BajaNomad

Road Conditions from Puertocitos to Gonzaga

Bajamike1970 - 6-17-2011 at 08:30 PM

I'm going to be taking my diesel truck and26' toybox (triple axle) to Mulege but would like to drive to Gonzaga Bay for a day or so from San Felipe/Puertocitos. I know they've paved it a few miles south of puertocitos but wanted to know if it's advisable to do this? Primary concerns: road condition, availability of diesel fuel. Normally we would enter Tecate down to Ensenada on to Highway 1 but we've never seen Gonzaga. Any advice?

Lista - 6-17-2011 at 09:46 PM

yes there is diesel. drive slow, even on the pavement. bring a cold six pack. enjoy!

Bob H - 6-17-2011 at 10:21 PM

Just go slow and enjoy yourselves...... you will have a blast. Stop at Cowpatty's for a beer on the way down! We loved camping at Papa Fernandez beach area.... and a nice cantina to eat lunch, etc.

Pacifico - 6-18-2011 at 06:25 AM

BajaMike,

I was on this road recently and personally I would NOT drag my toybox down that road quite yet. It is possible, but I wouldn't recommend it. Baja dirt roads are hell on trailers! Drive slow and look out for the big vados between SF and Puertocitos if you do decide to do it....

[Edited on 6-18-2011 by Pacifico]

bonanza bucko - 6-18-2011 at 07:18 AM

We drove out from Gonzaga Bay on Wednesday through Puertecitos and San Felipe. There are about 12 miles of the old THAT ROAD left in the whole 50 miles between Puertecitos and Alfonsina's.

There are spots in it that are pretty rough but I think you can make it if you go really slowly....the trailer is gonna take the worst beating and I'd suggest that you have spare parts..bolts, tires etc...on hand. There are also a lot of really bad washboard.

But, maybe, the worst thing about THAT ROAD now is is "swoopy doos" that were produced by the last Baja1000 race....they dug big washboard on top of the existing small washboard and, as a result of them, you must go slow and be ready for a lot of up and down movement. The Mexican gummint charged SCORE and the race for road damage but, as always, they kept the money for cerveza and cookies and didn't fix THAT ROAD....the local fishermen and the rest of us pay the price.

There are some pretty bad vados on the paved road north of Puertecitos....about four...where you might have your toy box drag..gotta go slow.

Summary: From San Felipe to Puertecitos you have 52 miles of pavement with several bad vados; from Puertecitos to Gonzaga Bay you have 30 miles of good pavement, about 8 miles of graded dirt (construction road) that is much better than the old road and then you have the 12 miles of pure road hell to GB.

From GB to Mex 1 you have 32 miles of pretty decent Mexican "graded" road.

Alfonsina's PEMEX was out of gas on Wednesday...expected it by Friday. I don't know about diesel but they have a pump for it. I wouldn't trust that they will have it. Rancho Grande, across the road, has diesel but they can't sell it as long as Alfie's has it...so ??? I would try to get as much diesel as I could at Puertecitos in the PEMEX there...looks closed but they come out from siesta if you honk the horn or bang on doors.

BB

nbacc - 6-18-2011 at 05:31 PM

Be sure you look for the vados............sometimes hard to see how bad they really are until you are right on top of them especially if you are pulling anything. Nancy

mcfez - 6-18-2011 at 05:56 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by bonanza bucko
We drove out from Gonzaga Bay on Wednesday through Puertecitos and San Felipe. There are about 12 miles of the old THAT ROAD left in the whole 50 miles between Puertecitos and Alfonsina's.

There are spots in it that are pretty rough but I think you can make it if you go really slowly....the trailer is gonna take the worst beating and I'd suggest that you have spare parts..bolts, tires etc...on hand. There are also a lot of really bad washboard.

