BajaNomad - The 'Ice House' road, going East from San Juanico

The 'Ice House' road, going East from San Juanico

WeKeepComingBack - 5-21-2007 at 04:17 PM

We just got back from Baja on the 18th. It was wonderful down there. We spent a few days with friends in Mulege then traveled south to Insurgentes then north to San Juanico. We decided to return home after a week in San Juanico via the 'Ice House' road to Mulege. What an adventure. We only had to dig out once.

woody with a view - 5-21-2007 at 04:22 PM

welcome-

love that road. you get a little of everything, desert, mountains,beautiful country, that is.

aquaholic - 5-21-2007 at 04:54 PM

...we took that road from Mulege to San Juanico over 20 years ago...it doesn't look any different...I have some great memories from that trip from meeting the folks at the little ranchos up in the mountains. Mine was the first diesel pickup most had ever seen, and they couldn't believe we had come from Mulege...the cold Pacificos on ice helped them to believe...why is it, again, that we keep coming back to Baja..???

DianaT - 5-21-2007 at 05:25 PM

We took that road in 2003 and would like to do it again. I have heard, however, that it is not maintained any more? In 2003, we used 4WD a couple of times, but probably could have made it without.

Overall, how was the road?

Diane

2003 trip --- just great vistas--- loved that road

Cypress - 5-21-2007 at 06:08 PM

Gonna put that adventure on my list of things to do.

woody with a view - 5-21-2007 at 06:48 PM

diane-

was this the view from the middle of your foto?
LOVE IT!

la purisima road (Small).jpg - 49kB

Mexitron - 5-22-2007 at 06:15 AM

Beautiful country out there...we went in August years ago-- there's nothing like the site of coming into the valley and then seeing the icehouse in the 110 degree heat.

DianaT - 5-22-2007 at 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by woody in ob
diane-

was this the view from the middle of your foto?
LOVE IT!

Took me a while---I'm a little slow, and you BAD. :lol:

Diane

Are they grading that road ever?

[Edited on 5-22-2007 by jdtrotter]

skibum - 5-22-2007 at 08:13 AM

Wonderful photos. How did it take you given the conditions now?

Icehouse??

oladulce - 5-22-2007 at 11:01 PM

Oh, now I get it. You guys are talking about 2 different roads.

I believe that Aquaholic is talking about the "short-cut" that's usually called the "Ballena" or "Guadalupe" road. For this trail you go north out of San Juanico about 19 miles then turn east at Rancho La Ballena. You'll travel across the peninsula thru steep canyons and drive on even steeper hill sides, pass near the ruins of Mission Guadalupe, and come out right in the Valle of Mulege. It really is the shortest route they say, that is if you make it.

At first I thought everybody was talking about this road because you pass by the Mulege Icehouse, and was very surprised because this can be very narrow and hairy in places and is usually only traveled by rancheros and locals, and even locals will often trade their truck for their caballo.
I haven't heard of anybody whose gone that way since Hurricane John last year ?

Maybe Tomas Tierra has been this way and has a story?

Someday we'll have a smaller truck or other vehicle just for excursions and this is one of the first roads I want to take, but we've been advised that our F350 and camper would be pushing the limits in weight and width in some spots.

Sounds like everybody else is talking about the East Road or the La Purisima road, and the "Icehouse" must be the one in La Purisima- ah ha! This road goes East from La Purisima and comes out on Hwy #1 in Rosarito, South of Concepción and Mulege. I took the photo that Woody posted on this road in Sept '94.

Quote:

Originally posted by jdtrotter

Are they grading that road ever?

Looking back on our pictures, I'd say they stopped doing regular maintainence on The East Road around '98 or '99 because my photos of it stop around that time.

The road used to get scraped and graded and worked by hand crews regularly, but no más, and it eventually got so slow and rocky we cracked a truck frame, then the camper frame with all the rocking. When we got a new rig we sadly abandonded the East Road to extend the vehicle's life. Occasionally you'll hear that the East road is do-able (but then, it's always "do-able" in someone's opinion!) but don't know recent details.

