BajaNomad

Odd spot for a 'Rock Wall'

Fatboy - 7-17-2015 at 09:23 AM

There is what appears to be a rock wall running down to the beach here.

I do not see any roads in the area or ranchos.

Has any Nomads been here?

Any ideas as to why it is there?

It is marked as 'Hmmmm' on this shot....


Wide angle.jpg - 124kB

Fatboy - 7-17-2015 at 09:25 AM

Zooming in....



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Fatboy - 7-17-2015 at 09:29 AM

Closer view and a view from looking up from the beach....


image 5.jpg - 131kBbeach.jpg - 76kBbeach 2.jpg - 136kB

StuckSucks - 7-17-2015 at 10:35 AM

Just curious, but why do you think this is a rock wall? I agree that this appears to be man-made - are we looking at the shadow of a ditch? Also, is that black line to the northeast related in any way?

https://goo.gl/maps/PokdW

StuckSucks - 7-17-2015 at 10:39 AM

To support you fence/wall argument Fatboy, there appears to be an opening on the east end with a clear trail leading thru the opening.

David K - 7-17-2015 at 11:07 AM

It is actually a well known oddity... The fishing boats all see it as they go by, too.

See this thread in 2012, scroll down: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=64241

We both covered it similarly!

There are many mystery walls in the region... The ones 2 miles from Las Animas Bay were reported on in 1966 by Choral Pepper, as a possible lost mission site for Santa Maria Magdalena: http://vivabaja.com/109 for more on those walls.

[Edited on 7-17-2015 by David K]

TMW - 7-17-2015 at 11:18 AM

I was thinking that sometime when I'm at Panchos and there is a fishing crew there I would get them to take me to the wall and check it out.

larryC - 7-17-2015 at 12:25 PM

I first saw that wall in the mid 70's from my boat. We stopped and looked at it for awhile trying to figure out what it could be intended for. It appears to be about 4' tall and quite long maybe a half mile or so. What got me wondering later is that where the wall is located is not a rocky hillside. almost as it some one brought those rocks there from somewhere else to build the wall. Then thinking about it some more I wondered why someone would build it. Maybe to keep cattle or goats from wandering off, but it is open on both the east and west end. Maybe it was going to be a giant corral and was just never completed.
Quien sabe?
Larry

Fatboy - 7-17-2015 at 12:35 PM
Quote:

Just curious, but why do you think this is a rock wall? I agree that this appears to be man-made - are we looking at the shadow of a ditch? Also, is that black line to the northeast related in any way?


I do not know what it is hence the quote marks around rock wall in my post...:)
Quote:

It is actually a well known oddity... The fishing boats all see it as they go by, too.


The reason I like this sight....you can actually get answers! Gonna go read that read in a minute!
Quote:

The ones 2 miles from Las Animas Bay were reported on in 1966 by Choral Pepper, as a possible lost mission site for Santa Maria Magdalena

Yes that is an interesting site...when I hiked up there a number of years ago I cam across a rock that looked like a + or a cross scratched in it....I wish I had the pictue but it was on a hard drive that crashed :?:
Quote:

I first saw that wall in the mid 70's from my boat. We stopped and looked at it for awhile trying to figure out what it could be intended for. It appears to be about 4' tall and quite long maybe a half mile or so. What got me wondering later is that where the wall is located is not a rocky hillside. almost as it some one brought those rocks there from somewhere else to build the wall. Then thinking about it some more I wondered why someone would build it. Maybe to keep cattle or goats from wandering off, but it is open on both the east and west end. Maybe it was going to be a giant corral and was just never completed.

Ahhhh the mystery deepens, tall..appears to serve no real purpose...rocks possibly carried there....

You know if I was of the religious type that is what I would wish for a heaven ,,,, an answer to the mysteries in this universe

TMW - 7-17-2015 at 12:37 PM

Larry is the hill side steep?

StuckSucks - 7-17-2015 at 12:37 PM

David K: you meant to say http://www.vivabaja.com/109/

David K - 7-17-2015 at 12:46 PM

Quote: Originally posted by StuckSucks  
David K: you meant to say http://www.vivabaja.com/109/


YES, of course... THANK YOU! I guess I NEED a vacation!!! :light::lol:

Why would someone build it?

AKgringo - 7-17-2015 at 12:50 PM

Could it have been built by shepherds with time on their hands to improve the pasture land? That would possibly explain why there are no loose rocks around it.

I would like to visit it someday, but it sounds like it is non-drivable in my SUV.

David K - 7-17-2015 at 12:51 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Fatboy  

Quote:

Just curious, but why do you think this is a rock wall? I agree that this appears to be man-made - are we looking at the shadow of a ditch? Also, is that black line to the northeast related in any way?


I do not know what it is hence the quote marks around rock wall in my post...:)
Quote:

It is actually a well known oddity... The fishing boats all see it as they go by, too.


