David K - 6-1-2007 at 05:56 PM
Continued from Part 4 at: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=24902
Roy and I hiked down the arroyo and found the left turn that heads up to the bulldozed grade (hidden by plants)... Perhaps 1000' feet or so up the
road from the arroyo is where the Franciscan El Camino Real from the desert near Gonzaga Bay meets the road.
I had a waypoint for this spot from another Nomad who hiked the entire trail from the Gonzaga side to the mission, but I didn't find it there... So, I
began to climb up the hillside and found it!
It comes down the hill via a series of short switch backs... amazing!
[Edited on 6-2-2007 by David K]
David K - 6-1-2007 at 05:57 PM
The view of the bulldozed road from the Camino Real...
David K - 6-1-2007 at 06:00 PM
I marked the place where the Camino Real meets the auto road from Mision Santa Maria with a couple rock piles...
GPS: 29-43.126', 114-31.753' (NAD27 Mexico) elev. 1,413'
David K - 6-1-2007 at 06:03 PM
While I was playing on the mission trail, Roy walked down to the palms and we eneded up hiking towards the canyon that empties to Gonzaga Bay.
This place we took a break, and this very friendly lizard hopped on Roy's hand then it came over to let me take a close up of it!
David K - 6-1-2007 at 06:04 PM
The close up was blurred, but here is another...
David K - 6-1-2007 at 06:06 PM
Photo from Roy's camera of a cardon along Arroyo Santa Maria...
David K - 6-1-2007 at 06:09 PM
Back at our oasis campsite... What a great day... Bighorn in the morning, the El Camino Real in the afternoon... what more could a crazy Baja nut
want???!!!
The final part will be the Widowmaker UP and our trip back to civilization!!! STAY TUNED!!!
Great stuff again, David...Thanks...
Mexray - 6-1-2007 at 09:02 PM
...sighting those Bighorn's must have held your 'group' spellbound, I can only imagine!
If anyone's been up to the San Diego Zoo's Wild Animal Park near Escandido...you can take a rail ride around the perimeter of the park that goes by a
section of rocky boulders on a steep incline that's Mountain Sheep habitat. Even being so close, it's almost impossible to pick out the Sheep among
the rocks - and the more you stare, the more you can see - to watch them effortlessly hop up and down that cliff area is truly amazing...
Those moments are remembered always...Thanks for sharing!
amir - 6-1-2007 at 09:06 PM
Fantastico! Fabuloso! Hermoso!
I would have never been able to go there, but you transported my eyes there with your images and words. Thank you, explorers and photographers.
--Amir
DianaT - 6-1-2007 at 09:08 PM
What a wonderful experience to find that El Camino Real---dang, that is just great!!!
Diane and John
[Edited on 6-2-2007 by jdtrotter]
Trip Report
CaboRon - 6-2-2007 at 07:05 AM
Your trip report has been amazing reading!! 
Keep 'em comming. Many Thanks,
CaboRon
David K - 6-3-2007 at 10:12 AM
You are welcome... and yes, one more part coming... The Widowmaker UP! http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=24966
I will also post GPS data for the points of this trip and maybe some more of Squarecircle's photos... He not only took many good photos but sharpened
them up with Adobe photo shop... Maybe I will play with that as well?
Here is the link to Part 6: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=24966
[Edited on 6-14-2007 by David K]
David K - 6-4-2007 at 07:33 PM
Another photo of the El Camino Real at a switchback... the bulldozed road climbs the ridge in the distance...
David K - 12-4-2018 at 03:03 AM
Part 5 of 6 bump