BajaNomad

Malarrimo-YUCK

Corky1 - 11-7-2004 at 01:47 AM

My trip started with an adventure before the trip started.
The plan was to meet Butch and Mike at 6AM to start the drive to Malarrimo.
We live in a very rural area. (In the sticks)
Wednesday evening it started to rain.
By Thursday morning the creeks were rising.
At 9:30 AM Thursday I was loaded and left my house before the creeks were to deep to get out.
By 1 PM the creek was flooded and impassable. See picture.
I spent the night at Butch's house. They live on the other side of the creek.

With everything loaded we were on the road at 6 AM headed south.
Make Yuma (fuel) by 11 AM. Tecate border crossing, 2:30 PM.
We made it to San Vicente just after dark. On the road Saturday 6:30 AM.
Breakfast San Quintin 8:30 AM.
Fuel stop El Rosario, quick snack Santa Inez, Guerrero Negro 2:30 PM.

Reading posts on Internet about confiscating meat and fruit at the check point at Baja Norte and Baja Sur we stopped and hid all our meat and fruit In our luggage.
Got to the check point and all they wanted was $20 pesos the spray our vehicle for bugs. We told them no pesos so they sprayed for free and told us to go on.
Upon arrival in Guerro Negro we saw Max and Polly. We decided to stay at the Malarrimo Motel and restaurant and meet Crystalballs the next morning.

8:30 AM Saturday morning no Crystalballs, decided to head for Vizcanio. Max stayed until 9:30 waiting for Crystalballs, and then followed after us .

We found a place to leave the Excursion and trailer about 6 miles west of Vizcaino. Unloaded Buggy, parked truck and trailer, Max showed up at 10:00 AM and we all headed west. No Crystalballs, he had problems we didn't know about at the time. Good paved road to the turn off to Bahia Asuncion.
From there on a good graded road to Bahia Tortguas, about 40-45 mph.
The last 8-10 miles into Bahia Tortguas is paved. Pemex station was very nice but the electric power was out so no gas.
We back tracked about 3-4 miles and took the road to Malarrimo.
This road was a good graded road, 30-35 mph, 2 whl drive would be OK.
16-18 miles in we arrived at Malarrimo.
We then headed east along a sandy 2 track road that parallels a water pipe line. We located a camp site about 15-18 miles east of Malarrimo.
Arrived about 3 PM Sunday afternoon. We set up camp and had some very welcome Sloppy Joes served by Polly.

On the trip in from Vizcaino to the camp site we kept hearing an intermittent klunking coming from the rear of the buggy.
We stopped several times to check it out. Nothing loose, nothing leaking.
We put bungee cords on several things we thought might be loose and causing the noise.

Monday morning we had a leisure breakfast, broke out the fishing poles and tried to catch lunch, no luck.
Then Butch, Mike, and I got in the buggy and headed further East, exploring?? Left at 9 AM, back at Noon with a sick buggy.

During this exploring trip the noise at the rear of the buggy became more frequent and alot louder. We turned around and went back to camp. Enroute to camp the noise was located in left gear reduction box. Wheel bearing going bad and gears starting to give way.

Once back at camp we decided, pack up and leave early Tuesday, while we still had a buggy that would still move. As we were packing Monday afternoon the wind came up and started blowing. It was blowing hard enough that sand was in the air. 40-50 mph. No dinner, power bars. During the early evening the wind blew the cook tent down. Managed to the tent emptied and packed up before dark. Wind blew all night and into the next day. (Not fun)

6:40 AM Tuesday morning we were all packed and on the road.
Butch and Mike in the buggy, driving very slow and careful, I was driving Max's Tracker, Max and Polly in the Toyota. We made it out to Malarrimo and graded road.
We hooked the Tracker to the Toyota, with Butch riding shotgun in the Tracker,being towed by the Toyota. (Boy, I bet that was fun!!)

The plan was, Max takes Butch and his two vehicles back to where Butch parked the truck and trailer and Butch comes back and gets Mike and I and the buggy.
In the mean time Mike and I continue nursing the buggy very slowly towards Bahia Tortuga. By this time the gear reduction box is making real bad sounds and leaking gear oil. We make it to Bahia Tortuga and head towards Vizcaino. About 15 miles East of Bahia Tortuga the gear box lets go completely.
We get out the tow strap and get a Mexican truck to pull us a short ways, where cars coming from both directions can see us. Then we wait!!

As long as we are waiting I will give my impressions of Malarrimo and beach combing. One word-YUCK!!

Remember I am a motorcycle guy not an explorer type, not a GPS guy, not a beach person!!
The entire area is like a moonscape, no vegetation, no trees, no bushes, no animals except coyotes.
The desert goes to the edge of the ocean then drops off steep cliffs to rocks below. Very little beach.
A far as beach combing goes if your into collecting empty 1 qt. plastic oil bottles, balls of knotted up nylon rope, old tennis shoes, rubber shower sandals, or other broken plastic buckets and containers this is the place for you!! Did I have fun on the trip? YES! Good friends and Baja made it a good trip. Do I want to go to Malarrimo again? NO!!
The high light of the entire trip was the food at Malarrimo restaurant in Guerre Negro.

Now back to the rest of the story!!
The buggy finally broke at about 9:30 AM. Butch arrives back to our location at 1 PM. We get the trailer turned around and then we hook the buggy to the trailer with tow rope and tow down the road until the buggy is on top of a grade as we can't drive it on the trailer. No transmission!!
Then move trailer to bottom of the downhill grade. Coast the buggy down the hill and onto the trailer. NO Problem!!
The front wheels of the buggy go on just fine, as the rear wheels start up the loading ramp the left ramp collapses in the middle. NO Problem!!
Get out the come-along and pull the buggy on the trailer.
Get the buggy tied down on the trailer, checking things out for the trip back to Vizcaino, right front side rail of the trailer has a vertical crack in it about 4" long, 1/4" wide at the bottom edge. NO Problem!!
Loosen the buggy move it all the way to the rear of trailer and the crack in the trailer frame rail closes up.
Unbolt the HI-LIFT jack from the buggy, get a couple of come-alongs, lay the HI-LIFT jack along the bottom edge of the frame rail, cinch it up tight an head for Vizcaino. NO Problem!!
4 1/2 hours later, arrive Vizcaino. Go to "Juniors Garage" get everything welded and off to Guerrero Negro. Arrive about 7:30 PM, tired, dirty, and very hungry.

Wednesday 9:30 AM, with the president issue settled hauled a$$ for home.
12:30 AM Thursday, Yuma, Az. Eat at Denny's, sleep Motel 6.
On the road 8:15 AM Thursday, Prescott, Az. 2:00 PM.
HOME!! Does feel good.

Thanks for listening to my ramblings,
(will post pictures later)

Please go here for pictures: http://www.pbase.com/corky1/bajamalarrimo_trip

Corky


[Edited on 11-7-2004 by Corky1]

[Edited on 11-7-2004 by Corky1]

Hahahahahahaha

jrbaja - 11-7-2004 at 08:09 AM

When it rains, it pours! Well, in spite of mother nature and Murphy accompanying you guys on this trip, everyone made it home safe.
That means it was a good trip. It just could have been a little better!

Corky1 - 11-7-2004 at 02:08 PM

Pictures are up!! http://www.pbase.com/corky1/bajamalarrimo_trip

Corky

Cool pix

Frigatebird - 11-7-2004 at 02:12 PM

Thanks for posting them.

Tsk Tsk Tsk

jrbaja - 11-7-2004 at 02:25 PM

Ice cream on the beach and too cool for Coleman. hahahahaha
Things could have been worse! Thanks for sharing guys. Better luck.

Camp Location

Frigatebird - 11-7-2004 at 02:34 PM

Originally posted by Corky
Quote:
...We located a camp site about 15-18 miles east of Malarrimo...


