Geothermal-Shane - 5-23-2005 at 06:17 PM
Can anybody suggest a good route from Mike's Sky Rancho to Rancho Meling/San Pedro Martir Obsevarory road?
bajalou - 5-23-2005 at 06:18 PM
The road the racers are pre-running on right now -just follow the racers.
David K - 5-23-2005 at 06:20 PM
That depends on what you are driving!
If you are in a 4WD, then the ONE road south out of Mike's past El Coyote to Meling's would work... Otherwise, it is a long way around (Valle Trinidad
to San Vicente dirt, or Hwy. 3 back to Ensenada and down Hwy. 1 to San Telmo!
Geothermal-Shane - 5-23-2005 at 06:46 PM
I was hoping to take this shortcut and avoid San Telmo & Mex 1...I do have 4wd...I was confused becuase the Baja Almanac shows a few routes down
to El Coyote. One option appears to be to head up Arroyo San Rafael to the pair of abandoned ranches shown, and then u-turn back down Arroyo Los
Encinos and on to El Coyote. This seems to imply an ascent-desecnt that could be avoided by-
Instead heading south via the road shown on the west side of Cerro Blanco and driving to either Los Encinos,(as you suggested?) or the road heading
down the upper portion of Arroyo El Corral Falso/Canada el Pinacate, around the west side of Cerro Costilla and into El Coyote. The map also shows a
shortcut around the east side of Cerro Costilla that climbs out of Arroyo El Corral Falso and into Arroyo Los Encinos...
And I know that it's possible there are even more roads than shown on the map..????????
TMW - 5-23-2005 at 07:19 PM
You don't want to go up San Rafael because that is backwards on the race course right now. If your going between now and June 4 you'll be heading into
the pre-runners. Just take the old road up out of Mike's to the west and you'll join the race course at 3 miles. Take it to El Coyote ranch and take a
left just before the ranch and cross over to the Observatory road and Meling's ranch. Part of the cross over road is also used for the race but it is
wider. Just remember if a pre-runner comes up behind you, it's best and a courtesy to move over as soon as you can, they'll give you time.
Geothermal-Shane - 5-24-2005 at 04:05 PM
Thanks TW- if I head up there It'll be around June 30th, after the race- I imagined this was the best way to get up to the observatory from San
Felipe...(?)
Geothermal-Shane - 5-24-2005 at 04:13 PM
Oh-
is the racecourse the road shown in the Baja Almanac heading mostly southwest all the way to El Coyote, from the above mentioned junction 3 miles west
of Mike's, short-cutting over the east side of Cerro Costilla from Arroyo El Corral Falso and into Arroyo Los Encinos?
(In other words the most direct looking route.)
Or would it be the road hugging the west side of Cerro Blanco, heading mostly south to Rancho Los Encinos?
(and then west into Arroyo Los Encinos and then continuing west to El Coyote.)
David K - 5-24-2005 at 06:29 PM
I drove in and out of Mike's on his south road a couple times, but over 20 years ago! The route he maintained for guests did not go to 'Los Encinos'
which was the location of his original airstrip used about 1968-1978... it was the one that heads north, just east of El Coyote and goes around Cerro
Costilla .. a least then. Mike's new/ beter runway, to the north at Llano el Conejo was ditched because Mike wasn't going to post a 24 hr. gaurd there
as requested by the government... Maybe the name needs to be Mike's Ground Rancho now??
TMW - 5-24-2005 at 06:43 PM
The race course goes north around Cerro Costilla. The race course comes up from Simpsons Ranch merging onto mike's road at 3 miles from Mike's Sky
Ranch. From here the course notes read: After 1.81 miles right at Y. At 1.84 miles water crossing. At 5.39 miles Straight thru gate. At .61 miles
straight thru pipe gate. At .27 miles right at Y. At .97 miles Straight thru gate, This is Rancho Coyote. I don't remember exactly but I think if you
go left at the last Y it is the cut over to the Observatory road. It's a well used road. It may be best to stop at El Coyote and ask. It's 10 miles
from where you get on the race course to El Coyote or 13 miles from Mike's. Hope this helps.
[Edited on 5-25-2005 by TW]
Geothermal-Shane - 5-25-2005 at 02:45 PM
Thanks alot, TW, this helps!
the water crossing must be Arroyo El Corral Falso...the course notes don't account for either junction with the southwest-heading road through Arroyo
Los Encinos,(Northern juntion about 2 miles from the first[1.81 mile] Y- Southern junction about a mile east of El Coyote) perhaps this route no
longer exists or is a faint trail???
But apparantley the road up Arroyo San Rafael (and around the southeast side of Cerro Blanco, meeting back up with Mike's road at the "1.81 mi Y")
does exist, but is less preferable for my destination.
This sounds like the same road you took over 20 years ago, David K...