BajaNomad

Matomi Canyon Narrows (from space!)

David K - 9-2-2004 at 04:42 PM

Satellite Man is on a roll... I just checked out his web site http://www.wvvinc.com/Baja.htm and see he has added more Baja locations! Matomi Wash, Puertecitos, and Diablo Mtn.

Here's a close up of the Matomi Narrows and beyond just down stream of where the Valle Chico road drops down into Arroyo Matomi. The south end of Valle Chico is included. Thanks Arman!



[Edited on 9-2-2004 by David K]

Matomi Canyon Narrows

mcgyver - 9-2-2004 at 05:40 PM

David, Calling your attention to the left center of this picture where Valle Chico road drops in to Matomi. There is a deep looking dead end canyon or valley running from there to the east and dead ending. Have you ever explored up it? There appears to be a very high, steep cliff at the SE end. It would be interesting! BTW I have ID"ed the site of the old store on Valle Chico Rd. It is at the spot where we stopped after lunch. I still have not found a local who knows about the capped off well.

Neal Johns - 9-2-2004 at 08:46 PM

Mcgyver, I noticed that also! It is on my to-do list. I never noticed it on the ground.

David K - 9-2-2004 at 10:55 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mcgyver
David, Calling your attention to the left center of this picture where Valle Chico road drops in to Matomi. There is a deep looking dead end canyon or valley running from there to the east and dead ending. Have you ever explored up it? There appears to be a very high, steep cliff at the SE end. It would be interesting! BTW I have ID"ed the site of the old store on Valle Chico Rd. It is at the spot where we stopped after lunch. I still have not found a local who knows about the capped off well.


Yes, I see the dead end canyon/valley at the southeast corner of Valle Chico in this photo... The prominent mesa is quite visible from the Valle Chico road, but that side valley is not... Deffinately worth exploring!!!

Not sure about what 'store' (or what you mean by a store) you I.D'd, where we spotted that capped well... that was in the Llanos (Plains) de San Fermin, not Valle Chico. Please tell me more about what you I.D.'d!

[Edited on 9-3-2004 by David K]

elgatoloco - 9-2-2004 at 11:09 PM

lower altitude

David K - 9-2-2004 at 11:26 PM

Gracias Mateo! Entering the Matomi Canyon Narrows heading east after our Prez Day 2001 group trip to Rancho Matomi Oasis http://vivabaja.com/matomi and http://vivabaja.com/elgatoloco for photos from that great day.

In the photo that Matt posted is my truck. If you look closely at the 'bulb' above the line of my pickup's cab... you will see it is MIKE HUMFREVILLE's head!!!

To help Mexray's Subaru Brat achieve more ground clearance, he moved to the back of my truck and took his position in my camp chair in back (Sarah also rode back there). I felt like I was a limo driver for third world leader on parade! Mike had a 'regal' aura about him!:yes::biggrin:

mcgyver - 9-3-2004 at 03:02 AM

David, My mistake it is in San Fermin that you and I found a "well" that was capped with some numbers welded on it. My pictures were lost, I thought maybe you had one. The store was located on the old San Fermin Rd. All my notes on it about the owners and dates of operation are in Baja and I am stuck here with Drs.We stopped at the site and speculated about it the day we passed through San Fermin.You might not remember the stop, I think you had eaten a bad clam?
Note: for anyone taking the Matomi/ Valle Chico/ San Fermin route the first major wash north of the Matomi/Valle Chico intersection was washed very badly in the last storms, I detoured to the west and found a place to cross, very long WB/High Clearance rigs might not have a problem with the steep southern approch.

David K - 9-3-2004 at 07:05 AM

Here is a photo of Max (mcgyver) when we stopped for lunch in the Llanos de San Fermin. Shortly after this photo was taken a dust devil hit us, lifted my camp chair into the sky and dropped it on the other side of Max's Suzuki! Other photos of that May, '03 trip are at http://vivabaja.com/503/page3.html
Yes Max, I did eat a bad clam at a San Felipe taco stand... that's why I didn't follow you back to Campo Cristina... I thought I was going to die, and prefered to do so on my beloved Shell Island!



[Edited on 9-3-2004 by David K]

Mexitron - 9-3-2004 at 07:45 AM

Another beauty Satellite Man!! How about one showing Matomi Canyon and Pico Matomi(next frame west?).

[Edited on 9-3-2004 by Mexitron]

Satellite Man - 9-3-2004 at 10:26 AM

David K & elgatoloco,
Thanks for the pictures. It?s always great to see what a place looks like from the ground and compare it to the Satellite image.

Mexitron,
The actual print (24?x36?) cover a much larger area (see the attached image). What David K posted is just a small subset of the entire prints.
:)

Directionally challenged help

John M - 9-3-2004 at 03:36 PM

David, or others, is North at the top of the images? or........? For those of us who have not been there could you pinpoint the image location in the Baja Almanac? Or to the Baja Topographical Atlas?

Satellite Man - 9-3-2004 at 05:26 PM

Hi John M,
North is at the top. I will defer the answer to the rest of your question to David K and others.

John M.

David K - 9-3-2004 at 06:13 PM

Hey John! The full poster is awesome, and as Arman said, north is at the top, just like a map. About half of Valle Chico is shown (the south half)... The Canada Parral road over to the sulfur mine is shown where it exits the Sierra San Felipe (aka Sierra Santa Rosa) and enters Valle Chico (see Almanac). Near the bottom center is the dark peak of Cerro Matomi which Mexitron and his friends (pappy incl.) climbed!!! (link in my notebook, below). Of course Arroyo Matomi can be followed from north of the peak (where the rancho/oasis is) on out towards Puertecitos. Arman's 'Puertecitos' poster continues the Matomi arroyo out to the Sea of Cortez. YOU GOTTA GET THEM, BOTH as they are cool!

I posted the close up image from the web site rather than the full poster sample, because the detail of the actual poster you get is like the close up's and NOT fuzzy like the sample full image, off the web site.

Matomi trip...?

John M - 9-4-2004 at 02:50 PM

So, how far in advance would you plan the next Matomi excursion? John M.

David K - 9-4-2004 at 06:13 PM

Hmmm, well that has become a traditional President's Day weekend event (2001 & 2004)... But, the river flows year-round to the waterfall pool behind the ranch house. I was there in August 26 years ago and that pool was heaven in the over 100? weather (see my Baja Album web page, listed in my index)!!!

bajalou - 9-4-2004 at 07:17 PM

David
Let me know when you go again and I'll see you there.

It's a wonderful spot.

BajaLou:biggrin:

From Mexitron...

David K - 9-4-2004 at 07:31 PM



Photo of Arroyo Matomi (just east of the ranch house) from Mesa el Avion, just south... Beyond is Valle Chico. See more of Mexitron's great photos (including the upper Matomi canyon pools he saw after Bajalou and I met him at Parral)... http://community-2.webtv.net/thebaja/mexitron

[Edited on 9-5-2004 by David K]