BajaNomad

Baja Pole Line Amigo Trekking In The Himalayas!

Ken Cooke - 11-11-2010 at 09:12 AM

Victor is a Baja Pole Line Road regular who has a taste for adventure in the Far East.


Victor in Anza-Borrego



Victor in Baja




Victor is now in Kathmandu (pictured w/guide named Chabi)
[img]http://vagabundomundo.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/dscn3980.jpg?w=112&h=150[/img]

[img]http://vagabundomundo.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/dscn3980.jpg?w=900[/img]

Cool stuff for you hikers and trekkers out there! Here is his blog that is being updated daily: http://vagabundomundo.wordpress.com/

Ken Cooke - 11-11-2010 at 09:17 AM

Victor is a Jeep guy as shown here in Caņon Enmedio along the Pole Line Road with TW



Here is a four door Jeep CJ as shown in the area he is in now.
[img]http://vagabundomundo.files.wordpress.com/2010/11/dscn4015.jpg?w=900[/img]

sanquintinsince73 - 11-11-2010 at 10:45 AM

Great post Ken. What is pole line??

Ken Cooke - 11-11-2010 at 11:07 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by sanquintinsince73
Great post Ken. What is pole line??


The Pole Line Road is a route built during World War II that stretched from Ensenada to the desert north of San Felipe. A telephone or telegraph line road was built once and never maintained rests in the desert south of the Laguna Salada in a mountain chain that provides some excellent camping and amazing four wheeling opportunities. Neal Johns showed me this route once, and I have been the tour leader ever since.

Sunman - 11-11-2010 at 11:25 AM

Good for him. As someone who trekked to mount everest base camp back in 1994 I can attest that this will be a trip of a life time for him. The warmth of the Nepalese people is overwhelming. Good on him.

David K - 11-11-2010 at 04:49 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ken Cooke
Quote:
Originally posted by sanquintinsince73
Great post Ken. What is pole line??


The Pole Line Road is a route built during World War II that stretched from Ensenada to the desert north of San Felipe. A telephone or telegraph line road was built once and never maintained rests in the desert south of the Laguna Salada in a mountain chain that provides some excellent camping and amazing four wheeling opportunities. Neal Johns showed me this route once, and I have been the tour leader ever since.



The Pole Line Road, built in the 1940's to communicate with our radar station near San Felipe... It was believed a sneak attack could come from the Gulf of California.


Neal Johns saw the mention of it in Gulick & Gerhard's 1962 'Lower California Guidebook' and wanted to see it for himself!

Page 97 (Ensenada to San Felipe):



Page 80 (Mexicali to San Felipe):



Close up of 1962 area map:



Full map:



Map with notes from Neal Johns on finding the west end of the Pole Line Road from south of Guadalupe Canyon/ Cohabuzo Jcn.:



The Auto Club shows nothing of interest in this part of the desert... (this is also the area where the Lost Diaz Grave maight be found!):



The cobblestone paved pole line road (Ken Cooke photo):



Ken Cooke at one of the few poles remaining from WWII:

David K - 11-11-2010 at 05:07 PM

See this post by Neal Johns with more maps, photos, data: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=23388

Ken Cooke - 11-11-2010 at 08:11 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by David KMap with notes from Neal Johns on finding the west end of the Pole Line Road from south of Guadalupe Canyon/ Cohabuzo Jcn.:




David - Yes, that's the one! Victor says this is his favorite 3 day four wheeling/camping route in Baja. I want to get back on the Pole Line Road again soon.

David K - 11-11-2010 at 08:29 PM

OKAY! I also want to see Arroyo Grande to help find which arroyo that the 'rock pile' might be in (Lost Diaz Grave Search)...