BajaNomad

Mulege - La Ballena via Arroyo San Raymundo info

captain.olives - 1-12-2016 at 12:13 PM

Anyone have any current information on the route from Mulege to La Ballena? I havent done it in a number of years and two winters ago a gentleman by the name of AL we met in Mulege said it was no longer passable after the last Hurricane.

Is this still the case for a small group of experienced riders on dirtbikes?

Also interested in any information on the route over to San Isidro/La Purisma from El Rosarito just to the south (never done it).

Thanks in advance for the info. Cant wait to get back to Baja! :bounce:



[Edited on 1-12-2016 by captain.olives]

willyAirstream - 1-12-2016 at 12:41 PM

We went from Mulege to Guadalupe this last Sunday, see post down from this post. 16 Motos, including novice and a road bike had no problems. There is the usual sand, silt and rocks and more than usual water crossings. Nothing that gave anybody trouble, except the road bike. We turned after 80k or so to Guadalupe, but others have recently drove to SJ on dirt bikes. It was very difficult 2 years ago, I think that is what Al was referring to. The San Isidro/La Purisma from El Rosarito route is fine, no problems. Here are some links for ya

http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=81296
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=81340
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=79402#pid9890...


do a search for more

ps i will have a video of road conditions soon

David K - 1-12-2016 at 12:47 PM

Thanks for posting those great links Richard!

willyAirstream - 1-12-2016 at 12:48 PM

They were just on the tip of my tongue jajaja

MulegeAL - 1-12-2016 at 01:27 PM

Cap.o:

Yeah, San Raymundo wash is passable, just miles of rocka. Look for the shortcut over the Mesa to Ejido Cadeje, they've got drinks on ice in the mercado. Assuming you are looping south that is.

The routes north of there in the San Pedro and San Tado washes are extremely rough up high and above San Jaun de la Pila, I have no knowledge of anyone having ridden through either of those since Odile that had any fun, maybe a couple tough guys who said "boulders the size of houses, got in at 10 PM" Last two guys I saw make that transit were rancheros going back to San Pedro/San Marcos, and they were on mules.

Safe and happy travels!


[Edited on 1-12-2016 by MulegeAL]

captain.olives - 1-13-2016 at 07:37 AM

Al, thanks! Will have a group of 15 or so folks coming through Mulege the week after next. Stop by and have a beer on us. Myself and two others may trail by a day, just depends how "successful" we are on the no wimps trail. :D I'm sending the rest of the group on easy an route. Even if I am trailing, introduce yourself and tell them CJ or the "#$^%&" guy n the cowboy said y'all would buy me a beer. They will laugh AND buy you a beer.

Willyairstream, thanks for the info and links! If I am reading correctly, it looks like I can send folks that dont want or have the desire for a challenge out the San Isidro/La Purisma route?

I led a small break off group on the route from Comundu to San Isidro last year. The previous year I had bombed it at near freeway speeds. Last year had to slow way down to negotiate a number of washouts and boulders. Less fun on a 650 thumper after riding for all day.... but good times and stories. Its also why I like coming on this forum to read first hand from folks that have actually experienced it recently since conditions seem to change so drastically.

Thanks again for everyone's help! If you see an XR650 with a cowboy hat strapped to the rear fender, flag me down and first drink is on me!

BTW, AL. Did that race ever get off the ground at the track you showed us up near the airport?

willyAirstream - 1-13-2016 at 08:05 AM

Capt O, yes, the south route via La Purisima would be easier, on the other hand, last July our group had 24 motos , 4 of which were novice riders and all made it. When you are approaching Mulege, before the first tope, on the right is a moto shop, stop in and say hi to Daniel and Pac. They have done these trips and will have the very latest info. ( baja mil winners). Have fun.

MulegeAL - 1-13-2016 at 08:42 AM

The San Isidro route east to hwy 1 is doable and very scenic in with the afternoon sun to your back. Rough on top like everything around here, but not tuff ruff. Done early leaves more time for cervesas at Buenaventura.

The route north through Rio de Janerio is very tough on top and there are two of them (pasos) to cross. Roadbed is heavily eroded, rocks up to bread loaf size, loose here and there, off camber, etc. Not easy at all.

The local track has been a lot of fun. Trophied a year ago, then trophy got wrecked by Odile flood, even though I had it 8 feet off the floor. Now have a bigger loop track to the SW and other stuff in the greater 'hood.

