BajaNomad - Off road from San Quintin to Punta Bufeo

Off road from San Quintin to Punta Bufeo

Anonymous - 8-4-2005 at 08:50 AM

I have two friends with houses in San Quintin (near the Old Mill) and near Punta Bufeo (the camp's name is actually Campo la Poma). Another friend and I would like to drive off road from San Quintin to El Rosario and end up at Campo la Poma. We would go back the same way. We have Class 5 cars. For those of you unfamiliar with desert racing a Class 5 car is a baja bug on steroids. Basically a race car.

Our thought is to trailer the cars to San Quintin and leave from there early one morning, go through El Rosario (not in line with Punta Bufeo I know) and end up at Campo la Poma that afternoon or early evening. We do not want to spend time on the highway (or at least as little as possible). The cars are fast and float across rough terrain with little effort as long as the road/trail was wide enough.

I have heard there is a way through to the Gulf coast from San Agustin and El Marmol though my maps do not indicate much beyond El Marmol.

Any thoughts, ideas or information to help me determine if this is possible would be greatly appreciated.

mcgyver - 8-4-2005 at 09:07 AM

You can probably get from El Marmol to Volcan and maybe to Mina La Olividada but unless you can go down 35" high slick rock water falls you can go no futher. The big rains of the last 2 years has futher eroded the 1880's wagon road to non-existant. A rancher at San Judas had some horses and cattle back in Los Vacos and Mimarmar last year and had a difficult time getting them out due to deep washed outs following the old trails down hill. He said some of the cracks were 20' deep and 6' across and he lost several cows to them. Two years ago a group of us tried to take a dirt bike and 2 wheel drive Rocon up to El Marmol from the Cortez side and only got 8 miles before near vertical waterfalls stopped us.

That...

bigzaggin - 8-4-2005 at 09:29 AM

would be a heavy heavy crossing...it's bad enough going via Coco's Corner. IF you do try it, please take ample fotos, and like, 90 gallons of water.

suerte.

Use this to scout for routes...

David K - 8-4-2005 at 07:33 PM

Baja Locations From Space

This is the thread on the General Baja board that has many points on Baja linked to the Google satellite images. You can scroll, zoom in or out, and 'fly-over' the areas in Baja that interest you! Much of the gulf coast is not yet photographed in the highest resolution, however.

The long sought after 'short cut' still eludes us... at least in four wheelers. What Corky, BillB, McGyver were trying to find, was a wagon trail from the Miramar gold mines (this was near Okie Landing/south of El Huerfanito) up to El Marmol, as shown on a 1905 map. This seemed to be in Arroyo El Volcan (then called Tule Wash).... But, as you read, waterfalls (dry) blocked the route.

A road, seen on the Google images, continues northward from the point 2.0 mi. from the El Marmol schoolhouse where the El Volcan road turns right and drops down the canyon... This may be worth exploring... Click on El Marmol in the list, and follow the El Volcan road to find and follow it...

The next crossover point is from Mision Santa Maria, but only the toughest moto riders have been able to get through, on the El Camino Real (with damage)...

A rumor of a road from Rancho El Suerte to Valle Chico/San Felipe is worth investigating... I have not seen the Valle Chico end of it in my travels...

Good hunting!

bufeo - 8-4-2005 at 10:26 PM

Hey Anon,

Take it from someone who is not an "armchair explorer" of that region. There is NO track from El Marmol down to the Sea of Cortez that a wheeled vehicle can take and the track from El Volcan is a dead end.

Unfortunately for your Class 5s I think your best bet is the route all of us have to take, and that is to go south to Chapala and connect with the road that will take you back north to Coco's, Rancho Grande, and then on to Campo Pomo.

Years ago, and I do mean years, i.e. prior to the Transpeninsular Highway 1, we dropped down off the mesa at Jaraguay and a mile or two below El Pedregoso we caught an arroyo heading east, made a gradual assent, and hooked up with another arroyo which dropped us down and we intersected the east coast road north of Las Arrastras.

My notes and my memory tell me it was a slow, tedious trip. We spent two, yep, that's TWO nights travelling about 10 miles, more or less. We had to practically build the connection between the ascent and descent. In all fairness, we had been warned.

I'm sure the decades have returned that country to its former self, so I don't recommend it unless you want to blaze a new trail.

Regardless, have a great trip! If you're doing this trip in the fall, remember that the SCORE Baja 1K will be November 17 - 20, and though the course hasn't been announced yet, it will probably be a loop in Baja Norte and will include part of the track you'll be covering.

David K - 8-5-2005 at 10:13 AM

Bufeo, the trail from El Pedregoso down to La Turquesa canyon and reaching the gulf road 3 mi. north of Las Arrastras is well documented in Kacey Smith's Baja GPS guide... It is her 'XR Ride'... Someone here on Nomad named it Coco's shortcut after Coco told some bikers about it.

I have been to El Volcan a few times and out past it on the road leading to La Olividada to where I could see the gulf... I also took the left branch at 2 mi. from El Marmol, I mentioned above... but didn't take it out very far.

The Bill Nichols trail from near Puertecitos to San Quintin is only for motos, no four wheelers, as well... Kacey will have it in her 2nd edition coming out later this year...

mcgyver - 8-5-2005 at 03:39 PM

I wonder if you could use a big hang glider to carry your MC from El Volcan down to the gulf??

David K - 8-5-2005 at 06:08 PM

That is a great idea Max!

mcgyver - 8-6-2005 at 07:00 AM

I will be happy to wait at the bottom for you!

BajaBoundMoto - 8-7-2005 at 11:40 PM

Sure you can get from North of Marmol to the Gulf, overland. It is absolutely only for bikes. I doubt a Quad would even fit in a couple spots. It's not too bad and doesn't take too long.

