BajaNomad - Road Condition Scale and Seven Sisters

Road Condition Scale and Seven Sisters

surfdog - 2-21-2007 at 01:59 PM

Now that I have some experience in Baja off-road driving I was wondering if there is a scale used to measure off-road conditions. The reason I ask is that it would be very handy to know how roads compare to each other.

I just completed the road through Gonzaga from Hwy 1 to Puertecitos. The first section from Hwy 1 to Gonzaga was fairly easy and could be done without 4 wheel drive. The second section was much more demanding and required good ground clearance. It could probably be done without 4 wheel drive unless you got hung up.

Is there a scale or could we come up with one to grade the roads?

How do the roads down to the beach (seven sisters area) along the Pacific between El Rosario and Guerrero Negro compare to the road from Hwy 1 to Puertecitos? This is where we are planning our next trip. I would expect they are more sand than rocks and require 4x4 for this reason.

Thanks

David K - 2-21-2007 at 02:15 PM

Highway 1 to Puertecitos is a graded/ engineered dirt highway.. It was built in 1985 to replace the 4WD trail that was made in the late 1950's by Arturo Grosso. It was supposed to get paved, of course. The reason it is so 'bad' is that they don't maintain it... by replacing the top layer of smooth dirt after rains wash it away and regular use and Baja 1000 traffic spins away the dirt and exposed the base rock roadbed.

In Jim Hunter's excellent book Offbeat Baja c1977, he had a road classification system that was pretty cool. The road into Mision Santa Maria has some Class 10 (avoid if possible) sections... I have driven over with a smile on my face!

[Edited on 2-21-2007 by David K]

Taco de Baja - 2-21-2007 at 02:51 PM

The road to 7 sisters is also a Class 10....

4baja - 2-21-2007 at 04:06 PM

yea right taco

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surfdog - 2-21-2007 at 04:20 PM

Ok, this looks a little scary!

Are there any reasonably easy access points to good surfing beaches between El Rosario and Guerrero Negro? I have purchase Surf Maps to Baja and it doesn't mention anything this tuff.

David K - 2-21-2007 at 04:33 PM

Do you have the Baja Almanac or even the AAA Baja Map?

Get the AAA Baja map as it shows the main dirt roads in the Seven Sisiters area...

Signed access roads off Hwy. 1 for Santa Catarina/Punta Conoas, Faro San Jose, Santa Rosalillita (paved to the coast then a graded road north to Diablo and other points).

surfer jim - 2-21-2007 at 04:45 PM

If you start at the south end of the sisters area (santa rosalillita) the road is passable by "any" vehicle for the next 30 or so miles.....further north the road will be rougher and less traveled.....(haven't been there myself).....

the deal....go with 2 vehicles....start from south end and see how far you can go.....

What do you drive?

surfdog - 2-21-2007 at 04:47 PM

I do have the AAA map. I haven't been able to get my hands on an Baja Almanac yet.

Are there any good surf spots within a short drive to a decent Hotel or are they all camp only?

surfdog - 2-21-2007 at 04:50 PM

surfer jim,

Currently have a 2wd Yukon. I am looking to get a Chevy Avalanche 4x4 next year. Got to use that GM discount (my mother in law is a retiree)

baitcast - 2-21-2007 at 04:53 PM

Punta San Carlos Is south of El Rosario 30 or 40 miles as the crow flys,a wind surfing camp has been set up there also big surf at times in the year,decent road in.

The halibut and WSB fishing is first rate also.
BAITCAST

David K - 2-21-2007 at 05:01 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by surfdog
I do have the AAA map. I haven't been able to get my hands on an Baja Almanac yet.

Are there any good surf spots within a short drive to a decent Hotel or are they all camp only?

The Almanac is out of print (again) as Landon is working on a revised edition...

The AAA map will do fine. Do you see Santa Rosalillita and the road going to it from Hwy. 1, north of Rosarito?

That road is paved now and the graded road is shown going north 14.2 miles to near Punta Prieta (not the town on Hwy. 1, but the point on the coast)... A road continues north past Punta Lobos, Punta Maria and to Punta Cono. Punta Diablo is between Lobos and Maria... the little bump in the coast near the 'a' in Bahia (Bahia Maria) on the map.

David K - 2-21-2007 at 05:02 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by baitcast
Punta San Carlos Is south of El Rosario 30 or 40 miles as the crow flys,a wind surfing camp has been set up there also big surf at times in the year,decent road in.

The halibut and WSB fishing is first rate also.
BAITCAST

>>> See http://www.solosports.net the Punta San Carlos web site

[Edited on 2-22-2007 by David K]

surfdog - 2-21-2007 at 05:09 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
The AAA map will do fine. Do you see Santa Rosalillita and the road going to it from Hwy. 1, north of Rosarito?

I see it on the map. We were originally planning on hitting this road but plans change. This will be our next adventure.

Is there anywhere to stay in the area or is camping only?

