BajaNomad

Alternate routes from Mikes to Coyote/Meling?

astrobaja - 8-2-2011 at 01:08 PM

Hi

Trying to help some Mexican 4X4 jeep/car clubs find an alternate way to get from Mikes to Coyote/Meling observatory road, avoiding our road. The obvious one being the cerro costilla road, but question is how passable is it with 4X4 cars? The military told us that earlier in the this year they made it through with thier hummer...... so I guess its passable? Is there also another way via Simpsons/Corral Falso?

thanks

TMW - 8-2-2011 at 02:09 PM

There were some bikes and buggies that have used the Corral Falso route but it was very slow going for the buggies.

TMW - 8-2-2011 at 02:12 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by astrobaja
Hi

Trying to help some Mexican 4X4 jeep/car clubs find an alternate way to get from Mikes to Coyote/Meling observatory road, avoiding our road. The obvious one being the cerro costilla road, but question is how passable is it with 4X4 cars? The military told us that earlier in the this year they made it through with thier hummer...... so I guess its passable? Is there also another way via Simpsons/Corral Falso?

thanks


Where is the cerro costilla road? Is it the crossover about a half mile past the simpson turn off?

David K - 8-2-2011 at 04:36 PM



1) The two routes to El Coyote from Mike's. Then the 1 road to Meling from El Coyote.

2) The road past Rancho Concepcion to Observatory road.

3) The old lumber road past Corral de Sam and up to the observatory.





[Edited on 8-2-2011 by David K]

TMW - 8-2-2011 at 05:32 PM

OK I see it now. That's the way many use to take. I wonder if it's the hill or the wash that's doing most of the blockage. If it's the hill there is the other cross over road that's a half mile pass the Simpson turn off out of Mike's. It crosses over to where it says Los Encinos in smaller print. The road is hard to find at first. Was not used much. This sounds like a Jeep road building group party. Where is Ken when you need him? Or maybe a group of 8 expedition. I'm ready to check it out. Have Toyota will Travel. Where is the SquareCircle?

David K - 8-2-2011 at 06:03 PM

We drove from the Observatory road up to Mike's in '05 along the Los Encinos arroyo (the one with mileages along it)... I don't think I have ever driven the higher road along El Corral Falso arroyo... but that is the one in the AAA map, and not the other.

Roberto - 8-2-2011 at 07:41 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by TW
OK I see it now. That's the way many use to take. I wonder if it's the hill or the wash that's doing most of the blockage. If it's the hill there is the other cross over road that's a half mile pass the Simpson turn off out of Mike's. It crosses over to where it says Los Encinos in smaller print. The road is hard to find at first. Was not used much. This sounds like a Jeep road building group party. Where is Ken when you need him? Or maybe a group of 8 expedition. I'm ready to check it out. Have Toyota will Travel. Where is the SquareCircle?


Took that road before, but it's been a while. I think it was 2007, from Coyote to Mike's, and you're right, the spot where it cuts back in to the other road can be hard to see coming from Mike's. As I recall, it's not to far past the hill that goes down to Mike's where that huge boulder used to be located.

Road was not a problem, except for one spot up a steep hill covered in loose rock where significant slippage was experienced.

TMW - 8-3-2011 at 09:30 AM

The El Corral Falso arroyo was used by SCORE for their races. Usually SCORE would come into Mikes on the main rd and cross the water stream and turn left. At the La Concepcion jct it turned right going west to El Coyote and circling around El Coyote and back thru El Corral Falso to the Simpson turn off and then toward La Trinidad. A few times it turned left to La Concepcion to the Observatory rd and across and down to Santa Cruz, west to El Sauzalito, up to Papolate and back to El Coyote and to Simpsons turn off. The last time I pre-ran that area with Paul it went that way. I didn't run the southern half but I did drive it a few years ago in my GMC. In 2004 (I think) SCORE ran the 500 race backward up Simpson Hill (it was a mess) right to El Coyote and around. After the Los Encinos arroyo jct it went east up a big hill and about half the racers got stuck. The second cross over rd is about half a mile past the top of the hill. We looked for this second cross over rd the night of the race because our class 8 truck was one of the stuckees. We couldn't find it. About a month later I went back in my Toyota 4x4 and found it. I had to walk part of it and glad I did as there is a ditch about half a mile into it covered with bushes.

BajaGringo - 8-3-2011 at 09:35 AM

Maybe put up some signage, pointing to the alternate route(s)???

astrobaja - 8-3-2011 at 10:26 AM

Hi Guys, thanks for the info (thanks for the maps David) it helpful!

The info we got from the hummer military patrol was that the worst part was almost within sight of Coyote in the rocky wash area, no doubt due to that huge El Nino storm 2 winters ago. I'm sure the military squad did some road building in that area to get through!

The whole reason for this is we've finally had it with the Mexican 4X4 tours, we have been handing out cards with contact info since dec, stopped tours and explained that there will be gates and that they should e-mail us before coming and we'll unlock the gates for them. So theres been plenty of time for word to get out, but they have in the last 2 months damaged the north gate gone around and then lied to us on numerous occasions. Plus they have strewn garbage everywhere! Ron we did put a sign up at the concepcion fork that there are gates but somebody stole the sign. Now once we get the north gate heavily re-inforced there will be an additional sign stating that if anyone damages the gate we will press charges. Next time they do it they will not be happy to see what I meet them with, its just been way too much BS, they never stop or stay at our B&B so we gain nothing from thier passage. I should add that ALL the US bases trail ride companies like Wide Open and the like still have access whenever they like since they know to contact us 1st. Also any Nomads wanting to come through as well are welcome. But those other Mexican off road groups are persona non grata as of now. Their lack of respect has cost them!
One day Tom if you are in the area maybe we can take a tour through the maze of roads in the area, we only have ever gone to Mikes once and that was before the big storm damage.

