BajaNomad

has anyone driven the road east of the Santo Domingo mission ruins?

bajaamy - 1-27-2010 at 08:04 PM

Hi, Nomaders . . .

Has anyone explored the road / arroyo east of the Mission Santo Domingo ruins? How far have you gone? I seem to remember that there was a mission ranch somewhere east of the mission. Of course, I can't lay my hands on the article.

But anyway, we need discussion!

Neal Johns - 1-27-2010 at 08:21 PM

From the Moon Baja Handbook:

"The mission road parallels Arroyo de Santo Domingo for several kilometers beyond the ruins, offering a scenic, if rough, drive past two ranchos. Originating in the high reaches of the Sierra de San Pedro Mártir, this arroyo is said to carry the largest volume of water of any stream on the peninsula and is stocked with an abundance of trout in season."

I have driven the road about five miles past the Mission ruins and camped.

David K - 1-29-2010 at 08:09 PM

On Google Earth, you can see a road going on up the Sierra from Santo Domingo... and that was even a Baja 1000 course a few years ago... Once you connect to the Nueva York road you can use the new road that goes along the foothills and even come out past El Rosario on Hwy. 1...

I marked the new road on this map and have satellite images along the new road (arrows on map):



More later...

[Edited on 1-30-2010 by David K]

David K - 1-29-2010 at 11:44 PM

Okay.... I already posted the sat pics of that road and map... here: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=37433

I also bumped it up (on the Baja Road Conditions forum)!

Mission Santo Domingo

C-Urchin - 1-31-2010 at 01:22 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajaamy
Thanks, David! Has anyone driven this recently?


I was there last year. Interesting road...ranchos, arroyo, sand, gravel. There are 3 or 4 houses. Old people live there. Check out the cemetery in the back, it is very old and the locals practice "brujeria". Weird wax figures, paper dolls with wool hair strands face down glued with wax, underwear elastic, oil poured in circles onto the ground around old headstones...

On the way there is a little cave with a "Virgen" with candles guarding the road.

David K - 1-31-2010 at 09:32 AM

Yes, the mission is a nice visit and only 5 miles on a good, wide graded road from Hwy. 1... I have a lot of old and recent photos of the mission on my mission web site (link below).

However, Amy asked:

"Hi, Nomaders . . .

Has anyone explored the road / arroyo east of the Mission Santo Domingo ruins?"

bajaguy - 2-2-2010 at 12:39 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Neal Johns
From the Moon Baja Handbook:

"The mission road parallels Arroyo de Santo Domingo for several kilometers beyond the ruins, offering a scenic, if rough, drive past two ranchos. Originating in the high reaches of the Sierra de San Pedro Mártir, this arroyo is said to carry the largest volume of water of any stream on the peninsula and is stocked with an abundance of trout in season."

I have driven the road about five miles past the Mission ruins and camped.





Anybody fished this area for the trout??? Are they native or planted????

David K - 2-2-2010 at 06:38 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajaguy
Quote:
Originally posted by Neal Johns
From the Moon Baja Handbook:

"The mission road parallels Arroyo de Santo Domingo for several kilometers beyond the ruins, offering a scenic, if rough, drive past two ranchos. Originating in the high reaches of the Sierra de San Pedro Mártir, this arroyo is said to carry the largest volume of water of any stream on the peninsula and is stocked with an abundance of trout in season."

I have driven the road about five miles past the Mission ruins and camped.





Anybody fished this area for the trout??? Are they native or planted????


They were native in one of the creeks (Arroyo San Antonio) discovered by Nelson diuring his 1905 exploration of Baja. An American named Utt carried them by mule to the other streams, in the 1930s. The San Rafael river at Mike's Sky Rancho is one location for the Nelson trout

bajaguy - 2-2-2010 at 07:01 PM

Thanks, DK

BajaGringo - 2-3-2010 at 08:32 PM

You're kidding me - there is some trout fishing nearby here???

