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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64848
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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DAY 3 (all posted): 4WD + Helicopter over Baja for 'Trail of Missions' tour, with Cameron Steele
Continued from Part 2: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=74342
Thursday, June 26, 2014
I emerged from my Solosports provided tent and wondered what would be in store for this group today!
The plan was to see Junipero Serra's first California mission at the Cochimí Indian site called Velicatá. I would give a lecture on the history, and
then fly home with the copter. The caravan was to go to Santa Ynez for lunch, then to Coco's Corner and down Calamajué Canyon (via the mission site)
and end the day at Bahia de los Angeles.
Casey's finger injury was serious, and he was going to fly back with me to have the hospital look at what could be done to save it. The day before, he
went surfing and the leash cut the end of his finger when a wave took the board.
Everything takes longer with a group of this many vehicles and people, and the fine tuned itinerary/ TV script just required more time. The Coco's
Corner/ Calamajué part was dropped and so was my talk at Mission San Fernando. One must be flexible in Baja!
From Punta San Carlos, we drove north, than east and up onto the big mesa for a super photo op. Cameron did a commercial for FOX Shocks (Shox) while
we were up there.
On the long road from there to Mission San Fernando, the Raptor I was in got a sidewall gash from a rock in the road (BFG All Terrain TA). To make
sure I could get to the mission for the talk, I was transferred to Casey's 2014 4-door Jeep JK he had just picked up from being modified with his
suspension and drive train... Including manual locking front hubs!
Casey was driving with one hand, as his finger was well bandaged up.
After many miles on this long, slow road, Cameron instructed Casey and I to get into the copter and let his associate continue to drive the Jeep.
The copter took us over the mission and then landed in a clearing between the mission and El Progreso (Hwy. 1). The support truck for the copter was
there to fill it up (top it off). Cameron had the caravan go out to the highway and wait for him, so they didn't get to see the mission or the nearby
petroglyphs as planned.
We took off and headed straight for San Quintin and then north to Ensenada airport and on to Brown Field, then El Cajon.
Flying low over the boojum and cardon covered hills was amazing and seeing pools of water down in some canyons was beautiful.
I took a ton of photos, and will try and pick the more interesting ones to share here. Do come back and see as I will be adding a few at a time.
Map showing caravan route from Punta San Carlos to El Progreso on Hwy. 1, near Mission San Fernando:
Casey bragging about finger being just a 'flesh wound'! Then he goes and shows it doesn't take two hands to pilot a Jeep...
Climbing up to the Mesa San Carlos.
The Edge...
In the next installment, I switch rides to Casey's Jeep before we both get into the helicopter.
STAY TUNED!
[Edited on 7-4-2014 by David K]
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MMc
Super Nomad
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Registered: 6-29-2011
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I'm glad you had fun David, Good on you!!!
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
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ehall
Super Nomad
Posts: 1906
Registered: 3-29-2014
Location: Buckeye, Az
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Mood: It's 5 o'clock somewhere
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beautiful pictures. Is that some of the famous baja single track in the 20th picture?
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racingron
Newbie
Posts: 18
Registered: 3-15-2012
Location: RSM, CA / all parts Baja
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David-it was good to meet you and enjoy your knowledge of a place close to my heart. Good times and hope to see you in Baja soon amigo. And yes that
was my donkey driving that killed that tire. Still not back from the Midwest trip but was worthwhile. Salud!
Ron
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64848
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by MMc
I'm glad you had fun David, Good on you!!! |
Thank you! I am pretty easy to please when I am in Baja... but being part of Cameron's Desert Assassins was 'over-the-top'!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64848
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by ehall
beautiful pictures. Is that some of the famous baja single track in the 20th picture? |
Cameron was telling us he did ride up that single track from Punta San Carlos (far below). In another photo I took, he is pointing out his ride
course.
I will need to look at the Rip to Cabo show (It's on my DVR) to see if that part is mentioned.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64848
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by racingron
David-it was good to meet you and enjoy your knowledge of a place close to my heart. Good times and hope to see you in Baja soon amigo. And yes that
was my donkey driving that killed that tire. Still not back from the Midwest trip but was worthwhile. Salud!
Ron |
Hi Ron, one thing I say is that there is SO MUCH BAJA... and SO LITTLE TIME! I enjoy sharing and am available for Baja talk anytime. I look forward to
riding with you again, and perhaps I can show you some special sites down there too?
The Nomads know I am a bit hard on BFG, as it seems I see rock failures all the time. I do respect their support of the off road sport, but I call my
criticism 'hard love', or maybe hard rock love!
The new generation All Terrain TA we have seen images of (thanks Ken Cooke and others) looks much stronger.
As I thought, after I got home, Baja Angel (the mrs.) wants to go on one of these trips!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64848
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Route Map added to end of Part 2: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=74342
More Photos still to come...
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64848
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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I hop into the Jeep and we race towards San Fernando...
Casey drives well with one hand!
This is one long long road!
Jeep grab bar "Since 1941"... for Ken Cooke!
Jim McCoy brings the helicopter in to pick us up, as the time is running out for a mission lecture.
Casey gets in front and I sit behind Jim... the view is just as good from the back seat!
These are the cliffs where the petroglyphs are, just west of the mission.
Mission site is the clearing on the left... we are facing east, towards Hwy. 1.
Nearly all gone!
View towards the petroglyph cliff, on the far left as we are over the mission.
Time to refuel, and say goodbye to Cameron and Heidi.
Off to Ensenada...
More to come!
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BajaGeoff
Super Nomad
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Location: San Diego and Campo Lopez
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Mood: Heading To Baja!!!
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Nice photos DK!
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BajaGeoff
Super Nomad
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Location: San Diego and Campo Lopez
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Mood: Heading To Baja!!!
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Cameron was telling us he did ride up that single track from Punta San Carlos (far below). In another photo I took, he is pointing out his ride
course.
I will need to look at the Rip to Cabo show (It's on my DVR) to see if that part is mentioned. |
The crew did ride up the single track to the top of the mesa with motos last year at Cameron's Surf N Turf ride. The amazing thing? Brian Lopes did it
on his bicycle!!
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wetto
Nomad
Posts: 119
Registered: 10-28-2013
Location: Grass Valley, CA / Mulege
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David,
nice photos!
Cork would approve.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64848
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by wetto
David,
nice photos!
Cork would approve. |
Her spirite (Corke/ Choral Pepper) is with me indeed!
Thank you!
I will try and get the remaining photos posted tonight.
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Bob H
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5867
Registered: 8-19-2003
Location: San Diego
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Good stuff David !!
The SAME boiling water that softens the potato hardens the egg. It's about what you are made of NOT the circumstance.
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BajaBlanca
Select Nomad
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Location: La Bocana, BCS
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what an amazing trip!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64848
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Over the desert hills east of El Rosario
Cerro Matomí:
Nearing the coast by El Socorro:
El Socorro and its airstrip:
Los Pinos Tomatoes
Bahia San Quintin
San Quintin Pemex
More to come, stay tuned!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64848
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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North from San Quintin...
Canyon where Mission Santo Domingo is.
Punta Camalu
Rock Farmers
Highway to Meling Ranch and San Pedro Martir Observatory.
Pemex near the Observatory road (San Telmo de Abajo)
New Colonet motel
Colonet south side
Colonet north side, bridge over Arroyo San Rafael.
Ejido Erendira
Punta Cabras
San Juan de las Pulgas Cult (?) facility
Santo Tomas valley
Turning for Ensenada...
More to come... 
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BajaGeoff
Super Nomad
Posts: 1727
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Location: San Diego and Campo Lopez
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Mood: Heading To Baja!!!
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Awesome!
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Ateo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5901
Registered: 7-18-2011
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Very cool aerial photos David. They will be useful in the future to answer questions Nomads have about certain areas.
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motoged
Elite Nomad
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Location: Kamloops, BC
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David,
Seeing Baja from up top is a real treat.....makes a guy want to spend more time there.
Thanks. 
[Edited on 7-3-2014 by motoged]
Don't believe everything you think....
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