BajaNomad

Last Friday

woody with a view - 10-19-2005 at 02:50 PM

We all met at my house around 2:45am and were on the road by 3, just as we?d hoped for. The only thing forgotten was my sunglasses and before we were on I-5 I?d realized my dilemma, but for the sake of starting off on the wrong foot I kept my mouth shut. Our crew consisted of 3 trucks with 6 guys and 1 destination.

Sunrise over El Rosario was impressive. Last chance supplies were had but the vote said ?let?s go!?, so no breakfast. In no time we were pulling out the quad and the mx bike for the ride through the desert. The desert was very dry (for now) and the temperature was 87 degrees with a slight wind from the east. A damn fine morning anywhere in the world, but this was Baja, so even better!

After stopping to leave offerings at the shrine and then leaving bags of fruit in the church we soon smelled the salt air. Excitement was building and then BAM! One of the pop top campers was rocking and rolling. Both tie down points on the passenger side tore loose. Traveling became extremely slow as we continued on towards our ultimate goal. Spot W was not looking very inviting so we continued on to Spot X where we made our camp right on the sand. After a quick surf in the waist/chest high waves we were refreshed and ready to eat. A bonfire was built right on the edge of the beach with a dead century plant and everyone settled into their own places.

For the next couple of days we surfed, fished, dug clams, explored the area and ate like kings. Clam and caracole c-cktails, cabrilla tacos, langostas and steak-a true glutton?s delight. Even the coyotes patrolled the fringes late every night to clean up the offerings.

Monday around 3am the wind shifted from the south-HARD. Up before the sun we all decided that we?d best break camp and make a run for the highway before the first rain of the season made it too difficult. After listening to the Chargers beat Oakland on Sunday, we scanned the satellite radio dial and heard LA was getting pounded by rain. It was a no-brainer. The horizon was very dark to the north and visibility was getting worse as the curtain of rain could be seen only 6-7 miles away. We got about 3-4 miles into the foothills when it began to rain. BIG drops pounded the ground along with lightning and thunder. Within 10 minutes we were slipping and sliding as the road turned to muck. It took us 5 hours to finally hit Mex 1 and we were all a little relieved when we did.

Dinner was at the Old Mill in San Quintin where we had enchiladas and the combination Mexicana along with margaritas and Dos X?s. Afterward we decided we would just stay at the hotel and make our run for the border in the morning. When we did make the border, at 12:30pm, the wait was 5 cars. We never had to get out of the trucks at any of the military checkpoints and even the border agent just waived us through! A great finish to a too short, but awesome trip.


BTW, it was the first time in for only one guy---my son.

woody with a view - 10-19-2005 at 02:51 PM

junior

woody with a view - 10-19-2005 at 02:52 PM

shoes on the beach

woody with a view - 10-19-2005 at 02:53 PM

bugs

[Edited on 10-19-2005 by woody in ob]

[Edited on 10-19-2005 by woody in ob]

woody with a view - 10-19-2005 at 02:54 PM

luna

[Edited on 10-19-2005 by woody in ob]

[Edited on 10-19-2005 by woody in ob]

woody with a view - 10-19-2005 at 03:00 PM

gotta go

woody with a view - 10-19-2005 at 03:06 PM

me standing on rock, bottom right-for scale.

[Edited on 10-19-2005 by woody in ob]

TacoFeliz - 10-19-2005 at 03:11 PM

Excellent! Thanks!

Diver - 10-19-2005 at 03:38 PM

Great photos !
Thanks for sharing ! :D

woody with a view - 10-19-2005 at 03:40 PM

and...

woody with a view - 10-19-2005 at 03:41 PM

camp

bajaandy - 10-19-2005 at 04:13 PM

Too Cool. Thanks for the report and the pics. Way to keep the stoke! Spot X looks vaguely familar. Hmmmmmm.....

David K - 10-19-2005 at 04:15 PM

Excellent Woody... and even with the ceremonial yucca burn as your payment to the sacred seven sisters!:lol::yes:

Woody youve converted my Daughter!

sschaneman - 10-19-2005 at 06:11 PM

Woody I gotta tell you this little story....:lol:
I am relatively new to this forum trying to find out as much as I can about Baja and our impending relocation back into Sanity. (We are retiring to hopefully Mulege in the near future)
Lately I read through gleaming what I can from the knowledge and experiences of others.. All the while my lovely 17 yoa daughter has been majorly picking on her mom...with her wise arse comments that I'm going to get my brain baked down there, that camping is not a vacation, Paris is a vacation, Baja is dirty, too dusty, to many bugs, no electricity for the curling iron, no TV, no rodeo drive, blah blah blah.. you get the picture. (she is kinda the princess type)

