BajaNomad
Not logged in [Login - Register]

Go To Bottom
Printable Version  
 Pages:  1  
Author: Subject: HARDCORE JEEP 4WD TRAIL -- La Cuesta de MOLINA
Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
******




Posts: 8921
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline

Mood: Black Trans Lives Matter

[*] posted on 11-9-2018 at 11:29 AM
HARDCORE JEEP 4WD TRAIL -- La Cuesta de MOLINA


In November 2013, I led a hardcore 4WD Jeep run to the Pole Line Road. Unprecedented rain prevented us from crossing the Laguna Salada, so our group instead visited Cañon de Palomar. After our Palomar campout, we traveled back to Coral de Molina before rounding the Paredones Hills. We set up camp for the night and the next morning, we rose early to conquer the hardcore CUESTA DE MOLINA.



View user's profile
Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
******




Posts: 8921
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline

Mood: Black Trans Lives Matter

[*] posted on 11-9-2018 at 11:30 AM


Reviewing our maps and position before our Jeep run.:bounce:

IMG_20181109_101514.jpg - 63kBIMG_20181109_101559.jpg - 76kB




View user's profile
Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
******




Posts: 8921
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline

Mood: Black Trans Lives Matter

[*] posted on 11-9-2018 at 11:32 AM


When nearing the mighty CUESTA DE MOLINA, the road bed is rough and formidable as you can see here.

IMG_20181109_101649.jpg - 43kB




View user's profile
Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
******




Posts: 8921
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline

Mood: Black Trans Lives Matter

[*] posted on 11-9-2018 at 11:36 AM


The trail becomes a shelf road with a lone cabin below. There is no room for opposing traffic as you travel up this challenging route. Before things became dicey, Victor, Vicki and I got out of our Jeeps to assess the trail.

IMG_20181109_101904.jpg - 239kB




View user's profile
Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
******




Posts: 8921
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline

Mood: Black Trans Lives Matter

[*] posted on 11-9-2018 at 11:41 AM


On our way up!

IMG_20181109_103945.jpg - 77kB




View user's profile
Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
******




Posts: 8921
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline

Mood: Black Trans Lives Matter

[*] posted on 11-9-2018 at 11:46 AM


Just past the deadly STAIRSTEPS the trail becomes relatively easy. The STAIRSTEPS required DOUBLE LOCKING DIFFERENTIALS. Brake-assisted limited slip might not get you to the top of the mountain. Travel at your own risk!

IMG_20181109_104332.jpg - 72kB




View user's profile
Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
******




Posts: 8921
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline

Mood: Black Trans Lives Matter

[*] posted on 11-9-2018 at 11:48 AM


The views are among Bajas best!

IMG_20181109_104718.jpg - 39kB




View user's profile
AKgringo
Elite Nomad
******




Posts: 5819
Registered: 9-20-2014
Location: Anchorage, AK (no mas!)
Member Is Offline

Mood: Retireded

[*] posted on 11-9-2018 at 11:49 AM


Ken, is that a NORRA race course marker in the bottom photo? Looks like a fun road/trail!



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!
View user's profile
Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
******




Posts: 8921
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline

Mood: Black Trans Lives Matter

[*] posted on 11-9-2018 at 11:50 AM


The view from the passenger seat (in a Jeep Rubicon):cool:

IMG_20181109_104938.jpg - 46kB




View user's profile
Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
******




Posts: 8921
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline

Mood: Black Trans Lives Matter

[*] posted on 11-9-2018 at 11:51 AM


Quote: Originally posted by AKgringo  
Ken, is that a NORRA race course marker in the bottom photo? Looks like a fun road/trail!


SCORE marker. We ran the racecourse backwards. Don't try it in your average Datsun pickup..or a Subaru.




View user's profile
Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
******




Posts: 8921
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline

Mood: Black Trans Lives Matter

[*] posted on 11-9-2018 at 11:55 AM


A well-known landmark is this stripped Suburban. Our smaller Jeeps were able to maneuver around this stripped-out behemoth.

IMG_20181109_105342.jpg - 52kBIMG_20181109_105303.jpg - 97kB




View user's profile
Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
******




Posts: 8921
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline

Mood: Black Trans Lives Matter

[*] posted on 11-9-2018 at 11:59 AM


We made it into Parque Constitución!! Only in our Rubicons and Vicki's double ARB-locked TJ Sport!



IMG_20181109_105733.jpg - 69kBIMG_20181109_105807.jpg - 60kB




View user's profile
Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
******




Posts: 8921
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline

Mood: Black Trans Lives Matter

[*] posted on 11-9-2018 at 12:02 PM
The TAKEAWAY


This threads takeaway is to AVOID these trails unless you have a well prepared Jeep 4wd with locking differentials. I hope that you enjoyed this Friday throwback thread.

