generubin - 12-21-2003 at 06:49 AM
I have always spent my time on and around the beach and water when at Gonzaga. We'll be there for a week coming up soon. How about the mountainous
area behind Gonzaga? Is there anything worth expoloring by vehicle or by foot? Is block ice sold at that store/gas/tire shop?
Thanks in advance!
Nikon - 12-21-2003 at 08:03 AM
The only way you'd get block ice there is if the ice machine is out and they truck in blocks from San Quintin for breakup and sale in bags.
[Edited on 12-21-2003 by Nikon]
Gonzaga Bay Sidetrips!
David K - 12-21-2003 at 09:33 AM
Yes, there is more to Gonzaga than the beautiful beach and bay!
November, 2002 (Thanksgiving), my son and I visted, photographed, and GPS'd these sites: La turquesa Canyon (green pools, turquoise mine nearby),
Molino de Lacy (ore mill site for all the area gold mines, Lacy's grave), Ruins of the mission era warehouse on the shore of the bay (supplies were
off loaded for Mision Santa Maria and Mision San Fernando, here), Huge onyx spring (you can see the white 'glaciar like' slope from the beach in the
hills to the west, onyx boulders), the El Camino Real mission trail through the Californias is just a few miles from the bay.
All of the above is at http://davidksbaja.com/1102
Tim Walker went to the onyx springs after I did and has more photos on his web site (also many at Las Palmitas oasis, on the El Camino Real): http://timsbaja.com
Last month, we returned to Gonzaga and hiked up the El Camino Real towards Mision Santa Maria: http://VivaBaja.com/1103/page2.html
In 1999, BajaMur and I rode to Mision Santa Maria from Santa Ynez, then went to the Gonzaga side and hiked up the Santa Maria canyon to find pools of
water and palms, also visited Las Palmitas which is just 1.5 mi. south of Arroyo Santa Maria. Finally, we were treated to an aerial fly-over of the
canyon and mission: http://davidksbaja.com/missionsm take the link to BajaMur's web site found in mine for even more aerial photos.
That sould be enough to keep you busy, eh? Have a great time, and tell us about it when you get back, okay?
[Edited on 10-22-2004 by David K]
Moments south of Gonzaga
Mike Humfreville - 12-22-2003 at 12:42 PM
Thirty years ago and a number of miles south of Gonzaga my brother and I found an old pair of weedcovered ruts wandering up a small valley on the east
side of the then dirt road that led from Chapala to Alfonsinas. We wound slowly up the valley and then through a cavernous ravine deep in the
mountains. There was little sign as to the purpose of the old tracks in the decomposed granite but we followed them out of curiosity anyway and
eventually ended up locating a melting adobe hut and an old mine high on the hillside above us. I?ve never been back and now when we pass there I
don?t see the ruts any more. Perhaps when they graded the road they relocated it somewhat. Just when we think that Baja is so remote things will
never change they do. [I documented that trip - you can read the story on Fred?s board under ?Baja with Mike.? It?s called ?The Mine.? The story
provides a more detailed description of the area.]
On a more recent trip to Alfonsinas a friend and I were looking for a simple afternoon adventure and drove south to a point where we felt the Indians
advancements into the western mountains might be easiest. We pulled off the road a few miles south of Gonzaga, parked and just wandered the desert
for hours. We were separated from each other by a mile or two by mid afternoon and it was a still day with only a few small birds and lizards between
me and the mountains in the distance. I realized how long it must have been since another human had trod there, how lucky I was to have experienced
that moment completely alone in a distant place. I watched for signs of zoological life and other indication they something living had passed here
but found nothing. After hours alone in the flats I returned to the car and my friend who had had the same experience. It doesn?t always have to be
a grand adventure to enjoy the desert. Sometimes the simple moments are the best.
[Edited on 12-23-2003 by Mike Humfreville]
Don Jorge - 12-22-2003 at 10:18 PM
See the Hiking and Backpacking forum. I just returned from that area and posted a web page link about the area.