BajaNomad

Laguna Salada to Mex 5 via Cahabuzo Jct.

Geothermal-Shane - 12-10-2019 at 07:02 PM

Greetings all,

Would anyone happen to have any idea about the conditions of this route and whether or not it may require 4wd? Also, is the route fairly clear, or would one want to be fastidiously tracking on GPS to avoid getting lost? I have been as far as the turnoff to Palomar Cyn many years ago. Was thinking of heading south from Guadalupe Cyn to San Felipe and it would be nice to go this way.

Thanks for any info!

4x4abc - 12-10-2019 at 07:22 PM

Do your homework on Google Earth and go
several tracks to chose from - all lead to Rome (MEX5)

if you don't use Google Earth, go anyway but bring more beer and water

GPS route

John M - 12-10-2019 at 07:26 PM

I have a gps route in three pieces, one from Mex 2 to Guadalupe Canyon both across the Laguna Salada and one for the "dry" road to the west, avoiding the salada. Second piece is Guadalupe Canyon to Cohabuzzo Junction and the third Cohabuzzo to Highway 5. In my experience from Cohabuzzo to Highway 5 you can get into lots of soft sand.

I believe the recently completed Baja 1000 used parts of those routes and I saw from a couple of You Tube race reports that the racers encountered soft sand - I'm not certain if the race follow the GPS tracks I have or not.

John M

Mulege Canuck - 12-10-2019 at 09:25 PM

I go to Guadalupe Canyon Hotsprings every year but I have not had the huevos to keep going south with my camper through Laguna Salada to Mex 5.

If you do let me know how it went. Lots of rain in November, might be mucky....

4x4abc - 12-10-2019 at 10:38 PM

here are the roads that are available in the area



Screen shot 2019-12-10 at 10.36.01 PM.jpg - 212kB

Bajazly - 12-10-2019 at 10:59 PM

The 1000 did just go up and come down the lake bed, pre ran it twice both times in 2wd. A little soft here and there but its wide open and you can make your own adventure.

If you get ahold of the gps from the 1000, don't follow it west over the mountain unless you want a most excellent Baja adventure. It's pretty and doable but a large heavy rig would be rough and a bit of work. Work your way east and you could make it all the way down to 3 on dirt altho you would be right next to 5 for a little while if you followed the race course.

Mulege Canuck - 12-10-2019 at 11:26 PM

Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc  
here are the roads that are available in the area





Can you show what you think the best route would be for a F350 with a camper?

4x4abc - 12-11-2019 at 12:17 AM

F350:

Attachment: F350.kmz (1kB)
This file has been downloaded 229 times

PaulW - 12-11-2019 at 07:50 AM

The road from Hwy 2 to Cahabusco wont likely require 4WD.
Palomar is questionable as it is tough in good times before the rains.
The travel from Cahabuzo to the lake bed will be very slow for your rig due to the whoops and washboard from racing.
Last few days there has been heavy rain just east of the mountains including the lake bed. This means the conditions on the lake bed are unknown. Maybe the soft sand will be hard - maybe you will find deep mud?
Summary, this time of year your trip is problematic.

Mulege Canuck - 12-11-2019 at 08:11 AM

Quote: Originally posted by PaulW  
The road from Hwy 2 to Cahabusco wont likely require 4WD.
Palomar is questionable as it is tough in good times before the rains.
The travel from Cahabuzo to the lake bed will be very slow for your rig due to the whoops and washboard from racing.
Last few days there has been heavy rain just east of the mountains including the lake bed. This means the conditions on the lake bed are unknown. Maybe the soft sand will be hard - maybe you will find deep mud?
Summary, this time of year your trip is problematic.


I plan to go to the Guadalupe Canyon in late January. Maybe I can convince a buddy to try it with me. Thanks for the info Paul.

Mulege Canuck - 12-11-2019 at 08:13 AM

Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc  
F350:



I click on this link to download but it does not come up in google earth on my iPad. What am I doing wrong?

David K - 12-11-2019 at 08:28 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Mulege Canuck  
Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc  
F350:



I click on this link to download but it does not come up in google earth on my iPad. What am I doing wrong?


Worked for me on my PC...

Geothermal Shane

John M - 12-11-2019 at 04:32 PM

See your U2U for a message

John M

chippy - 12-11-2019 at 04:42 PM



This was in nov. while they where prerunning the 1000. The road was great. Sucks that the racers destroy the roads:fire::fire::fire:

Geothermal-Shane - 12-11-2019 at 11:28 PM

Thank you everyone for the feedback,

I'm driving a 6cyl, 2wd 1998 SR5 4runner, lifted 1" with decent 16" Cooper all terrain's. It works well but sand could be an issue, I would definitely venture in with lowered tire PSI and an air compressor along with recovery boards. Seems doable so long as the lake bed isn't muddy, albeit there may be a few washes to fish-tail through beforehand.

