BajaNomad

DIRTDOGS THANKGIVING DAYS 1-2

DEVEAU - 12-13-2005 at 05:05 PM

The Dirtdogs 2006 Thanksgiving ride, Thanks to Casey and Bill Nicols

Six of left Santa Rosa at 6:00 PM on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving for our annual Baja ride, as a group we have been doing it since 1982. Taking turns driving the motorhome we arrived in Tecate at about 7:00 AM on Thursday morning. Casey aka ?the Lizard Lady? had given us the GPS routes for a couple that will be in her new edition and we were to test them for her, if we could follow them anyone can.

We wanted to ride over the Summit (I always called it ?the Grade?) following this years B1K course into San Felipe so we took a direct route to the Sawmill. We did stop for gas and a beer at Romona?s before dropping down into Independencia. There we could not get enough gas on the highway so we had to ride around until we found a guy in the northwest end of town with fuel. We were all packing 2 extra gallons on our hip. The route over the Summit was pretty hacked-up from the race but not that difficult, just long. We ran out of daylight as we approached Laguna Salada. Every one had decent lights but is kind of spooky hitting the silt beds in the dark. We popped out onto the pavement North of La Ventana and took the pavement South to San Felipe. It was Ed?s first Thanksgiving ride with us and he said the beer at La Ventana was the best he ever had. (The one in Catavina was going to be even better).

It was quiet in San Felipe Thursday night so we did not stay out too late. Last year we had hoped to ride over Bill Nicols trail from Puertecitos to Catavina but had played too long on the beaches and then could not find fuel in Puertecitos and had to bail-out and go back to San Felipe. This year I told everyone we needed to get an early start and pack lots of gas right from San Felipe. Our early start was shot to hell when Lago?s fork cap breather blew-out and we had to get it welded that morning. We finally got on the trail and arrived in Puertecitos about 11:00 AM, it was hot and we needed a ?cool? beer before hitting the real trail.

My GPS mount had broken so I had it in a bag on my headlight mount and could not ride and follow it so it took us a while to find the start of the trail about 8 miles south of town. It starts out on a good 2-track but that deteriorates to a hard to follow single-track. After a short but technical climb out of the wash the trail becomes miles of rocks with one painted white every so often as a guide. Again it was not that difficult a ride except it went for miles and miles and wore us out. Without the GPS route we never would have been able to follow the route across. When we could not find the next white rock I would pull out the GPS and get a bearing to the next waypoint and that would get us back on track. The drop down into the wash on the west side was pretty impressive! I have never met Bill Nicols but if I do I owe the ?ROCKSTAR? more than one cold beer. We made a wrong turn in the sandwash heading SouthWest but follow it for a few miles because it was so fun and seemed to be heading the right direction. Then we got smart and estimated our daylight and available fuel and decided we had better follow the GPS and get to Catavina. We were on 2-track roads northeast of El Marmol when it got dark but we knew if we kept working west we would hit the Highway. Got into La Pinta about 7:30 and got the last 2 rooms, don?t know where everyone came from? Ed said that first BEER was now the best he ever had.

Great report------------!!!!!!

Barry A. - 12-13-2005 at 05:14 PM

Thanks for the great report, and you guys can really be proud of yourselves----------that is a MAJOR crossover trip, and not too long ago I did not even know that it was possible. GPS's are amazing, and are changing the way we explore Baja, that is for sure.

Congrats, and thanks for posting.

TMW - 12-13-2005 at 06:18 PM

Great report. Thanks for sharing it.

When you went up the summit did you follow the 1000 course in the wash to start or did you take the road on the side of the mountain?

Where did you come out on the hwy at to get to Catavina?

David K - 12-13-2005 at 07:22 PM

Corky, are you reading this???

I know Kacey Smith is working hard on getting her second edition out... But this preview of one of the rides is awesome.

The long sought mysterious route from the gulf road to Hwy. 1 is found...alas only for motorcycles!

DEVEAU - 12-14-2005 at 09:33 AM

I knew it's really "Kasey Smith", was working on this while at work and brain faded! http://www.bajagpsguide.com/

If it's slow today I'll post days 3-4-5. Day 3 was probably the best, another Bill Nicols trail North and West of Catavina, awesome single-track section.

David K - 12-14-2005 at 09:35 AM

Since you are on a roll DEVEAU, do you know anything about Bill Nichols' trail from Hwy. 1 to L.A. Bay that uses none of the paved road?

Thanks a bunch for your report! Great meeting you at Baja Cactus, too!

DEVEAU - 12-14-2005 at 09:48 AM

I have heard about it but have no other knowledge, Kasey may be putting it volume #2.

