BajaNomad - Take Rain Very Seriously

Take Rain Very Seriously

DianaT - 11-9-2011 at 06:57 PM

No matter how good a dirt road in Baja has been in the past, when it rains where it seldom rains, this is what a very dirt road can look like two weeks later.

Just a commentary --- when someone says a dirt road is a good graded road, perhaps it is a good idea to ask how current is the information.

David K - 11-9-2011 at 07:03 PM

That road looks great.. smooth as silk... and see how nicely it avoids that mud hole?

A road report is only good the day it was driven... as JD says, a rain storm can really change things! Ruins paved highways, too!

DianaT - 11-9-2011 at 07:35 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
That road looks great.. smooth as silk... and see how nicely it avoids that mud hole?

No, what that rain storm did was ruin some great desert as people cut new road ways around where the road was---right straight through where the deep water was----and the part you call smooth as silk, was not.

[Edited on 11-10-2011 by DianaT]

Bajaboy - 11-9-2011 at 07:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DianaT

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
That road looks great.. smooth as silk... and see how nicely it avoids that mud hole?

So which way did you go :?:

landyacht318 - 11-9-2011 at 11:38 PM

Speaking or rain, Anybody see the GFS and Nogaps computer models for this coming weekend. Browns and Blues over central Baja. Looks like the Low is going to tap into some tropical moisture.

Strange weather pattern. Could be an interesting winter.

GFS weather model

Nogaps Weather Model

DaliDali - 11-10-2011 at 06:52 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DianaT

No, what that rain storm did was ruin some great desert as people cut new road ways around where the road was---right straight through where the deep water was----and the part you call smooth as silk, was not.

[Edited on 11-10-2011 by DianaT] [/quote

What would you have those "road cutters" do?
Wait until the water evaporates before proceeding?

The rain didn't ruin anything here.
What rain provides for the flora and fauna of deserts, far outweighs some wayward tire tracks

Jack Swords - 11-10-2011 at 06:54 AM

Very interesting...that's where our projected storm (central coast-CA) is going for this weekend. Greatly downgraded now at least it'll benefit Baja and we'll see its results in a few weeks down there. Thanks for the info.

DianaT - 11-10-2011 at 08:41 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by DaliDali

What would you have those "road cutters" do?
Wait until the water evaporates before proceeding?

The rain didn't ruin anything here.
What rain provides for the flora and fauna of deserts, far outweighs some wayward tire tracks

No, people need to get through and yes, the desert needs the rain some rain---heck, there are certain flowers that will not grow unless there is rain, no matter how much they are watered in other ways. We have lots of those in our front yard and they remain dormant until it rains and it has to rain at exactly the right time or no flowers.

Although in some of our area the Vizcaino is a fog desert and the water comes from the fog---one of the driest places.

Even though it is just a part of life in the desert where the roads are dirt, it still is ugly to see the damage in areas like this and when it dries out it leaves the road in pretty bad shape until it is graded, if it is graded. But it is even uglier to see tire tracks when walking around the desert---some people tend to think that it is just a desert and OK to drive across anywhere they choose.

And I hope this new storm does bring Central Baja some much needed rain. Just not a lot all at once. Watching it rain on the desert is beautiful.

[Edited on 11-10-2011 by DianaT]

Info from this a.m.

mcfez - 11-14-2011 at 09:50 AM

There is a very large low pressure system coming down the Pacific coast from Alaska. It is expected to bring heavy rain in Southern California starting Friday evening. The complexity of this system and its interactions with other fast-moving Pacific weatherfronts seems to be giving rise to two different forecast possibilities: in the first, the storm drenches San Diego and the Imperial Valley. The second is that the Low pressure gets cut off from the jetstream guiding winds and drifts south towards Ensenada before trying to cross the Sierras into the Sea of Cortez. San Felipe can expect to get quite windy this weekend as we see which way the moisture will go.

Mexicali is preparing for rain. If there is rain on the Laguna Salada, be prepared for muddy conditions at the construction points. I would not recommend taking the San Felipe-Ensenasa road at a time like this. Rain in the mountains can cause flooding streams to rise and cover the road with a foot or two of water in places. This may last for several hours. It could make the Baja 1000 next week more challenging.

