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elbeau
Nomad
Posts: 256
Registered: 3-2-2011
Location: Austin, TX
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Santa Isabel Found - not joking - nomad wanted
All joking aside, I believe I have found the site of what people call the lost mission of Santa Isabel using Google Earth...please pause here to laugh
 ...
Now that you're done laughing, please look closely at the images in this post. One is a rough drawing I made of what I think I see there. The other
is a screenshot from Google Earth converted to grayscale. The site matches the location and description from at least three of the most popular
legend stories, and it is built on a MUCH LARGER complex of ancient sites that will rewrite what is known of pre-columbian Baja civilization.
I've tried contacting nine different professors from various parts of academia. Only one of them gave me the time of day and he loves what he sees,
but like myself, he wants someone to go onsite to confirm it.
I'd love to go onsite, but I'm the father of four daughters (one with special needs) and I'm a 26 hour drive from the site and I really can't get away
for a trip like that.
So...I'm looking for a nomad with an adventurous spirit who is willing to drive to a remote spot in Baja California and then hike for about 3 miles to
the site. There will be MANY other ruins along the way. Before you go I will provide Google Earth KML files so that you can look at the area
yourself and make sure I'm not just a nutjob.
All joking aside, if this does pan out and I really am seeing what I think I'm seeing, this site is vulnerable to looting and needs to be protected as
much as possible. Mexican government involvement is a must as soon as we have confirmation of the site.
So, if you're interested in writing yourself into this story, please let me know. I won't listen to anybody who isn't a long-time active member of
this site because to open this up to anybody would only increase the chances that someone with the wrong intentions would get to go there. I will
also want a promise that you will not disturb ANYTHING at the site.
Any takers?
If not, I'll start posting more and more and more pictures of architecture and ancient public works projects until someone bites.
I know it's hard to understand the scale of what you are looking at in these pics and I know how well our eyes can get tricked by Google Earth, but
trust me, these images hold up under scrutiny.
(edited to add the words "STILL" and "please" to the title)
[Edited on 3-18-2011 by elbeau]
[Edited on 5-2-2011 by elbeau]
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elbeau
Nomad
Posts: 256
Registered: 3-2-2011
Location: Austin, TX
Member Is Offline
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Darn it, my pics are too big...just a sec.
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elbeau
Nomad
Posts: 256
Registered: 3-2-2011
Location: Austin, TX
Member Is Offline
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vandenberg
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5118
Registered: 6-21-2005
Location: Nopolo
Member Is Offline
Mood: mellow
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Not bad, Codo.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64479
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Having been to one lost mission site already ( http://vivabaja.com/109 ), I am game for another... elbeau (elbow=codo)
Sadly, there was no documentation ever of a mission named Santa Isabel. It was a story handed down, believed to be a Dominican site rather than a
Jesuit one. However, it was the Jesuits who were removed by force from the New World in 1767-8... and so they were usually the ones connected to lost
mission stories. Santa Clara and Santa Isabel being the most well known. See also http://vivabaja.com/1757
Choral Pepper was one of many writers who searched for Santa Isabel near Puertecitos... Others believed it to be closer to Matomi, San Juan de Dios,
or in the lower San Pedro Martir. Erle Stanley Gardner thought he spotted it closer to Laguna Chapala... All good fun desert exploration!
Here is a story from 1941:
One of several Baja and Mexican stories in the 1941 book 'Golden Mirages' by Philip A. Bailey that deals mostly with Southern California and Arizona
treasure stories...
The 4 page story starts and ends mid page...
Here is a map with the place names mentioned in this story circled in blue... at the approx. distance from San Fernando and Santa Maria, and at the
approx. heading from San Agustin IS the Sierra Santa Isabel, near Puertecitos.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here is a story from 1967:
This is another gem from my collection of Choral Pepper's saved Baja magazine articles!
This article called 'Una casa grandote, una cruz arriba (Some further words on the controversy over "The Lost Mission" Santa Isabel)' by Harold O.
Weight was published in the September, 1967 issue of Westways Magazine.
It is the best Santa Isabel, found story I think I have read so far!
