BajaNomad - San Felipe to Gonzaga road report

San Felipe to Gonzaga road report

Edguero - 9-13-2006 at 08:39 AM

Just returned from Punta Final and am happy to say the road south into Puertecitos is a 50-55 mph run until Los Olivos where the new pavement currently is, after that it is gravel with asphalt being laid daily, and I don't mean "skinned over" it is 3-4 inches thick. There is only about a mile or so of potholes left.
The road to Gonzaga is probably the worst I've seen in 10 years same old washboard but lots and lots of wash outs and boulder and rock obstacles.
I was told there were 2 days of rain 3-5 inches per day depending where you were, needed 4 wheel drive twice to get through some sand and steep uphills out of the rivers beds the rain created.
I hope they never pave that road, the trip down is half the fun of being there.

Fatboy - 9-13-2006 at 07:23 PM

Thank You-Going down in 8 days and it is nice to know...

The Wonderer - 9-15-2006 at 03:42 PM

Fatboy

Please report on the road when you get back, as i am heading south in a month.

Thanks. :spingrin:

Ken Cooke - 9-17-2006 at 02:28 PM

I'm heading down in 8 weeks, and will be watching this tread as well. Thanks Fatboy!

bajaden - 9-18-2006 at 04:09 PM

I'm heading down around the 17th of oct and going thru Gonzaga bay. Wondering how the road is thru there now. Going down to Mulege to pick up the pieces, so Gonzaga is my mini relax part before the work. Would appreciate any info on conditions. TKX....

Just drove the route today !!

beercan - 9-27-2006 at 09:06 PM

The new pavement is within 8 miles north of Puertecitos.

They are working on it daily and should have it paved within 2 miles of Puertecitos by November 1 .
There was about four(4) miles of potholes as of this date !!!!!!!!!!!!

The Wonderer - 9-28-2006 at 09:23 AM

Beercan

How about below Puertecitos? Edguero had stated 4WD was necessary in several spots. Is that true?

??????? Didn't drive past Puertecitos .

beercan - 9-28-2006 at 02:08 PM

I did see many vehicles go past , so the road must be passable. Not all were 4-wheel drives either.

I will drive to Punta Bufeo around the 16th and can report then .

The Wonderer - 9-28-2006 at 03:56 PM

Beercan

I'll be heading down on the 12th for a quick trip, so I'll wave as I head north on the 16th :spingrin:

bajaden - 10-1-2006 at 11:24 PM

I'll be right behind you Wonderer. We'll be in SF on the night of the 13th if all goes well and head for Gonzaga the next morning. Grade the road a little for me.

The Wonderer - 10-2-2006 at 01:49 PM

Bajaden:

I'll tell you what. I'll move some of the smaller rocks if you get the big ones! :lol:

COOTER - 10-6-2006 at 09:01 PM

Last time I went on that road the worst part was the half worn out pavement and half dirt part. I'm going to be on that road the 25th. I hope its rough, cause I will be on a dirt bike.

COOTER

The Wonderer - 10-17-2006 at 02:16 PM

Edguero got it right.

Just got back from Punta Buefo yesterday. The road is beat up. It will probably not get too much better with the 1000 coming through next month. Several sandy washes that 4wd is recommended. High clearance is a must. Go slow.

Elena La Loca - 10-18-2006 at 09:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Edguero
Just returned from Punta Final... The road to Gonzaga is probably the worst I've seen in 10 years... needed 4 wheel drive twice to get through some sand and steep uphills out of the rivers beds the rain created.

Holy COW!!! What a difference a month makes. We made that run on 10/10 and it was a piece of cake. Sure, there were some spots where you'd lose it if you were driving beyond your skill levels or your vehicle capabilities but as long as you pay attention, it's a no brainer.

BTW, CoCo needs antibiotics and bandages. His "good" leg is badly infected after he took a knife to it in an attempt to play Doctor on himself. He has nice new shirts for sale in addition to the coldest beer in "El Valle de CoCo"

tim40 - 2-8-2007 at 11:51 PM

Any updates on recent travels down to Gonzaga? How ruff is the road past the paved section?

fishinsteve - 2-9-2007 at 06:00 AM

I will be in the area of coco's in another week or so. I will bring some bandages but the antibiotics I don't have. If someone can get them to me I will deliver.

