, pillows, and blankets.

Our doing aroused the curiosity of the local wildlife. Maybe the owl alerted him or maybe he came here by accident, but there he stood, a coyote.

He observed us, we observed him. With mutual respect, we each kept our distance. I had time to get my camera out and take a few shots. Lucky Luke, as we named our new friend, did not seem to mind. He stood there for a few shots before finally trotting away. We waved our new friend goodbye, watching him disappear in the distance like a ghost.

Lucky Luke was our lucky charm. That day our luck changed. The car started up, unharmed from the water. The light had changed too, giving me lots of photography pleasure, and the sun warmed my cold bones.

Amazing Light at The Racetrack

The morning was fantastic. We had fabulous light and the whole playa to ourselves. Dani took credit. She had told me the day before that my luck would change. I couldn't hear her. I was almost floating out to seek out rocky sliders. I had only eyes for the surrounding landscape. My mind blocked everything else. Writing this I realize that living with photographers is a blessing and a curse. You see a lot but you certainly suffer for it.

An Abandoned Mine

California is home to a plethora of abandoned mining camps. I love exploring them all. They make fantastic photo subjects and thankfully, Dani loves exploring them, too. I can always suggest a ghost mine tour and count on a good reception.

Remnants of early mining life in Death Valley are intriguing. Scratching ore from these mountains with primitive methods was a tough way to earn your living, hard to imagine in our modern time.

The picturesque ruins overlooking a mesmerizing landscape are superb photo subjects.

Wildflowers too

My original plan included a lengthy SUV trail, taking Hidden Valley Road, leading to Saline Valley Road, a long trek through Death Valley's twin, Saline Valley. Lightly traveled, it offers attractive photo opportunities.

Unfortunately, the road was still impassible. We learned that rescue troops had recovered a couple of intrepid travelers from up there and decided to go on a leisurely wildflower route through Death Valley instead. We will hit Saline Valley on our next trip into this area.

Lessons I learned

• Put water into dry boxes, use rugged outdoor water containers.
• Bring a jerry can for extended range driving. I need to work on a rig that I can attach to the roof in front of the tent, since I don't want the gas fumes in the cabin.
• Test all equipment before traveling with it for the first time. I tested the tent, but not the Coleman camping gear.
• Use GPS with Topo Software (I always have those with me).
• Bring a backup GPS (my Garmin Venture craps out sometimes).

Background Information

I bought my tent from Campinglab. They offered the best deal that I could find for what I wanted. I also own the changing room, but I had no need for it in the wilderness. They were also the only ones who didn't charge for delivery. Considering the size and the weight of the package, this is a superb deal.

The tent is heavy. I ended up buying a Harken 4point Ceiling lift to get it onto the car and off. I leave the tent attached to the Thule roof rack and I lift it off the car together with the rack. This way I can push the quick release buttons on the rack and don't have to unscrew the tent every time.

See more pictures of the trip in my Death Valley Gallery.