BajaNomad

2 months in Baja

mickeykreg - 1-8-2017 at 11:18 AM

I hope it's ok to place this here.
We leave on Saturday and I wanted to throw my plan out there in hopes of meeting up with other Nomader's. My karma tells me it'd be appropriate to buy some beers as a thank you for the big help this site has been in planning (especially David K). Also been using Walt Peterson book, and Baja Almanac to plan.
My Baja experience is limited to a backpack/hitchhike/bus trip I did in 2005. That report is posted here: Fretwater. In '05 I remember thinking if I ever came back to Baja it'd be with a truck and lots of time, so here's the plan.
We plan to take about two weeks to get to Los Barriles where we have a house rented for the month of Feb., then 10 days or so to get back north in March.
The trip south will hopefully include camps in the Erendira area, and Punta Baja south to P San Carlos. Back to El Rosario for gas then a few days to cross the Catavina area with a backpack trip into Misson (Impossible) Santa Maria. Nights in BdLA, San Francisquito, El Arco, Bahia Asuncion (hope to meet you Shari), and P Abreojos. Maybe look at some property for sale in the Ascunsion area too if it works out.
A few nights around Bahia Conception, the mountains around Comondu, Ligui, then pick up the pace into L. Barriles on Feb 1st.
I'd love to meet some of you, and would love any trip suggestions. We're hoping to scout out an ocean front place to buy under 150K. Ascunsion sounds good. If anybody has any info on something that maybe for sale in the next year or so let me know. I'll be sure to post the full report after the trip.

Thanks again, Mick

David K - 1-8-2017 at 12:18 PM

Sounds great! Bahia Asuncion is a special place indeed. Shari will be a great connection for you guys.
Doug may move this to the Q&A forum, so you can get more answers. When you are on your trip or after, then please do share the report here.

woody with a view - 1-8-2017 at 01:16 PM

Udo has aplace for sale in Asuncion that is very nice!

Paulina - 1-8-2017 at 04:02 PM

I enjoyed reading your blog, thanks for the link.
Have a fun trip!

P>*)))>{

BajaBlanca - 1-8-2017 at 04:20 PM

Great plan! rarely do we hear from folks who are doing their homework slowly, just like you plan to.

Once in Asuncion, be sure to head south and visit La Bocana. You can camp out on the beach, stay in the cabaņas right on the beach, or stay at our B&B with a view of the beach as well as lots of stories.

Have a wonderful adventure and you will like being in Los Barriles - so many options for activities, restaurants and really nice folk.

mickeykreg - 1-11-2017 at 05:46 PM

OK, thanks for all the tips. I'll follow up. Got my baja bound insurance today. Super excited. If any of you see my dusty ol' K5 stop by; I'll buy the first round!
3 days and counting...

Mick

David K - 1-11-2017 at 05:58 PM

Keep a log of each day's happenings, and I hope the gasoline crisis is abated for you!

mickeykreg - 1-11-2017 at 06:57 PM

I hope the gas thing calms down also. At one time 16 days to get to Barriles seemed ridiculous, now I'm glad I've got the time. Just see how things go I guess.
I'll try to post progress, but I don't have much faith in my phone's data capability.

