Surfs up down in death valley

Meet: Friday morning (11/14) 11:00 am at Trader Joe’s in the Village

Return: Sunday evening (11/16), around 2 PM

Member: $108 Non-member: $141

Participant Driver (2): $40

Participant drivers will also have all gas reimbursed!

Activity: Car camping, hiking, sand dunes, sightseeing

Difficulty: 3/10 Easy Distance (miles): 6 Elevation (ft): n/a

Recommended Prior Experience: none

Location of Trip: Death Valley

Native Land: Timbisha Shoshone

Join Andrew, Anders, and Julia on a sizzling Death Valley trip! We will meet at 11:00 AM at Trader Joe’s in the Village, and then we’ll start heading up to Death Valley National Park on our four-and-a-half-hour drive!

On the way up, we’ll check out Darwin falls and a few scenic overlooks. In Death Valley, we’ll be hitting as many of the most popular and famous landmarks as we can, starting at the eastern entrance of the park and making our way southwest. After settling in at Stovepipe Wells Campground the first night, we will explore sites such as Badwater Basin, Dante’s View, Natural Bridge trail, Artists Palette, Zabriskie Point, Mesquite Sand Dunes, Mosaic Canyon. You can expect some stunning hikes and SAND SURFING as we cruise through the park. Then, we’ll spend the night Saturday at Afton Canyon Campground, where we will camp, stargaze, and gather around a bonfire to recount our adventures.

Sunday morning, if we haven’t sizzled enough yet, we will visit a ghost town on our way back to USC and get our spook on. We plan to arrive back to USC at around 2 pm. 

P.S. - “sizzling” is used here solely as a metaphor and conditions will not be too hot

Contact the Guides:

Anders (anderspj@usc.edu)

Andrew (heyt@usc.edu)

Julia (kess@usc.edu)

What to Bring:

*REMINDER (overnights only) : if you do not have a sleeping bag, sleeping pad, backpacking pack, or other technical gear (non-clothing), do not panic, SC Outfitters has these items for you! Your guides will send out a gear-request form the week of your trip where you’ll let them know what gear you need!

• sleeping bag

• sleeping pad

• hiking shoes (running shoes also fine)

• water bottle

• hat/sunscreen/sun protection

• warm layers for night time

• clothes to hike in

• medications

• toiletries

• mess kit (plate/bowl and utensils to eat with)

• headlamp

Price of the trip includes (and we will provide):

• Snacks

• Breakfast, lunch, and dinner will be provided when a trip occurs during meal-times

• Any technical gear required (ie. kayaks, snowshoes, snorkels, backpacking packs, sleeping bags, fishing rods, etc.)

• All group / shared gear (tents, stoves, bear cans, first aid kit, etc.)

• Any permits or campsite reservations needed

• Cost of gas reimbursed for participant drivers

• Amazing guides who love the outdoors and do this for free!
  

Please Review Our Cancellation and Refund Policy:

All SC Outfitters trips have a no-refund policy unless a substitute participant can be found. In the event your trip requires added reporting measures of participants (plane tickets, external providers, rental services, etc.) dropping the trip close to the date of the trip will not allow for the spot to be re-filled. See the details on trip pages for specific deadlines and reference our complete cancellation/refund policy here.

TRIP DIFFICULTY RATING SYSTEM

• Difficulty rating for trips

  • 1: No physical activity.

  • 2: Leisurely walk.

  • 3: 2-5 miles less than 1000 ft of total elevation gain on well maintained trails. About 2-3 hours continuous activity

  • 4: 4-6 miles, about 1000 ft of elevation gain, well maintained trails. About 3 hours of continuous activity.

  • 5: 6-8 miles, about 1500ft of elevation gain on maintained trials. 4-5 hours continuous activity

  • 6: 8-10 miles, about 2000 ft of elevation gain, well maintained trails. 4-6 hours of continuous activity.

  • 7: 10-14 miles, over 2500 ft of elevation gain, variable trail conditions possible. Full day of continuous activity.

  • 8: At high altitude. 12-16 total miles, over 3000 ft of elevation gain, variable trail conditions possible. Full day of continuous activity.

  • 9: Technical skills may be necessary. At high altitude with physical elevation gain. Scrambling over rocks likely involved.

  • 10: u gunna die

**If you have any questions or concerns about the physical activity, recommended prior experience, or gear needed on any kind of trip please contact the guides as soon as possible!!