Here is a little update on road conditions in DV........
Flower update 3/5/10; not happening yet. Plenty of rain, but hardly any little green things popping up yet on the valley bottom or on the alluvial fans where they usually are. Definitely NOT going to be a "yellow year" with carpets of Desert Gold all over - those need winter rains. Things should happen along the roads, but sure not yet - maybe in April? The bushes are green, green and will be blooming like crazy soon. The beavertail cactus along Scotty's Castle road will be spectacular about the end of March. But annuals... gosh. :-(
Mar 6 little by little they're opening up. Some are damaged. More wet stuff coming....
"This report will be updated as conditions change;"
All park backcountry roads above 6000' - expect snow and icy conditions: 4x4 with chains recommended.
Aguereberry Point road - OPEN.
Artists Drive - OPEN,still fixing it
Badwater Road - Open. .
Beatty Cutoff - OPEN
Dante's View Road - OPEN - Great views of Lake Manly
Devil's Golf Course Road - CLOSED due to mud. Can walk down to the salt
Emigrant Canyon Road - OPEN through to Wildrose
Highway 190 - Open.
Hunter Mountain Road - CLOSED; impassable due to deep snow.
Keane Wonder Mine Road - CLOSED; road and mining area closed to all entry due to safety hazards.
Mosaic Canyon Road - OPEN - really pretty in the narrow place
Mustard Canyon Road - OPEN until next storm.
Racetrack Road - OPEN- BUT Racetrack wet and muddy - STAY OFF so you don't leave tracks! access to Lippencott OK
Salt Creek Road - OPEN. Pupfish are there now! Just the young ones, but the adults are headed downstream.
Saline Valley Road (North Pass) - CLOSED; Signed as closed by Inyo County due to snow and ice.3/5 still noone has been able to break through the deep snow.
Saline Valley Road (South Pass) - CLOSED; Signed as closed by Inyo County due to snow and ice. absolutely MUST have high clearance 4x4 w/chains on all 4; deep snow, muddy ruts. Getting out is the problem.
Scotty's Castle / Bonnie Clare Road - Open; expect delays and controlled traffic weekdays due to road construction through the winter and spring seasons.
Titus Canyon Road - CLOSED due to flood damage and mud. Probably for quite a while- sorry.
Twenty Mule Team Canyon Road - OPEN- lovely place! such colors.
Ubehebe Crater Road - Ubehebe Crater parking area will be CLOSED through March, 2010 due to road construction. Through traffic to Racetrack Road and Big Pine Road will remain open; expect delays. No parking in construction area.
Westside Road - OPEN again; Amargosa crossing IS running deep.
Wildrose Canyon Road - open! through to Emigrant but not to the kilns; newly graded - the dirt parts are in better shape than the pavement. DO NOT DO AT NIGHT if you value your front end!
Wildrose Charcoal Kilns Road -CLOSED at ene of pavement- snow and ice beyond; snow and ice on the road, but with 4x4 you can get to the kilns; gate closed from Charcoal Kilns to Mahogany Flat due to lots of snow and ice.
All other park roads are OPEN and in standard conditions, not that there are too many left!
Dirt Roads are a mess except when recently graded like lower Wildrose.
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