BajaNomad

El Marmol to the Gulf - now with map!

John M - 10-14-2005 at 08:36 PM

Tonight I received a map, prior to 1927 at least, showing a trail from the Gulf to El Marmol, except El Marmol is being shown as "Onyx."

I'm going to try to scan the map and make it fit the requirements of this board, highlighting the trail. The trail shown goes generally N/E from "Onyx" to reach the Gulf near an island shown as "Isla Link" on the early map - likely today shown as Isla El Muerto on an AAA map.

Hopefully more details to follow, come on scanner ----- stay alive for one more scan!

John M.

[Edited on 10-15-2005 by John M]

[Edited on 10-15-2005 by John M]

[Edited on 10-15-2005 by John M]

bajajudy - 10-14-2005 at 08:38 PM

Dont give up...
I would love to see it.

John M----

Barry A. - 10-14-2005 at 08:55 PM

That is great!!! We are all waiting-----------

David K - 10-15-2005 at 08:55 AM

This is the trail that BillB, Corky, and McGyver/Max in Yuma tried to find... It would seem to be in Arroyo El Volcan (mislabled as Arroyo Zamorra in the Almanac, topos)... But that waterfall/cliff has either been created since that mine trail was used, or the trail is in another spot.

The Google satellite images are not high resolution where it would be helpfull... they are near the El Volcan Onyx Dome/Geyser... and you can follow the arroyo towards the gulf for a ways...

David K - 10-15-2005 at 08:58 AM

Here's the thread on the General board for the satellite images of various points in Baja ... http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=10620

Click on the link for El Volcan... and just follow the arroyo towards the gulf (north from the geyser) by using your mouse, holding down the key to scroll.

David K - Not El Volcan Wash

John M - 10-15-2005 at 09:58 AM

David, I had at first thought that but have since changed my mind. I think the route on the 1927 map is north of El Volcan Wash, as I said in a post on the "other" El Marmol to the Gulf post, I'm going to attempt to overlay th 1927 map with the Baja Topographical Atlas and see what I come up with.

You may be correct but I believe El Volcan wash goes more directly east.

John M

David K - 10-16-2005 at 09:02 AM

You may be very correct John...

There is a road that continues going northward instead of down into El Volcan... it forks off 2.0 mi. from the El Marmol schoolhouse... That is where you turn 90? to the right to drop down to El Volcan, and if you go straight you would be on this unmapped road!

I took it for 2 miles, but stayed right at a second fork that dropped down into the canyon, and it just ended.

On the satellite images you can follow it for quite some distance... then it goes into the non-high resolution area, and you lose it. Needs to be checked out!

Here is that fork, 2.0 mi. from El Marmol on the El Volcan road: Fork 2.0 mi. from El Marmol (1/2 way to El Volcan)

Road east from El Marmol

John M - 10-16-2005 at 09:14 AM

This past May we took the road east from El Marmol for a couple of miles but then made the right turn down the canyon to the onyx pools. The road you mention does look interesting on the map and maybe next year we can get out on it to see where it goes - following it using your link to the satellite map is really interesting, until it ends at the edge of the twilight zone.

Onyx Pools in Arroyo El Volcan

David K - 10-16-2005 at 09:29 AM

For you Nomads who like to see exotic Baja places...

Here is the first pool we came to after hiking up the arroyo from the point I parked (see truck in background):



Here is the next 'bottomless' pool, as we hike upstream (south) in the arroyo, going to the Onyx Dome (geyser). That is my daughter, in 2003:



On the west side of the arroyo canyon is the 30 foot tall onyx dome formed by monthly eruptions of this exotic, cold water geyser! This is what gave the name El Volcan (the volcano) to this site and the arroyo:




Isn't Baja great!!!???

These photos and many more at at http://vivabaja.com/403

David K - 10-16-2005 at 11:01 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by John M
This past May we took the road east from El Marmol for a couple of miles but then made the right turn down the canyon to the onyx pools. The road you mention does look interesting on the map and maybe next year we can get out on it to see where it goes - following it using your link to the satellite map is really interesting, until it ends at the edge of the twilight zone.


Here are details for the point where that northbound road disappears into 'The Twilight Zone':

http://maps.google.com/maps?ll=30.010804,-114.799554&spn...

The GPS from link above (at WGS84) is 30.010804, 114.799554

or 30?00.485', 114?47.724' (WGS84)

or 30?00.477', 114?47.683' (NAD27 Mexico)

GPS coordinates

John M - 10-16-2005 at 11:41 AM

those coordinates appear to be on the road to La Olividada. -

The Topo Atlas shows Arroyo Zamorra intersecting the dirt road a couple of miles east of El Marmol, while both the Almanac and Topo Atlas show Arroyo El Volcan ending in the middle of nowhere.

David - I see that you had written that the Almanac mislabled Arroyo El Volcan. The Almanac and the Baja Topographical Atlas both show Zamorra and El Volcan arroyos the same. Why do you say they are mis-labeled?

John

David K - 10-16-2005 at 12:09 PM

Actually just north of the road, and just west of the arroyo... right of the word: 'Protejidas' on the Almanac.

As for the mis named arroyos... 'Zamora' on the Atlas and Almanac (both taken from Mexican topos) is shown as the north arroyo, and 'El Volcan' is the shown as the south parallel arroyo of the two.

In fact, the north one is El Volcan... You can see it passes right next to Cerro el Volcan, whereas the other arroyo ends long before nearing Cerro el Volcan.

Here is that part of the Almanac where you can see it shows Zamora and El Volcan as two seperate arroyos, parallel to each other.

The road to the Twilight Zone forks halfway between El Marmol and the arroyo crossing, just 1/4 mile downstream from the El Volcan onyx dome. This fork is where the La Olividada road bends east... Same can be seen on the satellite image.