Here is the area with the water hole plotted and a 12 mile radius out drawn in...
Let the hunt begin!  
Of interest, here is the spring from the story: Agua del Mezquitito (2.4 miles south of Okie Landing/ 15 miles north of Gonzaga Bay)...
This is me (age 16) in 1974 on my first Baja trip without parents. I returned here in 2002 and a corral of tires was made around the water hole.
Here is Rancho Parral... a few miles north of Matomi:
RANCHO EL PARRAL 30°29.42', 115°06.97'
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Here is the upper Matomi canyon with its blue palms... Photo from Mexitron, 2004:
Santa Isabel could be just around the bend?
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elbeau
Nomad
Posts: 256
Registered: 3-2-2011
Location: Austin, TX
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Having been to one lost mission site already ( http://vivabaja.com/109 ), I am game for another... elbeau (elbow=codo)
Sadly, there was no documentation ever of a mission named Santa Isabel. It was a story handed down, believed to be a Dominican site rather than a
Jesuit one. However, it was the Jesuits who were removed by force from the New World in 1767-8... and so they were usually the ones connected to lost
mission stories. Santa Clara and Santa Isabel being the most well known. |
If (and I know it's a BIG "if") I can convince you that this site deserves a visit, how soon could you drop whatever you're normally doing and go?
Also, I have no idea who is who on this forum. Can some people who know David K. please vouch for him?
I know that so far I sound like I need a CAT scan, and maybe that's right, but I have a LOT more to show to whoever really wants to go.
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elbeau
Nomad
Posts: 256
Registered: 3-2-2011
Location: Austin, TX
Member Is Offline
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...And I agree, there was probably now "mission" named Santa Isabel, but this site sure could explain why the stories abound. What I really think it
is is a much more ancient site extending into the hills around it. There are two adobe-looking structures at the site that seems to have generated
the "mission" stories, including the spidery looking building pictured above. The other ruins are colored very differently and are much more
overgrown...so don't get your hopes up for buried treasure, but that doesn't mean you won't be "King Nomad" anyways
jk
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64479
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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If you check the stats, and history, you can see I am the longest active Nomad following the owner of Baja Nomad (Doug) who is a friend.
Check out my Baja mission information pages: http://vivabaja.com/bajamissions as well as my Baja web site http://vivabaja.com/
I live in San Diego County and have been traveling to Baja since I was a kid in 1965... I have written two Baja road logs in the 1970's and many
travel articles since... as well as numerous trip and history reports here on Baja Nomad and other web sites.
I try and share my Baja map and book collection with anyone interested in Baja history or geography...
Welcome to Baja Nomad... you can spend weeks reading the many years of posts here since this site began in 2002.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64479
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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PS, to prevent the Nomad page from stretching too wide rerquiring sideways scrolling, reduce the image size to a max. of 800 pixels wide. Yours is
1269 pixels wide... I need to go to work, but I will check back this afternoon! I sent a note to Doug to see if he can resize the image for you, if
you aren't sure how.
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 17292
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hot n spicy
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| Quote: | Originally posted by elbeau
| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Having been to one lost mission site already ( http://vivabaja.com/109 ), I am game for another... elbeau (elbow=codo)
Sadly, there was no documentation ever of a mission named Santa Isabel. It was a story handed down, believed to be a Dominican site rather than a
Jesuit one. However, it was the Jesuits who were removed by force from the New World in 1767-8... and so they were usually the ones connected to lost
mission stories. Santa Clara and Santa Isabel being the most well known. |
If (and I know it's a BIG "if") I can convince you that this site deserves a visit, how soon could you drop whatever you're normally doing and go?
Also, I have no idea who is who on this forum. Can some people who know David K. please vouch for him?
I know that so far I sound like I need a CAT scan, and maybe that's right, but I have a LOT more to show to whoever really wants to go.
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hey elbeau:
DK is the "bloviator in chief." He is also the uber politcal lightning rod, and resident nomad mission-head. If he believes your mission story, he
will be your publicist, mentor and defender. sadly, he is a teabag 
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 17292
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hot n spicy
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how did you sketch the mission from that nebulous google photo?
| Quote: | Originally posted by elbeau
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how did you sketch the mission from that nebulous google photo?
