BajaNomad - El Mano Pass, Secret Origins Unveiled

El Mano Pass, Secret Origins Unveiled

Emerson - 12-9-2013 at 05:53 PM

Well, after endless hours of searching the web, digging information, I found it; it makes reference to the actual origin of its name "El Mano"; also it explains in detail when ,why and for what reason that road was built; I found it on a book that you may be interested in, unfortunately it’s in Spanish, it’s called "El Reino de las Calafias", it was written by a local writer that participated in a set of Off Road explorations done in the late 90's early 2000's to several scenic places in the Baja region, all of their trips are backed up with a lot of information about the area's history and tons of detail.
Anyway, the history of the road goes like this, As you may know, most of the land facing east in Sierra de Juarez is called "Cordillera Molina", the Molina family owned most part of the mountain facing the canyon side, they arrived in the area in the early 40's, to everybody surprise, they weren’t the first ones on the area, there was an old gold miner that called himself "El Mano", he lived around the canyon area that later adopted his name; he then died in a mysterious way (?).
During many years of growing cattle in these rocky sections, the Molina family got surrounded by other people and then formed the "Ejido Cordillera Molina" as a set of ranchers in the same area.
Loreto Molina and his sons built some small houses on the foot of the mountain "El Mano" canyon range, in a small oasis filled with Palms, then a couple more the top of the "Cerro Negro" mountain, a black and flat hill; they used to call them "Molina de Abajo" and "Molina de Arriba". (Up & Down)
In the mid 70's a "Compadre" of Molina, was the head of the National Commission for Arid Zones, and he agreed on a request of building a road that connected both upper and lower houses, only connected back then by a primitive horse trail; that meant a significant deal of work thru the Sierra de Juarez, nevertheless, the machinery and workforce was capable to perform the task; at first, the Molina family placed a chain in order to prevent traffic going thru that road, and afterword’s it was left open for normal traffic.
This was the third access road thru the Juarez mountains, first came San Matias Pass, then, La Rumorosa, formerly called "Alducin" Grade; and then last this "Mano" pass...

Its very amazing to learn that that little road, that meant a great deal of investment and labor was built just to help a Compadre back in the day.

We recently did a trip, travelling from Laguna Hanson, east to Rancho Los Pinos and the down thru el Mano pass, getting from Laguna Hanson to Rancho Los Pinos is really confusing, there’s thousands of roads interconnecting and many gated ranchos, we just got kicked out from Rancho Cuevitas, and travelled a very very old road that was very washed out, but hey, without that, the trip was going to be too easy! Once we reached Ranchos Los Pinos and we headed down the condition of the road degraded a bit, due to the races I believe, actually, it’s my second time going thru this road, my first time was I was going up, in the dark!; this time around I could finally appreciate the beautiful scenery of the area, just impressive.

Once in the desert floor, we headed south to Isabel Canyon, we camped on the old Governor House, sometime called Lodge, I just observed PaulW wrote about it, the house and land actually was officially owned by the Head of Natural Resources back on the 80’s; he passed away a couple of years back; that property and lodge was very controversial back in the day. I don’t know, that kind of luxury that far away just gets you thinking, right?
After some web digging, there’s some info available and you can tie knots, and then everything makes sense on why and for who it was built; anyway it’s a nice place to visit! Ha!

Some pics...I hope they work this time

Thanks for reading.
-Emerson.

[Edited on 12-10-2013 by Emerson]

David K - 12-9-2013 at 06:06 PM

Wonderful history! Please contact me to help you with photos.

There is one more old road down the Sierra Juarez: The 'Pole Line Road' built in 1942 from Ensenada to San Felipe utilizing Portezuelo de Jamau, east of Santa Catarina and Independencia. It was for communications to the U.S. radar station at Punta Diggs (near San Felipe/Punta Estrella).

Mexitron - 12-9-2013 at 06:09 PM

Good to know, thanks for digging through all the history. Quite a fun road. I remember seeing both ranchos. I can't get your pix to show up on my computer though.

