BajaNomad - B1K...Gonzaga...Bola...TQ Mine =FUN

B1K...Gonzaga...Bola...TQ Mine =FUN

twgracing - 11-19-2013 at 03:49 PM

Five days in Baja just isn’t enough sometimes. A group of 10 with our 4 rzrs headed out Wednesday evening crossing the border at 6PM, hoping we would get to Gonzaga before midnight. No troubles and a quick stop at the General for some back up tacos, we made our deadline and pulled in to casa #9 right on time. Thursday started a little slower than we would have hoped, but making sure everything was good with the RZR’s trumped the early start considering we had a 210 mile round trip to Bay of LA and back. Taking off about 9AM it was a perfect day. Got to Cocos, boosted his economy, and got a personal escort around the “gate” he had set up to I assume charge on race day for spectators and chasers to get in to the wash. In to Frog canyon we went, but not before crossing the bank to check out the mission ruins. Taking a few photos by the historical sign that barley exists now, we continued on through the water which didn’t seem to be as bad as years past. Fast out to El Crucero problem #1 decided to happen just as we could see the highway. A bent trailing arm from a rock would make it impossible for my buddy to continue down the racecourse, however just as we were about to send him up the road towards Chapala we got struck with some Baja luck. The only pre-runner we saw that day pulled up, and it ended up being another buddy from El Centro who had a truck and trailer at the road crossing. (Thanks Galindo Motorsports!) Got them hooked up and heading into BoLA to find a repair shop, the three remaining rzr’s continued down the racecourse that we usually take when we run the peninsula, and then hopped on the pavement towards our halfway point for the day. An early dinner at Guillermo’s , a success fully fixed rear trailing arm, and we were off just after sundown. Ten miles out of BoLA Problem #2 decided it was a good time to happen and one of the rzrs sheared the passenger front wheel studs. 60mph and watching your front tire continue on down the road isn’t the best feeling I’d assume and while he kept his dinner down we robbed a few wheel studs off the other wheels and patched it up to continue on. Making the Right on to highway 1 heading to Chapala just after 9:00 PM, #3 was a big one. The motor locked up on the same rzr that had lost the studs, and after some unsuccessful wrenching it would have to go on the strap for the next 60 miles. Bringing our speed down so we could stay together we motored on through the night. A little behind schedule as we were hoping to be back to Gonzaga by 9PM, the night started to get cold and the pavement started to feel endless. Just as we could see the turnoff to Cocos off highway 1, Baja would get its way one more time. The same rzr that had already lost one wheel and its motor decided to shear studs again, tearing its bumper off from being pulled and stuck on the pavement right in front of the small restaurant at rancho Chapala. Hooking on to it quickly to get it off the road, I drug it over to the restaurant where warm coffee was the first priority given our night was going to quickly gett longer. Because the first bike would be coming through Gonzaga around 6AM our window to get back home was shrinking fast. We ended up taking the shock off the front a-arm, compressing the opposite rear shock with a ratchet strap and adding as much weight as we could to the rear of the rzr. Towing now between 8-10 mph, we pulled in to Cocos at 2:00AM to find him out on his “squash” making sure everything was in order at his corner. After telling us that we were loco over and over for it being so late and all the problems, I asked him if we could bring anything to him on Saturday when we came back through again. He asked what we were doing Saturday and I told him we were going to attempt the road up to highway 1 past the Turquoise Mine. Obviously not aware of Square Circles group that did it a few years back, he told us that no vehicles can do it, and that he would see me another day because we would not make it. After more loco talk and some advice to bring spare tires and a sleeping bag, we were off again at a snail’s pace headed for home. Thursday night we slept like rocks. With big plans to get a quick nap in and watch the first bike, not even the Gonzaga sunrise could move us. It was a leisure day for sure and unfortunately the wind picked up to the point of almost zero visibility. With our only job being to change a tire if the Mcmillin truck needed it, we were all relieved when he went by towards the front of the pack and not needing our assistance. Back to the house it was watching no more then maybe 10 trophy trucks and a few 1 cars, it was a night of bench racing around the fire trying to take cover from the wind. As the night went on I realized my bucket list might not get that TQ Mine check mark, and we might just pack it up because of the weather. Hoping that the weather would give in, it was another good night of sleep under the baja stars. Six AM a little breezy but clear skies and most importantly a green light. Meeting up with another buddy down the row at “casa verde” our rzr count was back at 4. We set out hitting all the campos towards Punta Final, and I have to say el sacrifcio is really turning in to a nice place. Had a snack and a beer at the restaurant their before heading over to the TQ mine road entrance. Not realizing the time it was 3:00 and I knew the possibility of us getting through was slim but even smaller at night. Deciding to at least go see the pools and the mine itself we headed on down the road checking both out quickly. As the leader of the group I had selfishly kept most of the details to myself of what we were about to get in too. I knew if we turned back it could be months before we got this opportunity again, and I had figured if we all survived a 4 AM night 2 nights ago why couldn’t we do it again? It was 3:30PM Saturday afternoon when we dived off the bank of the arroyo following a faint single track. With stacked rocks as markers and the occasional glimpse of a motorcycle track, we twisted our way over the boulders and between the cacti slowly but efficiently. With 2 guys out front moving rocks when needed we were able to make it to the bottom of the grade in just under an hour. No flats, No breakdowns, and we still could get to the top before dark, Success! As a fair disclaimer for those that don’t know…a rzr is like a goat with a motor, it can slide over things and fit between things that most full size 4 wheel drives can’t. I have done thousands of miles in baja on my rzr and this 2 miles was by far the most difficult. There is no road in the wash at all, and I wouldn’t be surprised if we were the first people through since the LR3 on 4 wheels. Even the bike tracks were very scarce and looked like they had been there for months. Anyways the climb out was a million dollar view with the sun setting and the ocean in the distance. A couple of left turns at the highway and Chapala and we were back at cocos just after six. We talked for a bit about the trail, and then the race, gave him some flashlights and batteries and were on our way. Fried feast at Alfosinas Saturday night, some more bench racing, and another good night sleep. Waking up Sunday is always a bitter sweet feeling. Getting to see my wife and daughter is the best of all, but leaving Baja is something, someday I hope I don’t have to do. Eight hours home with a stop off for lunch and visiting in San Felipe, 3 hours in line, and here now writing all this down just waiting to back.