IMG_20181109_105651.jpg - 71kB




View user's profile
ehall
Super Nomad
****




Posts: 1906
Registered: 3-29-2014
Location: Buckeye, Az
Member Is Offline

Mood: It's 5 o'clock somewhere

[*] posted on 11-9-2018 at 02:02 PM


looks fun. I need to find it on a map.
View user's profile
Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
******




Posts: 8921
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline

Mood: Black Trans Lives Matter

[*] posted on 11-9-2018 at 02:19 PM


Quote: Originally posted by ehall  
looks fun. I need to find it on a map.



I wouldn't rode a Moto up this hill, Ed. One wrong move, and you'll wish there were guardrails on your right side. The stairstep section is so steep all you will see is the sky as you drive up it.

[Edited on 11-9-2018 by Ken Cooke]




View user's profile
David K
Honored Nomad
*********


Avatar


Posts: 64492
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Online

Mood: Have Baja Fever

[*] posted on 11-9-2018 at 04:45 PM


Ken, where are you getting these place names from? This looks a bit like EL MANO CANYON? Let's help Ed find it on his map!

Mano is south of Palomar and Santa Isabel. I led your Jeep group to the bottom of it in 2003. Everyone in a Jeep driving one tire up on that boulder was the highlight of the day for them. Who was in the Isuzu Trooper who was chatting with me as we watched you Jeepers? I forgot.



[Edited on 11-9-2018 by David K]




"So Much Baja, So Little Time..."

See the NEW www.VivaBaja.com for maps, travel articles, links, trip photos, and more!
Baja Missions and History On Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/groups/bajamissions/
Camping, off-roading, Viva Baja discussion: https://www.facebook.com/groups/vivabaja


View user's profile Visit user's homepage
ehall
Super Nomad
****




Posts: 1906
Registered: 3-29-2014
Location: Buckeye, Az
Member Is Offline

Mood: It's 5 o'clock somewhere

[*] posted on 11-9-2018 at 06:35 PM


Quote: Originally posted by Ken Cooke  
Quote: Originally posted by ehall  
looks fun. I need to find it on a map.



I wouldn't rode a Moto up this hill, Ed. One wrong move, and you'll wish there were guardrails on your right side. The stairstep section is so steep all you will see is the sky as you drive up it.

[Edited on 11-9-2018 by Ken Cooke]



The jeep is ready.

20181105_191116-1008x756.jpg - 169kB
View user's profile
4x4abc
Ultra Nomad
*****


Avatar


Posts: 4167
Registered: 4-24-2009
Location: La Paz, BCS
Member Is Offline

Mood: happy - always

[*] posted on 11-9-2018 at 08:02 PM


Quote: Originally posted by Ken Cooke  
In November 2013, I led a hardcore 4WD Jeep run to the Pole Line Road. Unprecedented rain prevented us from crossing the Laguna Salada, so our group instead visited Cañon de Palomar. After our Palomar campout, we traveled back to Coral de Molina before rounding the Paredones Hills. We set up camp for the night and the next morning, we rose early to conquer the hardcore CUESTA DE MOLINA.


Cuesta de Molina around Lomas Paredones?

[Edited on 11-10-2018 by 4x4abc]




Harald Pietschmann
View user's profile Visit user's homepage
Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
******




Posts: 8921
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline

Mood: Black Trans Lives Matter

[*] posted on 11-10-2018 at 07:59 AM


Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Ken, where are you getting these place names from? This looks a bit like EL MANO CANYON? Let's help Ed find it on his map!

Mano is south of Palomar and Santa Isabel. I led your Jeep group to the bottom of it in 2003. Everyone in a Jeep driving one tire up on that boulder was the highlight of the day for them. Who was in the Isuzu Trooper who was chatting with me as we watched you Jeepers? I forgot.


Saturnino and I talked about this route a few weeks ago. He took his club up the mountain from Mexicali for a 4WD club run.

You are also referring to Brock Tella who has since traded his Isuzu Trooper for a shiny, new Toyota 4 Runner. I saw him earlier this year on my annual, January Joshua Tree 4WD Berdoo Canyon crawl that I host.




View user's profile
Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
******




Posts: 8921
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline

Mood: Black Trans Lives Matter

[*] posted on 11-10-2018 at 08:11 AM


Saturnino pictured on the right with his wife Maria after the 2017 Baja Pole Line Run.


IMG_20181110_070940.jpg - 73kB




View user's profile
 Pages:  1  

  Go To Top

 






All Content Copyright 1997- Q87 International; All Rights Reserved.
Powered by XMB; XMB Forum Software © 2001-2014 The XMB Group






"If it were lush and rich, one could understand the pull, but it is fierce and hostile and sullen. The stone mountains pile up to the sky and there is little fresh water. But we know we must go back if we live, and we don't know why." - Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez

 

"People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." - Theodore Roosevelt

 

"You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who they think can do nothing for them or to them." - Malcolm Forbes

 

"Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you." - Jim Rohn

 

"The best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer." - Cunningham's Law







Thank you to Baja Bound Mexico Insurance Services for your long-term support of the BajaNomad.com Forums site.







Emergency Baja Contacts Include:

Desert Hawks; El Rosario-based ambulance transport; Emergency #: (616) 103-0262