Emerson - 12-9-2013 at 06:11 PM

Thanks, we did the Pole Line Road on April '12; almost perfect except we got lost on the desert floor looking for the Mano grade entrance, found it, got to the top around 2am, needless to say we couldnt find our way to Laguna Hanson, in the morning we bailed to Heroes de Independencia with the last milliliters of gas we had left, refuled and headed back to Laguna Hanson thru Ojos Negros... will try it again soon!

Photo links, click to view...

David K - 12-9-2013 at 08:23 PM

OK... the secret to using Drop Box to post photos is to use the 'Share Link' URL. On Photobucket.com it is the IMG URL. Thanks to BajaNomad Doug for that info...

Taco de Baja - 12-10-2013 at 08:35 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Emerson
Thanks, we did the Pole Line Road on April '12; almost perfect except we got lost on the desert floor looking for the Mano grade entrance, found it, got to the top around 2am, needless to say we couldnt find our way to Laguna Hanson, in the morning we bailed to Heroes de Independencia with the last milliliters of gas we had left, refuled and headed back to Laguna Hanson thru Ojos Negros... will try it again soon!

Thanks for the history on the El Mano road.

Mexitron and I went down El Mano, went to Agua Caliente, and then did the Pole line at the very beginning of April 2012, so we probably just missed each other!

Did you see all the road repairs and brush trimming we did? :bounce:

[Edited on 12-10-2013 by Taco de Baja]

TMW - 12-10-2013 at 09:07 AM

Really good stuff, thanks. Thanks DK for getting the pictures, beautiful.

Neal Johns - 12-10-2013 at 09:51 AM

Many thanks, I had no idea of the road's history. Been up it a couple of times. Easy to find the bottom on Google Earth. Let's hear it for Google Earth, sure saves gas! :lol:

Neal

DEVEAU - 12-10-2013 at 11:17 AM

I thought there were 4 passes not counting San Matias. We have ridden them over the years.

La Rumorosa
El Mano if that was the SCORE course this year
The Pole Line, we called it the grade
Another North of El Mano, found it about 6 years ago, very steep switchbacks, can see Laguna Salada from the top

Will file a trip report from our Thanksgiving ride this weekend.

Neal Johns - 12-10-2013 at 11:35 AM

DEVEAU,
The Pole Line went over the Jamau Grade (your Grade maybe), Nomad Squarecircle is the only other one I know who has driven it.

DEVEAU - 12-10-2013 at 11:44 AM

We have done it on Motorcycles a few times. My brother swears he can see a road heading due East from the bottom instead of going North toTres Pozas. I think I can see it on my giant wall map, TPC H-22A.

It's the one between El Mano and La Rumorosa I'm wondering about. The year we rode it we had an early start and heading North from Santa Catarina three of us just kept taking every right turn we could. It did not look like El Mano, much straighter drop to the dry lake.

David K - 12-10-2013 at 11:59 AM

The Squarecircle told me of another grade, but I thought it was south of the Pole Line Grade (Portezuelo de Jamau, aka 'The Summit' by SCORE)... You can see it on Google Earth...

Roy, you get the computer working yet?

Maderita - 12-10-2013 at 01:45 PM

Deveau,
When you wrote aboute 4 passes, is "La Rumorosa" referring to the highway (Cantú grade, aka: Alducin)? If so, then add another pass to the list.

There is a dirt road which starts from the La Rumorosa municipal dump and drops down a canyon to the desert floor. It was not gated when I drove it 15+ years ago. It was 2WD, though I used low range for engine braking. I have no idea about the current status.
Does anyone know the name of that road, or the name of the canyon? It may be the north fork of Cañon de Llanos.

David K - 12-10-2013 at 01:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Maderita
Deveau,
When you wrote aboute 4 passes, is "La Rumorosa" referring to the highway (Cantú grade, aka: Alducin)? If so, then add another pass to the list.