Mango - 2-9-2007 at 11:45 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by tim40
Any updates on recent travels down to Gonzaga? How ruff is the road past the paved section?

I just returned from Bahia LA about two weeks ago via Mex 5.

The roughest part of the road is between Puertocitos and Gonzaga. Nothing too hardcore if you have high clearance, leave early, drive slow, air down, have air compressor, and a spare.

I made it fine in a Subaru Forester. You don't need a monster truck. Just take it easy and keep it slow. Stick to the main road unless you have 4WD/AWD and can handle the sand tracks which can often times be smoother.

luckyboy - 5-4-2007 at 02:39 PM

thanks for the updates. Will be heading up from bahia de los angeles at the end of the month to puertecitos in a subaru legacy (not outback

) and also a 2wd toyota pickup.

David K - 5-4-2007 at 03:14 PM

Photos of that section at: http://community-2.webtv.net/boojum1/207/ also in the Nomad Trip Reports Forum

Wholly moley!

luckyboy - 5-29-2007 at 08:10 PM

Is there some kind of award for making the trip from Hwy 1 to Puertecitos in a passenger car? Man that was a crazy drive, took me about 9-10 hours to do the 70 miles or so but had some awesome beach camping. My legacy has about 2-3 inches less clearance than a forester especially loaded to the gill and with OEM shocks riding with 90K+ miles! Those back country driving skills really come in handy, couldn't afford to lower the pressure on my tires as I needed all the ride height I could get! Coco's friend Tito was manning the stand.

BAJACAT - 5-29-2007 at 09:23 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by The Wonderer
Beercan

How about below Puertecitos? Edguero had stated 4WD was necessary in several spots. Is that true?

I just came that way on monday yes the road is bad, some deep holes on the side of the road,but you can drive around them just be cautious you don't need 4wd. it helps climbing El Huerfanito so your tires don't spin but I never used 4wd.I will be posting pictures tomorrow.

BAJACAT - 5-29-2007 at 09:25 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Edguero
Just returned from Punta Final and am happy to say the road south into Puertecitos is a 50-55 mph run until Los Olivos where the new pavement currently is, after that it is gravel with asphalt being laid daily, and I don't mean "skinned over" it is 3-4 inches thick. There is only about a mile or so of potholes left.
The road to Gonzaga is probably the worst I've seen in 10 years same old washboard but lots and lots of wash outs and boulder and rock obstacles.
I was told there were 2 days of rain 3-5 inches per day depending where you were, needed 4 wheel drive twice to get through some sand and steep uphills out of the rivers beds the rain created.
I hope they never pave that road, the trip down is half the fun of being there.

I drove there from Beluga Sunday around 1:00pm I was in a red dodge Ram with a f250 ford,where did you stay in Punta Final?

DavidT - 5-29-2007 at 09:41 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by luckyboy
Is there some kind of award for making the trip from Hwy 1 to Puertecitos in a passenger car?

You could ask the four college girls from San Diego. They drove from San Felipe to Alfonsinas Thanksgiving 2002 in a Honda Accord. No maps, no GPS, no clue. All they knew is their friends were there.

Or the German couple who rode their bicycles from Seattle to La Paz and took the Puertocitos route to avoid Tijuana and Ensenada.

David K - 5-30-2007 at 07:28 AM

The condition of the road south of Puertecitos changed from pretty good in 2005 to pretty bad by winter 2006... Puertecitos to Gonzaga (50 miles) was 1.5 hrs. in July 2005 and was 3 hours in November, 2006 and again in Feb., 2007 as no repairs had been made south beyond 8 miles from Puertecitos where the mine company maintains the road for their trucks.

[Edited on 7-7-2007 by David K]

207 045r.JPG - 37kB

Edguero - 5-31-2007 at 06:39 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BAJACAT

Quote:

I drove there from Beluga Sunday around 1:00pm I was in a red dodge Ram with a f250 ford,where did you stay in Punta Final?

That trip was Sept. of last year. I have a house in Punta Final.

BAJACAT - 6-24-2007 at 07:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Edguero

Quote:

Originally posted by BAJACAT

Quote:

I drove there from Beluga Sunday around 1:00pm I was in a red dodge Ram with a f250 ford,where did you stay in Punta Final?

That trip was Sept. of last year. I have a house in Punta Final.

Haaa , No wonder I didn't see you and even if I did I wouldn't known it was you(we haven't meet yet)..JAJAJA..

rockman - 7-6-2007 at 06:56 PM

21 June, 2007 trip from Hiway 1 thru Gonzaga to San Felipe:
The road from Puertecitos to San Felipe is now completely paved.
The road from Puertocitos to Bahia Gonzaga (called by some locals "carretera de gobernador" because the governor pays no attention to it) is very rough, but can be driven with 2WD. From Gonzaga to Hwy 1, lots of washboard, but much of this can be avoided be lowering tire pressure and using the satellite trails. The side road to Punta Final is in good shape.
Regarding Coco: I'm not a physician, but I do know that his leg problems are the long-term result of diabetes. I would check with a doctor before risking unprescribed antibiotics, some of which could cause allergic reactions.

Ken Cooke - 8-11-2007 at 11:04 PM

We'll have 20 Jeeps going down this stretch of road in November. I will have a full road report to follow!! :bounce:

Edguero - 8-24-2007 at 03:17 PM

Just got back yesterday, drove the loop from Chapala to Puertocitos with a 1 week stop in Punta Final, came down Hwy 1 because my Jeep was loaded pretty heavy, dirt road from the pavement to Gonzaga is the same as its been for years. Coco seems to be in good spirits. From Gonzaga to Puertocitos the road is the same, rough, rocky and washboarded but the veiws are still awesome, pretty uneventful road trip my Jeep is works good on this road. The road to San Felipe is finished just watch out for the unmarked vados, they will get your attention. Lunch at Rice & Beans.
We got in the border line at 3:15 left the booth at 3:21, a new record for me.

ikestr - 8-26-2007 at 06:36 PM

Edguero, thanks for the info.

Would you say the road from HWY 1 to gonzaga is better/worse/same as from gonzaga to puertocitos?

The last 3 years ive gone to gonzaga via puertocitos and it has killed my cherokee, most recently over 4th of july. Im thinking about going down HWY 1 in October.

You think its in better condition?

thanks,
ikestr

Roberto - 8-26-2007 at 07:41 PM

Road from Gonzaga to Chapala (Hwy 1) is virtually always better than the road from Puertecitos to Gonzaga. It's just the nature of the terrain.

So, if smoother is what you're looking for, Chapala to Gonzaga is the ticket. But, you'll miss the ... oh, never mind. :lol:

Edguero - 8-27-2007 at 08:07 AM

Roberto is correct, Hwy 1 to Gonzaga is a better road. It is also a shorter dirt road distance being about 35 miles if I remember right.
Have you got your Cherokee setup for the baja dirt roads?
I leased a new Cherokee in '96 and put alot of Baja miles on it, I liked it so much I traded up to a Grand Cherokee in '99 and I'm still driving it, I've had the usual tire and shock problems but have never been broke down and the dirt ride is very comfortable. It has 125K on it, 25-30% baja miles and still no squeeks or rattles.
Top quality shocks and tires are a must and bring spares of each.

TMW - 8-30-2007 at 06:16 PM

This was on the San Felipe web site.

New federal highway projects will benefit San Felipe

A list of the new federal priorities for highway construction has been released and there is significant news for the San Felipe region. The first good news is that the road from Puertecitos to Laguna Chapala is to be funded in 2008 and work complete in 2010. This continuation of the two lane road south from San Felipe will be 7 meters wide and have a total length of 110 km. Total estimated cost will be 600 million pesos (approx. $60 million dollars). This will mean that it will be possible to drive from San Felipe and connect up with the main peninsular highway (Route 1) south to La Paz and Los Cabos. We will no longer be the end of the road!

The completion of the 150 km 4 lane divided highway, 12 meters wide, from Mexicali to San Felipe will be funded to start in 2009 and will be completed in 2012 at a total cost of 1100 million pesos (approx. $110 million dollars). More infrastructure developments can be found here.

Bwana_John - 10-17-2007 at 08:59 AM

Im going to miss the atmosphere at Gonzaga Bay after the road gets paved, and it looks like it might be this time.