BajaNomad

Video: Laguna Salada, Top to Bottom

StuckSucks - 5-7-2018 at 06:52 PM

A time-wasting, time-lapse video taking a 72-mile shortcut in northern Baja California from Highway 2D, down the length of Laguna Salada, eventually meeting Highway 5 south of Mexicali.

Because we could.

Video: Laguna Salada, Top to Bottom

bajadogs - 5-7-2018 at 09:31 PM

Nice! Thanks for making the video. I have thought about that "shortcut" for many years just to avoid the nonsense near Mexicali. I'm not sure if it makes sense logistically. Plus the wear and tear off-road. I may take the asphault south.

I did like the video.



[Edited on 5-8-2018 by bajadogs]

jadams - 5-8-2018 at 09:16 AM

Great video, a couple of questions, how long did it take? what was your average speed

motoged - 5-8-2018 at 09:23 AM

SS,
Thanks for the vid....never been out on the lakebed....just always on the slab in that area....always wondered about the muck-pit factor out there....nice to see it. :coolup:

TMW - 5-8-2018 at 09:37 AM

Good video, thanks. Normally after you leave Cohabuzo jct and get back on the lake bed near Saldana is where you need to be careful of the mud. If your rear view mirror shows dust and not mud flying up you are OK. If it's mud stop and back up and go further to the west.

David K - 5-8-2018 at 10:23 AM

Before the new road was built in WWII to supply our radar station at San Felipe, the standard route was over Laguna Salada to get around the Colorado and Hardy River Delta/ marsh areas. Here is an article on the new road in 1948 and the map shows the original Laguna Salada route: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=41992

DirkEXC - 5-8-2018 at 11:17 AM

I have a long story on Laguna Salada but I’ll keep it short. A friend of mine and I thought it would be fun to ride from Tecate to his place at Rio Harde. A easy day ride right ?? We left Tecate about 9 am and got to Rio Harde about midnightt. We made it to Ramona and each loaded up our 3.2 tanks and 2 extra gallons each in our Arizona Ice Tea Jugs, these work great. Well we made it the bottom of El Mano about dusk and rode up to almost Guadalupe canyon where we were going to cut directly across the desert to the road that runs through the El Mayor mountains.

( This is the short version )

Well there is no road that runs straight from Guadalupe to the El Mayor mountain road, its all small sand dunes 3 to 6 feet tall with lots of bushes. Just as we are about the leave the road to head across the desert we see a red lazer beam coming from the north west. We do not think much of it at the time. Well we get out into the dune field and get turned around because its hard to find a path through all the bushes, we stop to get our bearings and the lazer beam is getting closer, we finally get to the other side of the dunes and hit the small long narrow lake on the other side, we are about 11 hours into our ride and we have to go around the water. I could have slept right there. We look back and the lazer beam is still there and its getting closer, we are tired, low on gas and do not want to mess with anything or anyone so we get around the water and onto a real road and into Rio Harde. The best I can figure it was the military in Humvee trying to get to us and I can only imagine what they went through for over an hour following us through 4 to 6 foot sand dunes and bushes. Only In Mexico, got to love it.


StuckSucks - 5-8-2018 at 12:18 PM

Quote: Originally posted by jadams  
Great video, a couple of questions, how long did it take? what was your average speed


No idea how long it took, maybe 2 hours? We stopped a couple times to do tourist things.

Low end cruising was ~40mph, faster cruising was 70+, there was a lot of 60mph. If you wanted to push it faster, that would be easy. When scooting along at a higher rate of speed, I always remember that complacency can hurt.

JZ - 5-8-2018 at 06:54 PM

Quote: Originally posted by StuckSucks  
A time-wasting, time-lapse video taking a 72-mile shortcut in northern Baja California from Highway 2D, down the length of Laguna Salada, eventually meeting Highway 5 south of Mexicali.

Because we could.

Video: Laguna Salada, Top to Bottom


I like your tech skills. What interval did you use?

StuckSucks - 5-9-2018 at 08:13 AM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ  


I like your tech skills. What interval did you use?


Thanks. The interval was 1 second.

Nextlevelbaja - 5-13-2018 at 07:57 PM

Quote: Originally posted by DirkEXC  
I have a long story on Laguna Salada but I’ll keep it short. A friend of mine and I thought it would be fun to ride from Tecate to his place at Rio Harde. A easy day ride right ?? We left Tecate about 9 am and got to Rio Harde about midnightt. We made it to Ramona and each loaded up our 3.2 tanks and 2 extra gallons each in our Arizona Ice Tea Jugs, these work great. Well we made it the bottom of El Mano about dusk and rode up to almost Guadalupe canyon where we were going to cut directly across the desert to the road that runs through the El Mayor mountains.

( This is the short version )

Well there is no road that runs straight from Guadalupe to the El Mayor mountain road, its all small sand dunes 3 to 6 feet tall with lots of bushes. Just as we are about the leave the road to head across the desert we see a red lazer beam coming from the north west. We do not think much of it at the time. Well we get out into the dune field and get turned around because its hard to find a path through all the bushes, we stop to get our bearings and the lazer beam is getting closer, we finally get to the other side of the dunes and hit the small long narrow lake on the other side, we are about 11 hours into our ride and we have to go around the water. I could have slept right there. We look back and the lazer beam is still there and its getting closer, we are tired, low on gas and do not want to mess with anything or anyone so we get around the water and onto a real road and into Rio Harde. The best I can figure it was the military in Humvee trying to get to us and I can only imagine what they went through for over an hour following us through 4 to 6 foot sand dunes and bushes. Only In Mexico, got to love it.







We recently rode down Rumerosa and across Laguna Salada to the Rio. Its much easier to get across the lake bed right away and hug the mountains to the east. Those small dunes can be fun in the daylight.