4WD Offroad Trek: 1942 Pole Line Road (Mexicali area) + Rio Hardy BBQ with Nomad MICK 3/29-3/31

This year's Baja Pole Line Run will take place in two distict locales synonymous with Baja California Adventure - Baja California's Rio Hardy and the ultra-rugged Baja canyonland trail adjacent to the mountainous Sierra Juarez Summit Trail - the 1942 Pole Line Road.

4WD Run Type: Bobtail Camping - 1 night at the Rio Hardy Vacation House, and 1 night in the pure backcountry.

Date: Friday March 29th through Sunday March 31st (with option to return to Rio Hardy for a free night's stay or cross the border and go home).

Location: 2013 Baja Pole Line Run
(night 1 - March 29th) Rio Hardy Vacation House (free accomodations)
(night 2 - March 30th) Pole Line Road - Cañon Enmedio (free access camping)

Facilities: Tow vehicles can be stored at the Rio Hardy Vacation House.

Leader: Ken Cooke (and Wife Leidys Cooke)

Contact: thedesertoutlaw@yahoo.com 951-255-1589 cell

RSVP: Required for BBQ and guest planning at Rio Hardy Vacation House for first night.

Run Type: Camping Run (2 Full Days on the 1942 Pole Line Road) with an optional night run to Suzuki Falls for those who can't get enough rock crawling!

Difficulty Rating: 2+ (5 being 'EXTREME')

Required Equipment:
Provisions for 2 nights of camping - 1 night in the remote backcountry.
31" Tire required.
CB Radio and Fire Extinguisher.
3 1/2 Days worth of Mexico Auto Insurance for 96 hrs./4 Days (Can only be purchased in 24 hr. increments).
One traction aiding device strongly suggested (Limited Slip).
Skid plate for oil pan, spare tire required.

Meeting Time: 10 AM - Pep Boys, Calexico, CA - 400 S Imperial Ave Calexico, CA 92231

Departure Time: 10:45 AM from Pep Boys - 400 S Imperial Ave Calexico, CA 92231

* Please have your Mexican insurance already purchased/in hand, and Passports/Visas to return to USA.

*This is going to be a fun run - one where the Wives (on night #1) get to watch their Husbands prepare a BBQ Feast along the waterfront in the historic Rio Hardy - (We will have a chance to shop for meats in Mexicali at the giant grocery store at the center of town after we eat lunch). The following two days will provide a chance for pure 4WD canyon off-roading in some of the most desolate wilderness - ripe with both flora and fauna from the Baja region. Once the run is over, drivers will have an option to stay again at the Rio Hardy vacation house, or return to the USA.

MICK and Wife Penny on the cobblestone Pole Line Road


[Edited on 2-20-2013 by Ken Cooke]

Trade up to a Jeep?

Quote:

Originally posted by Ken Cooke Quote: Originally posted by David K Sounds like fun... hope I can drive it someday. Trade up to a Jeep?

You misunderstand my reply, I have no worries that my Tacoma 4x4 Off Road can do the drive. Didn't you get introduced to the road by Toyota off roader Neal Johns?
I hope that I can take the days off. Because It is hard for a Toyota to drive so slow, I would meet you at the start of your run instead of Calexico. Maybe I would be already down there the day before?

Quote:

Originally posted by David K Quote: Originally posted by Ken Cooke Quote: Originally posted by David K Sounds like fun... hope I can drive it someday. Trade up to a Jeep? You misunderstand my reply, I have no worries that my Tacoma 4x4 Off Road can do the drive. Didn't you get introduced to the road by Toyota off roader Neal Johns? I hope that I can take the days off. Because It is hard for a Toyota to drive so slow, I would meet you at the start of your run instead of Calexico. Maybe I would be already down there the day before?

This is a very challenging route. Your truck is in very good condition. Are you sure?? I had better talk to Elizabeth.

Best case scenario:
Huitzi and his wife plan on also meeting early on Saturday morning. I told Huitzi (Weet-zee) the meeting place will be near Mex 5 at El Medanito. We will be driving West from near Terrenos Indios to Mex 5 at around 7 am. I will ask MICK if there is a restaurant in the area we could meet at instead. This would be more convenient, but the general plan will be to meet near El Medanito at 7 AM.

El Mendanito, and Terranos Indios, are locations on the Almanac, north of Rio Hardy where the graded road goes west over the mountain towards Laguna Salada and to the sulfur mine. The Almanac does not show that road.

Is this a better way to reach the Pole Line instead of the closer road by the sand dunes (Ejido Saldaña/Tres Pozos) to Cohabuzo Jcn.? Is Cohabuzo how you are heading to it?







[Edited on 2-20-2013 by David K]

Quote:

Originally posted by David K El Mendanito, and Terranos Indios, are locations on the Almanac, north of Rio Hardy where the graded road goes west over the mountain towards Laguna Salada and to the sulfur mine. The Almanac does not show that road. Is this a better way to reach the Pole Line instead of the closer road by the sand dunes (Ejido Saldaña/Tres Pozos) to Cohabuzo Jcn.? Is Cohabuzo how you are heading to it?

Maps!!!

Okay, so I already had several waypoints (GPS) of the Poleline Road from TW, Ken and Neal Johns... and those are shown as flags or push pins. I just today drew a path over the road as I viewed it on Google Earth. There was only some cloud cover around Basketball Hill, otherwise I could see the entire 1942 road. I began the path from west of the summit to east of Arroyo Grande.

The poleline road serviced the WWII telephone line to our radar station near San Felipe (Punta Diggs) from the phone lines already into Ensenada, from San Diego.

Then, I superemposed the 1971 Geology Map, which shows the Poleline road as 'abandonado'... and you can see the path line and the '71 map road are very close, less than a mile apart if not right over... pretty good for those cartographers!

First a High, overview look. See Cohabuzo Jcn. and La Ventana on Hwy. 5 (the typical start and end of the run).

Next are three sections of the road followed by the geology map overlay for each:

These are all great maps, David. Thank you for researching them. When a map reads, 'Abandoned Road' in Spanish, you know things can get interesting!

Here's our actual GPS track from our trip last April (with 3 Toyotas and no Jeeps )




Have fun.

This is sounding more and more interesting. I was in Tijuana last week giving my Jeep the "Baja Grande" treatment. Just a few more items that need attention before the Pole Line Run.

Luis installing my Currie 1" Motor Mount Lift