pithed
Newbie
Posts: 3
Registered: 11-19-2009
Location: OB/IB
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matomi wash / valle chico
hi folks,
I just joined this great board but have been going down to baja for years - wish I had know about you all sooner! Anyway we are going down to bahia
de los angelos next week and are going the long way - via gonzaga bay. I have been reading on this board about the canyons around valle chico and am
thinking about checking out the area. We have a 2wd high clearance tacoma and am wondering if this is adequate and if so what is the best route to
take? Any info at all on the roads in that area would be much appreciated ( we have done the puertocitos to gonzaga bay road many times so not really
worried about that)
thanks
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64521
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Welcome to Nomad!
Please see http://vivabaja.com/404 for many of the Valle Chico canyons and
http://vivabaja.com/618 for the ride up Matomi from Hwy. 5 and out through Valle Chico... following our Shell Island camp days photos.
More Matomi photos during our Nomad group trip there via Parral: http://vivabaja.com/204/page7.html
Matomi Falls (Edie H photo)
http://vivabaja.com/106/page2.html for a close lookat Berrendo Canyon blue palms, reached after driving through Parral (Azufre wash) Canyon from
the sulfur mine.
I have many more trip pages on Matomi and Valle Chico as well.
I cannot recommend Matomi without 4WD... sorry! The Baja 1000 is coming down it tomorrow, and while they are mostly 2WD vehicles, they are racing at
speed and have the horses and tires to plow through the sand better. If you are anywhere in Baja and do need to get through sand, let the air out of
your tires to 10-15 psi and have a electric pump to refill them.
I can help with more on Valle Chico later... got dinner coming up, now!
MATOMI NARROWS:
See posts from 'bajalou' as he has a Valle Chico satellite/ GPS map link on the bottom of his posts.
[Edited on 11-20-2009 by David K]
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
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| Quote: |
I cannot recommend Matomi without 4WD... sorry!
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if he sez it you must believe! it's not like i really care, nor have i any desire to go there, however the pretty foto sure looks do-able.....
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David K
Honored Nomad
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Location: San Diego County
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That photo is taken about 24 miles west of Hwy. 5, and it is deep sand all the way to that point. The last 5 miles to the oasis/ rancho is very rocky.
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
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sorry, it must be the beer talking....
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bajalou
Ultra Nomad
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My thoughts -
After the Baja 1000 goes through tomorrow, the Matomi will really be chewed up. The last few miles before you drop into the Matomi are some really
bad whoops, 3-5 feet deep. Not fun without the race car suspension.
If you have wide tires - at least 31-10.50's preferably wider, and can air down for flotation you can probably make it. As David points out - it's a
long way in soft coarse sand, a real drag. I've been up and down it quite a few times over the years and don't think I would want to do it in a 2WD
pickup, especially loaded. Need pretty good clearance also, and airing down reduces what you have.
Good luck
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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pithed
Newbie
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Registered: 11-19-2009
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Thanks David for the advice and great photos! It is too bad about the 4wd and makes me very sad that I no longer have my jeep.
The reduced tire pressure is also great advice and we learned it the hard way beach camping in gulfo de santa clara.
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
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I concur with the others----------I have been thru this country with a 2-wheel drive pickup with huge tires, but always in company with another 4x4
which pulled me thru some tough soft sand several times in Matomi wash. And the "whoops" are the worse I have ever seen, especially after a race
which just renews them from the last race.
Get some friends with 4x4's to go with you and you got it made-------it is beautiful country, for sure.
Barry
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64521
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Location: San Diego County
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| Quote: | Originally posted by pithed
Thanks David for the advice and great photos! It is too bad about the 4wd and makes me very sad that I no longer have my jeep.
The reduced tire pressure is also great advice and we learned it the hard way beach camping in gulfo de santa clara. |
De nada... You can access some other canyons with 2WD and hiking, however... Parral, Carrizo, Agua Caliente (if the gate is open), El Cajon and more
that I have still to see.
The Valle Chico/ Saltito east road is an excellent graded road from just north of San Felipe all the way to Carricitos south of Plan Nacional Agrario
(Agua Caliente). It starts on Hwy. 5 at the storage garages for El Dorado residents, signed.
North of Agua Caliente, looking north:
South of Agua Caliente, looking south:
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pithed
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Wow! I am really excited to go down after perusing all the links you posted David (and there is a lot of great stuff on your site to look through).
it is too bad that we won't be down for more time. We are definitely going to try to hit up some of the other canyons going the suggested route.
Thanks all for the insights especially since I was unaware of the baja 1000 route (it seems we almost always forget about it and end up right in the
middle). We were going to leave tomorrow and stay Sat night in ensenada and go over on the 3 but now that we know the finish is ensenada are going to
avoid staying there and maybe stay in San Felipe instead. Anyone have any recommendation for affordable hotels/motels in San Felipe - we have only
camped on the beach south of town but want to hotel it the first night this time.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64521
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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| Quote: | Originally posted by pithed
Wow! I am really excited to go down after perusing all the links you posted David (and there is a lot of great stuff on your site to look through).
it is too bad that we won't be down for more time. We are definitely going to try to hit up some of the other canyons going the suggested route.
Thanks all for the insights especially since I was unaware of the baja 1000 route (it seems we almost always forget about it and end up right in the
middle). We were going to leave tomorrow and stay Sat night in ensenada and go over on the 3 but now that we know the finish is ensenada are going to
avoid staying there and maybe stay in San Felipe instead. Anyone have any recommendation for affordable hotels/motels in San Felipe - we have only
camped on the beach south of town but want to hotel it the first night this time. |
Glad to help and glad you like my web site... it is there for anyone who wants ideas on where to go adventure exploring in Baja, plus all my mission
history stuff!
The Baja 1000 brings a lot of business to the area... and San Felipe may be booked, but look around because there are lots of motels. We always beach
camp or stay with friends who have a home on that side. It might be wise to have some camp gear...???
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surfer jim
Super Nomad
Posts: 1891
Registered: 8-29-2003
Location: high desert
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For now best to pass on MATOMI .....NOMADS has done a few group trips through there in years past (usually Feb/March).....wait until we do another one
and join up.....
How about a 2010 trip? Anyone?
[Edited on 11-22-2009 by surfer jim]
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