Does anyone have coordinates for Cahabuzo Jct along with those for a likely spot on Mex 5 to emerge from the southern end of Laguna Salada this way? My old computer doesn't understand kmz files... :?:

4x4abc - 12-12-2019 at 12:03 AM

any computer understands kmz files
need to load Google Earth
it is free

https://support.google.com/earth/answer/21955?hl=en

here is Cohabuzo junction:

Attachment: Cohabuzo junction.kmz (706B)
This file has been downloaded 211 times

[Edited on 12-12-2019 by 4x4abc]

Cohabuzzo GPS

John M - 12-12-2019 at 06:36 AM

Two-wheel-drive could be sketchy. Once you leave the farmland south of Guadalupe Canyon you probably won't see anyone until you near Highway 5 - Spot, In-Reach, or Satellite phone wouldn't be a bad idea.



The route in red is the "high" (or the route to use when the dry lake isn't dry) the route in purple is the Laguna Salada route both of these tracks shown take you near Guadalupe Canyon - road to Guadalupe is the short green track.



You'll be southbound on the red, turning east onto the green.



Route ends at Hwy 5 - an old Google Earth image - I don't recall that the buildings showing in white near the junction are still there.



John M

[Edited on 12-12-2019 by John M]

Mulege Canuck - 12-12-2019 at 09:35 AM

Quote: Originally posted by PaulW  
The road from Hwy 2 to Cahabusco wont likely require 4WD.
Palomar is questionable as it is tough in good times before the rains.
The travel from Cahabuzo to the lake bed will be very slow for your rig due to the whoops and washboard from racing.
Last few days there has been heavy rain just east of the mountains including the lake bed. This means the conditions on the lake bed are unknown. Maybe the soft sand will be hard - maybe you will find deep mud?
Summary, this time of year your trip is problematic.


Ok. Got the route figured out. Looks like to get to Mex 5 that lake bed road better be dry. I have driven the lake bed road to the Hotsprings when it is dry. If that section is dry, is it a good indication that the lake bed will be drivable further south as I head to Mex 5?

Thanks again Paul.

StuckSucks - 12-12-2019 at 10:32 AM

And here's my track from the video, Google Maps.

My apologies for the poor quality:



Canuck -

John M - 12-12-2019 at 10:33 AM

I am posting with only limited experience on these routes. We've been to Guadalupe Canyon via the salada route when it was sorta damp - and for us that was risky with just one vehicle. If the salada appears wetter as you go south on it, then I'd opt to turn back and take the western or dry road.

It is my recollection that the road from Guadalupe Canyon to Cohabuzzo doesn't retain water just because the Laguna Salada is wet.

And I believe the same thing goes for the route from Cohabuzzo to Tres Pozos and out to Highway 5; it doesn't tend to flood.

Paul W has much more knowledge and may well correct or add to what I've written. I'd follow his advice and intuition before my own.

John M

Stuck Sucks video

John M - 12-12-2019 at 10:37 AM

I didn't see the toilet alongside the road - is it still there?

you drive fast.

JM

David K - 12-12-2019 at 11:06 AM

There are parallel tracks down the laguna... I also did not see it southbound one trip, but driving back north a day or two later, there it was!

Mulege Canuck - 12-12-2019 at 11:14 AM

Quote: Originally posted by StuckSucks  
And here's my track from the video, Google Maps.

My apologies for the poor quality:





That would be a fast route for sure if the Laguna was dry. If it has not rained in Mexicali for 3 weeks when I get to the Hotsprings, I am going to go for it.

Gracias

Maderita - 12-12-2019 at 11:26 AM

Quote: Originally posted by John M  
I didn't see the toilet alongside the road - is it still there?
JM

Yes, it was there in mid-November.

StuckSucks - 12-12-2019 at 11:55 AM

Quote: Originally posted by John M  
If the salada appears wetter as you go south on it, then I'd opt to turn back and take the western or dry road.


What John M said: seriously respect a damp lakebed. With water, the lakebed can be the consistency of toothpaste.

I've been out there during races when it's wet, and hugging the west shore makes it do-able (albeit slow going).

At the risk of too much info

John M - 12-12-2019 at 01:01 PM


At the top of the Google Earth image is Mex 2 - between Tecate and Mexicali.

There are big signs at each road along Hwy 2

John M



[Edited on 12-12-2019 by John M]

David K - 12-12-2019 at 01:37 PM

That is a great post John... very visual. I have driven both routes to Guadalupe Canyon, but the graded road only one time and it was a breeze in my Tacoma. However, the dry lake route is just more exotic to drive... and a bit smoother!

4x4abc - 12-12-2019 at 01:52 PM

you could also drive the (dry) east route
race does it on occasion