Do you mean Campo Malarrimo or Punta Malarrimo? Also, how high are those bluffs in the background of your Setup camp.jpg photo? Just wondering. :?:

[Edited on 11-7-2004 by Frigatebird]

Corky1 - 11-7-2004 at 03:17 PM

My guess would be about half way between Punta el Pajarillo and Punta Malarrimo.
Max has GPS location.
Page 26 Baja Almanac.
Our camp was on a stepped shelf between the desert and the shore line.
To the east, the bluff was about 30'.
The drop to the west, down to the water line was about the same.
Hope this answers your question.

Corky

[Edited on 11-7-2004 by Corky1]

David K - 11-7-2004 at 03:18 PM

Thanks for the photos Corky!!!

[Edited on 11-7-2004 by David K]

Thanks.

Frigatebird - 11-7-2004 at 03:26 PM

Quarantined Meat & Fruit...

Cameron - 11-7-2004 at 04:49 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Corky1
Reading posts on Internet about confiscating meat and fruit at the check point at Baja Norte and Baja Sur we stopped and hid all our meat and fruit In our luggage.
Got to the check point and all they wanted was $20 pesos the spray our vehicle for bugs.

[Edited on 11-7-2004 by Corky1]

[Edited on 11-7-2004 by Corky1]


Hey Corky!
Sorry your trip turned out the way it did. Just curious about the part of your post I quoted above: If you knew about the regulations beforehand, why'd you pack goods that you knew were prohibited, and then hide/smuggle them into BCS? I don't want to sound like an a****le here, but the quarantine regs. are put in place for a good reason. When I drive into CA on I-5, there's an Inspection Station looking for the exact same kind of things. Without these environmentally-based quarantine regs, California's central valley (fruit/citrus especially) farms would have been decimated by apple maggots and other pests years ago.

Want a Steak or some fresh veggies in BCS? There's plenty to buy there. The regs aren't in place just so the guys at the Norte/Sur border get free eats, it's because there's a real threat (ever hear of Mad Cow Disease? Weevils? Apple Maggots?). Please think about the potential effects of what you're doing before you do it next time you come to BCS. Thanks!
Cameron :)

David K - 11-7-2004 at 05:36 PM

I wonder why only at that one crossing such things are forbidden?

I know of three other open roads across the state border where there is no inspection, no warning signs...

Now that they have doubled the fee to spray under your rig (it was ten pesos and a demand for a soda when I crossed the border), I wonder if more will take the other routes south?

There is no mad cow meat in the U.S., by the way. You can darn well bet all confiscated food went home at night. Government run = Government dumb.

Corky1 - 11-7-2004 at 07:57 PM

Cameron;

Postings such as yours are what ruin perfectly good web site forums.
You got my answer via u2u message!!

David;
Thank you for the facts you presented.

Other forum members;
If we stuck with subject of the postings maybe we wouldn't have all of this silly beckering between members.

Corky

David K - 11-7-2004 at 09:20 PM

Malarrimo means "Bad to get near" and that is true in more ways than one!

Thanks for the report and photos...

Mexray - 11-7-2004 at 11:20 PM

...almost sounds just like another day at the 'Baja Office'.....:D

Stuff just never seems to break in the driveway back home....:P

I guess it wouldn't be much real 'fun' if something didn't 'fall off', break down, or get 'crunched' when we're off in the boonies....:yes:

I guess it brings out the 'McGuvyer' in all of us....:?:

David K - 11-7-2004 at 11:49 PM

A trip report posted from someone who has just returned from a trip is valuable to all that read this board.

It does not matter if the person who posted it lives in Mexico, goes there once a month, or just once a year.

The report is what was just experienced by a Baja Nomad, and I for one thank Corky for posting it.

Taco de Baja - 11-11-2004 at 03:12 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by David K
Malarrimo means "Bad to get near" and that is true in more ways than one!


it should be called: Salsepuedes...
"Get out if you can:...:lol:

bajalera - 11-15-2004 at 06:42 PM

Now that's a trip report that had me laughing out loud. You tell it like it is, Corky!

bajalera