...photos added

mickeykreg - 2-5-2017 at 04:11 PM

Hola Nomads,
Thought I'd throw out an update. Sorry for the late post. Phone signal was ok, but honestly I didn't care to be messing with my phone once we crossed the border.
Lisa and I made it to Los Barriles the other day after somewhere around 1200 miles, and 16 nights on the road. We had a great trip south. Much of the original plan went out the window once we got going. The '77 ran like a new one. No problems with gas, and it was always available when we needed it. I was able to use my CC to pay for gas more often than I thought. Never got ripped off. Always felt safe. Weather sucked, but not as bad as SLC. Mostly just cooler temps than we expected. A couple nights of rain made us pass through the Catavina area way faster than we would have liked. Palapa at Daggets helped us survive a night of 50mph gusts. We met the bajadivide mountain biker crew near La Cuesta de la Ley. Bahia Conception was too much of a raucous to for us to hang around. We did stay at Playa La Perla which seemed different and chill. The lady collecting the $5 fee for the palapa was a sweetie, so Lisa bought a bracelet from her. Also stayed at a super nice place at Juncalito, where we met some people that'd driven from South America.
This was everything we look for in a camping trip and then some. Big views, stars all the way to the horizon, miles of nothing but everything, great street food in the dusty little towns, amazing beach camping!
Sorry we missed you Shari, the masonry guy working out back said you'd be home around 7 so we went south of town and camped in the dunes. You've got the most beautiful place in town!
I'll shut up and leave the rest to the photos.

Camp 1: La Jolla (out of Ensenada), barely made it before dark


Camp 2: Punta San Jose, bought fish for anniversary dinner on the coals.


...a different kind of Nomad


Camp 4: rainy night in the mysterious Boojums south of Catavina


Camp 5: before the storm at BdLA


Camp 6: Playa San Rafael - Pedro is rad as hell!


Camp 7: a cold night in the outback




Camp 8: in the dunes south of Bahia Ascunsion


Dinner in San Ignacio (something like $12 for us both)


camp 10: Playa La Perla, cool old lady, $5 palapa to escape the wind


Loreto - thought I'd post a pic of us


Camp 12 and 13: finally a layover at Punta Conejo


best sunset of the trip at P. Conejo


nights 14 and 15: a couple nights of "fancy" at the Barcelo in Cabo.




Camp 16: Los Frailes, dramatic whale breach 250m offshore



Now it's time to chill out for a month in Los Barriles and shake off the road. March 1st we'll make a slighly faster trip north. So far the return list includes the Javier and San Miguel/Jose Comondu mountain route, and route 5 through San Felipe.

ehall - 2-6-2017 at 04:30 AM

Looks like you're having a great trip. The couple days of less than perfect weather just keeps it interesting.

BajaBlanca - 2-6-2017 at 08:01 AM

What a cool idea to mix fancy and camping!

Too bad you missed Shari in Asuncion - there are some places for sale there and you will like the "feel" of it!

We have lots for sale at negotiable prices in Abreojos - it is a good location if u like surfing. The beach is very beautiful there!

La Bocana is great too but we are smaller in terms of ex-pats.

Have fun and consider going to Cabo Pulmo for snorkeling. It is incredible.

Thanks for the update - it is easy to ignore the phone / internet when in Baja!

shari - 2-6-2017 at 08:30 AM

Oh bummer I missed you guys...oh well looks like you enjoyed your trip...I'm sure the universe will unfold as it should for you. There are some crazy cheap deals these days in Asuncion on houses...especially a couple fixer uppers for $15,000 only a block from the beach!

Pacifico - 2-6-2017 at 10:16 AM

Love your trip report and all your pics!

I had a Blazer also back in the day; I think it was a 77'. Here is an old pic I have from a Baja trip around 1990-91.

Love the "No Shoes Nation" too!



mickeykreg - 2-6-2017 at 07:18 PM

Thanks Shari and Blanca for the tips. Lisa and I talked quite a bit about spending time looking at property on the trip south. Kinda decided that we didn't know for sure what we wanted so never got too serious about it. Not sure what happened, but some how ran out of time. Had a bunch of days where we didn't make it to camp until nearly dark.

Pacifico, thanks for posting that pic. I like seeing old iron on the road.

fishbuck - 2-6-2017 at 08:20 PM

Excellent report and photos. Thanks.

