Mision Santa Maria, May 2007 (Part 2 the Widowmaker down)

This article is continued from Part 1: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=24870

The final 4.5 miles of the road to the mission (from the peninsular divide) are the toughest... The 'Widowmaker' grade at 13.2 miles from Santa Ynez is the single largest challenge (coming back up), but not the only really bad place in this section. There are now two other very difficult drop offs before and two after the infamous Widowmaker!

In 2003, the road was pretty tough, for sure... But, in 2007 it was really 'interesting'! Please no long wheelbase rigs... only big healthy tires, 4WD low range with lockers on one or both differentials... and some good four wheeling experience!

Photo of Baja Angel and I on the Peninsular divide with Punta Final in the distance... the mission is way down in lower valley four and a half miles away...





[Edited on 6-1-2007 by David K]

Cruising along...

Off to the left, about a mile from the peninsular divide we could see Padre Junipero Serra's 'Cargo Trail' that goes directly to Bahia San Luis Gonzaga where the Franciscans established a warehouse (photo of its ruins at http://vivabaja.com/1102/page4.html ) for supplies offloaded to support Mision San Fernando Velicata and other projects.

We searched for where this trail connects with the road, but could not find that point. Baja Bucko rode a mule on it a few years ago and even placed a geocache along it!

The reduced size photo does not show the trail as it does at full size...



[Edited on 6-14-2007 by David K]

Palms ahead!

Road is on granite in many places...

Squarecircle is dropping down a steep pitch where we had to move some rocks... note to self: next time bring gloves!

Squarecircle is the first to go down the Widowmaker... It's coming back up that will test you!

I walk ahead to photo the fun and direct tire placement..

Piece o' cake!

Squarecircle took this photo of me on that earier steep pitch...

The Tacoma is about to meet the Widowmaker! Baja Angel and I head up, to drive it down... The back of my shirt reads "Roads... we don't need no stinking roads!"

[Edited on 6-1-2007 by David K]

Piece o' cake

Not far from the bottom of the Widowmaker, the road drops into the arroyo and is usually a water filled bog... Not this time...

Beautiful palm oasis... the road climbs out of this arroyo... goes over a granite ridge and drops into the next valley which contains the mission...

Steep drop offs... I can see my truck in Roy's back window!

First sight of the mission, Santa Maria de los Angeles (1767-1775)... Many mission photos in the next part, stay tuned!!!

Part 3, the mission, begins at: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=24898





[Edited on 12-6-2018 by David K]

Ha Im going to have to pay you to take me there, but I will have to buy another truck,full size seems to be a problem on this road.thanks for everything. Dk AKA as Mr Baja...

[Edited on 6-1-2007 by BAJACAT]

[Edited on 6-1-2007 by BAJACAT]

Bajacat, Hummer Ones do it, my camper does it. No problem except for the traffic.

Neal, it's 'worser' than before!

Quote:

Originally posted by Neal Johns Bajacat, Hummer Ones do it, my camper does it. No problem except for the traffic.

One more photo from Roy's camera... the top of the Widowmaker, coming down in the Tacoma...

That is probably the only road in Baja that I would really hesitate to drive, solo.

It really is more fun to go with other, well-equiped Baja explorers... a really great feature of Baja Nomad is that is is a resource for us Baja explorers to communicate and join on trips.

It was a blast!!!

[Edited on 6-5-2007 by David K]