ANOTHER WHERE IS THIS

As promised, here's another one.
I will sweeten the pot on this, not just for bragging rights to your Baja knowledge.
Anyone with a correct U2U answer will get a ride in GSB, which means you will have to connect with me somewhere in Baja, which may or may not be any kind of gift.

I'll post who has guessed correctly.

[Edited on 2-22-2008 by Gadget]

There is no way!!! If you don't want a ride just say so

YES!!! There really are places in Baja I have NOT been to!!!

In fact, there is more Baja that I haven't seen than I have seen... So much Baja, so little time!

I know where it isn't....

...I was on a business trip back in the mid-70's to Northern Sumatra in Indonesia - you thought Baja was 'remote'...!

The Government had an ongoing rural road 'paving' program that gave the locals some spending money for their labor.

After collecting a load of river stones, a truck would dump a pile of rocks every so often along the dirt track. They would also toss off several barrels of tar along side.

It was the locals job to sort through the rock pile and 'grade' the stones by length. Starting in the middle of the road, they would stand the taller rocks on end and use diminishing length stones along side toward the side of the road to effectively make a built in 'crown' to the road.

After a flock of stones were placed, they would heat up a tar barrel with some scrub brush and pour it onto and around the stones to keep them in place!

They would only place stones on one half of the road at a time so traffic could roll by on the unfinished part without messing up the 'new' paving...

It made one heck of a 'stout' roadway, but took years and years to complete! Hey, I'm sure the Great Wall of China took a few years to complete, too!

Got to see lots of 'wild' critters on that trip, but that's a story for another time...

Frank, wouldn't 'east of' put you in the bay?

But with that hint, it must be another mine roadbed since there are several mines in the area, verdad?

Quote:

Originally posted by Mexray ...I was on a business trip back in the mid-70's to Northern Sumatra in Indonesia - you thought Baja was 'remote'...! The Government had an ongoing rural road 'paving' program that gave the locals some spending money for their labor. After collecting a load of river stones, a truck would dump a pile of rocks every so often along the dirt track. They would also toss off several barrels of tar along side. It was the locals job to sort through the rock pile and 'grade' the stones by length. Starting in the middle of the road, they would stand the taller rocks on end and use diminishing length stones along side toward the side of the road to effectively make a built in 'crown' to the road. After a flock of stones were placed, they would heat up a tar barrel with some scrub brush and pour it onto and around the stones to keep them in place! They would only place stones on one half of the road at a time so traffic could roll by on the unfinished part without messing up the 'new' paving... It made one heck of a 'stout' roadway, but took years and years to complete! Hey, I'm sure the Great Wall of China took a few years to complete, too! Got to see lots of 'wild' critters on that trip, but that's a story for another time...

The answer is....

Santa Marta mine. Operated about 100 years ago, mainly gold, some silver.

Here are some more photos of our 5 hour, there and back, hike to around 1500 feet elevation. The trail is the old pack mule trail that is washed out, rutted and unmaintained for decades. Switch backs most of the way, rocky trail with awesome views.

This is the cable car line down the face of the mountain. You can see it with binocks or telescope from probably Roger Mears place south along the bay shore.

[Edited on 2-28-2008 by Gadget]

Top of cable car line looking down. The ore cars ran on tracks and were controlled by a cable.



[Edited on 2-28-2008 by Gadget]

Looking across the wall at begining of thread, to the water

[Edited on 2-28-2008 by Gadget]

The railbed at top of climb at its western end at the canyon dropoff.

[Edited on 2-28-2008 by Gadget]

The notch, a little off center on distant ridge is where the cable with the ore cars is reported to have come from the mine operation to the point where this photo is taken. The human effort to have built this operation so long ago starts to become a staggering thought.

[Edited on 2-28-2008 by Gadget]

The canyon below looking west that the ore car cable crosses.

Heh Ken, Looks like some awesome rock crawling down there for the Jeeps guys!

[Edited on 2-28-2008 by Gadget]

Top of climb looking toward the Bahia

[Edited on 2-28-2008 by Gadget]

Looking to the south east

[Edited on 2-28-2008 by Gadget]

So it was Santa Marta...

Fantastic photos Gadget! It would have been great to see the thing in operation! However, until time travel is perfected, it will be the photos of these Baja sites to give us a look back!