Pappy Jon - 3-24-2007 at 03:30 PM
Baja Adventure: March 2007
Part Two, Los Corrales
I leave Bahia Asuncion and start driving toward Los Corrales, which is on the Gulf side south of San Francisquito and El Barril. I hate to admit that
I arrived in El Barril, but couldn't figure out which way to go for Los Corrales. I realized I was making it too hard and started down the wash. The
road was sandy at first but not sandy enough for 4WD. Eventually the road became rocky and slow, with occasional washes. The road was also very twisty
as it meandered between rocks and bushes. I quickly realized that the route on the map did not follow what I was doing on the ground. It took some
navigation, and help from the GPS, to stay pointed in the right direction.
The map shows the road coming down a wash, which is now very rocky. It was later described to me as a boulder field. I have friends who came in using
this route a few years ago. It appears a new route has been graded in. There were a few steep hill climbs as the road crossed over drainages. None
were difficult, but low range was needed due to the rough surface.
The road passes a small shrine, a now abandoned rancho, and an old church, all noted on the KML, before arriving at the beach. At the beach the palo
blanco trees are dense in the wash and it's hard to see where to go. The road forks and I went right. After awhile I give up and turn around. From my
GPS track it appears I turned around too soon as the road was getting close to the beach. I go back to the fork and head north, find a cut to the
beach, and make camp. This was a nice sandy beach camp. I would be here two nights.
Coyotes howled off and on during the night and early morning. I enjoyed whistling back to keep them going. Fishing was not good. I did see a few sting
rays that evening. In the morning it was high tide. I went down with the pole ... and there was no way I was going into the water. The sand was
literaly covered with sting rays, overlaping in places like shingles. I must have seen thousands up and down the beach. I've never seen them that
thick before.
The mornings were chilly, but the afternoons warmed up into the 90'sF. At 7:30am PST it was 63*F and 48% humid. I spend the day mostly staying out of
the sun. Reading, writing, looking at birds, pretty much doing nothing. I enjoyed a pod of about 10-12 dolphin off shore on a feeding frenzy. I went
for a walk further up the road I came in on and found it ended not too far from where I camped. There was another camp spot, but I liked where I was
better. At the north end there was a rocky point. A few gulls were there with a turkey vulture feeding on a dead sting ray. Shucks.
This road exceeded my comfort level. It was too far away from anything and I was very uncomfortable out there solo without another vehicle.
Slide show at: http://ratstew.home.comcast.net/loscorrales.pdf (3.1mb)
Google Earth track at: http://ratstew.home.comcast.net/bajamarch07.kml
The road from El Barril to the beach camp:
El Barril Jct: N28*17.925' W112*52.581' (miles start here and were logged on the GPS, not the truck)
Gate: N28*14.563' W112*56.443' (6.8 mi)
Right at: N28*12.708' W112*56.392' (9.5 mi)
Gate at top of hill: N28*10.749' W112*56.949' (12.4 mi)
Right at: N28*10.373' W112*56.467' (13.2 mi)
Left at: N28*09.928' W112*55.913' (14.1 mi)
Left at: N28*07.039' W112*57.493' (19.2 mi)
Gate: N28*07.668' W112*55.898' (21.2 mi)
Right at: N28*08.440' W112*54.173' (23.4 mi)
Right at: N28*08.265' W112*53.765' (24 mi)
Left at: N28*06.662' W112*49.225'
Camp: N28*08.728' W112*48.637' (34.7 mi)
Moving time: 3:40 hours; moving average: 9.4mph; odo: 34.7miles
[Edited on 3-25-2007 by Pappy Jon]
Paulina - 3-24-2007 at 05:02 PM
I am interested in your report so far, and we are looking up Los Corrales in the almanac as I type.
P<*)))><
David K - 3-25-2007 at 09:33 PM
AWESOME!!!
cpg - 3-31-2007 at 03:47 PM
Hey Pappy,
When are we going back? There are some beaches I was tring to find but dont want to go solo down some of the washes.
CPG
Pappy Jon - 3-31-2007 at 05:47 PM
I probably can't until March 08. I'm budgeting my vacation for a trip next year.