MulegeAL - 1-13-2016 at 08:44 AM

The San Isidro route east to hwy 1 is doable and very scenic with the afternoon sun to your back. Rough on top like everything around here, but not tuff ruff. Done early leaves more time for cervesas at Buenaventura.

The route north through Rio de Janerio is very tough on top and there are two of them (pasos) to cross. Roadbed is heavily eroded, rocks up to bread loaf size, loose here and there, off camber, etc. Not easy at all.

The local track has been a lot of fun. Trophied a year ago, then trophy got wrecked by Odile flood, even though I had it 8 feet off the floor. Now have a bigger loop track to the SW and other stuff in the greater 'hood.



[Edited on 1-13-2016 by MulegeAL]

willyAirstream - 1-13-2016 at 09:16 AM

When are you coming down?

MulegeAL - 1-13-2016 at 10:20 AM

Next week...

willyAirstream - 1-13-2016 at 10:54 AM

chilo

fourninerpapa - 1-13-2016 at 12:29 PM

We took that route last Saturday. We had three rigs, a jeep rubicon, stock chev 2 dr tracker and a converted to 4x4 chevy van.
We left Mulege about 10am and set up camp around 15 miles east of la ballena because it was going to be dark soon.We proceeded to La Parisima the next day.
Lots of stream crossings with lots of rocks. The tracker had street tires and got a hole in the sidewall of one tire. Other than the flat tire and slow travel time it was a great trip.
We returned via highway 53 ( Santo Domingo) to San Javier and on to Loreto.

Gulliver - 1-13-2016 at 09:45 PM

Please read the trip reports.

I posted a report on Raymundo just a few weeks ago and returned via the Isidro to Rt. 1 route.

http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=81296

If my reports of road conditions are not wanted or read I will not clutter up the board with them.

(Cranky tonight.)



captain.olives - 1-13-2016 at 11:49 PM

We will be coming through early the week of the 1/25. And the offer of the first drink is sincere! Always enjoy meeting folks, having a drink (or 2 or 3.....) while sharing Baja stories!

Great tip on the moto shop out on the hwy.

motoged - 1-14-2016 at 12:03 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Gulliver  
Please read the trip reports.....
If my reports of road conditions are not wanted or read I will not clutter up the board with them.

(Cranky tonight.)


Gulliver,
Lots of folks seem to not do all their own research...

Sure has been a flurry of Mulege ride reports over past month....not every one is glued to BN like some of us :biggrin: ...


Go check your doo-hickey , realize that that all is well in the universe...and rest in the comfort that you have been out there riding places only some folks dream about.

Or.....just think:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Iwu-6GxBHN4

[Edited on 1-14-2016 by motoged]

Gulliver - 1-14-2016 at 05:50 AM

No doo-hickey on a DR-350. And no cooling water to worry about either. (Grinding of KLR teeth heard in the background.)

Yes, lots of activity in this area. Of course there would be. All the other riding in Baja is boring! Har.

Semi-seriously, there is an amazing amount of information already out there in the back posts so please do a bit of looking about before asking us to do all of your research for you.

I love to ride. Love almost as much to pass on information and even like to informally lead visitors through some of the confusing bits.

Don't hesitate to ask for updates if the proferred information seems out of date.

willyAirstream - 1-14-2016 at 09:21 AM

Gulliver, your great trip report link was posted in my first post above. The search function can be confusing as many posts go off topic, many posts are not described properly and people use different names for the same place, like scorpion bay/san juanico etc. I go to my subscription list or my favorite list and easily find relative posts.
Getting back on topic....The good news is that we are planning another group trip in feb!! Mulege, the base for off road adventure.!

willyAirstream - 1-14-2016 at 09:47 AM

Here is a moto video by Pac from Buckovecs moto shop. This is going over the first pass, from sunday, 4 days ago.

https://youtu.be/WBOU84U42jU

David K - 1-14-2016 at 10:07 AM

Quote: Originally posted by willyAirstream  
Here is a moto video by Pac from Buckovecs moto shop. This is going over the first pass, from sunday, 4 days ago.

https://youtu.be/WBOU84U42jU


Thanks! Near the end, I think I saw a young güérivo tree?
The güérivo trees in those mountains are what Padre Juan de Ugarte used to build the first ship in California, El Triunfo de la Cruz launched on Sept. 14, 1720, in Mulegé. The Indians who lived up where the trees were asked Ugarte for a mission of their own... so that is why Mission Guadalupe de Huasinapí was founded up there.

willyAirstream - 1-14-2016 at 10:29 AM

Interesting,. What is the time mark?

