Death Valley Trip

[series8217]

I took my '01 Outback on a long trip to Racetrack Playa in Death Valley.

The Racetrack is famous for (and named after) it's moving rocks that leave tracks in the mud. No-one has ever seen the rocks move, but it is hypothesized that a combination of strong winds and freezing rain make the surface slick enough for the rocks to slide around.

The Racetrack is only accessible by unpaved backcountry roads (and Racetrack Valley Rd which is an unpaved road maintained by the park service). We traveled in via Saline Valley Road and Hunter Mountain Road (South Pass of Hunter Mountain), and traveled out via Racetrack Valley Rd at night. Hunter Mountain Road was recently graded on the descending portion and through the Hidden Valley, but until that it was unmaintained backcountry. It was VERY rough in places, but not the worst trail I've taken.

The IPF 968s with 100 watt bulbs worked awesome on the night portion of the drive. Thanks to Chris West (West Coast Fiero) and my girlfriend for fabbing the light bar!

Besides lots of sharp rocks, the only significant challenge on this trip was a steep high altitude (6500 ft) climb where I didn't have enough power to keep going at low speed, and I couldn't speed up because of the need to dodge rocks. I had to get my 3 passengers out of the car and walk the 100 yards up the hill so I could make it. (I have a 5-speed manual; an auto would probably do OK). It would be nice to have a shorter 1st gear (or the Australian-market dual-range gearbox).

There was some rain and snow on the way back home (last pic).

Vehicle information:
2001 Subaru Outback Limited 2.5L, 5-speed manual transmission

Current mods / parts:
* IPF 968 lights with 100 watt bulbs on a custom light bar built with the help of Chris West (West Coast Fiero Upgrade Performance Parts) and my girlfriend. Actually they did most of the work, I just had the vision (and measuring tape).
* Yakima LoadWarrior basket with Hella FF lights, shovel mount, spare tire mount, CB radio antenna, and Hi-Lift jack
* Yellow-tinted fog lights
* Window tint (thanks to Scott Kim at [urlhttp://www.advancebra.com/]Advance Auto Engineering[/url] in Cerritos)
* Primitive Racing front skidplate and rear diff protector
* Midland 1001LWX CB Radio
* Kenwood KDC-X994 /w bluetooth
* Boston Acoustics speakers
* GoPro mounts on front bumper and roof basket
* Red LED interior lighting (for maintaining night vision during nighttime activities like astronomy)
* STI group-N dogbone
* King KSRS-29 rear springs (higher spring rate than stock) and custom 1/2" HDPE rear shock spacers
* Grabber AT-2 tires on stock wheels for backcountry roads
* Matte-black Motegi MR118 wheels (17x8) for street driving, TPMS-equipped (Dill TPMS)

[Darkanion]

Looks like a fun time.

[Tom Merson]

Looks like a great time. You have a pretty tricked out car. Nice. I'm heading down there next month. Can you describe your exact route? Sounds interesting.

[falco]

I was planning on heading out to the Playa this weekend with a friend and her Jeep. Well it looks like she might not be able to make it, so I was thinking about taking my '08 Outback XT out there. It is all stock with new tires. Do you think it would do fine on the main dirt road in, or would you suggest taking a different vehicle out there?

I'm just a little concerned about the tires and beating up the suspension.

[subiesailor]

Be sure to let someone know your time line and route before you leave the pavement. At least someone will know where to look for you if your MIA. Basic rule for any off pavement adventures.

Report back and share some ideas on cool places to check out.

[series8217]

Originally Posted by falco

I was planning on heading out to the Playa this weekend with a friend and her Jeep. Well it looks like she might not be able to make it, so I was thinking about taking my '08 Outback XT out there. It is all stock with new tires. Do you think it would do fine on the main dirt road in, or would you suggest taking a different vehicle out there?

I'm just a little concerned about the tires and beating up the suspension.

The suspension will be fine, but don't attempt it with street tires. You should also bring two full size spares, or at least one full size spare and the factory donut. There are lots of VERY sharp rocks so a blowout or puncture is likely.

Originally Posted by Tom Merson

Looks like a great time. You have a pretty tricked out car. Nice. I'm heading down there next month. Can you describe your exact route? Sounds interesting.

You can follow the directions on this site: Hunter Mountain Road Trip
You should not attempt to take Lippencott Road back as they do in those directions. Either go back the way you came (if possible) or go East on Racetrack Valley Rd, which takes you into the park.