David K - 2-7-2017 at 10:16 PM

Perfect trip!

ranpar01 - 2-16-2017 at 04:11 PM

I just joined today, thanks for posting - great photos! I had a brown and white K5 like that in college. wish i still had it.

tiotomasbcs - 2-16-2017 at 05:54 PM

Welcome Amigo, ranpar. These great trip reports are our life's blood. Hope your trip south comes soon. Mikey...come over to Pescadero if the wind gets to ya. Great day trip/overniter. I have lived in Baja for almost 20 yrs. Kinda grows on ya! Tio :coolup:

Martyman - 2-17-2017 at 10:31 AM

Great trip! Very envious and I want to quit my job!

mickeykreg - 2-18-2017 at 06:31 PM

Guess I'll post the good with the bad...finally had an equipment fail...

Before:


After:

The tire carrier broke clean off!




1400 miles of Baja roads finally took their toll. After the fact I find out I used a weak POS trailer spindle as a hinge. Got nobody to blame but myself for not building more beef into this thing. Guess I can't complain too much since this is the only fail so far.
Pretty lucky actually, happened right in front of the bank in Los Barriles going over a tope. I had a safety clevis that kept it from falling off in the street. Glad it didn't happen on some blind curve where there was no place to pull over. Just so happened that happy hour was going on at Vagos bar so I went there to think for a bit. Gonna be a crowded trip home with that big brute of a tire inside with us.

Alas, it's all part of the adventure right???

mickeykreg - 2-18-2017 at 06:39 PM

Quote: Originally posted by ranpar01  
I just joined today, thanks for posting - great photos! I had a brown and white K5 like that in college. wish i still had it.


Post a pic of that blazer man...would love to see it!

mickeykreg - 2-18-2017 at 06:43 PM

Quote: Originally posted by tiotomasbcs  
Welcome Amigo, ranpar. These great trip reports are our life's blood. Hope your trip south comes soon. Mikey...come over to Pescadero if the wind gets to ya. Great day trip/overniter. I have lived in Baja for almost 20 yrs. Kinda grows on ya! Tio :coolup:


Thanks for the offer, we're going to try working it in to an otherwise full schedule of being lazy! Loved that area passing through a couple weeks ago.

mickeykreg - 2-18-2017 at 06:50 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Martyman  
Great trip! Very envious and I want to quit my job!


Sorry for being an instigator, but quit your job! How's the Mark Twain quote go???

"Cast off the lines...leave the safe harbor...catch the wind in your sail...dream...explore...discover."

Whale-ista - 2-18-2017 at 09:22 PM

Great report- thanks for posting!
You picked the right place to have a break down. Baja mechanics can fix anything.

And for the most part- a bad day in Baja is better than most days out of Baja.

mickeykreg - 6-14-2017 at 08:50 AM

Sorry for being lame and not posting the return trip sooner. We had a great stay at Los Barriles and really enjoyed Bill Collectors place.
Kind of out dated now, but here's a few more pics from the trip north.

street tacos north of LaPaz


First day heading back north was long. Well after dark we made it to this "not a camp, camp" in the mountains between San Jose Comondu and San Javier.


San Jose Comondu


wild baja between San Jose Comundo and San Javier




Mission at San Javier was my favorite in Baja


weird to drive on a 400 year old street


$30 cabin rental at Tres Virgens Volcano


road tacos...everyday


road side gas in Catavina Desert before leaving the highway for three days off road to Punta Canoas. Before leaving home I installed a Derale #13070 remote fuel/water separator to ease my mind in this kind of situation. The gas ended up being fine anyway.


airing down for the trip to remote Punta Canoas


another night in the desert


more backroads


finally approaching Canoas...just to see it fogged in.


flowers were going crazy


drop off to the ocean


retired old fishing panga


back to the desert and out of the fog


Baja Champions; 2500 miles of Baja and no flats


$20 palapa to escape the wind at Gonzaga Bay


the last morning in Baja at Gonzaga Bay


the loyal steed get a wash in Mexicali before the border crossing

Martyman - 6-14-2017 at 10:07 AM

Quote: Originally posted by mickeykreg  
Quote: Originally posted by Martyman  
Great trip! Very envious and I want to quit my job!


Sorry for being an instigator, but quit your job! How's the Mark Twain quote go???

"Cast off the lines...leave the safe harbor...catch the wind in your sail...dream...explore...discover."