DEVEAU - 12-14-2005 at 11:01 AM

When you went up the summit did you follow the 1000 course in the wash to start or did you take the road on the side of the mountain?

I expected to follow the wash as we were following the Score markers but it seemed like we were always on the road, quite a few gates.

Where did you come out on the hwy at to get to Catavina?

Just North of the main road to El Marmol. It was dark and we had stopped using the GPS and just kept working west till we hit pavement. I think we could have gone through la Virgin, the group was tired and thirsty.

TMW - 12-14-2005 at 06:26 PM

Thanks

David K - 12-14-2005 at 10:15 PM

TW... are you getting ready for the Bill Nichol's trail???:biggrin::light::wow:

TMW - 12-15-2005 at 08:24 AM

I've thought about it and maybe sometime Corky or Bajaboundmoto will lead me thru there. I know BB has been over it many times and I believe Corky may have worked with Bill at times to find the trail.

David K - 12-16-2005 at 06:50 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by DEVEAU
The Dirtdogs 2006 Thanksgiving ride, Thanks to Casey and Bill Nicols

Six of left Santa Rosa at 6:00 PM on the Wednesday before Thanksgiving for our annual Baja ride, as a group we have been doing it since 1982. Taking turns driving the motorhome we arrived in Tecate at about 7:00 AM on Thursday morning. Casey aka ?the Lizard Lady? had given us the GPS routes for a couple that will be in her new edition and we were to test them for her, if we could follow them anyone can.

We wanted to ride over the Summit (I always called it ?the Grade?) following this years B1K course into San Felipe so we took a direct route to the Sawmill. We did stop for gas and a beer at Romona?s before dropping down into Independencia. There we could not get enough gas on the highway so we had to ride around until we found a guy in the northwest end of town with fuel. We were all packing 2 extra gallons on our hip. The route over the Summit was pretty hacked-up from the race but not that difficult, just long. We ran out of daylight as we approached Laguna Salada. Every one had decent lights but is kind of spooky hitting the silt beds in the dark. We popped out onto the pavement North of La Ventana and took the pavement South to San Felipe. It was Ed?s first Thanksgiving ride with us and he said the beer at La Ventana was the best he ever had. (The one in Catavina was going to be even better).

It was quiet in San Felipe Thursday night so we did not stay out too late. Last year we had hoped to ride over Bill Nicols trail from Puertecitos to Catavina but had played too long on the beaches and then could not find fuel in Puertecitos and had to bail-out and go back to San Felipe. This year I told everyone we needed to get an early start and pack lots of gas right from San Felipe. Our early start was shot to hell when Lago?s fork cap breather blew-out and we had to get it welded that morning. We finally got on the trail and arrived in Puertecitos about 11:00 AM, it was hot and we needed a ?cool? beer before hitting the real trail.

My GPS mount had broken so I had it in a bag on my headlight mount and could not ride and follow it so it took us a while to find the start of the trail about 8 miles south of town. It starts out on a good 2-track but that deteriorates to a hard to follow single-track. After a short but technical climb out of the wash the trail becomes miles of rocks with one painted white every so often as a guide. Again it was not that difficult a ride except it went for miles and miles and wore us out. Without the GPS route we never would have been able to follow the route across. When we could not find the next white rock I would pull out the GPS and get a bearing to the next waypoint and that would get us back on track. The drop down into the wash on the west side was pretty impressive! I have never met Bill Nicols but if I do I owe the ?ROCKSTAR? more than one cold beer. We made a wrong turn in the sandwash heading SouthWest but follow it for a few miles because it was so fun and seemed to be heading the right direction. Then we got smart and estimated our daylight and available fuel and decided we had better follow the GPS and get to Catavina. We were on 2-track roads northeast of El Marmol when it got dark but we knew if we kept working west we would hit the Highway. Got into La Pinta about 7:30 and got the last 2 rooms, don?t know where everyone came from? Ed said that first BEER was now the best he ever had.


DEVEAU,
I am interested in this line:

"We were on 2-track roads northeast of El Marmol when it got dark but we knew if we kept working west we would hit the Highway."

Do you know if you were on the El Volvan road, which goes 4 miles northeast... and continus many more miles to La Olividada mine? A fork 2 miles from the onyx schoolhouse heads north, northwest and is not on any map... well, on mine as I took it by accident then off it when I turned down a canyon where it ended in 2 miles.


Thank you!!

[Edited on 12-17-2005 by David K]

Corky1 - 12-18-2005 at 02:35 PM

David,
They were north and west of Marmol when they came out of the wash and got on the roads and headed south.

Corky