J.P. - 11-14-2011 at 10:10 AM

Quote:

No matter what argument you provide there are those that it's ok to tear up the desert .only when the Mexican People get fed up like they did in California and kick their buttttssss out will things improve

Barry A. - 11-14-2011 at 10:21 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by J.P.
No, what that rain storm did was ruin some great desert as people cut new road ways around where the road was---right straight through where the deep water was----and the part you call smooth as silk, was not.

[Edited on 11-10-2011 by DianaT]

---------so, does that ("kick their buttttss out") mean restrict and punish EVERYBODY for the violations by a very few by closing an area? Just asking-------------?

Barry

David K - 11-14-2011 at 12:08 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mcfez
There is a very large low pressure system coming down the Pacific coast from Alaska. It is expected to bring heavy rain in Southern California starting Friday evening. The complexity of this system and its interactions with other fast-moving Pacific weatherfronts seems to be giving rise to two different forecast possibilities: in the first, the storm drenches San Diego and the Imperial Valley. The second is that the Low pressure gets cut off from the jetstream guiding winds and drifts south towards Ensenada before trying to cross the Sierras into the Sea of Cortez. San Felipe can expect to get quite windy this weekend as we see which way the moisture will go.

Mexicali is preparing for rain. If there is rain on the Laguna Salada, be prepared for muddy conditions at the construction points. I would not recommend taking the San Felipe-Ensenasa road at a time like this. Rain in the mountains can cause flooding streams to rise and cover the road with a foot or two of water in places. This may last for several hours. It could make the Baja 1000 next week more challenging.

Also, Ken Cooke's Jeep Tour of the Pole Line Road, which is just south of Laguna Salada! Maybe use the graded road for Guadalupe Canyon instead of the lakebed?

Take Rain Very Seriously

tripledigitken - 11-14-2011 at 12:25 PM

Especially when you are camped in an Arroyo!

:lol:

motoged - 11-14-2011 at 01:45 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DianaT
... what that rain storm did was ruin some great desert as people cut new road ways around where the road was---right straight through where the deep water was----and the part you call smooth as silk, was not.[Edited on 11-10-2011 by DianaT]

Diana,
I am a bit confused (nothing new :lol

, ...are you suggesting that people do NOT drive around a mud-hole....and/or are you suggesting that Mexicans never make a road by simply finding an alternative route and that it is a gringo bad habit....or are you just sayin'..."take rain seriously"....

I am not sure where you are going with this. :?:

DianaT - 11-14-2011 at 02:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by motoged

Quote:

Diana,
I am a bit confused (nothing new :lol

No, the original title just refers to taking recent rain seriously before hitting a back road in Baja. At time people have commented that roads are good graded roads and OK for everyone when they have not been on the road for years and as you well know, rain in those areas can make a real mess out of roads and not passable for some types of vehicles for quite a while. The storm that created that mess caused a number of locals to get stranded and stuck.

It sort of morphed from there. As I stated in another post, it is just a part of living in the desert and that the local people do need to get around and will cut new roads to do so, but it still is an ugly thing to see --- all the new tire tracks that destroy part of the desert, but no I would never expect anyone to head through the mud hole, especially when it was REALLY deep and the route around it was REAL slippery. I also mentioned that what I really don't like seeing are tire tracks over the desert---far away from the dirt roads.

That's all----rain in areas that seldom see rain.

DianaT - 11-14-2011 at 02:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tripledigitken
Especially when you are camped in an Arroyo!

:lol:

Even dark clouds over the distant mountains. :lol:

motoged - 11-14-2011 at 07:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DianaT
[...... what I really don't like seeing are tire tracks over the desert---far away from the dirt roads.....

Thanks for the clarification....I like the pristine desert, too.

So many of those tracks lead to dead-ends ...sheesh

I prefer to tread lightly whether on 2 or 4 wheels....even on foot.

But sometimes it just can't be helped...