BajaNomad - Updating the Baja Almanac

Updating the Baja Almanac

Arthur - 1-27-2005 at 12:53 PM

Have you found a place where the Baja Almanac is inaccurate? I think it would be a good idea to get all such information in one place. This might encourage the publisher to update the book, but at least I could make up a page (probably in table form) that would make it easy to find corrections. Then I'll have the page laminated and shrunk down for use as a beer coaster. . .

Anywaay, if we present our findings in this way, it would make it easy for me -- or anyone -- to organize them for easy retrieval:

Page and quadrant (ie, 53, A-7)
Nearest town or landmark
Brief description of innacuracy
How the map should look

-- sound good?

Nope

jrbaja - 1-27-2005 at 02:03 PM

because, it would be a full time job to point out all of the inaccuracies I have stumbled across in my travels throughout Baja.
And as some pointed out in the earlier threads regarding this, it adds to the adventure.

Arthur - 1-27-2005 at 02:21 PM

Wow.

Neal Johns - 1-27-2005 at 02:40 PM

Authur, check your U2U

PacO - 1-27-2005 at 03:21 PM

Well, since JR says no I guess that's the final word.
I will be happy to send you anything I find. I had some interesting travels on the Pacific side that didn't quite match up, but I didn't write any of it down. I just filed in that relatively empty space betwixt me ears. I'm all for it

woody with a view - 1-27-2005 at 06:54 PM

i know from my days in the FD that the thomas brothers maps are purposely inaccurate so that the publishers can track copyright infringements and other such nonsense by their rivals. maybe baja almanac has a certain amount of "purposeful" errors as well?

TMW - 1-27-2005 at 07:04 PM

Funny I just openned my almanac and on page 1 it shows the hwy from Tecate to Ensenada as hwy1.

pappy - 1-27-2005 at 07:06 PM

shoot-ain't that part of the adventure??do we really want to make it pinpoint accurate?

PacO - 1-27-2005 at 08:08 PM

Well, when you're off the pavement and staring at miles of washboard it's still an adventure. Just because you can see it on a map doesn't mean you don't still feel lost when all you see around you is MILES of desert.

bajalou - 1-27-2005 at 09:18 PM

Good project I hope it grows and gets some info out for us who havent been to some of the areas. Save a few frustrating hours sometimes.

:biggrin:

David K - 1-27-2005 at 10:52 PM

Here is some corrections I mentioned in the 9/04 thread... I brought up...
-------------------------------------------------------
When this edition of the Almanac (with color topography) came out last year, I posted the several errors I spotted that were also in the earliar editions. I also emailed Landon the list, but I have never gotten a reply back.

As far as I have seen, Landon does not change road locations, but he does add milages on major roads and additions to place names. For instance, next to Rancho Santa Ynez (Ines) you will see 'Casa Patchen' refering to Marvin Patchen's little cabin that is the base for his new book 'Baja Outpost'. Coco's Corner is in the Almanac, but probabaly not on the official Mexican topo... etc.

Mistakes or old data used by Mexican cartographers and are also on the Almanac maps include:

Switching the names: Bahia San Luis Gonzaga and Ensenada de San Francisquito; Arroyo El Volcan and Arroyo Zamora

Mislocating roads: Hwy. 1 between San Agustin and San Roque (near Catavina); the road north of Hwy. 1 to San Juan de Dios; The Valle Chico road, north of Matomi; the Punta San Francisquito road south of Las Flores;

Showing auto roads that don't exist: between San Francisco de la Sierra and Santa Marta (it is just a mule trail)...

There are others, but that is a sampling.

bajaandy - 1-28-2005 at 10:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by PacO
Just because you can see it on a map doesn't mean you don't still feel lost when all you see around you is MILES of desert.

I've felt that way in the Los Angles basin a time or two.
"I can see it right here on the map. Now where the hell am I?"

Kudos to those of you that are attempting to add a bit more accuracy to the Baja Almanac. But as you can see from my post, half the time I'm not sure if it's the map or my map reading skills that need the adjustment!

Not so Pac O

jrbaja - 1-28-2005 at 05:30 PM

I was just stating facts from traveling the Baja roads all the time.
I could post examples of so many places that are wrong, because of actually being there rather than reading about in some gringo vacationers publication or message board. :light:

What a concept eh? A different approach to be sure!

Arthur

Mike Humfreville - 1-28-2005 at 05:36 PM

Regardless of what 1 or maybe 2 people say, your doing the right thing in trying to make this product so many of us rely on a better tool. Folks that don't use the backroads use the AAA map. I've got a couple of notes I've made over the years and I'll post them here when I can find them.

