2017 Baja Pole Line Run (Day 3 of 3) +photos and video!

After a relaxing evening, our group had a short drivers meeting and discussed the possible challenges of the "Bad Hill" and it's possibilities in blocking our passage to Mex. 5. With David needing to return the same evening to San Diego for work early the next morning, making it past the "Bad Hill" would be time critical.

We left camp, and our 10 vehicles snaked through the Jaquegel arroyo washes - past the wreckage of the Samurai up to the steep climbs that led to some of the remaining telephone poles where our group arrived for photos in only 75 minutes from our camp.





Everyone took this opportunity to disembark the Jeeps and take lots of photos!

The going gets rough

After the group climbed the backside of the "Bad Hill", we marveled at how well out run was going. It wasn't even noon, and we had already made the drive from our camp - in less than 2 1/2 hours! We took a short lunch break and phone calls were made from atop the "Bad Hill" mesa with full connectivity.

Our good fortune was going to quickly change with two exceptionally challenging sections that would require shoveling, winching and teamwork.

The road became badly eroded as we approached the edge of the downsloaping section of the "Bad Hill" - I was the only one to get stuck. After plenty of rock stacking, I was winched out without further difficulty.





While I worked on getting unstuck, Rich T. simply drove around and made it look exceptionally easy as shown here.











Akula and Paul W worked hard filling the holes down the trail, and the rest of our group made decent time back to the arroyo down below the "Bad Hill".




[Edited on 2-23-2017 by Ken Cooke]

After seeing how challenging the road down was, Jack explained that his stock Tacoma might have difficulties reaching the arroyo below. Our group drove to the left of the 3 foot deep washout and down the rest of the steep grade without incident.










Bill along the "Bad Hill" grade






David's 4Runner had zero difficulties. This was his first experience in what he would consider "Technical 4 wheeling."

Jaquegel to Hwy 5

Once all of the vehicles made it past the bad hill, we had one last challenge - at mile 105 , the road ascends the edge of the hill going east. Unfortunately, this section washed out, and unless one's tires are aired down, and shifted into 4Lo, you ain't makin' it.

Saturnino was already hard at work shoveling the loose rocks that littered the challenging last real section of trail.



Soon, everyone appeared with shovels - even Dani the dog scratched the ground a little!

We said our good-byes to Jack, Rich T., Paul W., and Jim (along with their respective passengers) before following Saturnino to his friend Sergio's place. Here, we aired up our tires and reconnected swaybar links. The vehicles were all surprisingly clean, considering it had rained sporadically throughout Saturday.

Leidys wouldn't get out of the Jeep, due to there being two large dogs on Sergio's property.



That's it, folks!

Anyone find any insulators or other artifacts photographed?

Chuck got lucky in 2015:




Items found by 4x4abc and some broken insulators I found.

The cobblestone road sections from 1942 were way cool, too...

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Anyone find any insulators or other artifacts photographed?

I came across this neat isolator fragment, but I carefully placed it and the nail with wood beside some rocks for others to marvel at it in the future.

Quote: Originally posted by Ken Cooke

Once all of the vehicles made it past the bad hill, we had one last challenge - at mile 105 , the road ascends the edge of the hill going east. Unfortunately, this section washed out, and unless one's tires are aired down, and shifted into 4Lo, you ain't makin' it. Saturnino was already hard at work shoveling the loose rocks that littered the challenging last real section of trail. [URL=http://s50.photobucket.com/user/thedesertoutlaw/media/Baja%20Pole%20Line%202017%20Run/received_366300593756451_zpsalbthnfo.jpeg.html] [/URL] Soon, everyone appeared with shovels - even Dani the dog scratched the ground a little!

Down the Jaquegel arroyo before approaching the "Bad Hill" area.

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Was the Suzuki in the same place as 2015 (1/10 mile to the left)?

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Bad Hill is the long grade up the mesa with the many poles over to the north. They are also using that name for the steep grade down from the mesa going east. After the mesa grade you drop into Jaquegel briefly, then we had to build the road to climb out. The new group did as well.

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The pic shows the location with coordinates and notes
[URL=http://s1294.photobucket.com/user/Paulwil/media/Pole%20Line%20Road/Untitled_zpsara7rth8.jpg.html][/URL

Finally getting some time to download some more pictures of the trip. Enjoy!


Lots of green!


A quick lunch break.



Hanging out at the tank.



It's a Jeep thing!





A great trip with amazing views and some great new friends!







[Edited on 2-7-2018 by BajaNomad]

[Edited on 2-7-2018 by BajaNomad]

Some "road" .. .Blue, blue skies