Pics to Follow.

tunaeater - 11-19-2013 at 04:21 PM

It was nice seeing you guys out there. I noticed the race course made a right after dropping in calamuje and you guys looked like you went left. I saw the last two vehicles going that way as I went right to follow the course and finish my prerun.

David K - 11-19-2013 at 06:26 PM

Sounds like a great time except for the mechanical issues...

Tunaeater, the mission site at Calamajué (Oct. 1766 to May 1767) is to the left and across the arroyo where the road drops into the arroyo, then climb a short grade to the other side.

That is a great tribute to Roy 'The Squarecircle' along with TW here on Nomad getting his Land Rover across from the Turquoise Mine and up the grade to Hwy. 1. I am glad you made it as well...

Here is that event, climbing the La Turquesa grade:

Viva The Squarecircle... and all other 4 wheeled vehicles that cross over from Highway 5 to Highway 1 using the Turquesa Grade!

Pacifico - 11-19-2013 at 08:44 PM

Thanks for the report! It sounds pretty tight.... Any chance of a 92" wide buggy making it through there?

twgracing - 11-19-2013 at 09:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by tunaeater
It was nice seeing you guys out there. I noticed the race course made a right after dropping in calamuje and you guys looked like you went left. I saw the last two vehicles going that way as I went right to follow the course and finish my prerun.

Good seeing you too. I had been through calamuje a dozen times but never checked out the mission spot. Not until i started reading here, did I even know it was there. It's actually a better view from space then ground level I think. Either way it was cool walking around a piece of history. How did you guys do?

twgracing - 11-19-2013 at 09:50 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pacifico
Thanks for the report! It sounds pretty tight.... Any chance of a 92" wide buggy making it through there?

I think you would probably smoke the clutch before getting P-nched. there isn't much room to get going or to get any kind of momentum. Rocks the size of basketballs is what you drive on with the occasional tv or stove size to go around. Not to mention all the vegetation. With enough people and time though anything is possible :cool:

tunaeater - 11-20-2013 at 09:20 AM

First Place Sportsman Under
We had a great race no problems all night, day and night
Won the championship in our class. Team is super excited

David K - 11-20-2013 at 09:48 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by tunaeater
First Place Sportsman Under
We had a great race no problems all night, day and night
Won the championship in our class. Team is super excited

Congrats Paul! You have worked many years at your sport...

twgracing - 11-20-2013 at 10:20 AM

Congrats on the win!

David K those photos are what put the Turquoise mine trail on the Baja bucket list. I still can't believe an LR3 was taken through there. Here are a few pics from the phone. When I figure out how to compress the cameras I will post those up.

This is one of the flat parts of the trail...

A visible bike line...

The picture is deceiving but this 60' climb is all of 45 degree grade.

The grade heading out wasn't to bad.

But still steep!

Sorry for quality will have some better stuff once I upload the camera images.

David K - 11-20-2013 at 10:21 AM

GREAT!!! I hope Roy is seeing this!

David K - 11-20-2013 at 04:30 PM

I talked to Roy (The squarecircle) today and told him about your accomplishment... He was happy to hear of it... Computer issues are preventing him from seeing this thread, yet. :cool:

vgabndo - 11-20-2013 at 06:50 PM

What a great challenge. I'm not sure the RZR people will want to publish it in their glossy magazine. :lol:

Cool weather, non-race conditions, and you had a blown engine, destroyed suspension, and and multiple wheels falling off in 210 miles, and wasn't that before the rough rocky stuff? Do you think it was the machines, the preparation, or something else? A lot of people have side by sides who could learn from your experience, and you have a lot. Thanks for the story.

twgracing - 11-20-2013 at 10:54 PM

I'm not sure if it was prep more then just some dumb luck, but I do know that the high output 900 seems to have some motor gremlins. My other buddy is already on his second engine in his jagged x and it looks like this one might be getting a new one as well. As for the wheel studs I'm going to go with the lugs being to loose, when we took the wheels of to rob studs from the other hub they weren't as tight as they should have been. The suspension well that stuff is just going to happen some times, and the best part about it is the story afterwords. For having just 4 rzrs on this trip and doing only 300 miles total it was probably our most problematic run yet. Considering our last one in April was 13 UTV's going over 450 miles and the worst thing that happened was a smoked belt.