Good job and thanks.

Jr

PacO - 1-28-2005 at 06:33 PM

Why don't you do it then? With over 1300 posts annually on average since you have registered I think you could fit those in as well. This would give you a chance to share your knowledge rather than belittle us more ignorant folk.

[Edited on 1-29-2005 by PacO]

David K - 1-28-2005 at 07:05 PM

PacO, what is they say? "Talk is cheap"!

I love this 'gringo message board' and contribute a lot...

JR contributes just as much (we both have about the same # of posts if you add SkiBaja, his other handle), but is so often complaining or bad mouthing the majority of viewers (gringos) here.

I don't get it?

JR, the mistakes I mention are from personal observation, driving, and GPSing... Or, from historic record (Bahia San Luis Gonzaga for example, is the smaller northern bay, named by Spanish explorers that took shelter there).

JR, how about pointing out the numerous errors (made by Mexican cartographers) you have discovered and share them with you Baja brothers and sisters? If I get in touch with Landon, I bet he could edit the next edition with your findings... maybe give you credit for all your field work?

Sorry david

jrbaja - 1-31-2005 at 10:25 AM

As far as me badmouthing and belittling, I didn't realize that so many of you fit into the P-nche gringo group that I refer to down here. I was just generalizing but wow, apparently the huarache fit more than I imagined!!
As much as I use the atlas and map, I really don't feel it is my job to point out all the mistakes made in the book. Credit does not grow bamboo!
If someone is making a book to sell and make money, I personally think that they should personally deal with getting it right and spending the time it actually takes to do this.
And besides that, there are so many on here that take what I have to say about the P-nche gringos personally, :lol:

that I would rather see the places I know of left off the map entirely! :light:

bajaandy - 1-31-2005 at 11:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by jrbaja
I would rather see the places I know of left off the map entirely!

HA! Fat chance of THAT ever happening. But wishful thinking never hurt anyone.

We shall see,

jrbaja - 1-31-2005 at 01:51 PM

Cartographers :lol:

Flojos por que muchos bandidos en los cerros :lol:

peligro seguro

BAJA ALMANAC

rob - 2-1-2005 at 04:58 PM

I like the Malarrimo Beach page. On my first exploration of Baja in 1998, I got to Malarimmo from the west along the cliff tops. When time came to leave (up the usual approach arroyo that people use), I cautiously went up the arroyo and faithfully left the arroyo at the exact spot indicated on the map (using my GPS).

I spent the entire afternoon casting back and forth to find the road (these were the days when I trusted the BM totally and without doubt).

Finally I said the hell with it and motored about 5 miles further up the arroyo (knowing I was going to die), and found the road where it had always left the arroyo - beautiful and wide and waiting.

Stuart - read your email!

Arthur - 2-1-2005 at 05:07 PM

Good stuff. Tell us more about that stretch sometime, will you? I've seen some discussion of the beach, and it souns pretty wild and wooly, but just the modicum of geography that you mention is more than I was aware of.

David K - 2-1-2005 at 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by rob
I like the Malarrimo Beach page. On my first exploration of Baja in 1998, I got to Malarimmo from the west along the cliff tops. When time came to leave (up the usual approach arroyo that people use), I cautiously went up the arroyo and faithfully left the arroyo at the exact spot indicated on the map (using my GPS).

I spent the entire afternoon casting back and forth to find the road (these were the days when I trusted the BM totally and without doubt).

Finally I said the hell with it and motored about 5 miles further up the arroyo (knowing I was going to die), and found the road where it had always left the arroyo - beautiful and wide and waiting.

Stuart - read your email!

Hi Rob, we have emailed each other before... and after meeting a carpenter today who surfed at your place recently I relized who you were, here on Nomad! How about sharing your web site link, or add it in a signature with your posts? Welcome to Baja Nomad!!!

maps and mistakes

Humboldt Chris and Robin - 2-1-2005 at 10:30 PM

As a geographer who has looked at a zillion maps, it is rare to find an atlas or map that doesn't have mistakes. I can show you a lot of topo maps of the Trinity Alps, Siskiyou Mts, with mistakes galore, and that is by a premier mapping outfit - USGS. I just write notes in my Baja Almanac and laugh at the mistakes that have puzzled me. All part of the Baja fun, and wimps that we are in the 21st Century with GPS's and all, remember all those early Baja trailblazers that did it with far less in maps than the Baja Almanac. Personally, I love the Almanac.