BajaNomad

TW Lost Mission Trip part II

TMW - 5-5-2011 at 11:31 AM

Dreams of gold and silver rushed thru my mind during the night as I tossed and turned. The wind picked up and the screams of images of priestly ghosts of a bye gone era filled the canyon camp ground. I awoke before sunlight and poured myself a cup of coffee and sat on my cot pondering what lays ahead down this mysterious arroyo. Soon others were awake and the area was alive. A hearty breakfast was surely needed as this would be an all day adventure. I made western style eggs, bacon, sausage, and home style southern grits. Everyone needed grits to improve their stamina.

Soon we were loading and checking our backpacks for the trip ahead. Water, trail mix, cameras, sun screen, wide brim hat, etc. Lou would take his ATV bad tire and all as far as possible. At last we were off. A group of merry men, the dirty eight, on an adventure of a lifetime. The jubilant attitude didn’t last long as we waded thru the tall needle grass at the first rock cluster a sound was heard. Was it a rattler or just the wind warning us as the night before? Caution was the word for the moment. I backed up slowly listening, walking stick at the ready. The sound disappeared. I took another path not knowing for sure what it had been. Past the rocks and grass we kept an eye for Lou. He was far back. Ah, he was walking toward us. He explained it was too much trouble to scout a way thru for the ATV and he decided to leave it.

As we made our way down the arroyo we noticed many things. Unusual rock shapes, elephant trees growing in odd shapes from the canyon walls, cactus formations in odd places, and foot prints, not of human but animals of all sorts of sizes and shapes. Feces from cats, coyotes, burros and maybe deer. Rocks with stripes and shapes that boggled the imagination. There were vast amounts of what I thought was insulation maybe from an RV but Phip said it was the dried up water in the pools, probably from the mineral it had absorbed. Walking in the soft sand was arduous so we moved across to more stable footing many times. It seemed there were large rock sections every quarter or half mile. Some were easy and others more difficult to get over. Our concern was twisting an ankle or worse breaking a leg.

Our journey down the arroyo was some 3.5 miles to the corral area. This was my exploration site. Looking at the steep walls up and the cactus and rock covered gully to the north side, I did not see any way to make it to the top for a visual. Scanning the area it appeared one could climb the opposite side of the arroyo to the hills on the west side.

I left my backpack and up and the out of the wash I went with cameras and my walking stick. At first it was easy, well maybe just not too hard. As I climbed higher I had to transverse or go in a zigzag like the switch backs on a mountain road. Sometimes I could pull on a branch of a bush for help. Once on top I found the area around me was light colored just as the corral area is. Looking across the arroyo to the corral I could see it to be light colored with cactus and it rose toward the east. The slope was not suitable for animal stock. There did not appear to be any rock formations around it that would act as a fence. Further to the south I could see another similar area.

Curious as to what was on the other side of the hill I approached the top, as I did the wind picked up. Nearing the edge a bird flew up from below so sudden it startled me nearly falling backwards. It was nearly a straight drop down to a ravine. The hill I was on appeared to be several hundred feet high from the wash. The bird made another pass higher over head and it looked to be golden colored and large like a hawk. I moved further to the west thinking it may have a nest nearby.
From my new vantage point I could see for miles. I took many pictures all the way around. I moved further south to get a better view of the second corral looking area further to the south. The entire hill tops were covered with only cactus and rocks with no sign of anything man made. I turned and made my way back across the hill and started down. Going down was not as easy as coming up. Coming up you lean into the hill for a weight advantage but coming down is harder. On a couple of occasions I did the seat slide.

Once in the wash Bill, Lou and I waited for DK and the others. They had went further to the mission site. Soon all were there except Bajacat and Vern. DK, Phil and DT started back. We waited a little longer then started back slowly. As we reached the turn in the arroyo we could hear the stragglers coming. It was a long walk back as the day got hotter and the breeze had come to a halt and we were walking up hill.

Soon we were rounding the last bend and before long could see the camp. As we made our way into the needle grass and rocks I heard a sound over head. It appeared to be the golden hawk doing a flyby. I could sense he was following us to make sure we were on our way out of his domain. It seemed I could see a twinkle in his eyes as he made one final low level pass over the dirty eight that had invaded his territory. He was once more the king of his roost.

