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Jack Swords
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Location: Nipomo, CA/La Paz, BCS
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Successful Hike to Mission San Pedro Martir
Just got back from San Pedro Martir Mission. Drove 2 1/2 hours from Meling Ranch to trailhead and hiked to San Antonio, San Isadoro, and Mission San
Pedro Martir. Total was 23.55 miles on my pedometer, one way. Had to do some brush busting. Mission site was clean of brush due to a fire, lots of
wildflowers, all streams full flowing with clear water. Got some good photos. Attached is overview shot of the mission site from nearby mountain.
Group included myself, Matt, Hudson, Steve, Brooks, Richard. Snow closed road to park at entrance, we had rain, hail, thunder, lightning.
There is a good window for this hike with lots of water, flowers, cool temps, and brush diminished by fire. It is regrowing and will make future
hikes difficult. This is a moderately tough hike. Details to follow. Photos to follow.
Jack Swords
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Don Jorge
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Congradulations!
Mr. Swords you are the man! And to think D Rat is going up the eastide to El Diablo right now! Thanks so much for the inspiration and showing us 50
year old puppies how it is done!!!! Happy Easter!
Jorge
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academicanarchist
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San Pedro Martir
Jack. Great picture, and thanks for the report. I am attaching Peveril Meigs's diagram of the ruins, as they existed in 1926.
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thebajarunner
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Location: Arizona....."Free at last from crumbling Cali
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Mood: muy amable
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attaboy Jack!!
I could not be with you in person (alas) but was with you in spirit and urging you on.
Glad the brush was not too bad, 23+ miles each way, not bad for old geezers!
Looking forward to the fotos with great interest.
Ligaments permitting we hope to do a short hike in Hetch Hetchy-Yosemite on Saturday April 24, any chance to come up and join us?
Will be pretty wimpy by your standards, but a beautiful hike nonetheless...
Baja Arriba!!
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thebajarunner
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by the way??
Jack,
Was it pretty cold at night?
8000' had to be brisk...
also, did you take the horses and/or pack critters?
that had to be a big help for that long of a trek.
how was the topography? lots of ups or pretty level??
again>>>> good show!!!
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Jack Swords
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Mission San Pedro Martir
Robert, Meig's drawing is exactly what's there. Each of the lines is evident. The N side of the photo is the lower right. We had the drawing at the
site.
Dick, We came up from the south, not the north, via San Isadoro. The 8100 ft trail was closed by weather. Some frost in the AM, perfect days for
hiking. Used a mule to carry some gear, vaquero from Meling Ranch who had run cattle in the area. He knew every square inch of the territory. Earlier
fire had cleared brush, but he said it's still passable when overgrown.
Photo: SPM Mission Plateau
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Desertbull
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Like the boyz of yesteryear...Great job gentlemen!!! Excellent Baja report!
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pappy
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it was a journey well worth the effort! If any of you have an interest to see this beautiful location and what remains of an extensive mission
compound, I HIGHLY recommend going within the next 2-3 years before the brush on top grows back.It is also a god idea to be in relatively fair shape,
especially if you are going to carry a backpack, as the ascent can be challenging.It truly is beautiful country, in particular rancho San Antonio.If
you want to go hook up with Jack and he can clue you in or go direct to Duane Meling-she is a gem!
Matt
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Jack Swords
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SPM Mission Hike
Matt, how about posting a trip report? This is a great hike with many stream crossings, wild flowers, geological formations, old mines, and then
the most isolated mission in Baja. Several experienced hikers have tried to get there in the past few years, but all failed. It is very doable. The
mission site is awesome, particularly with a full moon.
Photo: one partial mission wall
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Mexitron
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Hey Jack!
Thanks again for leading a great trip up to the mission......my feet have almost healed, so I'm getting ready to do some more!
I was rereading Graham's attempt at the mission and it sounds like he was very close--I think he was on top of the Sierra San Miguel, because he came
back down thru the abandoned pot farms.
Maybe I can get some GPS tracking points from Brooks, as well as info on the mines to help put together a trip report with pappy.....actually, it
would be easier if we had Richard's pics to help remind us of all the points of interest--we'll wait for the cd!
Sure would be fun to be part of a trail cutting crew to open the path up......
Hope your drive back to SLO wasn't too bad. After the mission trip we went to Matomi Canyon and lazed about in the pools there licking our wounds and
eating Matt's great BBQ food and Hudson's awesome pit baked pork loin---whatever weight we lost on the trek I think we put back on. Only real bummer
of the whole nine days in Baja was driving back thru the chewed up Matomi narrows and out thru San Felipe on Easter Sunday when everybody was heading
home--some guy even rear-ended me on the main highway north of town where the federale checkpoint had caused major traffic jams and
bedlam--fortunately his car took all the impact--for me only a couple dings and my bumper was pushed in a little--normal Baja wear and tear. I let
that one go rather than get caught in a Mexican Police situation.
Anybody else get snarled up in that traffic jam?
Anyway, great trip to the mission--that one will stand out for me. And high praise to Soren Meling, Alfredo and Scott for blazing the trail. Say
hello to Richard for me.
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wilderone
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Where, exactly is the trailhead? Was there a trail, or cross-country with compass? Fantastic trip - thanks for sharing.
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Mexitron
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The trailhead is the end of the dirt road from Vallardes to Rancho San Antonio....the road stops about halfway down a mountain, from there its about a
mile hike to Rio San Antonio and Rancho San Antonio. From there you need a map/GPS or guide because the trail, while quite evident in some places,
goes thru stream crossings and up seasonally flooded sandy washes; also, the trail leaves the El Horno drainage and goes up the Secundino drainage,
only to return to the El Horno again---a topo map with good trail markings and GPS points would get you there.
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academicanarchist
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Isolation
The isolation of the site is one of the major reasons why San Pedro Martir did not survive long. A second was the limited agricultural potential.
There is very little data on the mission:
San Pedro
Year Wheat Corn Barley
1795 200 25
1796 600 30
1797
1798 400 14
1799
1800 300 6
1801 300 10 20
San Pedro Martir
Cattle Sheep Goats Year
255 52 78 1795
358 45 88 1796
70 70 103 1797
400 300 43 1798
1799
600 400 300 1800
700 500 150 1801
Population
58 1794
108 1795
100 1796
99 1797
90 1798
94 1799
92 1800
89 1801
92 1802
91 1803
92 1804
83 1805
92 1806
1807
91 1808
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Mexitron
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I'd believe it.....a short growing season(5,000' elev.) and porous granitic soils are not conducive to grain or vegies. Not too bad for livestock
though......
.......one wonders why the mission wasn't built at Rancho San Isidoro as it was originally thought of as a magnificent site by the padres.
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academicanarchist
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San Pedro Martir
They chose the site to relocate the mission to because of the presence of natives who lived in the vicinity. The Dominicans in the missions down on
the coast probably supplied extra food to the mission, but there was never more than about 100 neophytes. The natives moved to Santo Domingo when they
decided to close the mission.
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Mexitron
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Just out of curiosity, were gold or lumber supply ulterior motives as well? There were some mines on the way up to the mission....
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academicanarchist
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lumber maybe
Lumber for building. Have seen nothing about gold.
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academicanarchist
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San Pedro Martir de Verona
Keep in mind that the Dominicans established the mission at another site, and then relocated it.
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Mexitron
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Thats true, at La Grulla, apparently.....can't imagine trying to grow anything except pines up there!
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academicanarchist
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Yes
That is exactly what happened. The first crop was destroyed by frost, and they realized that the site was too high.
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