May Road Notes

Traveled all of Mex #5, from border to Laguna Chapala (Mex #1):
Nearly perfect with hardly any pothole dodging I can recall. Gasoline at Gonzaga Bay.

Traveled the old gulf road from Coco's Corner to El Crucero, via Calamajué Canyon:
Very rough, cross-grain erosion both north and south of the canyon. In the canyon was easy, very little water, not deep.



Traveled Mex #1 between Laguna Chapala and Nuevo Rosarito:
Like the 5, it was in very good condition when compared to past years.

Traveled the L.A. Bay highway (Mex #12 on Google Maps):
Great shape with so much new pavement and all bridge work done except the last one as you enter the edge of town, but it has a paved detour.



Traveled to La Gringa and to Las Flores, north and south from L.A. Bay town: All was good with no surprises.



Traveled to Mission San Borja and on to Nuevo Rosarito:
Here was where the conditions were far worse than all my previous trips (2001-2017). The signed junction is now 2 kms. west, at Km. 43. However, we were able to drive off to the original road at Km. 45.

2-miles-south, we took the left branch for the Montevideo Painted Rock Art cliff. When I was last there (2017) it was an easy drive. However, the next year, a ranch (owned by the Daggett family) put up a locked gate. I was told it was about halfway to the site. We attempted to borrow the key (at Campo Daggett's, where we spent the night), however the last person to do so, hadn't returned it. We were told we could walk past the gate. No way was I going to walk 3+ miles each way. We came to the gate, it was not halfway, it was almost to the site!! We could walk the ~1 km. remaining distance. Crawling under the barb wire was the only hard part!

Back to the San Borja road and the surface was bad, all fill dirt from the road grader was gone leaving just bone-jarring rock and caliche base. Paulina warned up about that. Caliche is a natural, concrete like surface. 2-3 hours to go the 20+ miles. Near the mission, the road detours high up the side of the mesa slope to avoid the massive washout below, where the road used to be.



We spent the night at the mission palapas being so worn out from all the bumps and walking. Licia (Ana Licia) was there to give mission tours, light the water heater, and maintain the palalaps' cleanliness. Just 200 pesos per person. More in my trip report or web page I am making.

The road out west to Nuevo Rosarito was far better, but still slow and had a section of off-camber slopeside driving, where the road detoured out of the arroyo bed where it used to be. Both routes to the mission are best done in a 4x4 but a 2WD truck or SUV could get there, slowly.

We also drove over to Santa Rosalillita to see the abandoned Escalera Nautica harbor.

More (lots more) photos in the upcoming trip page.


[Edited on 5-26-2026 by David K]