BajaNomad - DAY 3 (all posted): 4WD + Helicopter over Baja for 'Trail of Missions' tour, with Cameron Steele

DAY 3 (all posted): 4WD + Helicopter over Baja for 'Trail of Missions' tour, with Cameron Steele

David K - 6-30-2014 at 09:07 PM

Continued from Part 2: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=74342

Thursday, June 26, 2014

I emerged from my Solosports provided tent and wondered what would be in store for this group today!

The plan was to see Junipero Serra's first California mission at the Cochimí Indian site called Velicatá. I would give a lecture on the history, and then fly home with the copter. The caravan was to go to Santa Ynez for lunch, then to Coco's Corner and down Calamajué Canyon (via the mission site) and end the day at Bahia de los Angeles.

Casey's finger injury was serious, and he was going to fly back with me to have the hospital look at what could be done to save it. The day before, he went surfing and the leash cut the end of his finger when a wave took the board.

Everything takes longer with a group of this many vehicles and people, and the fine tuned itinerary/ TV script just required more time. The Coco's Corner/ Calamajué part was dropped and so was my talk at Mission San Fernando. One must be flexible in Baja!

From Punta San Carlos, we drove north, than east and up onto the big mesa for a super photo op. Cameron did a commercial for FOX Shocks (Shox) while we were up there.
On the long road from there to Mission San Fernando, the Raptor I was in got a sidewall gash from a rock in the road (BFG All Terrain TA). To make sure I could get to the mission for the talk, I was transferred to Casey's 2014 4-door Jeep JK he had just picked up from being modified with his suspension and drive train... Including manual locking front hubs!

Casey was driving with one hand, as his finger was well bandaged up.

After many miles on this long, slow road, Cameron instructed Casey and I to get into the copter and let his associate continue to drive the Jeep.

The copter took us over the mission and then landed in a clearing between the mission and El Progreso (Hwy. 1). The support truck for the copter was there to fill it up (top it off). Cameron had the caravan go out to the highway and wait for him, so they didn't get to see the mission or the nearby petroglyphs as planned.

We took off and headed straight for San Quintin and then north to Ensenada airport and on to Brown Field, then El Cajon.

Flying low over the boojum and cardon covered hills was amazing and seeing pools of water down in some canyons was beautiful.

I took a ton of photos, and will try and pick the more interesting ones to share here. Do come back and see as I will be adding a few at a time.

Map showing caravan route from Punta San Carlos to El Progreso on Hwy. 1, near Mission San Fernando:

Casey bragging about finger being just a 'flesh wound'! Then he goes and shows it doesn't take two hands to pilot a Jeep...

Climbing up to the Mesa San Carlos.

The Edge...

In the next installment, I switch rides to Casey's Jeep before we both get into the helicopter.

STAY TUNED!

[Edited on 7-4-2014 by David K]

MMc - 6-30-2014 at 09:29 PM

I'm glad you had fun David, Good on you!!!

ehall - 6-30-2014 at 11:05 PM

beautiful pictures. Is that some of the famous baja single track in the 20th picture?

racingron - 7-1-2014 at 07:34 AM

David-it was good to meet you and enjoy your knowledge of a place close to my heart. Good times and hope to see you in Baja soon amigo. And yes that was my donkey driving that killed that tire. Still not back from the Midwest trip but was worthwhile. Salud!

Ron

David K - 7-1-2014 at 09:07 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by MMc
I'm glad you had fun David, Good on you!!!

Thank you! I am pretty easy to please when I am in Baja... but being part of Cameron's Desert Assassins was 'over-the-top'!

David K - 7-1-2014 at 09:10 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by ehall
beautiful pictures. Is that some of the famous baja single track in the 20th picture?

Cameron was telling us he did ride up that single track from Punta San Carlos (far below). In another photo I took, he is pointing out his ride course.

I will need to look at the Rip to Cabo show (It's on my DVR) to see if that part is mentioned.

