BajaNomad - Following the Pacific from El Rosario south

Following the Pacific from El Rosario south

BajaRun - 11-1-2012 at 08:49 AM

I would like to run along the pacific ocean south of El Rosario as far as possible (Destination Bahia Asuncion or Scorpion Bay). Looking at the Baja Almanac it looks like the furthest point south is San Carlos. But to continue south it looks like we need to start heading inland north of San Carlos, just south of Barrancos del Mar, to catch the intersecting road that would take us to Punta Canoas area. From there it looks like we can skirt the coast to almost Guerrero Negro...

Im looking for advise for this route, how far is it possible to follow the Pacific Ocean south of El Rosario ? It needs to be 2 track because we are in buggys.

I noticed that the Baja 1000 doesn't follow the Pacific south, but rather heads east to BOLA before continuing south...why does the course not continue along the Pacific side ???

fudscrud - 11-1-2012 at 09:04 AM

You have that right. Punta San Carlos is as far as you can get along the coast without going inland and back to Pta Canoas. It would be tough for a man and his burro to get through there. Even us moto guys who are a pretty dedicated lot havn't cut a trail through there...yet.

This has nothing to do with secret surfing points!

David K - 11-1-2012 at 10:02 AM

However, it does have to do with some great off roading into a cold, windy and foggy region (if summer)... Maybe nicer in the winter?

The Punta San Carlos road is a dead end, and there is an off road trac that goes form just north of there inland to the San Fernando copper mine area and reaches Hwy. 1 at El Progreso.

However, to really stay on track if your goal is Asuncion with a dirt trek down the Pacific coast, stay on Hwy. 1 to near Guayaquil and take the fast graded road to Santa Catarina (a ranching village) and either left at the major fork just ahead or right for Puerto Catarina, then south... The short cut directly to Puerto Canoas and south is using the left branch.

The Baja 1000 HAS used the Pacific Seven Sisters road a few times... the first was in 1975.

The Squarecircle (Land Rover LR3) and I (Tacoma) did the run in 2007 and went on to Bahia Asuncion. Here is the web page of that trip, with maps and a road log:

http://vivabaja.com/707

From my web page... note thie was 5 years ago, and road conditions change. The once smooth graded road between Santa Rosalillita and Punta Cono has been reported to be not so smooth. The are also areas of Baja Dust (Moon dust, silt beds) in that area. Four wheel drive and a companion vehicle is advised! Top off gas at El Rosario and bring extra cans if you cannot make the 200 miles to Villa Jesus Maria or 20 more miles to Guerrero Negro using 4WD for some of those miles.

We left El Rosario Sunday with Roy following along for the next part of our vacation: The nearly 200 rough miles parallel to the Pacific side of Baja. Some of this remote road has been used for off road racing. First time was the 1975 Baja 1000.

ROAD LOG: THE DISTANT PACIFIC

Road Log 194.7 miles from Hwy. 1 to Hwy.1

The route along the Pacific is a way one can experience a little of what it was like to drive the length of Baja before Highway 1 was constructed between 1967 and 1974 (Dec. '73).

The route shown on the map is almost 200 miles and there are no services or fuel until Santa Rosalillita or beyond at Villa Jesus Maria.

Total (and partial) mileage shown from my Tacoma odometer. AAA map mileages for the same section of road were the same or very close to mine.

0.0 (0.0) Take the signed right turnoff to 'Santa Catarina (32 km)' 46.9 miles from El Rosario's Pemex. The road is between Km. 132 and 133. Just ahead (on Hwy. 1) is the road left to Guayaquil.

This is a good, fast graded road for the first 30 or so miles and it is fun to drive through beautiful cactus gardens.

7.2 (7.2) Road in from left to San Agustin along the old route from El Marmol... where onyx blocks were trucked to the Pacific at Santa Catarina Landing to be shipped north.

19.2 (12.0) pass through tree shaded Rancho Santa Catarina.

21.1 (1.9) Fork, left to Punta Canoas and right for Santa Catarina Landing... we go right. The road climbs to the the top of a ridge and then drops down to the coastal plain. The original road used to haul onyx over can be seen to the north.

36.3 (15.2) Fork, we first take right fork and it goes 3.4 miles to fish camp 'Punta Blu'... dead end, so back to this fork and take left branch.

37.3 (1.0) Road left is the route south... ahead goes 1.0 mile to Santa
Catarina fish camp, on the beach.

38.1 (0.8) Turn left and head away from coast.

47.3 (9.2) Come to the Punta Canoas road which forked at Mile 21.1 above. Turn right.

51.3 (4.0) Road to left... we continued straight.

52.3 (1.0) Road to left... we continued straight.

55.2 (2.9) Junction... Ahead goes 1.1 miles to high, look out/ view point, above Punta Canoas... To continue south, turn left.

58.5 (3.3) Join with road heading south (probably coming from the roads that turned left at Mile 51.3 and 52.3).

62.0 (3.5) Puerto Canoas Fish Camp.
Reset odometer to 0.0 for the next section of the road log.
========================================
0.0 (0.0) Puerto Canoas Fish Camp.
We first travel across the arroyo valley to investigate a modern, large home/ building near the beach... then head east.

1.8 (1.8) Big house facing beach on south side of arroyo. Head east, as no road is seen going south, close to the beach.

The auto club map shows the road we are on and we make camp at Mile 8.0 at the base of a pointy hill... about where the mileage '13.9' is shown on the AAA map.

The Baja Almanac only shows this road as a trail. Our first night camp is to the east of the word 'Mujeres' (an arroyo) on Almanac Map 17.

17.4 (15.6) Pass a pair of graves and come to a cross road at an abandoned ranch. This should be the road from Hwy. 1 near Cataviña going to Faro San Jose. We turn right.

19.6 (2.2) Cross road, fenced entrance. Continue ahead.

21.5 (1.9) Join newer, graded road... continue ahead.

22.6 (1.1) Green school(?), fork to right.

33.1 (10.5) Road in from right, continue ahead.

35.5 (2.4) Fork, go right.

37.4 (1.9) Road to El Mirador to right, continue ahead.

39.6 (2.2) Arroyo San Jose fish camp.

We want to stay near to the coast, and find a poor 'Jeep' road that does just that. After 6 slow miles we near Bahia Corbin and drive out onto the point on the north side of the bay for a lunch break. Finally, a beautiful looking beach... but a fish camp is there, too.

46.0 (6.4) Bahia Corbin, north end camping area on side road, just off coastal road.
Reset trip odometer to 0.0.
========================================
0.0 (0.0) Bahia Corbin. Return short distance to coastal road by fish camp and continue south.

8.8 (8.8) Arroyo La Pintada valley and road to east (to Laguna Chapala?).

10.4 (1.6) A second road going east which I am pretty sure is the unmapped road to Laguna Chapala on Hwy. 1.

16.0 (5.6) Road to coast at Bahia Blanco. We continue south.

The main road swings inland along Arroyo El Sauz, but we see a lesser dirt road cutting across the marsh (was dry) area staying nearer the coast and take it. This is not shown on the AAA map or Almanac.

21.7 (5.7) Meet newly graded roadbed on south side of Arroyo El Sauz. This soon follows the 'poor' road location shown on the Almanac and AAA map.

29.3 (7.6) After lots of silt on the graded roadbed we come to the north-south (now graded) road between Cordonices and Punta Maria. We turn right on the fast road, or better called 'dirt highway'.

34.5 (5.2) Road to right goes to Punta Cono. We continue south.

42.2 (7.7) Bahia Maria beach, near Punta el Diablo

43.0 (0.8) El Cardon ranch.

46.1 (3.1) Road to beach 0.4 mi., just south of Punta Lobos.

We are pooped from so much hard driving and want to make camp, so we go to the beach for a look.

We drive down the beach to find a camp site in the Valle los Ojitos dunes. A sea lion (lobo) is on the shore... photos.
========================================
0.0 (0.0) Beach road (Punta Lobos/ Valle los Ojitos)

6.8 (6.8) Road west to El Marron fish camp (near Punta Prieta/ Punta Negra). Road (or dirt highway here) heads away from the coast around the Sierra San Andres.

17.0 (10.2) Cross Arroyo San Andres

17.2 (0.2) Road west signed to '3 Alejandras' (Puerto San Andres).

21.1 (3.9) Come to PAVED Santa Rosalillita highway, turn right for the coast. (Hwy. 1 is about 8 miles to the left)

22.1 (1.0) FORK, Escalera Nautica Harbor is 1.2 miles to right. Straight ahead goes to:

22.5 (0.4) Santa Rosalillita village on the beach. Gas and supplies available.

Reset trip odometer to 0.0 for the final section of this coastal road log to Hwy. 1 via Punta Rosarito.
========================================
0.0 (0.0) Santa Rosalillita. Take street parallel to the coast south... road soon turns inland and crosses Arroyo Santo Dominguito, eventually returning nearer the beach.

This is a slow, rough road and is only advisable if you seek a wide, sand beach that stretches for miles in both directions.

11.0 (11.0) Road to west to coast at Punta Rosarito.

15.4 (4.4) Road has been following a rocky shore for a few miles and now leaves the coast.

18.1 (2.7) Highway 1 at Km. 63 (63 kilometers south of the Bahia de los Angeles junction).

Nuevo Rosarito is almost 7 miles north and Villa Jesus Maria (Pemex station) is 19.8 miles south.

Summary: The 'distant Pacific' is a combination of remote areas, rough and
good roads, rocky and sandy beaches, commercial fishing camps as well as unpopulated areas.

The northern half coast (Santa Catarina, Canoas, San Jose) is an area so unappealing and little to offer that I would probably not return. The inland sections (in the sunshine), had some beautiful desert scenes, but the overcast coastline wasn't appealing considering the distance and lack of services.

The southern half had some fine looking beaches as well as the 'ugly' fish camps, but the water temperature is so cold that I wouldn't be going there often, if ever again. The Sea of Cortez spoils me...

Another note... the Mexican government has built a paved highway to the coast at Santa Rosalillita and a good dirt highway north of Punta Cono with unfinished construction to Bahia Blanca. THIS AREA is no secret, and anywhere a standard auto can get to it won't be long before problems follow. It is BAD ROADS that filter out the bad people, not road logs or maps.

This Pacific coast road has been logged and mapped since the 1950's (Lower California Guidebook, Offbeat Baja, Baja Adventure Book, AAA map and guide, etc.). If I can find unpopulated beaches in 2007, after 50 years of maps and guides... then I can hardly blame any author if development comes!

Nope, it will be the paved and graded dirt highways that will change the area, as it has everywhere else in Baja they were built.

[Edited on 11-1-2012 by David K]

TMW - 11-1-2012 at 10:58 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaRun
I noticed that the Baja 1000 doesn't follow the Pacific south, but rather heads east to BOLA before continuing south...why does the course not continue along the Pacific side ???

SCORE tends to use the same routes I think because they can deal with the same people. The last time they ran down the pacific coast to at least Santa Rosalillita was 1986, I think. They tried to run down the coast in 2003 and turn east toward Chapala but the silt beds were so bad near the ocean from pre-running they turned the course toward Catavina and used the hwy to Chapala.

David K - 11-1-2012 at 11:47 AM

That last time was shown in Dust to Glory (2004 Baja 1000 I think?)

BajaRun - 11-1-2012 at 05:00 PM

DK, from El Rosario to the next Pemex for fuel is 250 miles accurate ? Any other fuel available ?

David K - 11-1-2012 at 05:06 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by BajaRun
DK, from El Rosario to the next Pemex for fuel is 250 miles accurate ? Any other fuel available ?

VILLA JESÚS MARÍA is about 200 miles and if they are closed the state border is next 20 miles south then 4 more miles to GUERRERO NEGRO.

[Edited on 11-2-2012 by David K]

Pacifico - 11-1-2012 at 05:24 PM

Bajarun,

That is a tough stretch with little fuel. We have done the stretch from Santa Rosalillita north along the coast and came out in Catavina just north of town.

Unless you are running a support truck with fuel, it would be tough. How big of a fuel cell do you have? I have only a 22 gallon and it gets close sometimes. I would recommend a 32 or 35 gallon. Maybe go south from Catavina to Rosalillita?

Here is a trip we did a couple years ago:
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=45239#pid5079...

Good luck and take lots of pics!

BajaRun - 11-1-2012 at 05:57 PM

32 gallon fuel cell for me. My range is 300-325 miles.. I should be good but Im not sure about some of the other vehicles. DK states he has no desire to run this section again, spoiled by the cortez side, I resemble that but we want to take a different route south than we take back north, which will be a route I have taken before...so this is the only option I know of that is not burning a whole lot of slab..suggestions accepted.

David K - 11-1-2012 at 06:04 PM

Oh, I would do it again... you buy the gas, and I will join you! I love four wheeling in Baja... but my business has been way too slow to take as many trips south as typical!

Ryan - 11-1-2012 at 06:05 PM

Would be a really fun trip in a buggy. Popular area with the moto tours. It's pretty scary when you think you are the only one on a road and 4 motos come around a blind corner going 40mph

Not the best route if you are looking for a speed run though...

BajaRun - 11-1-2012 at 06:16 PM

@Ryan, do the dirt bike tours start the day at the Old Mill and run down to GN to spend the nite ? That's our "Plan"..

willardguy - 11-2-2012 at 09:16 AM

tell JB to invite taddy blazusiak along! :tumble:

motoged - 11-2-2012 at 10:10 AM

Ahhhhh, DT Bushpilot and I will do it for beer, gas, and tacos.....Taddy is too busy mopping up the world enduro league :lol:

[Edited on 11-2-2012 by motoged]

Please post some road reports

thebajarunner - 11-3-2012 at 05:15 PM

If you make this run let us know how the road conditions are.
Would like to make the run out from Penjamo/Guaquil and/or from Catavina next June.
Will be taking a couple of 2 wheel drive pickups,
but have many years and miles of experience in the 2 wheel variety.
Just cannot make much progress in heavy sand.
So, give us some news.
por favor...

David K - 11-3-2012 at 06:11 PM

Silt beds will be more of an issue than sand on the roads...

woody with a view - 11-3-2012 at 06:27 PM

and please leave the details of the supposed surf spots out of any report....

:light:

gnarlon - 11-3-2012 at 07:12 PM

Poor Woody...

woody with a view - 11-3-2012 at 07:30 PM

not really.... i have more than you'd ever imagine, all thanks to King Neptune.

willardguy - 11-4-2012 at 08:59 AM

riddle me this, is it possible to time it on a super low tide and just run down the beach for 25 miles between san carlos and punta canoas? :?:

David K - 11-4-2012 at 10:28 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by willardguy
riddle me this, is it possible to time it on a super low tide and just run down the beach for 25 miles between san carlos and punta canoas? :?:

Well, Mike Younghusband and a burro couldn't... but a fast motorcycle during an extreme lunar tide... perhaps? Check with Malcolm Smith... he has done some crazy stuff on a bike in Baja!

TMW - 11-4-2012 at 12:47 PM

In Kacey Smith's GPS Guidebook part II she has a motorcycle trail from El Rosario to Catavina. From the San Carlos area she takes several, what she calls, jeep trails. I've looked at some of it and I think there maybe a trail that would link San Carlos to the road near Santa Catarina. Whether they are still passable who knows.

David K - 11-4-2012 at 12:52 PM

You can see them on Google Earth... and Neal Johns has driven from the San Fernando Copper mines (south of El Progreso) to the San Carlos Mesa, saw the petroglyphs, then down to the San Carlos road (I think) and back to El Rosario.

woody with a view - 11-4-2012 at 01:15 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by willardguy
riddle me this, is it possible to time it on a super low tide and just run down the beach for 25 miles between san carlos and punta canoas? :?:

no. there are headlands and tidepools, etc.

Hook - 11-4-2012 at 02:38 PM

Great, Woody. You've just given away the existence of some of the most remote tidepools in Baja. Nice going.

To the OP, could you please file a report when you get back and PLEASE OMIT MENTION OF ANY DECENT FISHING, SURFING, KAYAKING, TIDEPOOLING, SNORKLING, LONELY BEACH-COMBING SPOTS YOU FIND?

In other words, just mention all the chitty places you come across like abandoned fish camps, old dumping grounds, etc. :lol:

Ateo - 11-4-2012 at 02:55 PM

That area is super sharky.

David K - 11-4-2012 at 03:06 PM

Exactly how I agreed to describe it in 2007 after Woody twisted my arm... cold foggy ugly fish camps etc. :smug:

Ryan - 11-5-2012 at 05:02 PM

@bajarun - I am unclear on the details of the moto tours, but there are several. I bet you could find out their itinerary with some online sleuthing.

mtgoat666 - 11-5-2012 at 05:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by willardguy
riddle me this, is it possible to time it on a super low tide and just run down the beach for 25 miles between san carlos and punta canoas? :?:

you can hike the roadless section. just drop water and food supplies at various points before you head out. or if inclined, you can paddle the coast.

that's a cold water coast, probably full of great white sharks!

Taco de Baja - 11-5-2012 at 05:22 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
Exactly how I agreed to describe it in 2007 after Woody twisted my arm... cold foggy ugly fish camps etc. :smug:

The water down there, even in the summer, never gets above 65, and usually it’s in the low 60's. We gave a nickname of "Iceberg Point" to one of those miserable spots.

willardguy - 11-5-2012 at 05:46 PM

yup, 4/3 time

mtgoat666 - 11-5-2012 at 05:52 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by willardguy
riddle me this, is it possible to time it on a super low tide and just run down the beach for 25 miles between san carlos and punta canoas? :?:

this will get you around the points. and at same time you can tow in woody.

MikeYounghusband - 11-6-2012 at 08:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by willardguy
riddle me this, is it possible to time it on a super low tide and just run down the beach for 25 miles between san carlos and punta canoas? :?:

NO !!

David K - 11-6-2012 at 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by MikeYounghusband

Quote:

Originally posted by willardguy
riddle me this, is it possible to time it on a super low tide and just run down the beach for 25 miles between san carlos and punta canoas? :?:

NO !!

I was wondering how long it would take you to respond to this! :light: