Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc  |
here is the road into North Canyon (nameless on map) |
| Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc |
| Quote: Originally posted by BAJACAT |
| Quote: Originally posted by BAJACAT |
| Quote: Originally posted by David K |
How we heard about this road... The Pole Line Road Run was made popular about 15 years ago by Desert Explorer Neal Johns (one who is responsible for my getting a Tacoma) after reading about it in an old guidebook to Baja California... From 1962 Lower California Guidebook:    I wish to thank Ken Cooke for organizing this run and inviting me along (with a request I provide a mission lecture for the group). I was thrilled Baja Angel was agreeable to me having fun without her (she would have loved to go, being a former Jeep owner and veteran of the Rubicon run at Lake Tahoe). Disclaimer: In no way does my poking fun at any of the events intend to diminish my respect for Ken, Jeep Corporation, or especially the Ford Motor Company! My odometer is just a tad slow as I am running 1” taller than stock tires, off 1 mile for every 40 traveled (0.1 for every 4). 9:35 am Mexicali Pemex: Filled 3 jerry cans (19-20 liters if topped cans) and the pump read 59.875 liters (15.8 gallons) which is so close to reality, I would say this was a pretty honest station. 732.85 pesos (at 14.50:1 exchange), gave the guy $52 with tip. That puts 87 octane Magna Sin at about $3.23/ gal. 10:50 am After a wonderful tour of the back streets and residential areas of Mexicali, including the majority of 4 way stop signs in that city, a few dead end streets for fun, and closed construction zones, all before reaching Hwy. 2, we learn the highly prized ‘best taco asadero’ in El Progreso was no longer in business! We learned this from those waiting at the ‘next best’ asadero shop, who got us on the radio as we breezed past them. Hey, this is Mexico and one must be open to changes! The now bigger group is heading west on Hwy. 2 as it is decided to use the 24.3 miles of smooth, dry lakebed instead of the usually washboard surface graded road (signed for Cañon de Guadalupe Hot Springs). Now the road to the dry lake bed is signed as an open public road ‘Laguna Salada’ off Highway 2, however, on some weekends there is a ‘toll booth’ set up by some ‘so-called’ land owners collecting 100 pesos (US$6.90 at a 14.50:1 rate of exchange). Because of the size of Ken’s caravan, the ‘jefe’ agreed to a discount of $6.00 per vehicle. Mile 0.0, Laguna Salada lakebed, 11:20 am (27 miles driven from border at Mexicali, not using the shortest route). The lakebed is about the best I have driven in quality. Mile 21.0, Fork on lakebed to right, 11:48 am Mile 24.3, Off of lakebed, 11:54 am. A military Humvee and truck with well-armed soldiers is on road pointed towards us. They wave and give ‘thumbs up’ us as we pass. Viva Mexico! Mile 25.5, we meet the graded road from Hwy. 2 to Guadalupe Canyon and turn south, 12:16 pm There is several houses in a scattered new ejido. New since my last time here, anyway and there is no clear direction to get beyond the ejido. John M takes the lead from Ken as he has GPS with race course data and this is some of the CODE race route south. We get back on track and head south from the Guadalupe Canyon fork area. Mile 29.1, a kilometer sign post ‘KM. 50’, the only one I saw, 12:25 pm Mile 31.8, Fork to right Mile 45.9, Fork to right, 1:03 pm Mile 47.6, COHABUZO JUNCTION, 1:08 pm to 2:06 pm Here we meet more Nomads and Off Roaders from Rio Hardy (including MICK). This is where the road from Hwy. 5 at the sand dunes ends up as a ‘short-cut’ to this region from San Felipe. It is not all easy, and the last 20 miles are very tough and full of silt (at least when I drove in in 2002). MICK destroyed a tire before reaching Cohabuzo, I heard. Mile 72.7, POLE LINE ROAD, 5:06 pm, at bottom of the ‘SUMMIT’ a steep drop off the Sierra Juarez built for the WWII Pole Line construction and has been used by SCORE for many off road races since the late 1970’s. The pole line continued east but not in any regular direction for very long, so as to not stand and be subject to aerial spotting or destruction by the enemy. This was mid-1942, and the U.S. was not certain of how much the enemy had infiltrated into remote Baja California peninsula, if at all. There is a locked, steel gate blocking access to the Pole Line Road, eastbound, near the bottom of the summit. Ken checks it out and then we begin to use the newly made detour around the west side that goes around the gate. This is a barely traveled route described to us by PaulW, and I make my first under-body damage on a rock hidden by a shrub. It is very slow going for 1.3 miles before word on the radio says MICK’s Ford Ranger has lost its transmission fluid and is not looking good. It is getting dark soon and even though the wind is howling through the canyon we are in, there is simply no better place to camp and also evaluate how to help MICK. We make a U-turn and come back down just 0.2 mile to our camp for the first night (Saturday April 6, 2015). Mile 73.8 (not counting the distance from where we camped to the U-Turn and coming back to camp), 5:35 pm. The wind is just too strong for a camp fire, and the history lecture is postponed… it is Baja, and being flexible is part of the deal. I put up my Coleman Insta-Tent and even with the strong wind, I manage to do so easily alone, in just a few minutes. Inside, there is lots of room for my cot, table, chair and I cook my dinner and make hot cocoa. TW (TMW now on Nomad) is camping across the road from me. TW and Ken Cooke both have a look at the inside the miracle tent (rated for sleeping 8 and tall enough to stand in). Sleeping, with the wind flapping the walls of the tent was impossible however… but I was warm and comfy! END DAY 1  Ken is interviewed at the Calexico meeting location, 8:15 am SAT.  Jonn M and TW (TMW) are ready!  ehall and the rest listen to Ken's driver's meeting notes.   These vehicles will not be so clean in a few hours!  LAGUNA SALADA  Heading south to Cohabuzo Junction   All together now at Cohabuzo Junction.  Looks like we have a convoy!  The SUMMIT part of the Pole Line Road as seen from the bottom.   This first gate is easily opened (and closed after us), but soon after was the locked gate.  This is the detour road looking south from where we camped.  TW, FrigateBird, Ken Cooke  FrigateBird's white Tacoma with pop up camper, and mine nearby.  My Insta-tent, and then TW's white Tacoma.  |
| Quote: Originally posted by PaulW |
| Quote: Originally posted by Ken Cooke | |
I will bring additional t-shirts for the Rancher to help open those gates in the future! |
| Quote: Originally posted by David K |