Lippincott Grade (Death Valley National Park)

[David A. Wright]

I just installed a new webpage on my 4x4 trails site: the infamous Lippincott Grade. Though short, this trail is oh, so sweet! The Lippincott grade runs between Saline Valley and Racetrack Valley in Death Valley National Park, California. The trail has a tainted reputation for being high in pucker factor, meaner than a sidewinder (and about as crooked) and eats modified Jeep Wranglers for a light snack. The new page can be found at:

http://www.gbr.4wdtrips.net/4x4/lippincott.html

[RidgeRunner]

Nice pix and write up, David, as usual. :yeah:

Thanks,

Mick

[Explorer 1]

A group of my friends do an annual trip and this past February when we were traveling home I broke away from the group and decided to take the Saline Valley, alone. The last time I had been there was years ago one wet January when both the northern and southern entrances were snowed in and we had to exit via Lippincott Grade. At that time it hadn’t been graded and one of the vehicles in our group was having problems with his electronic 4WD engaging the front axles. The trip up the grade was narrow and steep and a memory that all of us recall with "fondness".

This past February when I broke away from the group and traveled from the north pass through the Valley and out the Southern Pass even in this dryer winter the northern pass had snow and ice. Just about at the Lippincott Grade junction the low fuel light on my fuel gague came on. I knew I had a grade to climb out of the valley and then some miles after that before a gas station. I went into extreme gas saving mode and did make it to the Panamint Springs gas station, coasting down the grade into Panamint Valley.

It was a good reminder to take heed to the warning signs at the entrance of the valley just how far is the next gas station.

Here is a then and now picture of the rock pile at the Lippincott Grade junction. Some things change little over the years, same hat, same stance, thankfully newer shirt!

Thanks
Fred
Explorer 1