New Baja Road and Recreation Atlas

Quote: Originally posted by Disastrogirl

David, do you know how to order it from Baja Bound? I couldn’t find a link on their website. I’d rather order from them than amazon.

I purchased the Avenza digital version, and am already playing with it. There's Shell Island!

Quote: Originally posted by PaulW

The road up Huatamote is missing. It has been a road for over 20 years.

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Glad it is getting a friendly nod. Two of the cartographers from Benchmark and I will be on a Slow Baja Podcast to share how we made it... recording it this Friday.

Quote: Originally posted by gueribo

Quote: Originally posted by David K   Glad it is getting a friendly nod. Two of the cartographers from Benchmark and I will be on a Slow Baja Podcast to share how we made it... recording it this Friday. Very cool. Looking forward to the discussion.

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Two of the cartographers from Benchmark and I will be on a Slow Baja Podcast to share how we made it... recording it this Friday.

Neat! I'm also looking forward to hearing this!

Here is an overlay with Benchmark over INEGI. It's kind of difficult to see (click to enlarge), but what I see in this area is that the Benchmark map includes most of the INEGI roads, and that Benchmark has added a number of other roads:




[Edited on 5-21-2021 by geoffff]

And here's that same area comparing the new Benchmark map with our old favorite, the Baja Almanac (colors changed for contrast). The Baja Almanac was never spatially accurate enough for GPS use, though many years ago I did scan pages and try.

For reader interest.
You mention Apache Tears. Here is a screen shot from my GPS that shows the roads near that place.
And yes I have driven all of the roads shown. That is what I have been doing over the years



rquote=1212319&tid=96027&author=David K]Paul, the base map (INEGI) that Benchmark used already had minor roads on it, including Parral (Crazy Horse), San Fermin (Apache Tears), etc. I did correct the west end of the Cañon el Parral road, showing the route across the valley floor that followed the fence line. The INEGI base map showed the ancient route that went southwest after exiting the mountains. [/rquote]



[Edited on 5-21-2021 by PaulW]

Here is an example screen shot from My GPS map showing Huatamote road connecting to the Parral road.
The road in the wash generally follows the water path and changes year by year due to flooding from the wet season. In some places you may find a wide gravel section and in other places you may find boulders to drive over. Most years it is passable with any typical 4X4 with a bit of clearance.

This is the Tears area in Benchmark, INEGI, Baja Almanac. Click little images to open.

Oh, and including Motami:







[Edited on 5-21-2021 by geoffff]

Curious how both Benchmark and Baja Almanac made the same mistake with the Agua de Chale road, sending the start of the road straight over the mountains rather than along the wash. Satellite imagery doesn't show a road going straight over the mountains. INEGI doesn't show this road at all, so can't blame them!



Did Benchmark use the Baja Almanac as a source?



[Edited on 5-21-2021 by geoffff]

Roads near Chale/Parral
GPS Screen Shot

Notice on the GPS image at the cursor then see that WP on the GE image.
So, on the GPS plot is seems we no longer use the wash route (upper) but are using the higher ground route.
That upper Chale route is not very recent like the other tracks shown on the GPS image.

GPS



Google I drew the maroon Chale track based on coords from the GPS.




INEGI H11B67 clearly shows the main drainage is Parral. It also shows Chale just north of Parral (near OPR) and joining Parral where the upper and lower roads join up stream as seen on the GPS image.

These roads being discussed on not on the INEGI topo but were added when the Almanac was made.
No error on the Almanac/Atlas just an omission of recent roads.

Comparison of Benchmark with PaulW's recent map of San Felipe area trails:

Mistake? Curious how you decided that.
In all my research I have never found a road that used Chale as I know it. I bet if I go along my Chale path there will in fact be a road as shown below? But probably not west of OPR.
The actual roads shown in my other post go from OPR heading to Parral on a wash to the south then going west. As shown on my GPS map there was a road path north of Parral and west of OPR.
I still think the Atlas guys are correct to omit that old path north of the shown roads.
The Atlas look’s fine IMO.
Below is my latest try to explain the two arroyos. I used Google earth to find the landmarks to define where the Chale path goes.

