David K - 4-23-2004 at 10:09 PM
My hand drawn maps of Baja have been in discussion lately, so I thought a few of you might wish to see how my first map of the Nuevo Mazatlan area
looked...
Keep in mind I was 9 or 10, in 1967. I will add many others so you can see how my skills improved from then. Once I could drive, I went out exploring
all the dirt roads I had time to check out...
Om my 1967 map: The 'lagoon' became Bahia Santa Maria, three years later. The camp site at the end of the south coast road became 'La Roca', and the
Lenke (Lemke) shack became 'El Sahuaro'.
[Edited on 4-25-2004 by David K]
1972, age 14
David K - 4-23-2004 at 10:15 PM
Using my Honda 70 trail bike, I advanced my map. Note the new camps, each structure is shown... There are so many homes now, that would be impossible
to show them on a map!
[Edited on 4-24-2004 by David K]
April 1973, Age 15
David K - 4-23-2004 at 10:18 PM
More roads built...
Dec. 1973, Age 16
David K - 4-23-2004 at 10:22 PM
This one was pencil drawn and might be hard to see... I rode the dune buggy trail all the way to Laguna Percebu, my map had to grow! I didn't see any
tracks to Shell Island... so you see I drew it as an island!
Feb. 1978 (age 20)
David K - 4-23-2004 at 10:32 PM
Now driving a 4WD Subaru, I found the road onto Shell Island and continue to develope my map...
Apr. 1978, Bigger Area: San Felipe south 25 mi.
David K - 4-23-2004 at 10:44 PM
Now driving an economy 4WD, I expanded my map... Note the beach driving milages... a fun and common way for many to get south, if the tide was low.
[Edited on 4-24-2004 by David K]
David K - 4-24-2004 at 05:41 PM
I have a few more in my stacks of Baja maps... continue on to part two to see the maps grow and improve in accuracy with my age and observations...
Before the highway
bajalou - 4-24-2004 at 09:15 PM
Good work David - interesting to see haw the roads were before the Puertocitos highway
David K - 4-24-2004 at 11:54 PM
Thanks Lou, I am surprised how the number of new dirt roads was expanding until the new Puertecitos road was built ('82). After that, few people used
the old road and, as the highway stays close to the coast for 35+ miles, no new campo driveways going way inland are needed. The old road was more fun
to drive! A tortillaria popped up near the big water wells, and it was fun buying fresh hot tortillas as we headed for Nuevo Mazatlan.
This is great!!!!
Barry A. - 4-25-2004 at 09:39 AM
David, being a "map-nut", I find these maps absolutely fasinating!!! Thank you so much for sharing them with us. They will provide me with hours of
pleasure comparing and remembering. I am very impressed, (and humbled) with your skill in drawing these maps. Bravo!!!! Barry
David K - 4-25-2004 at 10:46 AM
Thank you Barry! My parents taking me to Baja had a profound affect on me... Because of all the facinating rock specimens I found there, I first
wanted to become a geologist. By the time I was 14, I had loved maps so much (maps of Baja) that I decided to become a cartographer (map-maker). In
fact, I was taking geography courses in college. On a field trip to Death Valley, I met a girl... that is how I got into irrigation... That's another
story!