There is a dirt road which starts from the La Rumorosa municipal dump and drops down a canyon to the desert floor. It was not gated when I drove it 15+ years ago. It was 2WD, though I used low range for engine braking. I have no idea about the current status.
Does anyone know the name of that road, or the name of the canyon? It may be the north fork of Cañon de Llanos.

That dirt grade from La Rumorosa to the desert was used for the Baja 1000, and I have seen Mexican 4WD clubs post photos of driving it. So, yes... there's another way from top to bottom!

Maderita - 12-10-2013 at 01:52 PM

Yes, a Baja 1000 used that road in the 1990's.

DEVEAU - 12-10-2013 at 01:58 PM

Oops, yes I have ridden both the dirt and paved La Rumorosa. So that's 5 not counting
San Matias. Could be one more in the South.

TMW - 12-10-2013 at 02:25 PM

There is another as David K mentioned south of the summit or pole line road as some refer. It was going to be used in a mid-90s Baja 500 race but too many racers complained on how rough it was. I have driven it and rode it a couple of times several years ago. I call it the south summit. On google earth look for the trail coming out of the wash at the bottom of the summit going SE on the pole line road. It's only maybe 1/4 to 1/2 mile from the wash going west.

TMW - 12-10-2013 at 02:50 PM

Here are the three trails down to the desert floor with El Mono at the top, the Summit in the middle and the lower Summit at the bottom.

David K - 12-10-2013 at 02:59 PM

I found 8 roads from the top of the Sierra Juarez to the desert floor, between the U.S. border and Hwy. 3 (San Matias Pass):

I am going to show you with Google Earth images... stand by.

Hwy. 2-D
Graded dirt road from La Rumorosa
Mano Canyon
Pole Line Road
Dirt Rd. A ('South Summit')? (to Pole Line)
Dirt Rd. B (to Pole Line)
Dirt Rd. C (does not continue all the way into the San Felipe Desert)
Dirt Rd. D (Joins the Arroyo Grande road)

I added a second marker for each of the roads A, B, C, D on the desert side of the grade.

David K - 12-10-2013 at 03:34 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
I found 8 roads from the top of the Sierra Juarez to the desert floor, between the U.S. border and Hwy. 3 (San Matias Pass):

I am going to show you with Google Earth images... stand by.

Hwy. 2-D
Graded dirt road from La Rumorosa
Mano Canyon
Pole Line Road
Dirt Rd. A ('South Summit')? (to Pole Line)
Dirt Rd. B (to Pole Line)
Dirt Rd. C (does not continue all the way into the San Felipe Desert)
Dirt Rd. D (Joins the Arroyo Grande road)

I added a second marker for each of the roads A, B, C, D on the desert side of the grade.

Okay, the darts for the Juarez to Desert roads are blue balloons with a black star. The Pole Line Road road is the blue line, other markers are yellow push pins, not related to this thread.

The entire Sierra Juarez:

The following maps are all oriented westward looking at the mountainside, from the desert side:

Hwy. 2-D and Graded Rumorosa Road (town of La Rumorosa at top):

Mano Canyon Road:

The southern Juarez high view, looking west:

The Jamau/Summit/ Pole Line road and Road A:

The rest, with close ups:

San Matias village is at the top, left of center.

Emerson - 12-10-2013 at 04:16 PM

Wow!
Need to plan a trip to explore the ones I havent gone thru... can we rate the road conditions on these roads, from easy to challenging for a 4x4?

-Emerson.

David K - 12-10-2013 at 04:28 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Emerson
Wow!
Need to plan a trip to explore the ones I havent gone thru... can we rate the road conditions on these roads, from easy to challenging for a 4x4?

-Emerson.

Sure we can! There are lots of levels of dirt roads... I guess I would use maybe these:

Class 1: 2WD in dry weather, graded road.
Class 2: 2WD with extra ground clearance suggested.
Class 3: AWD or 4WD for safety/ traction.
Class 4: 4WD Only.
Class 5: 4WD with locking rear differential or traction control.
Class X: Rock Crawler 4WD with front and rear lockers.

Emerson - 12-10-2013 at 04:40 PM

Heres my score...