The next cross spot from Pedregoso over to the wash might be makeable in a vehicle, I'm not really sure, it would depend on how overgrown the wash is. I can't really say as I wouldn't consider driving it so I haven't looked at it that way. It's super easy to follow the entire route (2 track from the Hwy to the wash) but the trailhead along the Hwy is a little hidden.

hey BBM...

eetdrt88 - 8-8-2005 at 08:40 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaBoundMoto
Sure you can get from North of Marmol to the Gulf, overland. It is absolutely only for bikes. I doubt a Quad would even fit in a couple spots. It's not too bad and doesn't take too long.

The next cross spot from Pedregoso over to the wash might be makeable in a vehicle, I'm not really sure, it would depend on how overgrown the wash is. I can't really say as I wouldn't consider driving it so I haven't looked at it that way. It's super easy to follow the entire route (2 track from the Hwy to the wash) but the trailhead along the Hwy is a little hidden.

what type of bike is best suited for this type of trip....what i'm trying to say is what kind of moto can handle this stuff without falling apart???

Anonymous - 8-8-2005 at 11:47 AM

Could one walk from El Volcan to the gulf via the wash if one had ropes to rappell the dry falls? How far is this walk if it is doable?

Hang glider + MC.... or, Quad & Ultralight?

neilmac - 8-8-2005 at 12:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mcgyver
I wonder if you could use a big hang glider to carry your MC from El Volcan down to the gulf??

Yeah... a BIG hang glider, wings & control surfaces like an ultralight.... mounted on a lighter-weight quad rigged w/ a PTO & prop...

Nah... easier ways to die could be found!

Neil

David K - 8-8-2005 at 03:34 PM

Quote:

Hello BBM, welcome to Baja Nomad! Can you provide a few more details on your m/c route from El Marmol to the gulf?
Thanks! Is it the north fork off the El Volcan road 2.0 mi. from El Marmol?

MC Route

mcgyver - 8-8-2005 at 06:04 PM

Quote:

Have you made this run lately! Any GPS readings?
Thanks

BajaBoundMoto - 8-8-2005 at 08:41 PM

what i'm trying to say is what kind of moto can handle this stuff without falling apart?
Fall apart? Modern bikes don't fall apart. Any decent bike will do (of course XRs rule

)

provide a few more details on your m/c route from El Marmol to the gulf? Is it the north fork off the El Volcan road 2.0 mi. from El Marmol?
It's not my route, it's Bill Nichols'. But of course the Lizard will sell it and take credit (typical).
No place near Volcan. More like North of Teresa and keeping Ronoso on your left.

Have you made this run lately! Any GPS readings?
I am not a believer in GPS, at least for Baja. Baja is small and relatively easy to navigate. I can remember landmarks pretty well (but i can't remember peoples names).
I haven't done it in over about 18 months. The last couple guys I drew a map for (on a napkin in Rositas in Felipe) made it without any problem and that was over a year ago.
I haven't heard from anyone if the route has any damage from the storms this past winter but the only section that could possibly make it impassable from being washed out is the far west side.

[Edited on 8-9-2005 by BajaBoundMoto]

[Edited on 8-9-2005 by BajaBoundMoto]

David K - 8-8-2005 at 08:58 PM

Thank you... I think Kacey will credit Bill Nichols, as she acknowledged it was his route. One of Bill's amigos is a regular here on Nomad (Corky1) and knows the trail... helped him on it, I think.

Looking at the Baja Almanac Map 14 & 16... see Arroyo Los Heme leaving Mex. 5, just south of La Costilla... then across the Sierra Santa Isabel to Arroyo El Ronoso... Rancho Santa Teresa is near San Agustin, on Mex. 1.

All Baja is great for off road exploring! The motos have it made... we four wheelers are more limited...

David K - 8-10-2005 at 07:43 PM

Just today, Kacey Smith sent out her newsletter and she indeeds gives credit to Bill Nichols! Have a look at the first two parts of her newsletter:

Hola! THE NEWSLETTER V1-6

05 GPS Event Postponed:
The good news is that we are on schedule to offer The Baja GPS Guide Volume 2 in 06. In order to do so, we have postponed the 05 GPS Event that was scheduled for Oct. 29, 05' until further notice. It will be rescheduled for either Spring 06' or Fall 06'.

Volume 2:
The Volume 2 guidebook includes some additional routes in the north and picks up where Vol.1 left (San Ignacio) and goes all the way to Cabo. Let me tell ya, Vol. 2 will blow your mind. It has some of the most incredible routes available in Baja. Fortunately, a good friend named Bill Nichols, has made lots of new trail on the Peninsula and has shared it with me to print for you folks to help groove the trails & enjoy some of Baja's coolest desolation that would have otherwise never been seen. Some of these trails have been ready for the guidebook for quite some time, but getting all the new routes to Cabo has been another chore taking more time to "get it right" so we can keep you on the right path and off private and dangerous property. We can also all thank Baja Joe from La Ventana for sharing some really awesome routes in the south making this guidebook pretty unique and off the Score routes. I can't wait to share it with you.

capt. mike - 8-11-2005 at 05:27 AM

you can plot this course easy on my GIANT wall MAP OF BAJA.!!

check the classifieds here or at baja.net

or at my website. 6'X7' full color and topo. amazing detail. sold hundreds, no one asked for a refund yet! but i do stand behind a money back 100% satisfaction or i'll eat a bug!!

price is $59.85 USA shipping included (price up a tad since i 1st made them available, oh well - takes a lot of oil to grow trees.......) :yes: