DEATH VALLEY / APRIL 13-15 / Friday night through Sunday

Hiking + Star gazing + Hanging out + Wildflowers

Never camped before? This is a great "first time" trip.



Everyone's heard of Death Valley. But have you ever been there?

Here's your chance...

The lowest spot in North America. Golden rock formations. An endless white salt playa. Crazy multi-colored rocks. Sand dunes that looks like a scene from a movie. Incredible photo ops. The hottest place on earth (but that's why we're going in the Spring). Great star gazing with some of the darkest skies in the US. And maybe...if we're lucky, we'll get a Spring desert wildflower bloom!



DEATH VALLEY / READ RSVP INSTRUCTIONS BELOW

Most attendees on past trips are in the 25-40 age range.



Come join us for a weekend of hiking, camping, Milky Way gazing and campfire hanging out. We'll be sleeping below sea level but surrounded by towering 11,000 ft mountains. Yes, it's a unique place. We went to Death Valley last Nov and people loved it. We're going to some of the same places we hit last time, but we're also going to do new things. There's a lot to explore.



HIKING: This trip will be a good mix. We'll be doing some hiking in the daytime, getting to know Death Valley. We'll explore the lowest spot on the continent and walk the open playa. We'll play on the same sand dunes that R2D2 rolled around on. And have you hiked on the rim of a crater? This is not one of our hardest trips, but please be in good shape with some hiking experience.



SANDBOARDING: That's right! It's snowboarding on sand. Bring your old snowboard you don't like and you can ride down the sand dunes at sunset. Really. It's a thing! We tried it last time and it really works and is hella fun!



CAMPFIRE TIME: HANGING OUT + STAR GAZING:

When night falls, we'll eat and drink, and hang around the campfire And get to know each other. For some, this is their favorite part of these trips.



GETTING THERE: The great thing about Death Valley -- it's a little closer than other Parks we go to -- so less driving. Depending on where you leave from, it's only a 4+ hour drive from L.A. Carpooling will be required - you coordinate your carpool thru a carpool tool I link to. Everyone carpooling will split gas cost and you'll also split the $25 park entrance fee. But if you arrive at night, there' a good chance you won't have to pay. And a lot of people have the Parks Pass, which gets you in free officially.



WEATHER: Well, Death Valley is the hottest place on the planet, so you don't want to wait any later in the year to go; the Summer is crazy hot. So April is really the time to go! Expected temps around 80° high and 55° low. That's great camping weather! But obviously I can't guarantee the weather -- it's nature at work.



RSVP INSTRUCTIONS:

I want to make sure you're prepared will be ready to go. So once you RSVP I email you a short survey/questions which you need to return to me (So don't forget to give me your email address when you RSVP). And you won't officially be on the trip until you're confirmed and pay. There will be 25+ people going from different Meetup groups so the RSVP's you see here show you an incomplete picture.



Cost for the trip is $75 per person.



NEVER CAMPED BEFORE? This is a great "first time" trip; moderate weather and a little easier hikes . And its car-camping -- it's civilized! It's a developed campground with bathrooms - you park & camp by your car. You should have basic gear for car camping -- sleeping bag, pad, flashlight/headlamp, the right clothes and shoes etc. If you don't have a tent, don't worry; there will be plenty of tents and more than enough tent space for everyone (And I bring 3 tents if needed). Cups, plates and utensils will be supplied. There will be hot water in the morning for coffee, kitchen gear and 3 gas stoves for cooking. Campsite has a BBQ grill too. You supply your own food, but with a little help I might just make everyone blueberry pancakes one morning.