BajaNomad

Cave Paintings

boe4fun - 1-26-2006 at 09:44 AM

I am going ot be taking my brother in latter Feb. for his first trip down the peninsula. After whale watching at GN I was planning to take my brother down to San Francisco de la Sierra to check out the closer cave paintings (not the mule trip one, but the closer cave [Raton?]). I understand that you can procure a local guide for the closer caves and don't have to go to SI for the permit needed for the mule trip. Is this correct, or do I still have to go to SI to register? After this, I'll take him to Santa Gertrudis where I understand they're are other pinturas, spend the night there, and then on to San Franciscito, then later up to BoLA, camping along the way at San Rafael and Las Animas and finally at Doc's Camp Gecko. Thanks again for any info. Pura Vida. Paul Boe

Cueva del Raton

John M - 1-26-2006 at 12:23 PM

Paul, that is just what we did in 2003. Drove the mile or so past the paintings to the little village of San Francisco and there procurred a guide, paying our fee. At that time there was a locked gate some distance from the acutal paintings, maybe a hundred yards or so.

Harry Crosby in The Cave Paintings of Baja California talks about paintings in reference to the Santa Gertrudis area and says they visited them "by riding back up the Arroyo de Santa Gertrudis for an hour and a half."

I'll look for other information on this area in the event no one else posts in the next day or so.

There are interesting if not spectacular paintings just a little north of Catavina as well as others not terribly far from the Bay of Los Angeles road, between Bay of L.A. and Highway 1.

Other questions?

boe4fun - 1-27-2006 at 10:43 AM

Thanks John. Yes, I was planning on visiting the paintings north of Catavina and also on the road to San Borja out of BoLA. The ones near Santa Gertrudis I'm not sure about. If they're not too far we will probably hike to them, but I'll need to get more info on how far they are from the mission and what type of terrain we'll be hiking in. Where do you suggest looking for information? Thank you again. Pura Vida. Paul Boe

I'll get back to you over the weekend

John M - 1-27-2006 at 01:36 PM

...if that's not too late.

John

Couldn't wait

John M - 1-27-2006 at 02:30 PM

....till later and since I was already looking at something similar I thought I'd go ahead and relate some of what Crosby says in Cave Paintings of Baja California, 1997 edition page 187 regarding Santa Gertrudis. First, here is a link to the least expensive copy of the later edition I could locate on-line:

http://www.alibris.com/search/detail.cfm?bid=8643686955&...

page 187:
(from Santa Gertrudis) - "The first morning he [the guide] led us on foot from his home up a steep trail to the northeast. A brisk 40 minute walk took us to a small shallow cave overlooking a minor canada about a mile north of the old mission center. Every inch of the back wall of the shelter had once been painted and repainted. The rock is soft; much of it has deteriorated and released its paint. Despite that the place fairly glows with color and the wall retains the air of a faded tapestry or Persion rug.

"Individual figures are extremely difficult to distinguish but we could make out monos and deer....It is very frestrating to report a site such as this. It is possible to say that in its prime it was a gem.

"When we found no better knowledge among other Santa Gertrudis people, we named the site, for convenience, Santa Gertrudis Norte."

So, Paul, not much to go on, and Crosby's trip was so long ago that knowledge within the Santa Gertrudis community today probably won't be so good. But....on the other hand, maybe Crosby's work has brought more visitors to the region and locals have found this or other sites to take you to.

The site I mentioned in my earlier post - the hour and a half mule ride at Santa Gertrudis - has no further description of the route.


John M.

[Edited on 1-27-2006 by John M]

La Almeja

bajajudy - 1-27-2006 at 04:47 PM

Which is bad Spanish but what they call it.
I believe that might be the one you are talking about. It is near Santa Gertrudis. We spent all one afternoon looking for it and when we finally did find it, it was too late to make the Fiesta in SG so we camped under it. It is not on the road to SG but another one which forks off to the left about 5 miles before SG. You have to look back toward the west and you will see what looks like a clam opening in the small mountain. Pretty well preserved site. I think that my husband may have a gps for it. Will post if he does.
As I type, I am remembering that we were coming back from San Francesquita(is that how you spell that!?!?!), so it would be between that road and the one to SG.

[Edited on 1-27-2006 by bajajudy]

David K - 1-27-2006 at 06:07 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajajudy
Which is bad Spanish but what they call it.
...
As I type, I am remembering that we were coming back from San Francesquita(is that how you spell that!?!?!), so it would be between that road and the one to SG.

[Edited on 1-27-2006 by bajajudy]


PUNTA SAN FRANCISQUITO (if you were asking);D

paintings near San Borja

larry - 1-29-2006 at 03:26 PM

My sons and I visited the cave paintings in the mountains behind Mision San Borja on Dec 22. We were taken there by two of the sons (Genaro and Jose Jesus) of the family that lives next to the mission. They took us in their pickup truck due to the fact that we were driving a low clearance vehicle (it is a small miracle that we made it to the mission). We reimbursed them for gas and made a small donation to the mission.

I think it would be very difficult to find those paintings without a guide---there are signs until you get closer to them---but then you have to know which way to turn each time the dirt track forks.

I don't know the last name of the family, but they are lovely people and seem to appreciate having visitors.

David K - 1-30-2006 at 09:41 AM

These many small painted caves near San Borja are called Las Tinajitas by Harry Crosby... Neal Johns showed them to me in Apr. 2001... Photos have been at http://vivabaja.com/401/page4.html

I am guessing that is where Jose's boys took you Larry? The road will add Baja pin stripes to your rig, but you can drive right to them, if you know the way!




Here is one sample... you do need to scramble up to get a close look...


Las Tinajitas

boe4fun - 1-30-2006 at 10:12 AM

Thanks for all the info! Does anyone have GPS Waypoints for the paintings at Las Tinajitas? Pura Vida. Paul Boe

David K - 1-30-2006 at 11:04 AM

Send me an email... I promissed Neal not to publish them... Email given in my web site...

larry - 1-30-2006 at 03:23 PM

David

It looks like the same place. I am going to attempt to attach a few photos I took.

Larry