David K - 2-4-2010 at 09:33 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaGringo
You're kidding me - there is some trout fishing nearby here???


Yes Ron!!!:bounce:

The famous Baja Nelson Rainbow Trout... Mike's Sky Rancho used to promote their resort as a fisherman's paradise, before off roaders became their main business.

BajaGringo - 2-4-2010 at 09:48 AM

And to think I left all my light gear up at my daughters place. I know what I am bringing down next trip...

bajaguy - 2-4-2010 at 10:22 AM

Ron, we have to make a trip for those fish!!!!!

http://www.jrusselljinishiangallery.com/pages/prosek-pages/p...

[Edited on 2-4-2010 by bajaguy]

BajaGringo - 2-4-2010 at 10:30 AM

Mid-late spring???

David K - 2-4-2010 at 11:47 AM

There is some Spanish and English letters/ reports/ maps on http://www.DesertFishes.org

Seems some controversy about Mr. Utt, if he also introduced some trout from San Simeon, northern California. Others argue that those died off and the trout seen in 1905/08 have unique characteristics that differ from other Rainbows.

The Santo Domingo and San Rafael rivers seem to be the primary sources of the Nelson Rainbows.

bajaguy - 2-4-2010 at 11:06 PM

http://www.americanfishes.com/mexico/baja.htm

David K - 2-5-2010 at 09:39 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by bajaguy
http://www.americanfishes.com/mexico/baja.htm


That's a great link...!
Let's see if it can show here...


Oncorhynchus mykiss nelsoni





The first specimens of the San Pedro Mártir trout were collected on the Baja California peninsula by Edward William Nelson of the Smithsonian Institute in l905.

Nelson's specimens came from the Rio San Antonio and the Rio San Ramon in the Santo Domingo watershed. Rumors of trout in "Lower California" had persisted for some time, and it's possible existence had been mentioned by George Browne Goode in his 1887 "American Fishes."

Also called "Nelson's trout" or "baja trout," the subspecies was named and described by Nelson's friend, ichthyologist Barton W. Evermann.

The native range of this trout is restricted to the frigid waters of the Sierra San Pedro Mártir mountain range in northern Baja, where it ranges from below 2000 feet (where the predominant streamside vegetation includes cacti) to above 5500 feet.



Most of what is known of the San Pedro Mártir trout is a result of a wealth of recent studies by Gorgonio Ruiz-Campos and Faustino Camarena of the Universidad Autónoma de Baja California in Ensenada; and by noted desert fish ecologist Phil Pister of California.

Some limited opportunities for catch-and-release angling for "Nelson's trout" are available. The Enrique Meling Ranch sponsors summer pack trips into the Sierra San Pedro Mártir, which enable participants to angle for the native trout. Rancho Mike's Sky or "Mike's Sky Ranch" also affords angling in the Arroyo San Rafael.

bajaguy - 2-6-2010 at 10:57 AM

DK

What is the route, and how far from Mikes to the fish????

What is the best way in???.....Hike, ATV or drive????

David K - 2-6-2010 at 05:25 PM

Sorry, but I have not fished for trout in Baja!

Mike's told us (years ago) that there is a 'trout hole' just a short ways upstream from them.

Meling Ranch people would be the experts on trout holes in the other rivers, I would bet.

TMW - 2-7-2010 at 10:20 AM

The trout at mike's is at the water falls up stream. Mike Jr. said they are best in late January, February and early March after that they get a little mushy.

wilderone - 2-7-2010 at 10:36 AM

regarding the question about the road east of the mision, I asked the caretaker (who lives in the house next door), and he told me the dump is out that road. Not sure what else - but any road providing access will get you there regardless. Check it out and let us know. Also, the cave with the virgen on the other side of the arroyo supposedly was the first "church" where people gathered and the padre held services.

David K - 2-7-2010 at 02:20 PM

Details on both Santo Domingo mission sites: http://vivabaja.com/missions2