We can only hope that if we continue to pay our property taxes promptly every year, maybe they will start grading the East Road again someday.

I love that trip, plus it it saves a whole lot of drive-time not having to go all the way around thru Insurgentes.

WeKeepComingBack- which route are your photos from ?

[Edited on 5-26-2007 by oladulce]

aquaholic - 5-23-2007 at 10:45 AM

Oladulce is absolutely right...we never saw El Pylon until we traveled south from San Juanico and turned east to head back to Highway 1. The road was almost non-existent in places, and I'm sure that after Juan, it's a tough drive if it's passable at all. At one place, we were faced with steep canyon walls going straight up from both sides of the riverbed/road. I got out to look at the formidable rock "falls" in the riverbed thinking I was toast and would have to turn around and go back. Upon inspection, I found that some bessed soul had hauled cement up there and had formed concrete "ramps" up the rock falls. He must have driven a Ford, since they were perfect for my truck. It was a true adventure requiring an overnight stay. It also destroyed my camper shell, breaking the front panel and rear liftgate completely off due to major flexing. We stopped at each rancho and left tennis balls, etc. for the kids, and supplied all ranch hands with cold Pacificos. Thankfully, I always try to overplan for my needs, and we had enough beer for the trip... I'll always remember jouncing along somewhere out in the middle of nowhere, and passing a gentleman standing by the side of the "road" dressed in dress shirt, tie, and suit. I slowed to see if he needed help, but he just waved. I never have figured that out.

The road to Guadalupe splits off near the top of the divide, as I remember, and heads off to a dead end quite a ways down the road...you can guess how I know that. Somewhere down that road we found a hand dug well with gas pump. Looking down the deep shaft, we admired the guts of whoever dug it and lined with rock all the way to the bottom...

It was a rough trip, with low range necessary much of the time to move at the slowest possible speed...4WD is an absolute must, along with all necessary extrication and road building equipment...I'd also like to hear if anyone has made the trip, especially after Juan...

Gadget - 5-23-2007 at 08:40 PM

My son Ryan and I were down in Mulege the week after Juan helping with cleanup and working with the Bomberos to distribute needed supplies to the local Colonias. We had another storm bearing down on the tip that looked like it could do the same thing Juan did so reliefe efforts got stopped for a day or so while folks just sat and waited to see what was up. There was a D9 dozer that had taken off 10 days prior to our arrival to try and cut the road out to the Sierras and the ranchos that had been completely cut off by the storm and flood. We took off one morning in my Prerunner Bronco to see how far the dozer was and what condition the track was in for non 4x4 reliefe vehicles. We traveled 15 miles out the valley following the "new road". It was very rough even in my very serious rig and we stopped and headed back for town never having caught the dozer. There were some places where he had easily worked for a day to repair 100 yards of trail that was gone 20 feet deep. To see the vast and wide spread amount of water that had come down the valley and how much earth had been moved around out there in just the short distance we went was unbelievable. I would very much like to do that route from coast to coast some time. I have some friends that did it 3 years ago and said it was a hoot.

Cypress - 5-24-2007 at 06:03 AM

Sounds like the storm pretty much destroyed the road.

Any updated information on the roads present condition? :?:

KurtG - 5-24-2007 at 11:02 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Cypress
Sounds like the storm pretty much destroyed the road.

Any updated information on the roads present condition? :?:

The Mulege/La Ballena road is in quite good shape. I motorcycled it in Jan. and again in late March. The La Purisima to Hwy 1 road remains in bad shape. Not repaired after Hurricane John and the Baja 1000 unless very recently. It was very slow going and a lot of rock hopping with the bike.

Cypress - 5-24-2007 at 11:09 AM

KurtG, Thanks for the information.

CaboRon - 6-6-2007 at 09:56 AM

Great trip report.... would love to see more pics ~!!! CAboRon