TWs 3500 mile Baja Trip

TWs 3500 mile Baja Trip

Tuesday November 12th I met Nomad JohnM on my way south to pick up a rug for Coco. I had already loaded some 2ftx2ft rubber mat sections and a wheel chair my friend Bill picked up from Ken in LA for Coco. Wednesday morning I met up with Nomad Tunaeater (Paul) and his friend Roy in San Diego. We then proceeded to Ensenada to meet the race team for bike 249X, at the Las Palmas hotel. The team then went to sign in with SCORE for the Baja 1000 race. After signup Paul, Roy and I headed for San Felipe to spend the night at Paul’s dad’s place south of town.



Thursday morning we loaded Paul’s pre-run bike on the back of my truck and made our way south. Paul started his pre-run down to RM386 near hwy 1 KM270. Roy and I unload everything I had for Coco then we went out to hwy 1 and down to meet Paul. We returned to San Felipe for dinner at a local restaurant and then Roy and I returned to Cocos for the night. The motorcycles started at 11pm every two minutes and the 249X team expected to leave at 1am. Paul would get on the bike near RM268.

The morning Sun


Friday morning we’re up for some hot coffee and Roy made some burritos that were excellent. The first bike came thru just before 6am. We expected Paul in between 10:30-11am. Roy left for the Honda pit to pickup Paul when he gets off. I waited for the bike at Cocos. 249X came thru at 10:15am ahead of schedule. I radioed Paul, good job and then waited 30 minutes before leaving for hwy 1. I passed Roy and Paul on the hwy and again told him good job. I was planning on staying at the hwy crossover for the race course and watch but since the 4 wheelers would be another 4 or 5 hours I decided to keep moving, my job was done and I was going south for a much needed vacation, being retired is hard work.

Cocos race morning


Coco stopped this junk hauler from going backwards on the race course


Weird elephant tree on the way to LA Bay


I went to LA Bay to look up an old friend I had not seen for over 20 years. They had a place near camp Gecko. I drove thru the camp but no one was out so I left and stopped to air down my tires. While doing so a lady on a quad pulled out from a side road. I waved her down and asked about my friend. She told me where to go. It had been a while since I had seen Tom and Lynn and we soon got caught up on everything. It was a great visit.

My next stop was at Playa San Rafael and a visit with Pancho. I had a package for him that was given to me by a mutual friend along with a DC to AC converter. He had made some lobster soup which he shared with me. It was great. Over a cold cerveza he was telling me how he catches halibut in the bay with his new rod and reel. He also was in need of a battery for his lights, TV etc. He said his solar panels were OK. I left before dark for Guerrero Negro.

A place to stay east of El Arco


The cabanas are in the background


The road to El Arco


In Guerrero Negro I stayed at the Malarrimo hotel. Up the next morning I was repacking my truck and met a couple from Australia along with their son. They were a bit disappointed for not getting any stickers at the Baja 1000 race. Sorry I didn’t have any to give them. They were riding motorcycles and had started in Canada and were going to South America. Wow what a trip. As I was getting ready to leave I kept thinking of Pancho and him needing a battery so I decided to get him one. With battery in hand I went back to Pancho’s. He is now a happy camper.

Back on the road it’s down to San Ignacio to the Rice and Beans hotel. I had a good night’s sleep but with the WiFi down I couldn’t use my laptop. After breakfast it’s out to the Laguna. At 23.3 miles the pavement ends. At the mud flats before the Laguna I had to back off the road onto a side section to let a truck pass. Lots of construction. I took the coastal salt flats road south after the Laguna and the paved road at San Juanico around to La Purisima and spent the night in the Posada de Angel hotel. Not bad for 200 pesos. They were full up as a large family group came in after dark.

The end of the pavement


Road construction before Laguna


The Pelicans waiting for breakfast at El Datil


On the way to San Juanico


Monday morning November 18. I’m up and ready for the Comondu road. I zero my odometer at the T intersection east of San Isidro where a left turn takes you to hwy 1 at KM60. The first several miles are really good. I met the construction crew at 6.5 miles. A grader and dozer and several large trucks to haul the rocks away. At 8.2 miles is a short detour. 8.5 miles is the end of construction, a road marker says KM14. At 13.4 miles is a newly constructed lookout tower on the east side. Behind me on the west side is C. Pabellon and you can see a building and tower or antenna pole on top. At 17.7 miles is the cemetery on the left side. 18.4 miles down hill into town. It took me an hour and 40 minutes and that included stopping for pictures.

The La Purisima landmark


The road to Comondu, the first 6.5 miles was like this


The constructon


After the construction area


The lookout tower


C. El Pabellon, you can see the building and tower/antenna


Down into Comondu


In town at the church I met two Canadian couples. Mom, dad, daughter and her husband. The mother was telling me about the daughters dog bit a goat and it was causing a ruckus with the locals. She said the wolf part was coming out in the dog. Now I was picturing a dog that was part wolf and big. But to my surprise the daughter comes up holding a terrier size dog. Well maybe Canadian wolfs are on the small size. After checking out the church and surrounding area I’m back on the road.

