BajaNomad

Sierra de San Pedro Martir, June 2009

Geothermal-Shane - 11-8-2009 at 10:57 AM

I returned to the coveted and mysterious Baja highlands earlier this year with my friend Carillo. We got to the park before sunset on June 15 and arrived at the splendid campground (8300') to pitch a tent on a pefect bed of pine
and fir needles.
Following morning, we packed backpacks with four days of food and tequila and drove out to the Vallecitos Meadow where construction crews were nearing completion of the Observatorio Road paving project. We parked off the main road benetah a huge pine tree and set out towrd La Tasajera, via the dirt road. It was cold and soon began to rain, which I took as a special blessing. In a few hours we came into the La Tasajera area, abounded by ferns and ocassional snowplants. The aspens were sprouting their first leaves. We tried to locate the "La Tasajera" spring as indicated on the Mexican topo but to no avail. It is amazing how seemingly endless this wilderness is. We camped amongst a thicket of lodgepole pines and built a quaint fire.
Next day, after climbing some huge boulders, we hiked all the way down to Rancho Viejo (6700') where many cows were grazing amongst the very polluted water. We skipped over to La Grulla hoping to find good water there but it was much the same. The great afternoon stormclouds began to build as we headed east for La Encantada, reaching its outlet within a couple of hours where the water was abound by much vegetation but flowing and mostly devoid of cow poop.
After some debate, we selected an excellenct campsite (7000') upon a bed of pine needles on a small bench above the meadow, complimented by the perfect views of Botella Azul,
Big Picacho and Tres Palomas. Soon the great clouds unleashed a brief rainstorm that cleared just before sunset. We walked across the meadow to the east side where there are numerous huge, old growth Jeffery pines.
Next day, we followed the cow trail north, hoping to find the way to Los Llanitos. We got as far as the Encantada cow camp and became temporarily lost in a small burn area where dead end paths lead in various directions. Eventually we located the main route, as indicated on the Jerry Schad map, got lost again, and then finally picked up the route as maked by a small pile of rocks. We followed the "trail" that takes off very steeply up the ridge through manzanita thickets and large, precariously standing boulders. The seemingly ednless route climbes and climbs, and then climbs more in this same manor as the views begin to open up of the meadowlands below. Carillo commented that it was reminiscent of "The Land Before Time". That it was, like hiking through prehistoric times. Finally, we came to the top of an unofficial pass, which was taken as another blessing from the high spirits of The Martir. The ducked route continued down into much gentler terrain where it descends a beautiful canyon and aspens begin to appear. All along this portion I continually noticed a frangrant plant that smelled distinctly like hops (?). We soon came to a big fork in the canyon wash. The map and compass said to go right, though the ducks disappeared. We found our way through the very brushy wash, afternoon cloudheads building above, eventually coming to a point where the canyon ended in a box. The map showed a trail suggesting an esepcially rough and boudlery wash to the right, although there were no ducks or footpaths whatsoever. For about two hours we tried to locate the route. I dropped my pack near a large cypress tree and clambered up the side of this gully trying to locate the trail but found nothing but harrowing lonliness that told me took to be on the safe side and take the long tedious route back to La Encantada. Despite that we were less than two air miles from Los Llanitos, it seemed a little too daring to venture into the trailess unknown canyons beyond.
We turned back and came again to the big fork. The map indicated another "shortcut" trail back to Rancho Viejo, which we instead vaguely followed past sparse ducks. The going was unbelieveably arduous, with much backtracking, bush whacking and squeezing through boulders. Finally we came off this ridge and came spit out to the thickly forested, trailless lowlands. The idea was to just follow the wash clear down to Rancho Viejo. The wash-side trail shown on the Jerry Schad was nonexistent and smaller "Rincon Rancho Viejo" meadow was nowhere to be found. It was an easy downhill sandy trek until we entered the "narrows", which were beyond the scope of the map to indicate. Some ugly looking water beagn to appear in the wash. These narrows were incredibly difficult to navigate through, becoming impassable with mammoth boulders and finally forcing us to backtrack out of the wash and find another route. We climbed out of the canyon and followed our bearing towrd Rancho Viejo, meandering constantly through very large boulders and endless brush and manzanita, often having to backtrack to bypass inpenetrable obstacles Finally we began to run out of daylight, as the situation grew ever urgent. We reentered the canyon just beyond the narrows and found good clear running water and a decent bivouac site beneath a few large Insence cedar trees. The scene was of Yosemite-like grandeur with building sized boulder faces beside the creek. We scrambled up the opposite side of the canyon to a high point where our bearings assured us we were on course. Picacho La Vibora, the opening of the Arroyo and the Tasajere rock ridge provided excellent orientering landmarks. The valleys of Rancho Viejo and La Grulla could be seen below, completely covered with evergreen forest. We made camp neath the cedar tees and pulled dirt, rocks twigs and leaves from our pockets.
Next day, we climbed out of the canyon and had to find our way, again, through large boulders and brush, and finally came out at the north end of huge Rancho Viejo. We simply followed the wash all the way back down to the Tasajera-Encantada trail were our footprints were still discernable on the trail. We were absolutely relieved. After that, it was all trail on the LONG hike all the way back to Vallecitos.

There's more- TBC!

[Edited on 11-8-2009 by Geothermal-Shane]

David K - 11-8-2009 at 11:07 AM

Looking forward to reading more!

Ken Cooke and his amigos four wheeled the La Tasajera road to Rancho Viejo many years ago... Here is the photos of their trip: http://www.vivabaja.com/kensbaja/

bajaandy - 11-8-2009 at 11:31 AM

Great trip report! I just love that area. I know what you mean about the "land before time" and becoming "lost" out there... So many unexplored and trail-less areas. Beautiful country for sure!

Mexitron - 11-9-2009 at 07:53 PM

What a great adventure...some expert explorers have mentioned that the SPM is amazingly difficult to navigate---especially the Encantada area (which was so-named because of its seemingly navigational evanescense........... if, uh, that makes sense:D )

Taco de Baja - 11-10-2009 at 08:40 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Mexitron
What a great adventure...some expert explorers have mentioned that the SPM is amazingly difficult to navigate---especially the Encantada area (which was so-named because of its seemingly navigational evanescense........... if, uh, that makes sense:D )



I agree, Encantada is a well named place that will keep you guessing about where you really are and how exactly to get where you want to go. What initially seems like an easy "3-hour tour" on the map turns into "This looks like a good place to camp for the night, since the sun is setting, and all....." :lol:

Thanks for a nice trip report Shane

Barry A. - 11-10-2009 at 12:19 PM

The San Pedro Martir "plateau" is heavily disected by canyons & ridges, trees and brush everywhere, and huge granite boulders, and seemingly endless miles of wilderness---------it is so easy to get lost up there, and you are confused most of the time. As mentioned in the other thread on this trip, Nomad "Vince" and I, and others, spent a week on the plateau back in 1954 making a huge loop trip thru many of the places you mention, but we had the advantage of having Mexican guides and a few pack horses for our gear, all out of Meling's Ranch, plus Bud Bernhard who knew the plateau as good as anyone, and better than most. Bud litterally spent months up there over the years on numerous trips, and in those days was considered the "expert" on the area. (and credited with pioneering the main route up Picacho del Diablo as well as less known routes. Nomad "Vince" conquered Picacho with Bud back in those days, I believe----I never made it.) Some of us made several side trips out of La Grulla base camp on horseback (bareback, in my case) to the La Encantada area, and elsewhere around La Grulla.

The country is spectacular, and breath taking. I believe we were there during Thanksgiving, but not sure on that. Weather was perfect.

That week is burned into my memory as one of the finest trips I ever made--------and what an adventure. I was 16 at the time.

So happy you posted your adventure------it brought back many fine memories, and I laughed a lot at your descriptions, knowing exactly what you meant.

Barry

David K - 11-10-2009 at 04:07 PM

Here is the link to PART 2: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=42335

mtgoat666 - 11-10-2009 at 08:37 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Geothermal-Shane
Following morning, we packed backpacks with four days of food and tequila and drove out to the Vallecitos Meadow where construction crews were nearing completion of the Observatorio Road paving project. We parked off the main road benetah a huge pine tree and set out towrd La Tasajera, via the dirt road.


bummer you got robbed. i have left my car alone out there, never had a problem, but i usually park at end of side roads (not on main road), and i never leave valuables in car (when backpacking, i leave valuables at home and just take backpacking supplies (never leave more than spare clothes and food in car)

if you want to do some serious mileage up there, then take a mountain bike with panniers and travel on the rancher-maintained roads to reach remote meadows to establish base camp, then do day ride/hike explorations.