Graded dirt road from La Rumorosa - Class 2 to Class 3
Mano Canyon - Class 4
Pole Line Road - Class 4-5
Dirt Rd. A ('South Summit')? (to Pole Line) - Class 5
Dirt Rd. B (to Pole Line) - ?
Dirt Rd. C - ?
Dirt Rd. D - ?

David K - 12-10-2013 at 04:56 PM

Having driven Mano Canyon from the top to the bottom and again from the desert to the lower end... I agree with you. :tumble:

DEVEAU - 12-10-2013 at 05:06 PM

David, thank you. I need to spend some time looking at all those. I think we had Dirt Rd. D in our sights, major locked gate on the West end.

I still think we rode down a graded road ending in the El Palomar area. Would have been only a class 2/3. We may have lucked out and found an unlocked gate.

A,B, and C look real interesting.

We kind of hijacked this thread. Paul W. report is interesting. Deveau

David K - 12-10-2013 at 05:13 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by DEVEAU
David, thank you. I need to spend some time looking at all those. I think we had Dirt Rd. D in our sights, major locked gate on the West end.

I still think we rode down a graded road ending in the El Palomar area. Would have been only a class 2/3. We may have lucked out and found an unlocked gate.

A,B, and C look real interesting.

We kind of hijacked this thread. Paul W. report is interesting. Deveau

This is Emerson's thread, Paul hasn't posted here... However, he also posted about the general's villa ruins, in his thread.

So much Baja... So little time!

PaulW - 12-10-2013 at 05:36 PM

Hi Emerson.
Can you share the links you found especially about the info on Santa Isabel lodge. I will like to read up.
Thanks, Paul Wilson

TMW - 12-10-2013 at 06:10 PM

You do know that almost all the race cars and trucks are 2 wheel drive and they raced over El Mono and the summit this year and NORRA did El Mono. I did El Mono in September and I did not see anywhere 4x4 was needed. The south summit yes if going up it and the PLR there are places for sure but would depend on what the rain did to it.

David K - 12-10-2013 at 06:24 PM

Yes Tom, you are correct. Ken did say however that it was the worst road he's been on (and that would include Mission Santa Maria)! Perhaps he's losing it?

I made the classification not for off road race cars, but instead for production vehicles, except for Class X, naturally.

Sure thing that horsepower, tires, ground clearance and suspension, at speed will get you through most places the rest of us cruise slower, to save parts or ourselves.

PaulW - 12-11-2013 at 12:26 AM

I guess "D" is from hwy3 K ~130 over the mountain then down Canyon Taraiso and on to Arroyo Grande? No longer passable thru AG, but should be passable to the locked gate at Hwy 3 K155. So to make that trip one has to go cross country roadless in a sparse flood zone for about 2.5 miles to get to the Slate mine road and then to K160. That trip is on my to do list.
On GE the track from Tarsiso to the abandoned building called Arroyo Grande looks pretty overgrown?
Paul
===========

Quote:

Originally posted by Emerson
Heres my score...

Graded dirt road from La Rumorosa - Class 2 to Class 3
Mano Canyon - Class 4
Pole Line Road - Class 4-5
Dirt Rd. A ('South Summit')? (to Pole Line) - Class 5
Dirt Rd. B (to Pole Line) - ?
Dirt Rd. C - ?
Dirt Rd. D - ?

TMW - 12-11-2013 at 10:05 AM

Someone posted on here this past year they went down arroyo grande, I think from La Ventana, to Rancho Grande then out to hwy 3 at the locked gate then back tracked and headed east to another gate that was not locked. I seem to remember they did follow Taraiso.

TMW - 12-11-2013 at 10:09 AM

Here it is near the bottom of the first page.

http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=63075

Mexitron - 12-11-2013 at 02:31 PM

I think we tried to go up Dirt Road B from the Pole Line Road but it was completely washed out at a canyon crossing....but we didn't really search to hard for another way around. Taco de Baja would have the coordinates but he's in Egypt on a family vacation.....