That night we sat around the campfire talking of what we had seen down the arroyo and how exciting it had been overall. Soon we were a sleep satisfied we had done good and had answered many of the mysteries with this place.

Sunday morning with it warming sun was a welcome site. We packed for the trip home. Lou had left before Bill and I. I waited to load my motorcycle until getting to the highway. Once loaded we head for El Rosario. Soon we saw Lou on the side and DT was with him. His torsion bar on the trailer broke and his tires were rubbing. We jerry rigged it with a chain. DT did most of the work while we gave him encouragement. We get to El Rosario and have lunch. Lou takes the trailer to a welder for repairs and decides to spend the night. Bill and I go north and take the cut across road to Trinidad then on to Mexicali for the night. Up Monday morning and we cross at Tecate and on home.

As I write this report I think of the great time we had. I think of the mysteries associated with our journey to a faraway place where treasures of man were not found but treasures of nature certainly were. I think of the wind and the sounds of warning, perhaps not to keep us away, but to caution us to look but not take. I think of the golden hawk on his last flyby perhaps he too was thanking us for not disturbing his kingdom. Someone must have been looking out for us as we made it in and out safely. Thank you for the memories whoever you are.

The Dirty 8

Skipjack Joe - 5-5-2011 at 11:57 AM

You didn't run into Lee Marvin over there, did you?

Dirty-Dozen-Posters.jpg - 22kB

AmoPescar - 5-5-2011 at 04:50 PM

Hey TW...

THANKS for the story of your adventure...liked your colorful and descriptive narrative!!

Sure made me want to be out there with you guys.


Miguelamo :yes: ;) :D:D

elbeau - 5-5-2011 at 06:09 PM

Awesome story and description. Thanks!

David K - 5-5-2011 at 06:13 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by elbeau
Awesome story and description. Thanks!


Man, you would have loved it! Okay, TW sent me photos to post here... then it is time to reveal what was found at the Santa Isabel site!!!

What Fun!!!:light::cool:

9 photos from TW...

David K - 5-5-2011 at 07:37 PM


Two men and their thoughts.

From a distance, then zooming in (corral area):








pictures of the corral.



Back side of hill


Looking north, El Volcan in the middle.


the second corral looking further south


Looking southwest

THANK YOU, TW!

bajalou - 5-5-2011 at 08:35 PM

Great stuff TW. I thought you must be part mountain goat when you headed up that hill. Great photos from there. Thanks

elbeau - 5-5-2011 at 10:28 PM

Great shots of so many places I wanted to see. Thank you!

David K - 5-6-2011 at 08:27 AM

We wondered what you 3 guys were doing while the 5 of us who headed up Arroyo Santa Isabel were playing in the 'gold'?!

Photos at the lost mission site now posted: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=52735

surfer jim - 5-7-2011 at 07:04 AM

The treasure!......how was the GOLD split up? Just fill your pockets?

We have all seen "Treasure of the Sierra Madre" and know what happens.
:saint:

ELINVESTIG8R - 5-7-2011 at 08:06 AM

MY FANTASY IS TO SOME DAY OUT HERE


FIND THIS

scouter - 5-7-2011 at 09:04 AM

bed rock and white quartz is where you find it ... great story...

A Question for TW

Ken Cooke - 5-7-2011 at 03:10 PM

So, where is the canyon we were supposed to take the Jeeps? Would this have been realistic?

Checking fluids at Coco's Corner w/Javier

David K - 5-7-2011 at 09:21 PM

Ken, other than the original thread or my Part 1 trip report (full of maps)look at your Almanac and see an Arroyo that is (misnamed) Zamora (really El Volcan) that is crossed by the road 4 miles northeast of El Marmol.

Our camp was in the arroyo, a few hundred feet north of the road... and the hike (and Jeep challenge) was north in the arroyo for 4 miles.

Ken Cooke - 5-7-2011 at 09:34 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Our camp was in the arroyo, a few hundred feet north of the road... and the hike (and Jeep challenge) was north in the arroyo for 4 miles.


Did you guys photograph the arroyo for which TW brought his metal bars? What degree of difficulty is it for a 4WD vehicle?

David K - 5-7-2011 at 10:12 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ken Cooke
Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Our camp was in the arroyo, a few hundred feet north of the road... and the hike (and Jeep challenge) was north in the arroyo for 4 miles.


Did you guys photograph the arroyo for which TW brought his metal bars? What degree of difficulty is it for a 4WD vehicle?


Metal bars? Maybe that was to fix the once washed out road to La Olvidada? The road has been graded all the way, so no metal barring needed.

As for the arroyo we hiked down 4 + miles (and back)... no metal bars would have helped... It would have been fun to see if you guys could drive over the boulders and reduced the walk distance... See the photos of Arroyo El Volcan (Zamora) in my Part 1 and Part 2 (and El Vergel's thread, too).

TMW - 5-8-2011 at 08:47 AM

David is right, the bars were for fixing the wash out to the Olvivada mine. We did not know it had been graded all the way. I was hoping your jeeps could make it most of the way to the mission area. Would they? I don't know. I think it is a rock crawlers paradise that would require great skill.

BornFisher - 5-8-2011 at 12:50 PM

What a great read, from all you explorers. Loved the pics, vids, maps, and mysteries! But what is the real story???

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BTQY3NBJXE4

David K - 5-8-2011 at 01:11 PM

Yah, that was about it... except we were armed with GPS receivers instead of guns!

BAJACAT - 5-8-2011 at 02:56 PM

I will not do a trip report, there is no way I can match what you guys have publish already.It was a pleasure to be part of the 8, deep in our souls we Khew that we would not find anything, but like Phill said "LIKE WE NEED AND EXCUSE TO GO TO BAJA".
We do not find a treassure or old ruins or the infamous jesuit gold, but we did find other riches.The stories told over camp fire will be treassure as if were gold, we had people from all walks of life..We had a Cheef,people in the comunications bussines,heavy equipment operator(my self),and arquitech and so on...

afther walking shoulder by shoulder for almost 10 miles , I came to a conclution.
All that you need to put a great group of people is give them hope and some ilussion and they will follow you anywhere...

It was not about the adventure it was more about guys bonding together sharing the same love for the land..
When I talk to Bill (Tom's brother) or when I would listen to his stories about his service years abroad..it felt like I Knew the guy, that kind of felling I felt with the others nomads.

I will do another trip with this guys with out even thinking about it,
If you ask me if i was bum about not finding the mission, I will have to say that I will not change anything that we experince in this trip... thanks all the nomads that make this a reality.

My hat comes off to Lou, he hike all those miles with us younger guys and his spirit never broke or neither i saw any signs of quiting, what a great guy he dind't have to prove anything but he did..

DK, your knowledge over the Peninsula of Baja California,is invaluable i should be ashame of not knowing even a third of what you know even do I was raise in this beautifull state...

I will not mention any names cause i dont want to miss anyone..but thanks for the great memories everyone..untill the next adventure maybe the search for DIAZ GRAVE...

As soon as i can get my SD memory card to work I will post some pix...

Vern, thanks for Lunch at San Vicente and also for walking a fer more bends with me.
DK thanks for lunch at El Rosario,tacos La Mission it's on my list of places to eat...

To finish this, DK mention that I left something to the mountain..
When we reach the mission site and realized that nothing was there we start climbing a little bit more, I was ahead of the guys so i went and climb one of the small peaks i was above all the guys I can see Vern walking up the wash but he can not see me..
In the movie BajaCalifornia El Limite del tiempo, Damian climbs a mountain and his guide(and Arce) tells him, "YOU DONT CLIMB A MOUNTAIN FOR NO REASON, IF YOU DO YOU HAVE TO LEAVE SOMETHING TO THE MOUNTAIN OR THE MOUNTAIN WILL TAKE SOMETHING FROM YOU", so a left my sunglasses on a top of a rock...

UNTILL NEXT TIME, IT WAS A BLAST AND ALSO A PLEASSURE TO EXPLORE WITH YOU GUYS...

wilderone - 5-10-2011 at 08:36 AM

"bed rock and white quartz is where you find it"

Thing is ... there's both in the region.