Quote: Originally posted by geoffff

Curious how both Benchmark and Baja Almanac made the same mistake with the Agua de Chale road, sending the start of the road straight over the mountains rather than along the wash. Satellite imagery doesn't show a road going straight over the mountains. INEGI doesn't show this road at all, so can't blame them! Did Benchmark use the Baja Almanac as a source? [Edited on 5-21-2021 by geoffff]

Quote: Originally posted by PaulW

Mistake? Curious how you decided that.

Well I am not sure, as I haven't personally explored the area -- but take a look at your tracks overlaid with the Benchmark map. (This was a bit tricky as your screenshot seems to have been taken at an angle.) What I assume to be a "mistake" is the Benchmark's dotted line going over the two hills southwest of the word "Agua" in this image. If there is a road, I can't imagine it going directly over the top of these hills -- and if I zoom into the satellite imagery, I don't see a road there.





It's not a big mistake, but if it is a mistake, then what's curious is that both the Baja Almanac and Benchmark somehow made the same mistake.


[Edited on 5-24-2021 by geoffff]

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Guys, they both use INEGI maps so they both share the same potential errors.

But that's the other point I made earlier -- the INEGI map doesn't show this road! Only Benchmark and Baja Almanac.

Thanks! Here's PaulW's track plotted:
Benchmark / Baja Almanac /
INEGI / satellite

Quote: Originally posted by David K

All maps have errors, some are even intentional for copyright protection

More with possible Parral water flow paths.
As you can see on Google earth Parral spreads out widely when the terrain gets flatter.
Looking a the kml you all can make your own paths.

BTW, I have noticed over the years the roads usually follow the main drainage. However this area is pretty drivable any place.


Attachment: Chale QuestionR.gpx (209kB)
This file has been downloaded 114 times

Attachment: Chale QuestionR.kml (90kB)
This file has been downloaded 103 times

Chale

One more time
Both the Almanac and Atlas show the entrance to Parral incorrectly.
Compare the Google earth and OZI Explorer images.
IMO if Arroyo Chale is to be shown on the map it must be moved south to where the images how the water is now flowing.
Of course it would be wise to do a ground check to validate the satellite images.
1) My opinion is Chale should not be shown at all because it located wrong.
2) Or be replaced by Parral at the location shown at K 34.6. Maybe Call it Parral/Chale?
K34 = 30 42.229, -114 42.842
k34.6+ WP Chale = 30 41.900, -114 42.679
k35 = 30 41.722, -114 42.679

View the KML and see what you all think.

Google


Ozi











Attachment: Latest.kml (119kB)
This file has been downloaded 116 times

[Edited on 5-27-2021 by PaulW]

Thank you Paul!!

Quote: Originally posted by geoffff

I purchased the Avenza digital version, and am already playing with it. There's Shell Island! === === Tell us about the digital version. Any pros or cons? Is it as good as INEGI regarding zooming with preserved detail?

Quote: Originally posted by PaulW

Tell us about the digital version. Any pros or cons? Is it as good as INEGI regarding zooming with preserved detail?

The Avenza digital maps are just very good scans of the paper Benchmark atlas - so you can't zoom in past the book's maximum resolution. All the Benchmark map images I've been posting here on the BN over the last week or so are taken from the Avenza images (I don't have the paper book yet). So, no they don't really replace INEGI -- but they are much more pleasant to look at a when you are few steps zoomed out.



(The periodic image jitter you see above in the Benchmark images is my fault, caused by my image capture process.)

[Edited on 5-28-2021 by geoffff]

Quote: Originally posted by David K

Just to clarify, Avenza download is one single map of the peninsula, not separate pages with page breaks or staple binding, as is the book.

Quote: Originally posted by David K

The Avenza version is only the landscape map. The book has additional recreation maps, state maps, and specialty close-up maps of Los Cabos, La Paz, and Guadalupe Valley along with all the recreational text and photographs (they used two of my photos in that part).

Mine arrived from Amazon today

Yipeee