David K
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Hwy. 1 to Hwy. 5 via La Turquesa (Coco's shortcut/ Kacey's XR Ride)
This route has been documented in Kacey Smith's GPS guidebook as the XR Ride and here on Nomad as Coco's Shortcut...
The route goes up/down the canyon with the turquoise mine and green pools... The west end is on Hwy. 1 near the boulder mountain 'El Pedregroso'
(between Cataviņa and Laguna Chapala) and the east end is on dirt Hwy. 5 between Gonzaga Bay and Coco's Corner (about 3 miles north of Las Arrastras
site).
When Kacey put out her book in 2000, it was a pretty tough trail that begins (on each end) as an auto dirt road.
I was following it on Google satellite images and I think I see some road building... at least one switchback grade...
If passable to trucks or 4WDs, this would be a heck of a shortcut to Gonzaga...
The only part of the trail that is hard to pick out is in the arroyo between the turquoise mine and the grade out of the arroyo (west bound)...
Images are arranged from east to west (Hwy. 5 to Hwy. 1)
To make images appear the biggest on your monitor, enlarge the new windo, and click on 'Link to this page'... You can use your mouse to move around
over Baja, zoom out or in... Enjoy!
Hwy. 5 at La Turquesa Jcn.
Roads heads southward then bends east...
Road 'end' at Green Pools parking
Green Pools N29°33.72' W114°23.89'
Photos at the Green Pools by Wayno at http://vivabaja.com/wayno
Photos by Tim Walker: http://www.timsbaja.com/jan05trip/jan05trip2.html
Road actually continues beyond the parking area, over rock, south of arroyo, against hillside... crosses to north side of arroyo to turquoise mine...
Turquoise Mine
Photos at the mine http://vivabaja.com/wayno/page2.html
Road climbs out of arroyo
'S' Grade up to high desert
Edge of high resolution image, near Hwy. 1
Hwy. 1 (low resolution) at west end of route
[Edited on 2-9-2007 by David K]
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TMW
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I've looked at that path using Google Earth where you can flip it and turn it. The last time I was at the mine a couple of years ago I didn't see any
easy way over around or thru the rocks for a 4 wheeler. You could see the MC trail in the distance toward the west. It would be worth it to go in from
hwy 1 and see how far a truck could get. Ken and his jeepsters could probably clean up the arroyo to pass a 4 wheeler. That would be a fun trip where
many people would be helpful.
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David K
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Agree that from the mine west to the bottom of the grade, about a mile... which is all arroyo bottom, a road cannot be seen.
However, there is a road now that climbs up and out of that canyon to the desert plateau above... then is is a straight 4-5 miles to Hwy. 1.
I say we volunteer Ken and his Rubicon Desert Outlaws to get through!
Here is a close up of the area
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Desertbull
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Been there and done that five years back or so with Wild Bill...we spent days in the back country working, well maybe we were playin'... it's doable
but you better be ready for anything and everything...ain't no AAA back there.
I know of two guys who did it..on accident they did it and in the night! I'm thinking that's why they made it!
Maybe a vehicle with an exo-cage and someone who has no worries about leaving their vehicle abandoned forever back there...
DREAM IT! PLAN IT! LIVE IT!
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DEVEAU
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We rode it on Bikes last Thanksgiving weekend. Went up it toward Catavina. It would be real tough in a 4-wheeler, but probably doabl. What looks like
a road being built is just an old "Cat cut". A few places would be real narrow.
There has been quite a few Bikes since Kacey printed it and there is almost a single track down in the wash now. Last Thanksgiving you could see the
effect of the Hurricanes.
Chase Trucks? ??
We don\'t need no stinking chase trucks!
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David K
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Desertbull
Been there and done that five years back or so with Wild Bill...we spent days in the back country working, well maybe we were playin'... it's doable
but you better be ready for anything and everything...ain't no AAA back there.
I know of two guys who did it..on accident they did it and in the night! I'm thinking that's why they made it!
Maybe a vehicle with an exo-cage and someone who has no worries about leaving their vehicle abandoned forever back there...
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A lot can change in 5 years Tim... It appears like a dozer cut a switchback (see for yourself in photo link)... The most road missing for autos would
be 2 miles (of the 10 from Hwy. 1 to 5: The mile long grade down and the mile in the wash to the turquoise mine road).
I know a couple guys wanting to try and blaze a vehicle track along the Bill Nichols Trail (south of Puertecitos to San Quintin)... at least to an
auto road like at El Marmol or El Metate/ San Juan de Dios!