Taco de Baja - 2-21-2007 at 05:14 PM

Quote:

No hotels (yet), camping only. But that is the joy of Baja. Spend all day getting there, then crack a cold one with the buddies who came along with you and enjoy the solitude with the only sounds being crashing waves.

woody with a view - 2-21-2007 at 05:15 PM

Quote:

enjoy the solitude with the only sounds being crashing waves.

and, of course, the coyotes.

Slowmad - 2-21-2007 at 06:21 PM

The guys who lost the 4Runner in the picture were run off the road and attacked with machetes. One made it to the highway after a two day hike. The other stumbled into a local rancher's house bloody and scared for his life. The vehicle was stripped to the bones within 24 hours by the meth-addled piratas two points north.
There is more sketchy behavior on that coast than anywhere else in Baja.
Especially on the roads noted by David K.

woody with a view - 2-21-2007 at 06:27 PM

Quote:

There is more sketchy behavior on that coast than anywhere else in Baja.

especially those midnight planes landing on the low tide-hard pack without lights, and the boats coming to meet them.....when you here a plane, douse your campfire, pronto :?:

woody with a view - 2-21-2007 at 06:34 PM

as to the scale......
1=pavement
5=blurred vision from the rut
10= OHMYGAWD

hope this helps

bajaandy - 2-21-2007 at 09:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Slowmad
The vehicle was stripped to the bones within 24 hours by the meth-addled piratas two points north.

Hmmmmm..... that's not quite the way I remember it. That vehicle was still there weeks after it got stranded on the beach. Yes, some of the things had been taken off of it, but as I recall only the wheels and the intake were missing. In fact, I think it was still locked when I saw it.

But keep those rumors flying!

Surfdog... I did the entire seven sisters run in two wheel drive. Yes, I have a big 4x4, but I never even locked the hubs. But that was only on one trip. The time before that I had to lock up just to get across the salt flats and back bays. Ya just never know. You want a real adventure? Go it alone and hope for the best. Otherwise, follow the advice given and go with two vehicles.

That really is a very beautiful stretch of coast... very rugged and very remote.

Oh yeah, before I forget, make sure you get permission from the Sacred Saints of the Secret Spots before you go.

And make sure you post a trip report when you get back.

Yesss

Sonora Wind - 2-21-2007 at 10:34 PM

Was the third or fourth best trip I ever took to the long and lonely land. Drove in two wheel with an 8.5 Lance Lite. Had a blast. WSB and pismos by the bucket. Then two unexpected days of rain. Due to lack of T Mobile coverage, tow trucks, and a top notch road construction crew I was unable to return to work on time. Had a blast!!! Take the Standard Emergency Precausions, and you'll do fine. :cool:

4baja - 2-22-2007 at 07:17 AM

hey baitcast, dont every remember san carlos being a good halibut spot, the water there was allways way dirty. good sea bass and corvina tho. use to be fun back in the 80s with nobody around :coolup:

4baja - 2-22-2007 at 07:21 AM

surf dog, if by yourself the farthest i would go is punta blanco from south. there are no people past there and if you get into trouble then you are in trouble. allso watch out for weather as some of the areas were you drop into the beaches can be nasty when mixed with rain.

4baja - 2-22-2007 at 07:31 AM

yes

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4baja - 2-22-2007 at 07:31 AM

2

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4baja - 2-22-2007 at 07:32 AM

3

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4baja - 2-22-2007 at 07:33 AM

4

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4baja - 2-22-2007 at 07:34 AM

5

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4baja - 2-22-2007 at 07:36 AM

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4baja - 2-22-2007 at 07:37 AM

7

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Great spot!!!!!!!!

baitcast - 2-22-2007 at 08:16 AM

4baja my first trip in there was 64 :lol:

VW bus.

Woke up the first morning to see butts busting bait in a foot of water,not little guys either,there four of us on that first trip and that first morning we must have caught 40 or 50 butts in a 100 yd stretch of beach,the bottom must have been paved with them,high tide,low tide made no difference.

The WSB would move in on a incoming and high tide,for these guys we used squid,nothing to it just chuck it out there and sit tight,a pick up and you were in bisness.one problem with that was were some huge b-rays out there, two spool jobs later we discovered what we were dealing with and went to jigs.

Went down the following year and found everything the same!!!!!!!!!!

Only two sea weed divers were there,20 miles of coast-line and 6 people!,room to stretch out to say the least.

BAITCAST

Taco de Baja - 2-22-2007 at 09:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Sonora Wind

Due to lack of T Mobile coverage, tow trucks, and a top notch road construction crew I was unable to return to work on time. Had a blast!!! Take the Standard Emergency Precausions, and you'll do fine. :cool:

Yes, be prepared for anything.

Like a major "flat" on the spare tire

And don’t forget the duct tape to help patch the 1.5" hole in the tire where you got your first flat. Plugs don't work on holes that big.....

P.S. We did make it back to work on time, barely.....