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AKgringo
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Los Planes to El Cardonal, Los barriles coast road (Nov 2014)
I took the road headed east from Los Planes going over a mountain pass and down to the coast. I was driving a stock Kia Sportage 2 door, with
225/75/15 tires and 4x4 with manual hubs. Be cause of some front axle issues, I used low range 2wd for crawling through most of the washed out areas.
This road was in bad shape before Odile from old storm damage that had never been repaired, and it is even more challenging now.
A couple of miles up the east side of the pass is an area with some large boulders that will absolutely stop any rig that is wider or longer or has
less clearance than my Kia! Only heavy equipment or some creative field engineering is going to move those rocks.
I spent a lot of time in second and third gear low range crawling over rocks and wash outsbut was able to do it in 2wd until one point where I could
not keep all four wheels on the ground. Since I had to get out and put my hubs in, I threw a couple of large rocks in the trough to keep from
crushing my rocker panels or oil pan. You're welcome!
The road is like that for about seven miles, and is better suited for ATVs and dirt bikes, but I had fun, and the scenery was worth it.
If you take that trail, be prepared, you probably won't see anyone else.
From about five miles north of El Cardonal to Punta Pescadora is actually pretty good dirt, and recently graded so no washboard.
From Punta Pescadora to Lose Barriles on the coast road has been opened, but not repaired very much. It is rugged 2wd road with a little rock
crawling and a couple of tight spots.
If you are driving a low rider or land yacht, you can still drive the twelve mile or so paved road between Los Barriles and El Cardonal. The road was
poorly designed and constructed, so there are pot holes, rock falls and washed out shoulders to watch out for but you could drive anything on it.
Hope this helps! G.L.
[Edited on 11-4-2014 by AKgringo]
[Edited on 11-4-2014 by AKgringo]
[Edited on 2-12-2015 by AKgringo]
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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Tioloco
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I was last on that road in 2007. Sounds like it has gotten a lot worse since then. Thanks for the report
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AKgringo
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In response to a reply I got from a friend who does not want to share on a forum, I will respond here!
It isn't a matter of how tough your truck is, or how awesome you are off road. My dad's old Suzuki Samuri would make the tight s-turn through those
big a** boulders in 2wd, your tricked out Tundra won't. Size matters!
The steep bank on the uphill side, and nothing but air on the downhill, means that you would have to move those rocks if you are larger than that
Samuri.
Would I do it again? Sure, but it would be nice to have back up.
G.L.
[Edited on 11-6-2014 by AKgringo]
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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AKgringo
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A question was posted about the southern half of this trip report, so I thought I would bump it back.
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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David K
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Thank you!
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4x4abc
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come on guys - it's a beautiful easy to drive dirt road. No need to get into a contest over Suzuki/Toyota/better driver etc. I do it twice a year for
rock hounding at the beach. It is always absolutely delightful.
Easy to get stuck at the beach though - even with a capable 4x4 and reasonable skills.
Harald Pietschmann
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AKgringo
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Harald, nothing like driving in a bed of marbles is there?
Thanks for adding the photos, did you happen to take any on the road through the arroyo and over the pass?
If you or anyone else has been over the pass since November, I was wondering if the two huge boulders on the east side of the summit have been moved,
they were the only thing that kept that road from being a day cruise in any good 2wd truck.
If you have been there lately and are wondering "What boulders?", they must have been moved!
Edit.....The boulders are on the west side of the summit, probably three miles or so from the paved road
[Edited on 2-12-2015 by AKgringo]
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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4x4abc
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didn't notice anything extra big. Some rough spots. But rocks are my business. They provide good traction.
Could be that those boulders have been moved before I went there
Harald Pietschmann
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AKgringo
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Some one must have taken some equipment up there. The rocks were cab high, with a tight S turn that my little Kia barely squeezed through.
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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motoged
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DT Bushpilot and I rode that road on motos around Christmas time just past....two big rocks were at the side of the road just before the downhill to
Los Planes...two weeks later I met some folks in Mulege who were driving Landrovers and an FJ Toyota and they all made it through.