But, maybe, the worst thing about THAT ROAD now is is "swoopy doos" that were produced by the last Baja1000 race....they dug big washboard on top of the existing small washboard and, as a result of them, you must go slow and be ready for a lot of up and down movement. The Mexican gummint charged SCORE and the race for road damage but, as always, they kept the money for cerveza and cookies and didn't fix THAT ROAD....the local fishermen and the rest of us pay the price.

There are some pretty bad vados on the paved road north of Puertecitos....about four...where you might have your toy box drag..gotta go slow.

Summary: From San Felipe to Puertecitos you have 52 miles of pavement with several bad vados; from Puertecitos to Gonzaga Bay you have 30 miles of good pavement, about 8 miles of graded dirt (construction road) that is much better than the old road and then you have the 12 miles of pure road hell to GB.

From GB to Mex 1 you have 32 miles of pretty decent Mexican "graded" road.

Alfonsina's PEMEX was out of gas on Wednesday...expected it by Friday. I don't know about diesel but they have a pump for it. I wouldn't trust that they will have it. Rancho Grande, across the road, has diesel but they can't sell it as long as Alfie's has it...so ??? I would try to get as much diesel as I could at Puertecitos in the PEMEX there...looks closed but they come out from siesta if you honk the horn or bang on doors.

BB


Yes....Clara (sp?) at Puertecitos told me that if you dont see anyone there at the station...walk in the rear and look for the attendant.....or go to the camp;s gate and ask for petro.

Excellent road report bonanza bucko...txs

Cowpatty' is closed on Mondays BTW

David K - 6-19-2011 at 09:41 AM

Those new to the highway... to get to the Pemex in Puertecitos, you need to leave the highway at the paved branch road a mile or so north of Puertecitos and go into the village. The new highway stays out of town, in the hills to the west.




Above two taken in Sept. 2008.
Below taken in July, 2010:



and.....

mcfez - 6-19-2011 at 12:00 PM

Puertecitos and go into the village.......make sure you return to the paved highway the same way you came in. The old dirt old that heads south out of the village is rough and tuff .

David K - 6-19-2011 at 12:13 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by mcfez
Puertecitos and go into the village.......make sure you return to the paved highway the same way you came in. The old dirt old that heads south out of the village is rough and tuff .


Good to know!

Coco's to Highway 1

John M - 6-20-2011 at 02:04 PM

A couple of months ago we took the route from Coco's Corner to Highway 1 - maybe 20 miles?

We hadn't driven it in many years, preferring Calajamue Wash route. And we were surprised, and didn't recall the rocky uphill pulls out of Cocos. The route was a lot slower than I remembered it to be. There were two trucks with trailers heading out that way so it certainly wouldn't be terrible just I think the slowest part of your adventure. Well worth the slow going for the views and scenery.

Of course I do not have a 27' toy hauler either.

John M

David K - 6-20-2011 at 07:50 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by John M
A couple of months ago we took the route from Coco's Corner to Highway 1 - maybe 20 miles?...
John M


Just 13 miles... but not fast miles.:light:

AmoPescar - 6-20-2011 at 10:46 PM

Mike...

Bring along at least a couple of spare tires and maybe an extra set of leaf springs for your trailer. It's a tough road no matter how slow you go!


Miguelamo :yes: :yes: :yes:

cbuzzetti - 6-21-2011 at 06:11 PM

Definetly bring spare hardware for all of the suspension pieces as noted above.

Something I do to any trailer I have towed in Baja is torque all hardware before leaving home.
Then apply 3m weatherstrip adhesive to the exposed threads of all hardware. This will keep them from comming off.
Two spares minimum with 6 wheels.
There are these special triangle rocks on THAT ROAD that will puncture a tire. For some reason they stand up on end all by themselves.
The trip is worth the effort. May as well see it before the KFC gets put in. ;-)

bonanza bucko - 6-21-2011 at 06:46 PM

Re Tri Angle Rocks...all with sharp edges. I hate to say this but where those devils are you have to SEE every! rock in the road before you cross it. Makes for a tiring trip.

BB

Lista - 6-22-2011 at 11:35 AM

hence "the arrow head highway"