Continuing south, the mission road goes through some rugged country as it crosses mountains between the two missions.
The trail leaves San Ignacio just to the left of the road to Laguna San Ignacio and heads southeast. Views will be southbound, above the trail (except
were noted).
I-1)
Soon there is a fork with a parallel trail, which rejoins after a short distance. The Jesuits spent a lot of effort in road building!
I-2)
Occaisionally, modern roads will be built right over the old trail. Here a road came in from the southwest, ran on the Camino Real, then forked off to
Rancho San Luis in the arroyo to the left.
I-4)
After running straight on the plain for many miles, the Camino Real climbs into the sierra.
I-5)
Here the mission road drops off Mesa Huarache and enters the Arroyo Santa Cruz canyon.
I-6)
The Camino Real is parallel to the Santa Cruz auto road as it nears the base of Mesa Sabanilla.
I-7)
After going around the north side of Mesa Sabanilla, the mission road again turns southeast and then passes near Rancho Santa Rosa.
I-8)
The road to the right goes to La Candelaria and La Higuera.
I-9)
Rancho El Rincon is at the foot of a very steep grade, known as San Venancio. The trail is on the left and follows the ridgeline up.
I-10)
The summit.
I-11)
After passing Rancho San Sebastian, the Camino Real turns south and follows the Arroyo San Sebastian to another summit.
I-12) The alternate Camino Real via the mission at Mulege branches left here. Guadalupe is straight ahead.
Side view of the summit 'El Barranco'.
I-13)
Now the trail follows the valley to the mission.
I-14)
Just north of the mission, El Camino Real crosses over a small ridge between the main valley and the mission site.
I-15)
Only part of the Guadalupe mission church wall remains along with some corrals just south. This view is looking back north:
Each image is labled I-1 to I-16 and the point on the map is where the image is taken.
[Edited on 2-17-2009 by David K]Neal Johns - 2-13-2009 at 10:38 AM
Great work, David. You da Man.David K - 2-13-2009 at 10:41 AM
Thanks Neal... check your u2u in a few...Mexitron - 2-13-2009 at 05:38 PM
Excellent work DK! Interesting part of the peninsula botanically as well--the shift from northern Sonoran to the beginning of the subtropics--I
remember finding Peninsular Madrone, Blue Oaks, and Rock Figs all growing in the same place....David K - 2-14-2009 at 08:26 PM
Thanks Steve... I worked all day today (on and off) on the Camino Real from Mision Santa Maria to San Borja... very difficult to find... only a few
places you can see it from space...
I will post that article in the morning!Skipjack Joe - 2-14-2009 at 11:22 PM
Cool. I guess nobody uses it any longer. I wonder if it's worth preserving for it's historical value. Bet Graham could hike it and come up with an
interesting book. He could interleave his own hardships with historical events that occured in the same spots during the last 250 years. Sort of go
back and forth in time.Mexitron - 2-15-2009 at 08:22 AM
I was thinking the same thing Skipjack, exceptin' I'd want to do do the hike!David K - 2-15-2009 at 08:40 AM
I would love to as well... However, to answer Skipjack Joe... Graham's goal for his second boom (Journey With a Baja Burro) was to go to all the
missions that he could between Tecate and Loreto and use the Camino Real as much as possible.
Unfortunately, the El Niņo rain storms of that year (1997) really played havoc with his attempt. When he wanted to go out from Santa Maria on the ECR,
his burro 'Mision' fell (twice I think)... So, Graham returned to Hwy. 1 and continued south to San Borja. Mision's health also aborted Graham's
desire to use the Camino Real from Santa Gertrudis to San Ignacio... prefering to stay close to the highway should he need assistance.
Now, the man who did travel the Camino Real... twice by mule was Harry Crosby... and he wrote a wonderful book: 'The King's Highway in Baja
California' c1974 and was the photographer in the 1967 'Call to California' about Junipero Serra's journey from Loreto to San Diego.
Stay tuned for Santa Maria to San Borja from space in 3-D!Skipjack Joe - 2-15-2009 at 09:43 AM
Quote:
Originally posted by Mexitron
I was thinking the same thing Skipjack, exceptin' I'd want to do do the hike!
All right, so it's been done. But you have the ability to paint. Your story could be accompanied with quick paintings you do on the way. Maybe include
old photos from archives showing same scenes in the past. That would be quite a project though. Who's gonna lug all that quipment along, though. Maybe
do watercolors. Wait,you could use a burro too.
Just imagine: You get up in the morning, stoke that fire, and have that first cup of coffee. You survey the hills to your right and how the lighting
looks. You set up your easel and work for a couple of hours until it starts to get hot and the lighting breaks down. You look at your work and decide
whether 'you got it'. If not, wait an extra day and try the following morning. Otherwise you pack up your burro and walk until the next spot that
strikes your fancy. Not a bad way to spend life.