My recollection was that each boulder was about 4-5 feet roughly in diameter....but DT is always correcting me, so he might chime in here....or hop on
his bike with a camera and a tape measure to bring us all up to date....
Harald....that rock garden w/ two vehicles doesn't look like what I saw along that route...but again, my memory batteries might be low....maybe in the
canyon area at the north end before the road down....we wove our way between some rocks and some moist coarse granite sand ....
[Edited on 2-13-2015 by motoged]
Don't believe everything you think....
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4x4abc
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that rock garden was part of an epic west - east crossing a few years ago
we got quite some fire for fixing the road
http://carlosnpainter.smugmug.com/Events/Uno-Baja-Extreme-Ad...
Harald Pietschmann
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motoged
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Harald,
Was that west-east trip the one down to Agua Verde?
Don't believe everything you think....
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dtbushpilot
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The boulders were still there a few days ago, the dirt road from Constitution to Agua Verde was fine until I got to the "downhill"...a bit sporty
after that....
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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motoged
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Quote: Originally posted by dtbushpilot  | | The boulders were still there a few days ago, the dirt road from Constitution to Agua Verde was fine until I got to the "downhill"...a bit sporty
after that.... |
Damn, David....
Glad you did that Const-AV ride....again, I am envious.....you are picking off all my To-Do rides....
I thought after two hurricanes ago it was impassable....
Two years ago I was on the Rancho San Cosme road where that track comes out (or at least where I estimated its down hill ended up) and saw a large
sign indicating "Keep Out" in more than two words....and it appeared to be a ranch sign....
Thanks for the update 
Don't believe everything you think....
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dtbushpilot
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The road is impassable. 5 of us came down it a few days ago, I won't be doing it again any time soon.
We finished a 4 day ride Wednesday, logged just under 800 miles. We took the same road from Comondu to La Purisma that you and I did a few years ago.
It is impassable now to 4 wheel vehicles, hard core 4 wheelers could do it with some road building but there wasn't any signs of 4 wheel traffic on
the road. I saw a couple of old mc tracks but that was it. The whole 20 miles looked like that section where I had fun at your expense. I looked hard
for a fun part but couldn't find one. Did I mention that we left Comondu at dusk?....bad planning....
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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AKgringo
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Best hijack lately!
Man I am glad I re-posted this old thread. We have left the road to Los Barriles, but I am learning things I wanted to know!
D.T., you just saved me some serious challenges trying to take a rig that has no chance of making it over that Comondu/Purisma road.
Have you, or Motoged (or anyone else) tried the road heading west from the San Evaristo since November? I am hoping that there has been at least a
bulldozer over the Pass since Odile
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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4x4abc
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San Evaristo to El Bosque is not passable
Harald Pietschmann
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dtbushpilot
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| Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo | Man I am glad I re-posted this old thread. We have left the road to Los Barriles, but I am learning things I wanted to know!
D.T., you just saved me some serious challenges trying to take a rig that has no chance of making it over that Comondu/Purisma road.
Have you, or Motoged (or anyone else) tried the road heading west from the San Evaristo since November? I am hoping that there has been at least a
bulldozer over the Pass since Odile |
It was part of our ride. It can be done in a sturdy 2wd vehicle if you know how to drive it, 4wd would be much advised. We took that route up through
Las Animas and San Luis Gonzaga to Constitution for a splash of gas then on to AV then took the highway to Villa Del Palmar south of Loreto for the
night. The next morning after getting gas from a panguero we headed back south to just east of the AV turn off and headed north up through San Javier
to San Jose Comondu and on to La Purisma.
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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dtbushpilot
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It is bad and I wouldn't attempt it without 4wd but the ranchers are driving in and out.
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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AKgringo
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Thanks Harald, you and I both gave it a go and wrote about it in November, I was hoping to hear about an effort to repair some of the washouts.
I drove that road in December of 2012 (another heavy storm year) and there was an old D-8 working that same stretch that turned us back this year.
I wonder if it will happen again?
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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