Very inspirational. I'm retiring next month and going travelling to Asia for a year!

David K - 6-14-2017 at 11:41 AM

Awesome!:bounce:

BajaBlanca - 6-14-2017 at 12:30 PM

Wow! that was a great end of the trip report. Are you ready to come back down?

I agree that San Javier is super special. So remote and so splendid!

Chayote - 6-14-2017 at 01:28 PM

Wow this is great!!! Me and my friends talked about buying an old truck for the trip and some of the options were a K5 or a Bronco. Can you give me any pointers on things you checked or replaced on the truck before you headed out?

mickeykreg - 6-14-2017 at 02:58 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Chayote  
Wow this is great!!! Me and my friends talked about buying an old truck for the trip and some of the options were a K5 or a Bronco. Can you give me any pointers on things you checked or replaced on the truck before you headed out?


I'm far from expert, but since I started this thread it's kind of hard to advise you on this without feeling the responsibility to go a bit further than answering your question, so please forgive me in advance for all the unsolicited advice. I work in the outdoor industry in Utah and was involved with two rescues this past week due to people being unprepared so it's fresh on my mind.
I've spent several years getting my K5 ready to go. There isn't one inch of this trucks mechanical systems that I haven't personally rebuilt or replaced to work better than when it was new, such as brake system. I understand how the systems work and what is vulnerable to failure. I carry spare parts for anything that can leave me sit on the side of the road if/when it fails and tools to fix anything.
I'm all about encouraging people to head out on a grand adventure, but I think it's slightly more fun if your prepared. It's Mexico, not the dark side of the moon, so there are parts stores and mechanics around if you need, but I wouldn't "buy an old truck to take to mexico". Take a truck you know well and can fix yourself. If you can't do that get a pretty new Toyota.
Prepare for whatever you can think of and don't sweat the rest. Either way you'll have an epic tale to tell around the table at Thanksgiving.
Again, sorry for the ear full, stay in touch, would love to hear what you do.

David K - 6-14-2017 at 03:12 PM

Quote: Originally posted by mickeykreg  
Quote: Originally posted by Chayote  
Wow this is great!!! Me and my friends talked about buying an old truck for the trip and some of the options were a K5 or a Bronco. Can you give me any pointers on things you checked or replaced on the truck before you headed out?


I'm far from expert, but since I started this thread ...
I'm all about encouraging people to head out on a grand adventure, but I think it's slightly more fun if your prepared. It's Mexico, not the dark side of the moon, so there are parts stores and mechanics around if you need, but I wouldn't "buy an old truck to take to mexico". Take a truck you know well and can fix yourself. If you can't do that get a pretty new Toyota. ...


Great advice! ;)

Chayote - 6-15-2017 at 10:35 AM

Thanks for the info Mickey. I have a 65 mustang with a 289 so I was leading a little more towards a bronco since I kind of know my way around a ford engine. I was thinking of just carrying spare belts, tools and other misc items. But maybe I should buy it well before the trip so I can daily it to work and slowly replace things I feel like need to be replaced.

mickeykreg - 6-16-2017 at 06:03 AM

Sounds like a good plan...pretty much what I've done with my K5.
First gen bronco and a 65 mustang gotta be two of the coolest vehicles ever made.

Franco - 6-19-2017 at 03:36 PM

Great photos!

Derale #13070 remote fuel/water separator - Great idea!

Thanks

Paco Facullo - 6-19-2017 at 03:42 PM

MICKEY

Much thanks for a great trip report !

Meany - 6-20-2017 at 08:03 AM

Thanks for sharing your trip. What fun you both are having.:bounce:

CampfiresAndConcierges - 6-30-2017 at 08:25 PM

love the photos, what a great trip!

TMW - 7-1-2017 at 09:13 AM

Excellent trip report with beautiful pictures, that's what Baja is all about.

orgoncoast - 8-10-2017 at 08:55 AM

Very nicely done!