Deveau, thanks for your recent observation.... it is most encouraging for us in 4 wheelers!
The search continues for the missing path between Hwy. 1 and 5, north of Chapala...
We have searched near Matomi, El Volcan/ El Marmol... Mision Santa Maria... and Kacey's XR Ride for a four wheel drive route across.
One of the things that makes Baja fun... finding new roads!
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TMW
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["I know a couple guys wanting to try and blaze a vehicle track along the Bill Nichols Trail (south of Puertecitos to San Quintin)... at least to an
auto road like at El Marmol or El Metate/ San Juan de Dios!']
David that may be a really tough thing to do. I've been told the Nichols trail goes thru a very narrow canyon section that an ATV might have trouble
getting thru. Perhaps Corky or Bajaboundmoto could comment on this since both have ridden it.
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David K
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Yes, 'willing to try' doesn't mean 'able to succeed'! I am sure it will be a local with some financial interest that finally builds a road across...
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Gadget
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
This route has been documented in Kacey Smith's GPS guidebook as the XR Ride and here on Nomad as Coco's Shortcut...
The route goes up/down the canyon with the turquoise mine and green pools... The west end is on Hwy. 1 near the boulder mountain 'El Pedregroso'
(between Cataviņa and Laguna Chapala) and the east end is on dirt Hwy. 5 between Gonzaga Bay and Coco's Corner (about 3 miles north of Las Arrastras
site).
Sounds like fun. When should we leave?
[Edited on 2-11-2007 by Gadget] |
"Mankind will not be judged by their faults, but by the direction of their lives." Leo Giovinetti
See you in Baja
http://www.LocosMocos.com
Gadget |
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Von
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If anyone does it,I Volunteer to go and might have a rig we might be able to use....and if it stays there oh well no problem let me know Im on hold
till then...I need an adriniline boost of BAJA.............
READY SET.....................
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David K
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That's the Baja exploration spirit!!! Gadget and Von lead the way!!
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Fatboy
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Ever since I saw the road from the turquoise mine at the western end of the valley in July of '05 I wanted to explore it.
Standing at the mine looking west one can see the a faint trail in the distant switchbacking it way up the hill. I spent about half my time there
scanning the valley floor looking for the trail that would lead to it.
It appears that one would have to drive up the arroyo bottom to the road. I was unable to do any exploring on that day since it pushing a 100 degrees
and the wife and kids were all for going back to our camp on the beach and I did not put up to much of a fight.
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honda tom
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did this on the suggestion of coco some 5 years ago. didnt know what he was talking about exactly when he described the route to me and my 2 buddys,
(all on hondas). But we found it from hwy 1, and we made the way back to gonzaga, and it was a great adventure.
but dont ever give the name of a trail to someone that wrote it down. calling this trail "kc's xr ride" insults those of us that have been rid'n and
try'n different things just cause we can. the reason there is a trail, is because someone was there before........... you.
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DEVEAU
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We watched a real bad Brian Bosworth movie "One Tough Bastard" in the bar in Catavina the night before our first time over it, you can guess what we
call it.
Chase Trucks? ??
We don\'t need no stinking chase trucks!
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David K
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One plan I have for this weekend is to drive out from Hwy. 1 to the grade... and see if that bulldozer cut is passable by four wheelers... If so, then
on to Gonzaga Bay at a big milage savings!
Kacey documented that track in 2000 for her GPS guidebook, as a few of you M/C people have that book, it seems logical to use her name for that
trail... Because you called it Coco's Shortcut.... I used that name too.
Perhaps a non personal name is needed... How about the 'La Turquesa Shortcut' ?
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TMW
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I too plan on checking it out after the SF250 race and I would be honored to have it named after me. If I make it you can call it the TW shortcut or
TWS for short. If I fail and die call it the TW Memorial route. If I fail and live I won't tell you and we'll just forget the whole thing.
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juanroberts
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It is called "La Turquesa" as far as I know. I agree the names of trails belong to their oldest reference, which usually relates to those that
actually worked it.
I have not ridden La Turquesa/Tuquoise, yet, but was told that even on bikes its better to go Westward, and that at the end of a sluice it gets tough
even on a bike, gotta take the left. I was surprised to read Tim made it the other way.
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David K
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Okay, I have been to the mountain and have seen it and walked it (a mile anyway)! See the trip report with GPS and many photos at: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=22806
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