The reason I like this sight....you can actually get answers! Gonna go read that read in a minute!
Quote:

The ones 2 miles from Las Animas Bay were reported on in 1966 by Choral Pepper, as a possible lost mission site for Santa Maria Magdalena

Yes that is an interesting site...when I hiked up there a number of years ago I cam across a rock that looked like a + or a cross scratched in it....I wish I had the pictue but it was on a hard drive that crashed :?:
Quote:

I first saw that wall in the mid 70's from my boat. We stopped and looked at it for awhile trying to figure out what it could be intended for. It appears to be about 4' tall and quite long maybe a half mile or so. What got me wondering later is that where the wall is located is not a rocky hillside. almost as it some one brought those rocks there from somewhere else to build the wall. Then thinking about it some more I wondered why someone would build it. Maybe to keep cattle or goats from wandering off, but it is open on both the east and west end. Maybe it was going to be a giant corral and was just never completed.

Ahhhh the mystery deepens, tall..appears to serve no real purpose...rocks possibly carried there....

You know if I was of the religious type that is what I would wish for a heaven ,,,, an answer to the mysteries in this universe





Here are the Las Animas walls... and they were made from rocks on the slope... as there is quite a clearing close to the walls...




As you can see, they are not very tall... perfect for sitting!

StuckSucks - 7-17-2015 at 12:54 PM

Thanks everybody - I have a new Baja destination.

David K - 7-17-2015 at 01:28 PM

Baja is a GREAT place to explore, and see what humans did in the desert hundreds or thousands of years ago!!!

In the future, someone will wonder what the purpose of many things we build!

larryC - 7-17-2015 at 04:31 PM

Quote: Originally posted by TMW  
Larry is the hill side steep?


As I remember it was fairly steep and you can see from the GE shots that it doesn't appear that they used local surrounding rocks to build the thing as they did at the animas walls that David is sitting on. I have only been there by boat so maybe an up close inspection is in order. November through April would be good months to go down there.

TMW - 7-17-2015 at 06:16 PM

Thanks, it's probably worth a sight visit to check out further.

AKgringo - 7-17-2015 at 06:23 PM

I plan on being in that general area some time from mid October through November, and would like to see if I can get near the wall.

I will bring this thread back up when I firm up a date I would prefer company (or at least back up) so if anyone else is going to be near there about that time, give a shout out!

monoloco - 7-17-2015 at 06:50 PM

Those old straight walls were commonly built to delineate the borders of land parcels. There are several of them near me in Pescadero.

AKgringo - 7-17-2015 at 07:46 PM

Quote: Originally posted by monoloco  
Those old straight walls were commonly built to delineate the borders of land parcels. There are several of them near me in Pescadero.


Got to admit, they would work a lot better than survey stakes and monuments! It sure begs the question of by whom, and when were they built?

[Edited on 7-18-2015 by AKgringo]

larryC - 7-17-2015 at 08:16 PM

Quote: Originally posted by monoloco  
Those old straight walls were commonly built to delineate the borders of land parcels. There are several of them near me in Pescadero.


Who knows, but I can think of a lot of less labor intensive ways to mark property. Might be fun to organize a trip down there, camp at Pancho's and go out exploring from there. Pancho may know of a way to get into that area. If not the halibut fishing off Pancho's beach is really good.

KaceyJ - 7-17-2015 at 08:39 PM

Quote: Originally posted by larryC  
Quote: Originally posted by monoloco  
Those old straight walls were commonly built to delineate the borders of land parcels. There are several of them near me in Pescadero.


Who knows, but I can think of a lot of less labor intensive ways to mark property. Might be fun to organize a trip down there, camp at Pancho's and go out exploring from there. Pancho may know of a way to get into that area. If not the halibut fishing off Pancho's beach is really good.



I think, to put things in perspective , In the days of old , when people didn't hesitate to do work that most cannot comprehend/fathom and/or refuse to do today , building a corral or property marker, with the materials nature provided, was a given and not a second thought was wasted on how hard or inefficient the work necessary was.

Looking close, near the walls, you can see trails . Most likely cattle trails.

That is what I see any how

David K - 7-17-2015 at 08:46 PM

Those rocks are not light! It was an 'army' effort, on steep hillsides, in the desert... limited or no water to drink.

There needs to be some answer... I was tempted to write to that guy who did the America Unearthed TV series... but he never found any real answers and I don't think he tried to solve mysteries outside the U.S.?

Baja is a wonderland for these things: strange walls, lost graves, vanished missions... YA!

woody with a view - 7-18-2015 at 06:17 PM

Nomads left a place called Nasca in South America and headed north for greener pastures. When they arrived at this place in the far north they started in with their craft. Ultimately they realize it's too damn hot and their tribe was lost to the eons.