BajaNomad

Monday, Gonzaga to Chapala only 7 km of dirt

Paulclark - 10-1-2019 at 08:34 PM


Gonzaga Bay to Hwy 1- 40 minutes. On the pavement the whole way except for 7 km of dirt detour and the last 1.4 km to Hwy 1 is not paved. The 7 km are fairly rough with the first couple Km narrow.

When I was in Wash. State on Hwy I5 and used Google Maps they showed Hwy Mx 5 is the quickest route to Cabo.

David K - 10-1-2019 at 08:49 PM

Thanks for this. It is finally happening.

How was the the 10 miles north from Puertecitos, done? There was also 9 bridge detours south of Puertecitos.

Paulclark - 10-1-2019 at 09:04 PM


San Felipe to Puertocitos 1 hour and 10 minutes, 31 detours, most very short and 2 that were 1 to 2 km. Detours in good condition.

Puertocitos to Gonzaga Bay 1 hour with 7 detours which were a little rough and slow going.

Bajazly - 10-1-2019 at 11:39 PM

Yippppeeeee, it's almost done!

What's that old saying about good roads and good people? Oh yeah that's right, there's not one... Is Bahia de Los Angeles destined to go the way of Alfy's and Gonzaga Bay? How can it not?

Personally I can't wait to see the trucks barreling across the desert on the black monster that will replace one of the last great expanses of dirt left in Baja, that between Visciano and the south end of Bahia, that will be super sweet.

Seeing all that cool desert on the other side of the fences at 70 mph, what could be better? The faster and easier we can get to all those ever shrinking cool places that are hard to get to the better right?


redhilltown - 10-1-2019 at 11:57 PM

Drove it last week as well. I totally get the sarcasm... But another storm will wash away a lot of this work as we all know. Though I was impressed from having been through right after Rosa how much work they have done...which of course won't matter unless it is done correctly. Alphonsina's is not your father's Alphonsina's...gill netters are hammering Gonzaga Bay. Try and stop and say hi to Coco. We brought him a lot of fresh veggies which he always appreciates. Still has a kitty so cat food also appreciated. Said he is moving to Los Arrastras to be near the new road.

Paco Facullo - 10-2-2019 at 05:11 AM

Somebody’s is going to owe somebody a LOT of beers real soon.

Although those last 7 km’s could take another year of so !

David K - 10-2-2019 at 08:56 AM

LOL, if you go back to the debate on when it would get done, you may see some interesting guesses!
Without looking, I think I had the furthest one out: 2019... all others said sooner! Maybe in 2020?

redhilltown - 10-3-2019 at 05:11 PM

From San Felipe to Chapala for the road to be completely done is at least two years ago if not more. And of course, depending on how the hurricanes cooperate!

bajaguy - 10-3-2019 at 05:35 PM

Wonder how long it will take the trucks/weather to tear it up

jaymtb - 11-16-2019 at 08:36 PM

It won't take long to tear it up...A Mexican trucker told me he runs north on Mex 5 with 32 tons of scrap and back south with 40 tons of rebar, presently with the dirt detour.

vacaenbaja - 11-19-2019 at 07:29 PM

I remember before the roads were paved that the coastal section from

San Felipe on down was the demise of many a 4 wheel adventurer.

The very surface of the section of road I think it was called "The Three

Sisters" was of such material that it would really chew up tires

Perhaps David K has some old tome that describes just how rugged

and slow going travel was down this dry, hot , and unpopulated

road was. I was only able to find this short

snippet, but I seem to remember that Tom Millers Baja Book had an

account of it. How about it David?

https://www.bajabound.com/bajaadventures/bajafever/arturo_gr...





David K - 11-19-2019 at 09:06 PM

The bad, 4WD section was from Puertecitos south for about 20 miles over the volcanic ridges. Many steep grades, more than three but maybe some recall the three worst ones. Cliff Cross did a nice map describing the grades. I will add it when I am on my PC.
The next 30 miles had some bad parts but mostly level driving.