David K - 7-1-2014 at 09:19 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by racingron
David-it was good to meet you and enjoy your knowledge of a place close to my heart. Good times and hope to see you in Baja soon amigo. And yes that was my donkey driving that killed that tire. Still not back from the Midwest trip but was worthwhile. Salud!

Ron

Hi Ron, one thing I say is that there is SO MUCH BAJA... and SO LITTLE TIME! I enjoy sharing and am available for Baja talk anytime. I look forward to riding with you again, and perhaps I can show you some special sites down there too?

The Nomads know I am a bit hard on BFG, as it seems I see rock failures all the time. I do respect their support of the off road sport, but I call my criticism 'hard love', or maybe hard rock love!

The new generation All Terrain TA we have seen images of (thanks Ken Cooke and others) looks much stronger.

As I thought, after I got home, Baja Angel (the mrs.) wants to go on one of these trips!

David K - 7-1-2014 at 10:33 AM

Route Map added to end of Part 2: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=74342

More Photos still to come...

I hop into the Jeep and we race towards San Fernando...

David K - 7-1-2014 at 07:56 PM

Casey drives well with one hand!

This is one long long road!

Jeep grab bar "Since 1941"... for Ken Cooke!

Jim McCoy brings the helicopter in to pick us up, as the time is running out for a mission lecture.

Casey gets in front and I sit behind Jim... the view is just as good from the back seat!

These are the cliffs where the petroglyphs are, just west of the mission.

Mission site is the clearing on the left... we are facing east, towards Hwy. 1.

Nearly all gone!

View towards the petroglyph cliff, on the far left as we are over the mission.

Time to refuel, and say goodbye to Cameron and Heidi.

Off to Ensenada...

More to come!

BajaGeoff - 7-2-2014 at 09:49 AM

Nice photos DK!

BajaGeoff - 7-2-2014 at 10:59 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
Cameron was telling us he did ride up that single track from Punta San Carlos (far below). In another photo I took, he is pointing out his ride course.

I will need to look at the Rip to Cabo show (It's on my DVR) to see if that part is mentioned.

The crew did ride up the single track to the top of the mesa with motos last year at Cameron's Surf N Turf ride. The amazing thing? Brian Lopes did it on his bicycle!!

wetto - 7-2-2014 at 12:56 PM

David,

nice photos!

Cork would approve.

David K - 7-2-2014 at 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by wetto
David,

nice photos!

Cork would approve.

Her spirite (Corke/ Choral Pepper) is with me indeed!

Thank you!

I will try and get the remaining photos posted tonight.

Bob H - 7-2-2014 at 04:22 PM

Good stuff David !!

BajaBlanca - 7-2-2014 at 05:21 PM

what an amazing trip!

Over the desert hills east of El Rosario

David K - 7-2-2014 at 10:26 PM

Cerro Matomí:

Nearing the coast by El Socorro:

El Socorro and its airstrip:

Los Pinos Tomatoes

Bahia San Quintin

San Quintin Pemex

More to come, stay tuned!

North from San Quintin...

David K - 7-3-2014 at 12:57 PM

Canyon where Mission Santo Domingo is.

Punta Camalu

Rock Farmers

Highway to Meling Ranch and San Pedro Martir Observatory.

Pemex near the Observatory road (San Telmo de Abajo)

New Colonet motel

Colonet south side

Colonet north side, bridge over Arroyo San Rafael.

Ejido Erendira

Punta Cabras

San Juan de las Pulgas Cult (?) facility

Santo Tomas valley

Turning for Ensenada...

More to come... :bounce:

BajaGeoff - 7-3-2014 at 01:01 PM

Awesome!

Ateo - 7-3-2014 at 01:22 PM

Very cool aerial photos David. They will be useful in the future to answer questions Nomads have about certain areas.

motoged - 7-3-2014 at 01:53 PM

David,
Seeing Baja from up top is a real treat.....makes a guy want to spend more time there.

Thanks. :saint:

[Edited on 7-3-2014 by motoged]

Neal Johns - 7-3-2014 at 11:02 PM

DK, I have been in Nevada for two weeks and nearly missed this. After due consideration, I think I hate you!

