Corky1
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Nachos to El Marmol
El Volcan/Zamora Motorcycle trail to El Marmol
I met Bill B and Max at Max's house at Campo Christina. About 25 miles south of San Felipe. ( Km 54)
It was after dark before we all got there. We got things ready and left the next morning.
The trip south was a bit slow, as Bill had a pickup with 10' foot camper on it.
About 5 miles south of Puertocitos Bill had a flat on his pick up. Cut sidewall.
We got to Nachos turn off about 2PM. We turn west off Mex 5 and went in about 200 yds and set up camp.
Those of you that are familiar, this is the road to Nacho's well.
When camp was set up Bill and I headed west up the canyon on motorcycles. About 1 mile in is the well. We continued up the wash about a 1/2 mile and
came to a split. GPS said to take the left wash.
Went about 3 miles and started to lose daylite and returned to camp.
When dinner time came Max had cooked up a great BBQ brisket, along with a veggy salad and a dutch oven cherry cobbler. Boy camping with these guys is
tuff.
The next morning Bill and I headed out again up the wash.
This wash is doable with motorcycle or 4 whl drive.
Their is spots of very soft sand the rest is a gravel and boulder field. Not for the novice motorcycle rider.
We got 6 1/2 miles up the wash and hit the wall.
Bill also does some rock climbing and he tells me he has some block and tackle stuff back in his camper. We could go and get it and haul the bikes up
the wall.
Well I haven't met many of you folks but you can guess my answer.
So we parked the bikes and climbed the wall and walked on for and other 1 1/2 miles.
That was enough for me. I was trying to do a motorcycle trail not a backpacking trail.
I went back to the bikes and took a nap. (old guys like naps).
Bill continued on for another 1 1/2 miles then came back.
This is a very pretty area. Quite a bit of water and green stuff.
At this point we had, or Bill had explored about 9 1/2 miles up the sand wash.
He said at the point he stopped, the wash opened up and was wider.
We returned to camp and had another wonderful dinner of beef briquet, veggy salad and peach cobbler.
As this turned out to be pretty much of a bust for me looking for a motorcycle trail to El Marmol I decided to return home and try another time and
another place.
Max also returned with me the next morning to his place in San Felipe as he had to build a new bathroom addition.
Bill continued south to meet we friends coming down from California and meet him in Catavina.
If you ever have the chance to go camping with Max, do it. You will eat very well.
Bill had entered some GPS waypoints in his GPS before we left camp. We hit the first three dead on.
He is pretty good using that thing.
I had a great time. Met two neat guys that like Baja as much as I do. Also ate real good.
Keep the rubber side down.
Corky
 
\"Keep The Rubberside Down\" |
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tunaeater
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Corky thanks for the report. Just another excuse that you have to go back to baja and try again. Nice meals are always a traet while camping. Glad to
hear you got out and did some ridding.. I've been ridding my buddies quad out here in superstition and plaster city. We are getting ready for the code
SF 200 April 3. Take care Paul
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David K
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Thanks Corky! Bill and Max are sure neat people! It's good to know all of you great Baja explorers! So, Arroyo el Volcan (mislabled Arroyo Zamora in
Almanac) has a wall/ waterfall obsticle, bummer! I wonder if that is newer than the 1905 map Bill has, showing a miners trail in there? The right
branch, Arroyo El Placer de los Perita looks interesting... goes way back to the west...
Keep up the good exploring!
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TMW
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Corky when you went in about 3-4 miles, I'm guessing from Memory now, was there a dark rock section across the wash that looked like a dam only it
took you to a higher level, maybe 5 feet high? I'm trying to determine if this was the same section we took last June.
How high was the wall? Is it doable to come down it (safely). I'm thinking maybe try it from El Marmol to see if getting to the wall is OK then maybe
a route around the wall.
Sounds like you had a great time.
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Corky1
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TW
I didn't see anything that looked like a dark wall. You might have been in a different arroyo.
Bill is still down there. He has all GPS readings. He will probably do a posting and you can compare with what you have.
The wall is about 35' high.
When Bill was walking further up the arroyo I spent about and hour on foot looking for a possible way around. No luck.
I am adding some pictures of the wall and other stuff.
Corky 
\"Keep The Rubberside Down\"
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bufeo
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Corky,
Thanks for posting that info. Mi yerno , a desert racer, and his father, an ex-desert racer, have been making noises about riding from our
house at Punta Bufeo up to Nacho's and up to El Marmol. Neil (the ex-) is convinced that they can make it. I've told them that I'll drive around and
winch the bikes up. 
Haven't camped w/ Max but bet it would be fun. Diana and I met them for the first time a month or two ago when we stopped in at Cristina to see them.
We've been "web friends" for a year or two.
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Corky1
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Bufeo, if I can figure out how to post pictures he can look at the wall him self and make his own decision.
Almost rode down to your place Sunday afternoon. Were you Home??
Good luck, Corky
\"Keep The Rubberside Down\"
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Corky1
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The wall# 1
\"Keep The Rubberside Down\"
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Corky1
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wall picture #2
\"Keep The Rubberside Down\"
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Corky1
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Bill's tire change!!
\"Keep The Rubberside Down\"
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Corky1
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Max the tire changing supervisor!!
\"Keep The Rubberside Down\"
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Corky1
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Our camp site.
Mex 5 & Volcan arroyo!!
\"Keep The Rubberside Down\"
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Corky1
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Cattails at the wall. Water year round??
\"Keep The Rubberside Down\"
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Corky1
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More Volcan arroyo rocks!!
\"Keep The Rubberside Down\"
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elgatoloco
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Awesome photos!. Thanks for sharing.
MAGA
Making Attorneys Get Attorneys
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bufeo
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Corky,
Many, many thanks for attaching (I don't use the S-word, being a retired educator) the photos. They are excellent. I'll alert Neil to them.
No, unfortunately, we were not there Sun. We departed a.m. 3/3/04. We hope to return on the 18th or 19th of this month. My 98(99- in
April)-year-old father lives with us, and our trips to PB are frequent, but not lengthy. Since your trip south was an "almost" I don't feel too bad.
Your pics, especially the one of Max, are great!
Allen
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TMW
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Corky, I am very interested in the GPS readings Bill has. Especially for the wall.
I don't know if I'll be going down before June, but right after the Baja 500 race my two brothers and I will head down to El Marmol to explore that
end. Most likely we'll come back up the Puertecitos road and explore that side of the wash, provided we don't find a way thru from El Marmol.
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David K
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I emailed BillB for the GPS data... and will give him a call as well...
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surfer jim
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Good story and love those photos....
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David K
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
I emailed BillB for the GPS data... and will give him a call as well... |
Here is what Bill sent me, the waypoint for the dry waterfall that Corky posted photos of... (NAD27):
Rocks/water fall
North 30deg 05.199min
West 114deg 41.59min
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