At the church




I zeroed my odometer at the church. It’s a narrow uphill road out of town and rough too. At 15.9 miles is Palo Chino, abandoned. 19.2 miles is Monte Alto. At 21 miles a truck is setting on the side with an old man in it. I pull up and ask if he is OK. It won’t start he tells me, sounds like the starter solenoid is bad. So I hook a tow strap up and pull him back to his rancho which I think is Monte Alto, but not really sure. There is another rancho across and a little south of his and he said Tomas lives there. He gave me two beautiful wire woven baskets he had made. They were made with solid copper wire. I gave him some canned food and a sprite soda which he really liked. He also did woodwork making chairs etc. Back on the road and adjusting for my tow work at 23.2 miles is a sign for San Javier. The paved road is at 23.5 miles. It’s down to Loreto and the Desert Inn hotel.

Leaving Comondu


The road



Looking back


Abandoned ranchos along the way


The road to Loreto




After checking in I’m ready for dinner but to my surprise the restaurant and bar are closed. They say there are not enough people to keep it open. So I head over to the malecon and stop at the Oasis hotel and restaurant. I opted to eat in the bar and watch Monday Night Football on the TV.

The hotel


The view from my window


The Loreto Malecon south end


Tuesday I am to meet my friend Bill at the airport. Funny thing happened. I look up how to get to the airport from the Desert Inn on line and I make note of the map. It says go west to Francisco Madera and take it south to the airport. I have a AAA map that says the same thing so off I go. Well it takes me to a dead end. I can see the airport but no way to get there. I go north then west then north and finally find a street to hwy 1. While at the airport I meet a guy named Chris who is in charge of management services for several resorts. He was there to pickup one of his management employees for training at the resort south of town. Anyway Bill and I go back to the hotel then a bit of site seeing and then dinner at Domingo’s formerly El Nidos.

Wednesday we’re off to San Javier to see the mission. Then west following the Baja 1000 race course crossing the arroyo several times before a smooth dirt road to hwy 53. It’s La Paz and the Las Gaviotas Resort the next three nights. In La Paz we go site seeing, stopping at some of the other resort hotels and eating in different restaurants. Another funny thing no one seems to know how to make a Mexican coffee. One place made it from Pina Colada mix and put ice in it. The bartender at the old Tigers Cave restaurant in Ensenada showed me. Rub the coffee cup rim with a lime then dip into sugar and then melt the sugar. Fill with coffee, kahlua and tequila and top with whip cream. No whip cream use Baileys. Once we explained how to make it all was good for a sweet nightcap.

The church


The town


Leaving town our first water crossing


The La Paz ferry


Loading the ferry


Friday we made the loop to Cabo San Lucas. Stopping in Los Barriles to visit a friend. Traffic from San Jose del Cabo to Cabo San Lucas was like driving in LA, no we didn’t take the toll road or fwy or whatever it is. We dropped in at the Solamar hotel and I had probably the best shrimp caviche I’ve ever had. We got lost leaving town for Todos Santos but the friendly folks at various locations showed us the way. It was dark by the time we got back to La Paz and again we got lost getting thru town and again the friendly people pointed us in the right direction.

Saturday it was on the road to Mulege and the pig roast at the Serenidad hotel. Along the way I was interested in how the road paving into Agua Verde was doing. As of now no paving just road grading etc. as seen from hwy 1. Anyway we did not see any sign of a pig being roasted but the waiter assured us it had been earlier. The pig was great, all you could eat, but for me one plate full was enough. Don Johnson came by and set at our table telling stories and exchanging information. It was a good evening and yes they knew how to make a Mexican coffee.

A stop at Puerto Escondido, dry dock. There is a PEMEX there too


Sunday November 24th we drive north stopping at Punta Chivato. The first hotel is closed and the second one a little further might as well be as no one was there except repairmen. One did say we could probably get a room if we stopped in at the office which was on the way in on the dirt road. We opted to move on. A little further north was a paved runway on the east side that Bill had flown into years ago. We went back to it and the military had closed it and was standing guard. We pressed on.

We stopped at Cocos to pick up my motorcycle carrier that fit into my hitch receiver. Coco was doing well and I saw that the 2x2 rubber mats had been laid under his parallel bars so he could walk on them. I gave him one of the wire baskets. He said it was to put eggs in. At Gonzaga Bay we had fish and shrimp tacos at Alfonsina’s. Man are they good. We arrived at the El Capitan hotel in San Felipe around dark.

Cocos



Monday November 25th after breakfast on the Malecon it’s to the border on the toll road to Tecate. Crossing only took us about 30 minutes. Next to LA where I drop Bill off at a storage facility to get his car then I get lost trying to find I-5, I-405 or even the 118. But I finally find the 405 and it’s home to Bakersfield. I had a great time during the two weeks I was in Baja and I could not believe I put 3500 miles on my truck, it must have been all the times I was lost.

TW

[Edited on 12-7-2013 by TW]

Thanks much ...

Jon, south of Loreto.

Here's a little bit wider view... see it about 15 miles south of Loreto...

I did it in my monster van! I was pretty freaked out halfway up, but there's no turning around.



I was not in the right headspace to jump out and take photos on the way up, but here's me starting back down:



-- Geoff

When I see a road like that I just have to try it



-- Geoff

Yes, solar apparently -- as you can see below. Things looked to be in decent shape (if a bit old and weathered) with no obvious weather damage or vandalism. There were some piles of old equipment inside the fence. I didn't poke around too much -- I was mainly up there for the view!



-- Geoff

[Edited on 1-12-2014 by geoffff]

Well, looking back at my photos, I see do some other photos showing power going up the hill. And, those power lines continue down the road towards La Purisma.

And at least some way in the other direction too.

TW.... great report and photos! Loved it....

Coco's