David K - 8-3-2011 at 01:23 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by astrobaja
Hi Guys, thanks for the info (thanks for the maps David) it helpful!

The info we got from the hummer military patrol was that the worst part was almost within sight of Coyote in the rocky wash area, no doubt due to that huge El Nino storm 2 winters ago. I'm sure the military squad did some road building in that area to get through!

The whole reason for this is we've finally had it with the Mexican 4X4 tours, we have been handing out cards with contact info since dec, stopped tours and explained that there will be gates and that they should e-mail us before coming and we'll unlock the gates for them. So theres been plenty of time for word to get out, but they have in the last 2 months damaged the north gate gone around and then lied to us on numerous occasions. Plus they have strewn garbage everywhere! Ron we did put a sign up at the concepcion fork that there are gates but somebody stole the sign. Now once we get the north gate heavily re-inforced there will be an additional sign stating that if anyone damages the gate we will press charges. Next time they do it they will not be happy to see what I meet them with, its just been way too much BS, they never stop or stay at our B&B so we gain nothing from thier passage. I should add that ALL the US bases trail ride companies like Wide Open and the like still have access whenever they like since they know to contact us 1st. Also any Nomads wanting to come through as well are welcome. But those other Mexican off road groups are persona non grata as of now. Their lack of respect has cost them!
One day Tom if you are in the area maybe we can take a tour through the maze of roads in the area, we only have ever gone to Mikes once and that was before the big storm damage.


Ken Cooke is close friends with at least one of the Mexican 4X4 clubs... Maybe he can get them to contact the other clubs doing the damage and not taking their trash back to the city (where it came from)?

Knuckle Draggers!

Ken Cooke - 8-3-2011 at 10:52 PM

Organized clubs typically do not damage the trails that they run. I would consider these people "Knuckledraggers" as Mtn Goat calls them. In order to keep a 4WD club active, new routes need to be available - but, to trash those routes, you are effectively limiting the places you can travel. Knuckledraggers.

BajaGringo - 8-4-2011 at 08:16 AM

I agree with Ken - when the clubs come through our area they are (mostly) respectful groups that slow it down when around homes and haven't seen any big issues with littering or purposely ripping up roads for simply the fun of it.

The problems seem to be the "independents" that come down riding with a group of their friends with absolutely zero clue.

Ken Cooke - 8-4-2011 at 11:35 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by BajaGringo
The problems seem to be the "independents" that come down riding with a group of their friends with absolutely zero clue.


The main function of a 4WD club is to recruit these "independent"-minded folks in order that less damage is sustained on these valuable routes. So, speaking with the clubs will have little effect, IMO.

astrobaja - 8-8-2011 at 10:48 AM

LOL well I dunno about the "knuckledraggers" thing but the last group through were actually a US based tour club from Imperial valley and Yuma
(one of the few if not the only US club we have seen through here) a few of them were white "knuckle" coming through so perhaps sending them on the more difficult road would have been bad!

A few of the groups through here have flown "flags" denoting which club they are with (ie Los Pasaditos, and Los Entombados) a few are probably as you say independents. But I have to say its their own fault, we have been here for almost 4 years now , in that whole time only one of these groups have stopped to chat see what we are doing, etc and to see if its still alright to use this non camino vecinal private road! BTW they are going to be the only off road Mexican group we will let go through from now on!
ALL of the US based bike groups have stopped to introduce themselves years ago, so now they know to just ask and we will leave the gates open.
Not sure why the mentality with the Mexican clubs, perhap they thought we might be associated with narcs:biggrin: I dunno its a mystery to me!

mtgoat666 - 8-8-2011 at 11:03 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by astrobaja
LOL well I dunno about the "knuckledraggers" thing but the last group through were actually a US based tour club from Imperial valley and Yuma
(one of the few if not the only US club we have seen through here) a few of them were white "knuckle" coming through so perhaps sending them on the more difficult road would have been bad!

A few of the groups through here have flown "flags" denoting which club they are with (ie Los Pasaditos, and Los Entombados) a few are probably as you say independents. But I have to say its their own fault, we have been here for almost 4 years now , in that whole time only one of these groups have stopped to chat see what we are doing, etc and to see if its still alright to use this non camino vecinal private road! BTW they are going to be the only off road Mexican group we will let go through from now on!
ALL of the US based bike groups have stopped to introduce themselves years ago, so now they know to just ask and we will leave the gates open.
Not sure why the mentality with the Mexican clubs, perhap they thought we might be associated with narcs:biggrin: I dunno its a mystery to me!


perhaps put up signs stating reason the road was closed: teach the knuckle draggers a lesson (if they are teachable).

if road has been traveled for many decades, and road is on maps, people probably think it is public right of way.

Ken Cooke - 8-8-2011 at 04:42 PM

A few years ago while rock crawling in the Tecate area, a group of "independents" parked their Dodge Ramcharger on a large granite slab, began drinking, and immediatly throwing bottles all over the giant slab where people drive.:O They started yelling, "Arriba-ya-ya!!" and we shouted down to them to stop and pick up their litter. How stupid. They of course, felt bad, cleared the glass that they could, and stopped partying.