BajaNomad

Guadalupe Canyon

Sonora Wind - 11-11-2008 at 03:12 PM

I saw David K's post last week and thought I need to soak in the warm water. So I asked a friend and we packed and left Saturday morning. Arrivied Arturo's about 2:30 pm. We did not make a reservation so when Arturo said El Mirador was vacant I said YES. Saturday afternoon and evening was wonderful. Sunday morning was great, BUT about 9:00am the wind began to blow. I'm not talking 10 to 20 with gusts to 30, I'm talk 30 to 40 with gusts to 60MPH. ( not fun ):(. Blew the tent down/away/apart. Found the flu stack for our fire place 100 yards east in the next camp.

The wind stopped dead at 3:30pm. We thought lets eat. Finished dished at 5:00 and the wind started again like we had been in the eye of the storm. Climed into the torn broken dirt filled tent and said " let er blow" Careful what you say when your in the presents of the God of the Mountain.

8:00pm I hear voices outside the tent. A young couple stated they had reserved this site on the net and would we move. I said, not in this wind. We came to an understanding that we would pack up first thing Monday and he and his friend could have the site. He asked if anyone was at El Sol and decided he would take Sol instead.

Packed up Monday and had a nice drive home. It took 4 hours to drive down, but 7.5 to drive home. Three and a half spent in line at the boarder.

Even with the wind I'ed do it again in a heart beat.

[Edited on 11-11-2008 by Sonora Wind]

Mexicali

Sonora Wind - 11-11-2008 at 03:21 PM

US Customs took our passports and didn't return them for 30 minutes:?:. Did we go to a condition Red while I was getin blown away???

David K - 11-11-2008 at 03:53 PM

Good attitude Jim!

In the desert, you can't predict the wind... and in that canyon it can get powerful...

Any photos?

BajaGringo - 11-11-2008 at 05:12 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Sonora Wind
US Customs took our passports and didn't return them for 30 minutes:?:. Did we go to a condition Red while I was getin blown away???


They never explained why???

bigboy - 11-11-2008 at 05:38 PM

So..........what time and where did you cross into the US.

To Answer the Questions

Sonora Wind - 11-11-2008 at 07:41 PM

We arrived in Mexicali about noon and ( of course ) got lost. When we found the correct road to exit Mexico we were to close to the border to enter traffic, so we had to drive about 30 blocks away to find an entrance to the exit:lol:. Then it was the old hurry up and wait. When we finally crossed, it was about 3pm. Why they took our passports I know not. But the lady who took them was so nice and returned them with such a smile. They never came to the truck with a dog, a mirror, or even asked where we had been:?:

I did notice while we waited in traffic on the Mexicali side all of the heavy stuff for sale was carried by the women. The men had all the light jobs. What a country:lol::lol:

Sonora Wind

Sonora Wind - 11-11-2008 at 07:52 PM

As I thought more about it I noticed the border agent in question made a phone call with our passports in hand. She hung up and walked out of sight. About 20 minutes later the phone rang, and rang, and rang. She came running and after a 30 sec conversation with ??? she hung up and walked over to several other agents. They talked for a bit and then she came back and said have a nice day.

One more thing. Don't follow the green arrow signs on the return trip across the dry lake. Unless you want to run the sand dunes to the west of the lake.:rolleyes:

HotSchott - 11-14-2008 at 09:12 PM

People always laugh when they see that I stake my REI tent down with 15 stakes. You won't see my tent flying through the air! We have been in GC with 80 + MPH winds. After one storm several years ago there was not one Palo Verde that was not broken flat. The cholla was shredded and little cholla balls were everywhere. The entire canyon smelled of broken cholla. If you have ever smelled it you will not forget it. The wind picked up one of the metal outhouses and threw it over 300 feet into the canyon.

During Semana Santa about eight years ago there were probably 75 vehicles in the camps at sunset. A windstorm and rain started about 12:30 Sunday morning and all you could hear is people screaming and stuff crashing through the trees. When we woke up the next morning there was not one other vehicle in the camp - everyone left during the night. There were tents and tarps and camping gear in the tops of every palm tree. It was dead calm and the peak was covered in snow. My aluminum tent poles were bent flat. That was the last Kelty tent I owned.

Wind and blowing sand have formed virtually every rock in that canyon and most of the Sierra Juarez. The wind can probably reach 100 MPH and it comes straight down the canyon walls. 'Like the hand of God'.

capt. mike - 11-15-2008 at 08:31 AM

Jim - did that 3.5 hours include the CBP hassles or only the time to get to the front??!

you have the patience of Job.
i cannot imagine such a fiasco. i'd have gone postal just being in such a long queue.

Did you get a deal?

Dave - 11-15-2008 at 05:43 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Sonora Wind
We did not make a reservation so when Arturo said El Mirador was vacant I said YES.


I always got a better price if I just showed up. Is it still like that?

More Answers to More Questions

Sonora Wind - 11-16-2008 at 10:39 AM

Mike
The whole ordeal took 3.5 hour + or Minus. 20 minutes lost and trying to find the end of the line. Two plus hours waiting/inching toward the border. Then about 30 minutes sitting in the truck at customs.
Overall, as I reflect, I quess I had it easy. The kid parked in the stall next to me was haveing his vehicle searched. They wore that sucker apart. They never even asded me to step out of the truck.

Not sure what the on line reservation rate for the camp site is, but Arturo charged us $40 bucks a night. The camp on the other side of the Canyon was asking $45.00:cool: