BajaNomad

matomi wash / valle chico

pithed - 11-19-2009 at 02:49 PM

hi folks,

I just joined this great board but have been going down to baja for years - wish I had know about you all sooner! Anyway we are going down to bahia de los angelos next week and are going the long way - via gonzaga bay. I have been reading on this board about the canyons around valle chico and am thinking about checking out the area. We have a 2wd high clearance tacoma and am wondering if this is adequate and if so what is the best route to take? Any info at all on the roads in that area would be much appreciated ( we have done the puertocitos to gonzaga bay road many times so not really worried about that)

thanks

David K - 11-19-2009 at 06:50 PM

Welcome to Nomad!

Please see http://vivabaja.com/404 for many of the Valle Chico canyons and

http://vivabaja.com/618 for the ride up Matomi from Hwy. 5 and out through Valle Chico... following our Shell Island camp days photos.

More Matomi photos during our Nomad group trip there via Parral: http://vivabaja.com/204/page7.html

Matomi Falls (Edie H photo)


http://vivabaja.com/106/page2.html for a close lookat Berrendo Canyon blue palms, reached after driving through Parral (Azufre wash) Canyon from the sulfur mine.



I have many more trip pages on Matomi and Valle Chico as well.

I cannot recommend Matomi without 4WD... sorry! The Baja 1000 is coming down it tomorrow, and while they are mostly 2WD vehicles, they are racing at speed and have the horses and tires to plow through the sand better. If you are anywhere in Baja and do need to get through sand, let the air out of your tires to 10-15 psi and have a electric pump to refill them.

I can help with more on Valle Chico later... got dinner coming up, now!

MATOMI NARROWS:





See posts from 'bajalou' as he has a Valle Chico satellite/ GPS map link on the bottom of his posts.



[Edited on 11-20-2009 by David K]

nomad003.jpg - 32kB

woody with a view - 11-19-2009 at 06:58 PM

Quote:

I cannot recommend Matomi without 4WD... sorry!



if he sez it you must believe! it's not like i really care, nor have i any desire to go there, however the pretty foto sure looks do-able.....

David K - 11-19-2009 at 07:02 PM

That photo is taken about 24 miles west of Hwy. 5, and it is deep sand all the way to that point. The last 5 miles to the oasis/ rancho is very rocky.

woody with a view - 11-19-2009 at 07:04 PM

sorry, it must be the beer talking....

bajalou - 11-19-2009 at 08:49 PM

My thoughts -

After the Baja 1000 goes through tomorrow, the Matomi will really be chewed up. The last few miles before you drop into the Matomi are some really bad whoops, 3-5 feet deep. Not fun without the race car suspension.

If you have wide tires - at least 31-10.50's preferably wider, and can air down for flotation you can probably make it. As David points out - it's a long way in soft coarse sand, a real drag. I've been up and down it quite a few times over the years and don't think I would want to do it in a 2WD pickup, especially loaded. Need pretty good clearance also, and airing down reduces what you have.

Good luck

pithed - 11-19-2009 at 09:20 PM

Thanks David for the advice and great photos! It is too bad about the 4wd and makes me very sad that I no longer have my jeep.

The reduced tire pressure is also great advice and we learned it the hard way beach camping in gulfo de santa clara.

Barry A. - 11-19-2009 at 11:02 PM

I concur with the others----------I have been thru this country with a 2-wheel drive pickup with huge tires, but always in company with another 4x4 which pulled me thru some tough soft sand several times in Matomi wash. And the "whoops" are the worse I have ever seen, especially after a race which just renews them from the last race.

Get some friends with 4x4's to go with you and you got it made-------it is beautiful country, for sure.

Barry

David K - 11-20-2009 at 05:40 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by pithed
Thanks David for the advice and great photos! It is too bad about the 4wd and makes me very sad that I no longer have my jeep.

The reduced tire pressure is also great advice and we learned it the hard way beach camping in gulfo de santa clara.


De nada... You can access some other canyons with 2WD and hiking, however... Parral, Carrizo, Agua Caliente (if the gate is open), El Cajon and more that I have still to see.

The Valle Chico/ Saltito east road is an excellent graded road from just north of San Felipe all the way to Carricitos south of Plan Nacional Agrario (Agua Caliente). It starts on Hwy. 5 at the storage garages for El Dorado residents, signed.

North of Agua Caliente, looking north:



South of Agua Caliente, looking south:

pithed - 11-20-2009 at 02:35 PM

Wow! I am really excited to go down after perusing all the links you posted David (and there is a lot of great stuff on your site to look through). it is too bad that we won't be down for more time. We are definitely going to try to hit up some of the other canyons going the suggested route.

Thanks all for the insights especially since I was unaware of the baja 1000 route (it seems we almost always forget about it and end up right in the middle). We were going to leave tomorrow and stay Sat night in ensenada and go over on the 3 but now that we know the finish is ensenada are going to avoid staying there and maybe stay in San Felipe instead. Anyone have any recommendation for affordable hotels/motels in San Felipe - we have only camped on the beach south of town but want to hotel it the first night this time.

David K - 11-20-2009 at 07:15 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by pithed
Wow! I am really excited to go down after perusing all the links you posted David (and there is a lot of great stuff on your site to look through). it is too bad that we won't be down for more time. We are definitely going to try to hit up some of the other canyons going the suggested route.

Thanks all for the insights especially since I was unaware of the baja 1000 route (it seems we almost always forget about it and end up right in the middle). We were going to leave tomorrow and stay Sat night in ensenada and go over on the 3 but now that we know the finish is ensenada are going to avoid staying there and maybe stay in San Felipe instead. Anyone have any recommendation for affordable hotels/motels in San Felipe - we have only camped on the beach south of town but want to hotel it the first night this time.


Glad to help and glad you like my web site... it is there for anyone who wants ideas on where to go adventure exploring in Baja, plus all my mission history stuff!

The Baja 1000 brings a lot of business to the area... and San Felipe may be booked, but look around because there are lots of motels. We always beach camp or stay with friends who have a home on that side. It might be wise to have some camp gear...???

surfer jim - 11-21-2009 at 08:42 PM

For now best to pass on MATOMI .....NOMADS has done a few group trips through there in years past (usually Feb/March).....wait until we do another one and join up.....

How about a 2010 trip?:spingrin: Anyone?

[Edited on 11-22-2009 by surfer jim]