jgreinke
Newbie
Posts: 2
Registered: 12-6-2006
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Driving San Felipe south to Hwy 1
My wife and I have 10 ten days to explore Baja (our first time) between December 23 and Jan 1st. We are coming from Tucson and are thinking of
entering at Mexicali early AM on the 23rd and driving south through San Felipe to Hwy 1 and then onto Mulege by Christmas eve. Anyone know the
current condition of the road south of San Felipe and approximate driving time to HWY 1, if even passable? We will be driving a 1991 Nissan
Pathfinder, and have a fair amount of experience with rough dirt road travel (and love remote rugged terrain), but not looking to spend many hours to
travel about 100 miles (at least not on this trip). Any help would be greatly appreciated.
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MrBillM
Platinum Nomad
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Registered: 8-20-2003
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Mood: It's a Zip-a-Dee-Doo-Dah Day
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Rough Road
Highway 5 construction to Puertecitos is almost completely finished. No problem there.
Between Puertecitos and Gonzaga, the road is "passable" for virtually any vehicle so getting there is not a question. Time, however, might be. It
all boils down to how you approach VERY Rough road. Some people travel that kind of road at a high speed to minimize discomfort (or so they say).
I've noticed that those people tend to replace a lot more broken parts on their vehicles. I travel those roads VERY slowly. No broken parts, but a
LOT more time.
You're going to find that the road is not the kind of "rugged and remote" terrain that is an adventure. Simply mile after mile of Rough Washboard
that beats the crap out of you.
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DonBaja
Nomad
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Registered: 5-9-2006
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I can't offer you any information on the condition of the road but I can offer my experience when traveling on "rough dirt roads" I like to drop my
tire air pressure down to around 20 psi, sometimes I'll go down to 15psi if the road is really bad. The lower psi helps smooth out the ride. The only
downside is at some point you'll have to air back up to your normal driving tire pressure and if you don't have air avaliable it may be time consuming
if you use the smaller 12 volt compressors.
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bajalou
Ultra Nomad
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Location: South of the broder
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| Quote: | Originally posted by DonBaja
I can't offer you any information on the condition of the road but I can offer my experience when traveling on "rough dirt roads" I like to drop my
tire air pressure down to around 20 psi, sometimes I'll go down to 15psi if the road is really bad. The lower psi helps smooth out the ride. The only
downside is at some point you'll have to air back up to your normal driving tire pressure and if you don't have air avaliable it may be time consuming
if you use the smaller 12 volt compressors. |
But remember, the lower the pressure the more succeptable the tires are to breaks from sharp rocks. It is the pressure that keeps the tire from
breaking when hitting objects like rocks. So if you air down for a smoother ride, watch out for the rocks.
No Bad Days
\"Never argue with an idiot. People watching may not be able to tell the difference\"
\"The trouble with doing nothing is - how do I know when I\'m done?\"
Nomad Baja Interactive map
And in the San Felipe area - check out Valle Chico area |
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bufeo
Senior Nomad
Posts: 793
Registered: 11-16-2003
Location: Santa Fe New Mexico
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We travel the road San Felipe - Punta Bufeo frequently. Just returned from PB on 11/27.
The condition south of Puertecitos is okay. The racers (SCORE Baja 100) tend to accentuate the mogels in the turns and uphill parts (going south) but
knock the tops off the washboard to some extent.
I drive about 30mph over the washboard. Don't know if that's fast or slow. Seems to be a good speed for us. Most recent truck is an '04 with about
twenty round trips. No parts broken, but then we start with good parts. OEM shocks were replaced from the start.
Coming north this time driving time from PB to Puertecitos was 1:45 (40 miles).
Owing to so much going on, we didn't drive out to Hwy 1 this time, but did go over the hill to Papa's/Rancho Grande and the road is about the same as
our stretch.
Bottom line is with cautious driving (not creeping and not counting stops) if you allow six-seven hours for the San Felipe - Hwy 1 drive, you won't be
far off.
I believe the mixture of coastal mts, desert (Sonoran and sub-Sonoran), and plains makes for a grand drive. It is certainly rugged country while not
being as remote as it was when we first drove it in 1967.
We've traveled by dirt all over N. America, S. Africa, and Namibia and this drive along the Sea of Cortez still ranks high in our estimation. We
sometimes take it for granted, especially when we're running out of daylight and I push our avg. speed a bit higher, but often we stop along the way
to "smell the flowers".
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rts551
Elite Nomad
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Registered: 9-5-2003
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We make the trip every winter. Summer, we cross at Tecate because of the heat on the gulf. We find that using the gulf road cuts off almost 200
miles from our trip but travel time is about the same. Hope you take it, the views are breath taking and if you don't go too fast we find it
relaxing.
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David K
Honored Nomad
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Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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San Felipe to Puertecitos all well paved except for 2 miles of the 55... 1.5 hours.
Puertecitos to Gonzaga Bay rough, graded road for 40 of the 50 miles, first 10 being smoother graded road... 2-2.5 hours with rest and photo stops.
Gonzaga Bay to Hwy. 1 at Laguna Chapala is a fair graded road, 36 miles... 1.0 hour plus time to visit with Coco of Coco's Corner (30 min.).
[Edited on 12-7-2006 by David K]
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jgreinke
Newbie
Posts: 2
Registered: 12-6-2006
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Thanks everyone for the information and suggestions. It helps a lot. Sounds about what I expected, though good to get confirmation that it's doable.
I was hoping to be able to reach Guerrero Negro by the end of the day (from Calexico), whichever route we decide to take. That might be pushing it
but will need a place to stay once we get back on Hwy 1 and thinking that might be our first opportunity. Any wisdom here would be most appreciated.
Our plan is to hit Mulege first to see some cave paintings, relax on the beach, and do some kayaking, then work our way back north (more slowly)
primarily to explore the Vizcaino Desert and the Catavina area. We've been interested in seeing Baja for quite a while. Now that we live close by,
we're very excited to be finally making the trip to this beautiful part of the world.
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bajalou
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4459
Registered: 3-11-2004
Location: South of the broder
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I have driven a desert rail from Guerro Negro to San Felipe in a day with a few stops. I probably drive faster than you though. But with a early
start from Calexico it probably is doable. East Port of Entry doesn't open till 6am so if you want a real early start, you'll have to use the
downtown one.
No Bad Days
\"Never argue with an idiot. People watching may not be able to tell the difference\"
\"The trouble with doing nothing is - how do I know when I\'m done?\"
Nomad Baja Interactive map
And in the San Felipe area - check out Valle Chico area |
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