EL ROSARIO TRIP REPORT BETWEEN OCTOBER 10, 2008 AND OCTOBER 20, 2008.

On October 16, 2008 Mama Espinoza "Anita Grosso Pena Espinoza" turned 101 years old. Mama's birthday was actually celebrated on October 18, 2008 at her home in El Rosario Baja California to accommodate people coming to celebrate with her.

While Mama was being interviewed by a newspaper reporter she kept pointing at me saying you should be interviewing him about his story. Of course he ignored her. Thank God.


Mama, Queen of the fiesta.


Mama cutting her birthday cake with a little help from a friend.


Daughter Rolli and Mama.

The masses dined on 300 tamales made by Hortencia, Mama's caretaker; Barbacoa de Res (Barbequed Beef) cooked by Eduardo and Argelia from a steer killed on the Ranch of Eugenio, Mama Espinoza’s, son who owns Rancho La Victoria southeast of El Rosario; Rice and Beans made by the kitchen staff and lots of flour and corn tortillas. That's Argelia with the ladle in her hand. Eduardo is not pictured.
NOTE: The man in the cowboy hat is Paco. Mama raised him from the time he was 10 until he was 17. He is now 34.


Oscar, Rolli's husband.


Hortencia preparing to make 300 tamales.


Local Christian Pastor giving a sermon before the festivities.


Cousin Hector Espinoza from the Ejido Office, my Brother Eugenio Espinoza the Ranchero, and Dr. Benjamin. Dr. Benjamin was the doctor in El Rosario some 40 years ago.


Delivering bulldozer blade to Rancho La Victoria.


Eugenio's Rancho La Victoria named in honor of his deceased wife, Victoria.




An Antique Car Rally from Tijuana showed up at Mama Espinoza’s Restaurant.


Guess what? Mama is older that their oldest vehicle. This Ford Pickup.


Sany, me and Mario. Sany and Mario are Mama's sons.


Left to Right. Cousin Hector Me my brother Santiago Espinoza, head of the Ejido Reforma Agraria Integral and other Ejido members. The office is located in El Rosario across from Mama Espinoza's Restaurant.


Me, Sany and his wife Lili went to a mine called Mina La Olvidada.

Moon over Mina La Olvidada.


One of the many Valleys on way to La Olvidada


Lots of these Elephant Trees in some of the valleys we went through.


This picture was taken just after Sany was almost killed. Sany was on an incline and had just engaged the front hub locks of his four-wheel drive pickup. As Sany was getting back into his vehicle it jumped the rock he had blocked a truck tire with and the vehicle started backwards down the hill at a high rate of speed. Sany’s door knocked him to the ground and he was almost dragged underneath the truck. Thankfully though, Lili, who was the passenger yanked the wheel to the left which caused the front of the truck to swing wide to the right completely missing Sany. That said, Sany was a little beat up. Lili had the ride of her life going backwards at a high rate of speed but was stopped by an Elephant tree. Thank goodness for them sturdy trees. You can see Sany’s arm is banged up. So was his left knee. He elected to keep going. Sany is one tough Ranchero.


Sany fixing his battery after the ordeal. See his banged up arm. Lili is looking as though nothing happened. She is one tough Ranchera Woman. I lived with Sany and Lili when I was 14 years old in Rancho El Metate in San Juan De Dios. Great memories.


Better view of his injury. It bled a lot, but with pressure, it finally stopped. It does not look to bad here but it really bled.


First of two deer seen on way to Mina La Olvidada. Can you see her?


Second deer.


Sany starting fire and Lili is making coffee. We left El Rosario at 5:00 A.M. This is the end of line here as the road is washed away. A long walk from here to Mina La Olvidada.


View from peak behind the mine sign. Looking South East to the Gulf of California. The Gulf is about 12 miles away from here.


Another view.


After a long...long...long walk you find the mine. Mina La Olvidada.


Close-up. Mina La Olvidada Entrance.


Lili and Sany standing at wooden door of the mine entrance.


Me and Sany standing at the wooden door of the mine entrance. NOTE: The mine went back about 75 feet. All that was inside were old metal pipes and a few rats’ nests.


Close up of poster we put up using duct tape so we would not damage the wood. The poster depicts the date, our names, my cell phone number, my Baja Nomad screen name "Elinvesti8" and the name of the Baja Nomad site. I forgot the Baja Nomad sticker I bought at Baja Cactus in the truck. Let's see who makes it down there and calls my cell phone.


View to Gulf of California after walking up hill from the mine. The Gulf is about 7 miles away.


The walk back to the vehicles. It was a b-tch! Up and down we went.


After what seemed like a forever walk we can just barely make out where we parked the trucks.


Finally getting the heck out of dodge.


A couple of items found along the way.




End of Report

Edited to reflect Mama is 101 not 102 as previously reported. Sorry Mama...I love you...

[Edited on 11-2-2008 by ELINVESTI8]

Cool country with a lot of variety in the terrain!

El Marmol and El Volcan, both passed on the way to La Olvidada: http://vivabaja.com/marmol

Go out and EXPLORE!!!



Note that the topo maps have mis-named Arroyo El Volcan as 'Arroyo Zamora' and the next arroyo to the south is mis-labled 'El Volcan'...

When I posted this report map in 2006, there was a military checkpoint near the El Marmol junction... It has since closed.



[Edited on 3-4-2011 by David K]

Thanks Ron.

Thanks David K for the additional information. We did pass close by El Volcan but did not see anything resembling water in the area. It must be dry now. There were sure some treacherous parts of the road to the mine. That said it was a beautiful experience to see the landscape and the deer. I’m told there are sheep in that area but we did not see any. I will go again and explore other trails and spend the night under the stars when it’s cooler.

Bajalera, Mama was under the weather with a mild case of the flu but she had a great time.

Here are some photographs depicting some graves above the hill near the onyx school house. One is that of Senora Manuela Lieras, who died during 1928. The other two graves are those of what appear to be brother and sister babies Jesus Villa and Maria Villa. No dates.

A quarter mile after the La Olividada road crosses Arroyo El Volcan, it passes this white slope... on the right... there are several tiny springs of onyx water creating the white color...




2006... see more of El Volcan at http://vivabaja.com/marmol




2003, looking towards the road and Arroyo El Volcan, in the distance




1999, as seen from the Olividada road

The Onyx dome is in Arroyo El Volcan, 0.4 miles up the wash (to the right from the road, 4.0 miles from El Marmol)... This is the cold water geyser (soda spring) that erupts monthly for several minutes a 60 foot plume. This is the 'volcano' that gives the arroyo its name, El Volcan.