Anybody travelled from La Ballena to Mulege lately? I have a full size Chevy 4X with a Callen camper. Your thoughts?woody with a view - 11-9-2014 at 07:20 PM
i heard here that is was not passable in a vehicle, only motos or horses. try the search function and i'm sure you'll find something.ElCap - 11-9-2014 at 08:24 PM
I did it a few years back. It was a fantastic trip, but lots of the 'road' was arroyo cobbles, plus quite a few steep grades up and down. I agree
with Woody, I've heard not passable all the way across now with all the hurricane damage the past few years. But there are ranchos up there, and they
have to get in and out.TecateRay - 11-10-2014 at 06:35 AM
Thanks for the info. Maybe I'll get down there someday on my moto and try it. Looks like the long drive around for me after the race.Pescador - 11-10-2014 at 07:27 AM
We did it last year before the hurricane, have not heard anything recent. The Guadalupe mission road is only open to Mulege and the road through San
Jose de Magdelena will probably never be opened again. The canyon was almost filled with huge boulders and they tried to blast a few of them but gave
up.MulegeAL - 11-10-2014 at 08:32 AM
Just talked with Mulege local who has familia back there and in the valley to the south, up the San Martin drainage.
The word from him is that the road is not passable from Mulege to La Ballena, it may be open up to the Mission Guadelupe area from Mulege, but not
sure.
I suspect there is heavy flood damage for miles of arryo on the west side, or unrepaired damage up high on the San Raymundo wash.
If you go through Cadeje ask at the store about road conditions to Mulege and up the San Raymundo wash, how far east can you get, we'd all appreciate
an update!
FYI, the store owner has radio if you need to contact ranchos up the valleys or people up/dwn the coast.motoged - 11-10-2014 at 10:37 AM
Al,
I think it is your moral responsibility to spark up the 650 and go see what's up out there.....
All of us who have been out there need current intel......
Reminiscing about previous trips is nice.... but .....
'09 San Raymundo:
MulegeAL - 11-10-2014 at 05:25 PM
If I had knobs on the ground there I'd attempt it, hence today's call to local pal with mucho experience in the area. 600 is waiting for suspension
part that wore out riding in baja (imagine that!). I expect to hear from someone on ADV or similar who attempts this before I show up.
The real bummer in all this is that if true there remains no route out the back door of Mulege to the north, south or west! The other 3 ways out are
washed out or so rough and narrow that the rancheros are back to mules and burros for transit over the high escarpments. La Purisima would be the
only route over. Maybe someone from San Juanico knows better than I do at this point in time.
Your pics are nice and they are 3 hurricane floods ago! New signs at the junction last year, wonder if they blew down in Odile?Russ - 11-13-2014 at 07:34 AM
Some friends went to the cave paintings early this week and reported the road was in good shape. They went a bit farther to the ponds we call the
swimming hole and found they were washed away. Still had running water but the deep water hole was gone
fourninerpapa - 2-18-2015 at 07:05 PM
We are considering this trip next week from Mulege to San Juanico. We have a Jeep Rubicon. Any updates on road condition would be appreciated.4x4abc - 2-18-2015 at 07:43 PM
so, where is La Ballena?woody with a view - 2-18-2015 at 07:58 PM
west of mulege, north of juanico.Gulliver - 2-18-2015 at 08:03 PM
I'm headed out that way on a moto this weekend. I went looking out there today and the damage has been so heavy even within five miles of Mulege that
I couldn't find the right way through. All of the roads West from here were mostly in the washes and Odile washed them.
Pac from the bike shop has said he will go guide me out past the wash damage. New fences and gates everywhere.motoged - 2-18-2015 at 08:45 PM
Harald,
La Ballena is a T-junction on the coastal road north of Guademe (sp?)
It has no buildings in the immediate area, but there are ranchos east on the San Raymundo road that "used to be there"....
If you have a Baja Almanac or equally good map, look for San Raymundo (an area more than a specific location).woody with a view - 2-18-2015 at 08:51 PM
Cadeje! Guademe is the Canuckdian translation!motoged - 2-18-2015 at 09:22 PM
Thanks Woody....it occurs to me that Guademe is the route from west of Mulege south to San Isidro.....or something like that....Willy (Ex) Airstream
will chime in as he has done that route....
Canuckian for " That's what I think" willyAirstream - 2-18-2015 at 10:19 PM
Friends did the Mulege to San Juanico trip last week in a 90s Cherokee, with a 6 month old baby. They had no problems. (Actually SR to Mulege)
They also went to La Prisima, but not over the mountains as it wasnt passable. They went via the highway to km 62, then due west. No problems. Then
side tracked to Paso Hondo, no problems.
Still for sale Ged
Gulliver, I will be going out there Sunday, if you want to meet up, drop a u2u, Al might want to go also.David K - 2-18-2015 at 11:12 PM
Ballena del Raymundo is the AAA name...
It's right on the fold crease of my map...
motoged - 2-19-2015 at 12:26 AM
David,
If you look closely at the map, the "Ballena Road" would be along the "Arroyo San Raymundo"David K - 2-19-2015 at 08:35 AM
David,
If you look closely at the map, the "Ballena Road" would be along the "Arroyo San Raymundo"
Yes, and here is the 1962 map that shows the rancho as 'San Raymundo (La Ballena)':
MulegeAL - 2-19-2015 at 09:11 AM
Yeah, San Raymundo is passable, lots of water crossings west side.
I went south over Chuparrosas, very rough sharp tire eating rocks for the entire paso both sides. And on south across the llano to the next paso
south, same deal, paso roadbed is heavily eroded, worse than last season. I rank it difficult with good bike/good rider, as the ground was still
moist from our big rains last week. Rancheros guys are parking at the corral at the bottom and riding up, they're not driving into the upper mesa for
their work up high.
I would rank it very difficult/not much fun now, as the passes have dried out and are loosening up. That area did not get the rains we got in Mulege
on Sunday.