Neal - come up again?

David K - 7-4-2014 at 09:29 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Neal Johns
DK, I have been in Nevada for two weeks and nearly missed this. After due consideration, I think I hate you!

Neal - come up again?

Oh, want to extort some more secrets out of me, do you? :lol:

Helicopter is great for exploring for lost missions and lost graves! The charge for use in Mexico is $700/ hour.

It can hold three passengers, so divided up, that's just $233 an hour! :light:

GregN - 7-4-2014 at 09:47 AM

Looks like you had a great time.

Ensenada to USA via helicopter

David K - 7-4-2014 at 11:49 AM

Wild horses?

That's Punta Banda on the far left.

San Carlos Hot Springs Canyon

Isla Todos Santos

Ensenada (El Cipres) Airport

Estero Beach

El Sauzal

Toll Road Repair

Tuna pens

Natural Gas Facility

Baja Mar

La Salina (sand seems to have blocked boat passage?)

We weren't the only ones flying!

Beach camp

La Mision valley

La Fonda?

Only one camper?!

El Descanso mission next to that church.

Cantamar

See helicopter pad behind private bullfighting/ rodeo arena?

We found Jesus...

We leave the coast and follow near the Corredor 2000

Our shadow

Tijuana Olympic Training Facility, next to airport

Brown Field where we land to return to the USA.

El Cajon

YES, it was fun!!!

These were only some of the over 600 photos I took... If anyone would like to see them all, u2u me for a link to the albums (2) for the trip photos.

TMW - 7-4-2014 at 12:01 PM

Excellent DK, thanks

David K - 7-5-2014 at 04:43 PM

The pleasure was all mine!

willyAirstream - 7-6-2014 at 06:44 AM

Wow, great report! ThX

David K - 7-6-2014 at 07:22 PM

It was totally my pleasure! I hope I can do more 'hovering over Baja' trip reports, but if not I will appreciate the "once-in-a-lifetime" experience that Cameron Steele offered me!

drex - 8-5-2014 at 08:48 PM

Fascinating to see areas from the air that I've travelled by motorcycle. I'm longing to return!

Thank you David!

Bichito - 8-5-2014 at 09:10 PM

WOW - beautiful! Thank you for sharing those pics. Missions? All I would be thinking about is how many boards I could fit in that thing.

David K - 8-6-2014 at 08:10 AM

LOL... It is a 4 seat copter and available to rent... $400/ hour in Mexico (only $300 in the U.S.). Great pilot too... Jim McCoy!

David K - 10-31-2014 at 09:23 AM

Just saw the 'Trail of Missions' TV show listed on CBS Sports schedule: http://www.cbssportsnetwork.com/schedule/cbssn
These times are EASTERN, so check your local time for the CBS Sports Network on Direct TV or Cable to set your DVR:
Sun. Nov. 9 @ 7 pm;
Mon. Nov. 10 @ 2 am (possibly Sun. Nov. 9 @ 11 pm Pacific time);
Mon. Nov. 10 @ 10 pm;
Tue. Nov. 11 @ 4 am.
This is the TV special filmed last June that I was flown by helicopter to Baja to spend 3 days with Cameron Steele and his group of Ford Raptor and other truck owners who drove to Cabo San Lucas and visited the old Spanish mission sites in Baja, as described in my recent book: The Old Missions of Baja & Alta California 2nd Edition I have no idea how many seconds they filmed of me will be used, while I described the history at two mission sites for the group of about 50 people on the Trail of Missions tour.

güéribo - 10-31-2014 at 10:10 AM

Great post!

Hope you'll provide an internet link when the TV special airs, for those of us without TV. Sounds fascinating.

David K - 12-13-2018 at 07:00 PM

Quote: Originally posted by gï¿½ï¿½ribo

Great post!

Hope you'll provide an internet link when the TV special airs, for those of us without TV. Sounds fascinating.

Yes! https://vimeo.com/111078106 (password is mission or missions)