So I'm reading through your post....what seemed to me to be straight out of my fantasy beach boys video,....
(a strange but reoccuring dream from my youth) and miss all that is vaugely lurking over my shoulder when I scroll down through the pics posted....Suddenly she had a whole new appreciation for camping, Baja and our pending travel plans to Baja :saint: Finally it dawned on me her intrest wasnt purely in the outdoors...I was so cracking up...Tell your son thanks to him we may actually get our teenager to join us off roading sometime....right after they build a day spa in the middle of baja:lol:

But anyway thanks for the chuckle and great picks those clawed critters look amazing! Can not wait to get down there!

woody with a view - 10-19-2005 at 06:33 PM

Quote:

right after they build a day spa in the middle of baja:lol:



just bring an inflatable pool, set in the baking sun,fill with water and point her at it.;D

glad to know we played a part in two young ladies' fantasies.:saint:

[Edited on 10-20-2005 by woody in ob]

woody with a view - 10-20-2005 at 09:36 AM

first bloom

woody with a view - 10-20-2005 at 09:38 AM

clam c-cktails anyone?

Woody------Great story and pics------

Barry A. - 10-20-2005 at 09:55 AM

Really well written, and sure brings back some good memories from WAY back, and more recently, too.

Thanks for making my day.

Cincodemayo - 10-20-2005 at 10:12 AM

Yeah Baja is looking better and better...we're suppose to fly out Friday night for the Bahamas with Wilma bearing down on Florida but can't get the airlines or hotel to commit to a cancellation...what to do???:O:O

Awesome trip report!!

eetdrt88 - 10-20-2005 at 03:13 PM

pics of family and friends down in remote spots in Baja always get me stoked...hopefully be down soon getting some of my own;)

bajajudy - 10-20-2005 at 04:34 PM

Whoa
You guys did it right!...
I really want to hit the road now...the sooner, the better
Thanks Woody

Bajalero - 10-20-2005 at 06:54 PM

Your killin me Woody. I already had a bad case of the gotta get down there and now you've made it worse.

The shrine you refer to the virgin?

Lero

woody with a view - 10-20-2005 at 06:59 PM

the shrine is for the virgin. we left offerings to neptune as well!:P

Bajalero - 10-20-2005 at 07:07 PM

Woody , about 10 years ago I took a screaming ride on my banshee out of rcho st. inez over to the coast and vowed to return and actually stay for more that 5 minutes. What do you think of going in w a 1ton pickup w camper ?

Thanks

Lero

Tomas Tierra - 10-24-2005 at 05:34 PM

OK Woody... great report!! If you don't mind divulging, how was the early season sand buildup at spot x... was it out past the first finger of rocks??

If you do mind I totally understand.. I need to go see for myself anyway..

bajaandy - 10-25-2005 at 09:49 AM

Sheesh Woody! NOW look what you've done! Every cardon hugging lunatic and his friends are gonna' want to go down there. (Tongue firmly in cheek here folks.... don't want anybody to get their panties in a wad!)
Bajalero, your one ton should do nicely, but the camper is a maybe. There are some rough spots in the road, off camber and rutted, just waiting to launch your cab over over your cab, if you know what I mean. Slow and easy would be the key.
Once again, well done on the report and the photos Woody. "Good on 'ya, mate!"

[Edited on 10-26-2005 by bajaandy]

Hey Woody...what about the mechanical prob.

vgabndo - 10-25-2005 at 07:10 PM

What kind of tie downs failed and how did you fix it? I've got to put new stuff on my new truck for my 1700 lb. Lance eight footer. Thanks...

Spyderman - 10-26-2005 at 05:25 AM

great photos

Tomas Tierra - 10-26-2005 at 08:41 AM

I much prefer to hug the cirrios:lol:

Bajaboy - 10-26-2005 at 09:18 AM

Hey Woody-

I almost left for Baja yesterday but figured I couldn't leave the wife two weeks in a row...after reading your report I wish I had...maybe next week. Thanks for sharing the adventures.

Zac

woody with a view - 10-26-2005 at 04:44 PM

Quote:

What kind of tie downs failed and how did you fix it?


the attach points on the pop top where the turnbukle connects. both on the passenger side ripped right out of the camper. we found one of the turnbukles and had to limp about 10 miles into camp where we substituted a short peice of chain for the other. that was after honing two pieces out of our 4x4 pieces of firewood. the pieces of wood went inside the cabinets and were attached thru the exterior with 4" bolts we luckily had. oh yeah, we didn't have a drill, so many attempts were made with a hammer and phillips screwdriver to bore holes without splitting the wood.

adapt, improvise, and overcome!

[Edited on 10-26-2005 by woody in ob]