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 17292
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Hot n spicy
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| Quote: | Originally posted by elbeau
So...I'm looking for a nomad with an adventurous spirit who is willing to drive to a remote spot in Baja California and then hike for about 3 miles to
the site. There will be MANY other ruins along the way.
So, if you're interested in writing yourself into this story, please let me know. I won't listen to anybody who isn't a long-time active member of
this site because to open this up to anybody would only increase the chances that someone with the wrong intentions would get to go there. I will
also want a promise that you will not disturb ANYTHING at the site.
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MANY other ruins along the way? Will there be a cave full of pirate booty? How about just regular old booty?
Only old nomads allowed, because you are such a newbie?
me thinks you are a clever troll! but i love a good humorous troll!
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Jack Swords
Super Nomad
Posts: 1094
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: Nipomo, CA/La Paz, BCS
Member Is Offline
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Let's go!
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wilderone
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3778
Registered: 2-9-2004
Member Is Offline
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I WANNA GO!!! HAVE 4WD, WILL NOT DIVULGE LOCATION; HAVE ABSOLUTE RESPECT FOR ANTIQUITIES. A TEAM??? I WANNA GO!!!! I CAN GO NOW, BUT NEED TO BE
BACK BEFORE MAR. 26. (or go after Mar. 26).
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elbeau
Nomad
Posts: 256
Registered: 3-2-2011
Location: Austin, TX
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by mtgoat666
how did you sketch the mission from that nebulous google photo? |
It's a little (not a lot, but a little) less nebulous when you can flip and twist Google Earth around and stare at it from different angles.
The "Stone Corral" which is nearby made it easy to know generally where to look, and the spidery structure is a different color than the rest of the
terrain, so finding the spot to look at wasn't terribly hard, and it seemed like it looked like something man-made, but it took A LOT of studying
before I could make that sketch.
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elbeau
Nomad
Posts: 256
Registered: 3-2-2011
Location: Austin, TX
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by wilderone
I WANNA GO!!! HAVE 4WD, WILL NOT DIVULGE LOCATION; HAVE ABSOLUTE RESPECT FOR ANTIQUITIES. A TEAM??? I WANNA GO!!!! I CAN GO NOW, BUT NEED TO BE
BACK BEFORE MAR. 26. (or go after Mar. 26). |
This feature has been turned over to David K. He has everything he needs to know where to go and what to look for. I just wish I could go 
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elbeau
Nomad
Posts: 256
Registered: 3-2-2011
Location: Austin, TX
Member Is Offline
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Images removed on purpose. I got enough interest I didn't want them posted any longer.
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mcfez
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8678
Registered: 12-2-2009
Location: aka BN yankeeirishman
Member Is Offline
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elbeau
| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
PS, to prevent the Nomad page from stretching too wide rerquiring sideways scrolling, reduce the image size to a max. of 800 pixels wide. Yours is
1269 pixels wide... I need to go to work, but I will check back this afternoon! I sent a note to Doug to see if he can resize the image for you, if
you aren't sure how. |
elbeau
send me your pictures to deno@kissmygrass.com and I'll send em back to you re-sized.....if u wish.
Old people are like the old cars, made of some tough stuff. May show a little rust, but good as gold on the inside.
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elbeau
Nomad
Posts: 256
Registered: 3-2-2011
Location: Austin, TX
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by mcfez
elbeau
send me your pictures to deno@kissmygrass.com and I'll send em back to you re-sized.....if u wish. |
No thanks. I didn't remove them because of the size requirement. They served their purpose and I got the interest I wanted, so I removed them.
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
Member Is Offline
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Mission Hunt
| Quote: | Originally posted by elbeau
I didn't remove them because of the size requirement. They served their purpose and I got the interest I wanted, so I removed them.
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Of all the people to hunt for the mission site Jack Swords and David K would be the ones to do it. Both are true Baja explorers and know what to look
for and who to contact if anything is found. They can be trusted.
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