deepcdiver - 3-1-2011 at 11:46 AM
I am looking for a back way in to Santa Gertrudis heading south from San Francisquito. My latest Baja Almanac shows a brecha or trail fom Santa
Barbara to Santa Gertrudis, looks under 10 miles in length.
Can anyone tell me if this is easily navigable by 650cc dual sport bikes?
Baja Bucko - 3-1-2011 at 11:57 AM
The only trail from Sta Barbara to Santa Gertrudis I know of is a muletrail and I rode it (on a mule) abt 11 years ago...man, I can't imagine riding
anything with wheels on much of it but I guess if you wanna try gopher it!
Jesuit Camino to Santa Gertrudis from the Gulf
David K - 3-1-2011 at 06:20 PM
I posted these images of the camino between Santa Gertrudis and Rancho Santa Barbara back in Dec., 2008:
Off road motorcyclist as well as those on mule or foot have a route to the gulf coast not passable by four wheelers... Unless Ken and his Jeep gang
try! 
The padres (and their Indian helpers) built a Camino Real type road from the mission at Santa Gertrudis to the canyon that leads to Santa Barbara...
at the canyon the wide camino turns into a single track trail...
From Santa Barbara out to the Los Corrales road (south from El Barril), is an auto road.
Using Google Earth 3-D satellite images, lets look at the Camino:
Here's the overall view (Santa Gertrudis is the far left pin marker). As the crow flys, about 6 miles.
The Santa Barbara End:
The Santa Gertrudis End:
The Camino Looking East:
]
Top of the grade down into the canyon, the Gulf of California in the distance:
Okay, here I 'fly' out over the canyon and take a look back west at the switchback grade coming down!:
THAT'S SOME CLIFF!!!
Looks like the camino crosses the arroyo here:
Climb out of the arroyo ...
Easy the last section into Rancho Santa Barbara, the far pin marker:
If you do a search on Nomad, you will see a few more posts on this m/c run... Nomad Bike riders include: TW, KurtG, Arvada George, Motoged, XRPhlang,
Honda Tom etc.
Some well known riders of this trail are supposed to include: Malcolm Smith, Kacey Smith, Kevin Ward, Bill Nichols...
deepcdiver - 3-1-2011 at 06:54 PM
Hey, thanks, I will search around for more info. I wonder how technical that single track section is? I would give it a shot on an unladen 250cc bike
but we'll be on 650's loaded and I'm no Malcom Smith 