| This cache site is off a little-known dirt road that is an alternative route to China Garden Springs, Darwin Falls and Panamint Valley. It has great views of majestic snow-capped Mt. Maturango, the Darwin Plateau and Hunter Mountain.
The road to this geocache is unmaintained dirt, but it’s in pretty good shape. I wouldn't recommend a Honda or a sportscar on this road, but you shouldn't need four-wheel-drive. Anything with okay clearance — like a truck or SUV or even an old VW bug — should be just fine. There are a couple of rutted areas, but just take 'em slow, and you'll do fine.
Having said this, wash-outs sometimes do occur around here, so use your head and turn around if the road ends at a big cliff. I can't update road conditions in this description every other day. Be aware that this is unpopulated Mojave Desert backcountry -- hot in the summer, cold in the winter, no shade all year round, no water and no people. Cell phones do not work here.
The road to the geocache is on the Auto Club Death Valley road map, but if you're just in the area and decide to wing it, take a right at the Darwin sign as you come into town, take your next right and head toward the Cosos, the mountain range to the south. In a couple 100 yards, you'll start to cross the wash, the Lucky Jim Wash to be exact. Take a left. You're basically on the road now and on your own. If I said anything more, I'd spoil the fun.
Cache contains nifty prizes for the connoisseur
As for the cache: It has some nifty prizes for the jaded cache-seeker:
- Three rare Vicoprofen drug rep pens. Vicoprofen is the same pain reliever as Vicodin, but with ibuprofen instead of tylenol. Please don't take the last pen without leaving something for people to write in the log.
- A highly prized "I got the message, Dave" pinback button. This is just the thing for any formal or casual event. Grab this if it's still in the cache; it won't last for long. You'll really stand out at the Totem Cafe in Lone Pine wearing this sucker. Trust me.
- A "Microsoft Reader" neck lanyard, just the thing for hanging those corporate ID tags or a bottle of mustard if you're a big hot dog eater. A collector's item because "Reader" is one of the few Microsoft products that essentially tanked. Right up there along with Bob the operating system. Remember that one?
- Two four-megabyte sticks of high-quality HP 72-pin fast-page-mode RAM. This stuff was state of the art in 1996 and cost a pretty penny, I may add. Yes, it works just fine. Do you think I would stiff you with bad RAM? If you can't use it in a computer, use it for matched earrings (it has holes) or on a keychain. A great conversation starter.
Geocache is an EZ find
Okay, I have put some caches in some out-of-the-way places around the Death Valley area that required a hike once you got there. This time I decided to give everyone a break. Cache is a couple minutes from the road. No rock climbing or four-mile cross-country hikes needed. This is an easy one, way easy.
But you do get to see a spectacular view of Darwin Wash, the east side of the Darwin Hills, Darwin Plateau and Hunter Mountain to the north. Those little tiny itsy bitsy moving fly specks to the north are cars about five miles away on SR 190, heading for Panamint Valley.
While in the area, feel free to stop off at the bullet-riddled car, N36 14.394 W117 32.289, a must see for the desert explorer. Also don't miss this chance to see some really impressive folding and faulting at N36 17.639 W117 32.119, if you're continuing down the canyon to China Garden or points beyond. This impressive example of geological forces is featured in some textbooks but not on any tourist maps. Even someone not usually interested in geology will be impressed. Trust me.
The road meets up with the other road to China Garden, some distance after the geocache, but just before the road goes into the canyon part of Darwin Wash. If you don't want to continue into the canyon, you can bang a left where the two roads meet and return to Darwin, to mail a letter at the post office or visit the stop sign. If you do continue on, four-wheel-drive is needed past China Garden and maybe even before. The sand in this section of Darwin Wash can get nasty.
Have fun and let me know how you made out!
UBeHEbe JeeBEE
Those coordinates again are:
N36 14.486 W117 32.625
Averaged, checked and double checked with a Garmin 60cs.
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