BajaNomad - Santa Gertrudis to Rancho Santa Barbara on the Jesuit Camino

Santa Gertrudis to Rancho Santa Barbara on the Jesuit Camino

David K - 12-30-2008 at 01:46 PM

Off road motorcyclist as well as those on mule or foot have a route to the gulf coast not passable by four wheelers... Unless Ken and his Jeep gang try!

The padres (and their Indian helpers) built a Camino Real type road from the mission at Santa Gertrudis to the canyon that leads to Santa Barbara... at the canyon the wide camino turns into a single track trail...

From Santa Barbara out to the Los Corrales road (south from El Barril), is an auto road.

Using Google Earth 3-D satellite images, lets look at the Camino:

Here's the overall view (Santa Gertrudis is the far left pin marker). As the crow flys, about 6 miles.

[Edited on 12-30-2008 by David K]

Far view of the Santa Barbara end

David K - 12-30-2008 at 01:47 PM

The view of the Santa Gertrudis end

David K - 12-30-2008 at 01:50 PM

The Camino... looking east

David K - 12-30-2008 at 01:57 PM

]

Top of the grade down into the canyon, the Gulf of California in the distance:

Okay, here I 'fly' out over the canyon and take a look back west at the switchback grade coming down!:

[Edited on 12-30-2008 by David K]

David K - 12-30-2008 at 02:04 PM

THAT'S SOME CLIFF!!!

Looks like the camino crosses the arroyo here:

Climb out of the arroyo ...

Easy the last section into Rancho Santa Barbara, the far pin marker:

[Edited on 12-30-2008 by David K]

David K - 10-8-2010 at 08:12 AM

Got an email today from someone interested in this mission trail.

Have any of you motorcycle or mule riders taken the mission road between Santa Gertrudis and Rancho Santa Barabra (south of El Barril & Punta San Franciscquito) sice I posted this in 2008?

KurtG - 10-8-2010 at 08:49 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
Got an email today from someone interested in this mission trail.

Have any of you motorcycle or mule riders taken the mission road between Santa Gertrudis and Rancho Santa Barabra (south of El Barril & Punta San Franciscquito) sice I posted this in 2008?

A friend rode through there about 4 years ago, I think he was riding a Suzuki DRZ400. He is a very good dirt rider but said it wasn't that tough.
Kurt

TMW - 10-8-2010 at 08:53 AM

Corky1 talked about riding this a couple of years ago but I don't think he did. The Squarecircle mentioned driving down the coastal area and may be talked into trying this since he has the experience of doing the impossible. I understand XRPhilang now has his 4Runner.

TMW - 10-8-2010 at 08:55 AM

Kurt maybe you and I and a few other bikers could make a loop out of it. David could meet us with food and drinks.

ArvadaGeorge - 10-8-2010 at 11:09 AM

Wasn't there some guy that did this route solo on a XR600 10 --15 years ago

KurtG - 10-8-2010 at 06:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TW
Kurt maybe you and I and a few other bikers could make a loop out of it. David could meet us with food and drinks.

I should be seeing the guy who rode through there in the next couple of days and will post what he has to say about the route. I'm not sure that either my KLR or my aged body are suitable for that route but I may try anyway. My rule is not to ride into anyplace that I can't ride out of, I'm a lot more willing to turn around and backtrack now than when I was a bit younger.

David K - 10-8-2010 at 09:59 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by ArvadaGeorge
Wasn't there some guy that did this route solo on a XR600 10 --15 years ago

You might be thinking of 'slider' (Kevin Ward of Dust to Glory) who rode up to Mision Santa Maria from Gonzaga Bay, and back on his XR... He didn't know it, but he was on the Camino Real... He also has done the Santa Gertrudis mission trail trips and others from Kacey Smith's book.

ArvadaGeorge - 10-9-2010 at 08:23 AM

Thanks David --you are a great resource

TMW - 10-9-2010 at 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by KurtG

Quote:

Originally posted by TW
Kurt maybe you and I and a few other bikers could make a loop out of it. David could meet us with food and drinks.

I'm with you. I don't ride much, usually once a month at Jawbone Canyon OHV area for a couple of hours. I'm coming down next month with Tunaeaters dad to prerun the bottom half of the 1000 course we will have bikes and 4x4 trucks. It's more or less a bet on how much time we spend on 2 wheels vs 4 wheels. I'm thinking the latter will win.

XRPhlang - 10-9-2010 at 08:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by TW
Corky1 talked about riding this a couple of years ago but I don't think he did. The Squarecircle mentioned driving down the coastal area and may be talked into trying this since he has the experience of doing the impossible. I understand XRPhilang now has his 4Runner.

TW - You remember Richard. He was riding shotgun with Roy on the Turquesa trip. He has the old Forerunner, not me. I traded my Ranger for a '03 Tacoma. Richard and his wife went on a trip with me in July. http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=47249
That all-gold forerunner Roy built is quite a machine. I understand it has 2 transfer cases which would come in handy if you had to climb a telephone pole, or a waterfall. I don't think Richard ever used it on our trip.

I've discovered that me and the XR can't go most places that mules can go, but this portion of the ECR looks very interesting to me.

