BajaNomad - Paving the road to Paradise

Paving the road to Paradise

BajaRob - 7-31-2006 at 08:24 AM

Does anyone know the status of the road improvment south of KM 52 on the Puertecitos Hwy?

[Edited on 7-31-2006 by BajaRob]

David K - 7-31-2006 at 05:42 PM

Aren't you in Campbell River now? :cool:

If you are heading south to the other B.C. soon, Elizabeth and I will drop by for a visit as we want to get in one more Shell Island weekend while the water is bath tub temperature!

Watch for the Rattlers and Robbers !!!

beercan - 7-31-2006 at 05:59 PM

http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=18399

BajaRob - 8-1-2006 at 07:11 AM

You are correct David, we are in BC north, way north. Current outside temp is 62F and we are lovin it. We won't be back in BSM until late October and hope that you two can make it in the fall. I'm surprised at no response to the question I posed.

bajalou - 8-1-2006 at 07:33 AM

The link beercan posted is to a recent thread about the road progress.

BajaRob - 8-1-2006 at 07:51 AM

Thanks Lou and Beercan. My question was a follow up to that previous post. Just curious about the follow-through. We watched the Mexican highway workers do the new paving between KM 10 and KM 32 a few years back and furnished some cokes to them.

I'm headed down soon --

beercan - 8-3-2006 at 09:58 PM

Will give you a "real " update !!

Lou, you still in Casa ??

jerry - 8-3-2006 at 10:09 PM

are the salmon in in cambell river area yet??? my bro and 7 seven buddy were up there2 weeksago no salmon but got 13 halibit up to 93 lb be carefull one driver fell asleep and crashed killed oneguy. bro broke his shoulder and ribs another inturnal stuff and lots of bruses
just take it easy and have a safe trip

The salmon fishing

BajaRob - 8-4-2006 at 03:48 AM

has been on a steady decline in the CR area for many years. Long gone are the days of consistant limits. The west coast, however, is still very productive for salmon and buts. We now fish in Nootka Sound out of Moutcha Bay. We are headed there tomorrow for a week and should be able to fill the freezer. thanks Beercan, I will look forward to your trip report.

[Edited on 8-4-2006 by BajaRob]

bajalou - 8-4-2006 at 07:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by beercan
Will give you a "real " update !!

Lou, you still in Casa ??

Will be for another week or so -till about the 12-14th

Asphalt

Bajalero - 8-4-2006 at 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaRob
Does anyone know the status of the road improvment south of KM 52 on the Puertecitos Hwy?

[Edited on 7-31-2006 by BajaRob]

I'm propbably in a minority or perhaps the only one that feels this way but as far as I'm concerned the worst thing that ever happened to Baja is paving roads

In some sort of way I feel embarassed to be a human every time I see some lardazz in a huge motorhome with the latest big screen GPS on the dash traveling down Mex 1

Like he's going to get lost or something?: :no:

Hope the economy takes a big dive and funds dry up to postpone it another ten years.

lero

Bajalero, read the previous --thread

beercan - 8-4-2006 at 12:00 PM

I agree with you 100% ----

Slowmad - 8-4-2006 at 12:26 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bajalero

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaRob
Does anyone know the status of the road improvment south of KM 52 on the Puertecitos Hwy?

[Edited on 7-31-2006 by BajaRob]

Hope the economy takes a big dive and funds dry up to postpone it another ten years.

lero

[Edited on 8-4-2006 by Slowmad]

En La Manana

MrBillM - 8-4-2006 at 01:03 PM

The Wife, Dogs and I are going to take a recon run early tomorrow a.m. to see what progress there has been. Stay tuned.

I think that most of us feel the same about the pavement, but it's something out of our control. It's sort of like complaining about the weather. I wasn't happy when the pavement caught up with me (in Percebu), but it did so I can't get too worked up about it reaching someone else. At my age, it simply means that I'll go places more often that I have avoided in recent years. My days of off-road camping are long gone.

I'm now watching for (with dread) the impending advance of the Power Lines.

Slowmad - 8-4-2006 at 02:03 PM

Well put Mr. Bill.

Your great dog shot reminds me of my dad's idea: a lavish, oversized coffee table volume on the Dogs of Mexico.
Cover shot?
One of those classic German shepards with dachsund legs, tiger stripes, and dirt-dragging udders.

Beyond KM 52

MrBillM - 8-5-2006 at 10:59 AM

We just got back from our little run South. A finish coat of pavement exists for one mile past KM 52, a base coat of new pavement for another 0.6 miles. At that point, there is additional new pavement, but I'm not sure how far it goes. The Northbound portion has a base coat for an indeterminate distance and the Southbound portion had just been poured ayer since it was still wet and "coned off". No workmen in sight anywhere on Saturday, including nobody to direct traffic. I was hesitant to drive the wrong way down that single lane with blind curves.

Just North of KM 51, they have set up a big rock and gravel operation with lots of equipment. It looks like this is the real deal.

Slowmad-Thanks for the Dog comment. She is a cutie, but too spoiled and strong-willed at only 5 months.

Well, I will test it Monday !!

beercan - 8-5-2006 at 11:08 AM

gonetobaja - 8-5-2006 at 11:31 AM

Just got back yesterday. Big trucks and lots of loose gravel is being layed down. its still bad road but I think its days are numbered......

wornout - 8-5-2006 at 01:05 PM

One of the rumors about a year ago was a gravel quarry was going to be placed near KM 52 and that is where the gravel will come from for the paving all the way to Gonzaga.

No Longer a Rumor

MrBillM - 8-5-2006 at 05:53 PM

That's where the Quarry is.

wornout - 8-5-2006 at 08:15 PM

Looks like more quarry than is needed just to finish the road to Puertecitos.

They are doing a much superior job---

beercan - 8-5-2006 at 09:55 PM

This time over the first attempt.
I kept telling my wife that the contractor that did the first attempt at paving the road is still in some resort with two putas enjoying his "profits" !!!

They are now installing a better "base" which is required to support the asphalt. The native sand and gravel under the old stuff, wouldn't support any weight!

MrBillM

BajaRob - 8-6-2006 at 08:07 AM

Thanks for the progress report and picture. We hear so many things in Baja and it is often difficult to sort the facts from the fiction.I realize that many here are against road improvements and I respect their opinions, but after three decades of jeeping and 4 wheeling I am ready for a more comfortable ride to Gonzaga. There will always be hundreds of miles of extremely challenging trails in Baja that will never be improved. In regards to the original paving on the Puertecitos road "one" of the stories is that the work was performed by three contractors who were eventually sent to prison. The further south they paved, the thinner the asphalt was placed. According to this version the Mexican official in charge of inspecting the work overflew it and bought off the project from that vantage point.

[Edited on 8-6-2006 by BajaRob]

Corrupted Paving

MrBillM - 8-6-2006 at 10:38 AM

I have heard similar studies regarding the corrupt officials. In the version I heard, the "officials" (or contractors ?) responsible took the money and ran to San Diego where they invested it in Real estate. There is some corroboration in that version in a book (fiction) written by Joseph Wambaugh set in San Diego and Coronado. If you're familiar with Coronado, there is a group of very tall Condo buildings dominating the skyline. In the book, Wambaugh noted that the locals called them the "Taco Towers" because the finances came from embezzled money that the expatriate Mexicans brought North with them.

The "Gravel Pit" photo only covers half of the operation so it is pretty big. The next months should be interesting. Like you, I've made enough trips to Gonzaga over the original road, that I'd like to go back without beating myself and my truck to death.
Besides, unlike the original, there's nothing interesting about the existing road, it's just ROUGH.

baja829 - 8-6-2006 at 10:02 PM

The quarry's been there for more than 2 yrs. This phase of the road improvement is budgeted as far as Puerticitos this year, and Gonzaga next year. They did incredible work all summer when they went from 32 to 52, BUT -- the increase in traffic is incredible also, especially the people driving trucks pulling trailers, buggies, etc., racing like mad, and tearing up the road AGAIN! Obviously those people don't live here, just come, enjoy - mess up and tear up. It's disappointing. If anyone is pulling out of a Campo to get on this road, they must stop and look.

Bedman - 8-6-2006 at 11:50 PM

Bajaleero, Beercan, Slowmad,

" In some sort of way I feel embarrassed to be a human every time I see some lardazz in a huge motorhome with the latest big screen GPS on the dash traveling down Mex 1

Like he's going to get lost or something?"
@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

I've travelled the penninsula since 1967, never got lost. well...not too lost! I've driven all kinds of vehicles, Pick up, Fj40, 4 stroke, 2 stroke and even my (Oh, My God, he's going to say it) MOTORHOME!!

If you don't like my motorhome, don't look at it!!! I don't complain about that piece of mierda you drive!

and contrary to what you think, My AZZ isn't that big. :fire:

Lard....uh, I mean BEDMAN

[Edited on 8-7-2006 by Bedman]

Gone fishing

BajaRob - 8-7-2006 at 07:06 AM

Thanks for all the imput both pro and con. It's enlightening to have a civil discourse of differing viewpoints. Will check back in a week.

4baja - 8-7-2006 at 07:25 PM

yea steveo we know what size your donkey is an we look forward too your next margs, will be down in augest :bounce:

Bedman - 8-7-2006 at 07:55 PM

4Baja, I'll be Mixin like a Wild man trying to keep glasses filled!!!

Bedman

Bob H - 8-7-2006 at 08:47 PM

I'm glad I had the chance to go down to Gonzaga BEFORE this improvemement. What an experience that was, with my 3,500 pound cabover camper. Now I can compare the difference. Hah! It will be interesting to see what happens with development aftrewards.
Bob H

Bedman - 8-8-2006 at 12:33 AM

My last trip was in my motorhome...Yup, had a Great time, of course the road had'nt been improved then. :spingrin:

Bedman

El Camote - 8-8-2006 at 09:24 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Bob H
I'm glad I had the chance to go down to Gonzaga BEFORE this improvemement. What an experience that was, with my 3,500 pound cabover camper. Now I can compare the difference. Hah! It will be interesting to see what happens with development aftrewards.
Bob H

Hey Bob, I was wondering how it was with the camper? I'm guessing you came down from Puertecitos. How many hours, what kind of speeds and how much damage?

I'm shopping for a new suspension for my mini Toyota truck camper and want to make that run in December.

Wish I had a tow vehicle with a road grading implement attached, as in the Bedman method, but it'll just be me and the dog and she's a horrible driver. :wow:

Bob H - 8-8-2006 at 09:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by El Camote

Quote:

Hey Bob, I was wondering how it was with the camper? I'm guessing you came down from Puertecitos. How many hours, what kind of speeds and how much damage?

Hello EC.... we came in from San Felipe. It took us 6 hours of very slow driving after passing through Puertecitos. NO damage, just slow driving on very bad washboard. We camped at Papa Fernandez and it was great. That first morning there we went kayaking over the most smooth water I had ever seen. You'll make it fine, just slow going.
Bob H

Beercan

BajaRob - 8-17-2006 at 06:42 PM

Are you back? What it be like?

El Camote....

Bedman - 8-17-2006 at 07:12 PM

Daisy, parralell Barking...er Parking!! She does better in the 4 x 4.

Send yer pootch to Miss Daisy's Driving School.