David K - 1-14-2016 at 10:55 AM

Quote: Originally posted by willyAirstream  
Interesting,. What is the time mark?


The end, after Minute 6... Looks like them or maybe Palo Blanco at 6:15 before he turns to the left?

Here is a photo I took of a bigger one, south of La Paz in 2001 as shown to me by Jimmy Smith...



(behind the tall palms)

motoged - 1-14-2016 at 12:16 PM

Richard,
Thanks for posting the video......the green bikes make it look like that stretch is difficult....maybe just a Kawi thing, huh? :biggrin:

That area is some of the prettiest on that route....first time I rode it on my GS1100 in 2001 was with a group of other Beemer riders I led ....we were all amazed to see the cemented cobblestone sections out there.....we then continued north and east over to Magdelena....did it twice as some missed it the first day and heard our rave reviews of the loop.

Really too bad the canyon west of Magdelena washed out....such a great loop.

All my pics from those days are slides.....but I have helmet cam of most of that loop on a video tape somewhere.....will dig it out sometime.

willyAirstream - 1-14-2016 at 01:08 PM

The kawis , one 16 yo girl, one 30 something girl, booth novices. They were pretty amazing, just toughed it out and keep going. The cobble stone area has 3 graders parked there and they are rebuilding that section. There are 3 and 4 foot drop offs that are temporarily ramped with loose dirt. Should be fine in a week, use caution there. E bay has slide holders that let you take a pic of your slides, they work great and are cheap.
Two father daughter teams on this trip. The youngest girl out drove her papa and he was not a happy camper.

motoged - 1-14-2016 at 02:19 PM

Quote: Originally posted by willyAirstream  
E bay has slide holders that let you take a pic of your slides, they work great and are cheap.
Two father daughter teams on this trip. The youngest girl out drove her papa and he was not a happy camper.


Richard,
I can scan and digitize the slides as well.....just a matter of time.

No harm meant re: hard hill.....it's getting out there that counts...and I realized the riders were likely novice riders.... :saint:

willyAirstream - 1-14-2016 at 02:25 PM

Can{t wait till you get down here for some adventures.

motoged - 1-14-2016 at 02:39 PM

Keep the cerveza in the cooler....I likely won't be down until next December....I thought I could make a quick May trip but the Canadian $$ is in the toilet....but December for sure....and it is around that time or January when my suggestion for a several day loop (Mulege-Juanico-Purisma-San Xavier- San Nicolas) will come to some form of fruition.....even if its a half dozen folks (ideal #).

Gulliver - 1-14-2016 at 08:42 PM

The girl who rode faster than her dad is a fairly fast racer and her dad had been off the bike for most of the last year. At the picnic he saw an airliner far over head and started to yell. "Come down here and give me a ride!" His wrists were hurting.

The terrain was not that difficult but a couple of less experienced riders were just going a bit too slow on that loose rock climb and got sideways.

Plus this was not a speed ride at all. We were stopping for long breaks and waiting for a few first timers who were doing exactly the right thing. Going at their own pace. I completely approve.

I just passed on a whole bunch of stills and a few rough videos to willyairstream and he will be posting probably.

I dunno if anyone has posted this but a 29 year old woman street rider from Alaska showed up as we were about to depart the shop with a minor bike problem. Daniel stowed her CBR600 Honda in the shop and she rode the first half of the trip in a baja bug and then I jumped into the bug as a passenger (terrifying!) and she rode my DR-350 back including some fairly fast night desert riding.

Her name is Nikki Misurelli and she is on her way South. Perhaps to South America. She is on Facebook and last I heard she is on the mainland. Good rider and a good sport. She has a boy friend. Sorry guys.

The still photos were taken by her. The non-helmet videos, sad to say, are by me. It was a weird ride for me because I would video everyone passing a nice spot and then ride like an idiot to get ahead of the thundering herd to video some more. Damned near bit it a couple of times. 50 is too fast for that road. Even on the flat sections! Plus at least for or five of the riders are twice as good of riders as I am. Let's hear it for Ibuprofen!


[Edited on 1-15-2016 by Gulliver]