Sta gertrudis-Sta Barbara to San Miguel and coast

Baja Bucko - 10-9-2010 at 09:12 PM

I rode this route abt 10 yrs ago-on a mule. Nothing spectacular really abt it but it was a good ride and tricky in a few places---again el camino real in most places pre 1850 was never meant for wheels tho the Jesuits had some real hopes ie those places that go from treacherous goat trail to a sudden car-wide cleared and rock-lined across a mesa and then WHAHM!!! back to unbelieveable yucky stuff tough even for mules.

Baja Bucko - 10-9-2010 at 09:24 PM

The old ranch at Sta Barbara was beautiful-tons of flowers of course because women lived there. The car road to there was a whole nother story as I rode into Sta Barbara once-went thru 2 tires!!! (MAJOR rocks) R. San Miguel has of course been sold.

Jose's wife has since died of breast cancer and I don't know if the old folks (Manuel) are still living there. It was a pretty spot. Their daughter took a liking to my then 16 yr old so that was kinda cute!!

Come to think of it -there is a bunch of spectacular "THINGS" to see out there but I don't want to ruin it for anyone heading to the gulf via R. San Miguel---you will see a REAL treat and a WOW piece of history!!! When you see it you won't believe your eyes!!!!

David K - 10-10-2010 at 08:42 AM

Bucko, thanks for the tease... I have seen some photos of the Los Corrales area taken by The squarecircle (I think)... What is the historic connection of that ruin? Thank you.

TMW - 10-10-2010 at 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by XRPhlang
TW - You remember Richard. He was riding shotgun with Roy on the Turquesa trip. He has the old Forerunner, not me. I traded my Ranger for a '03 Tacoma. Richard and his wife went on a trip with me in July. http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=47249
That all-gold forerunner Roy built is quite a machine. I understand it has 2 transfer cases which would come in handy if you had to climb a telephone pole, or a waterfall. I don't think Richard ever used it on our trip.

I've discovered that me and the XR can't go most places that mules can go, but this portion of the ECR looks very interesting to me.

That's right Phil I remember you telling me Richard had it. After the 1000 let's work out a trip to check this out on bikes.

David K - 10-10-2010 at 11:33 AM

Richard's wife is Jerri (sp?), by-the-way.

honda tom - 10-30-2010 at 09:59 PM

Rode from san francisquito to barille and down the coast to trinadad then back to san ignacio... this is the Malcolm Smith trail. It was lost a few years ago from a giant storm. guys were spending the night on the trail! only 140 miles long. I did it again a year ago... and I really dont think anybody is coming in from san gertrudis. It all looks good on google earth and in the almanac, but I want to hear it from the guy that did it!

TW I did your chapala to the coast route last year and had a blast. This year were going to go from catavina to coast then south to villa jesus maria.

motoged - 10-31-2010 at 12:07 AM

That trail is NOT the Malcolm Smith trail!! Bill Nichols developed it and introduced Malcolm to it. Lizard Lady (Kacey) calls it the No Wimps Trail and it took 9 hours last year from San Ignacio to San Francisquito....

Bill set me straight on that!!

Scroll down this link to pics of Bill's gray truck and read my ride report about meeting Bill in BoLA( just over half way down page):

http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=199166&page=6

honda tom - 11-6-2010 at 09:20 PM

Malcolm Smith Showed it to the lizard lady, who renamed it, put it in a book, and sold it. So I guess if it wasnt his ... it sure as hell wasn't hers. I had heard only of Malcolm on this trail before . I rode the trail in the late 90's and there were 4 wheel vehicles at each end.... but no way for 4 wheel passage between. Its awesome out there on the coast at trinidad where you know so few have been. It would be a great day trip from San francisquito to Los Corales, (about the end of 4 wheel traffic).

ArvadaGeorge - 11-7-2010 at 09:26 AM

I road this rout, with a buddy on a pair of XR600's, in the 80's before Malcolm and there were M/C tracks In front of us. There were people living in Rancho Trinidad at the time, with only mule acess , they said that a M/C rider cam thru ,by himself , 4 months before.This was before hand held GPS units it was quite a adventure. I asked Malcolm if the earlier tracks were his he said no he didn't know who it was.

motoged - 11-7-2010 at 11:12 AM

Kacey makes no claims to the trail....I will let Bill and Malcolm duke this out....

I believe that Kacey rides with Bill more than with Malcolm.

As other threads point out, NO riders or surfers have ANY claim to roads or trails... :cool:

David K - 11-7-2010 at 12:07 PM

Kevin Ward (m/c racer, tour guide, Dust to Glory movie location producer) has covered all these trails for years, perhaps it is his tracks you saw? He was the rider who also made it to Mision Santa Maria from Gonzaga and back, on the El Camino Real years ago and that is something even our friend the Lizard Lady, Kacey Smith wasn't able to do.

Kevin had posted on the old Amigos de Baja forum using the handle 'slider'. We have not met, but exchange emails and seems like a really nice person. He sent me a map showing his various rides beyond auto roads.

Fernweh - 5-1-2011 at 02:04 PM

Dave,

I did that route twice in November/December 2010 in that fine
German 4X4 truck.
Once from El Barrill going South and the other time up North - all the way along the cost (as far it let you). What a nice route it is!
I couldn't find the tracks using GE around the large salina, but it was very easy when on the ground. Great memories - visit St Gertrudis on Christmas Eve. The mission is named after a German lady (saint), no wonder I like that place so well.
Met also some wonderful people at Rancho San Carlos and San Alberto. I was hoping the road would go past San Carlos to Bahia Santa Ana, but it ended at the chicken coop - for right now

Karl