BajaNomad

JP MAGAZINE runs The Pole Line Road (June 2017)

Ken Cooke - 3-25-2017 at 09:59 PM

At your local newstand! Here is a sample of the article!







mtgoat666 - 3-25-2017 at 10:15 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Ken Cooke  

JP MAGAZINE runs The Pole Line Road (June 2017)

At your local newstand! Here is a sample of the article!



JP magazine? I never knew there was a mag devoted to JP Patches. I grew up watching JP Patches, fond memories! :lol::lol:

Not sure what JP had to do with off-roading, but, hey, whatever!? :lol:






[Edited on 3-26-2017 by mtgoat666]

Ken Cooke - 3-25-2017 at 10:30 PM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Quote: Originally posted by Ken Cooke  

JP MAGAZINE runs The Pole Line Road (June 2017)

At your local newstand! Here is a sample of the article!



JP magazine? I never knew there was a mag devoted to JP Patches. I grew up watching JP Patches, fond memories! :lol::lol:

Not sure what JP had to do with off-roading, but, hey, whatever!? :lol:

[Edited on 3-26-2017 by mtgoat666]


What is JP patches?

David K - 3-25-2017 at 10:43 PM

Too bad they didn't ask you to show them the road, Ken. Did they show any of the cobblestone sections or full length poles?

Ken Cooke - 3-26-2017 at 07:34 AM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Too bad they didn't ask you to show them the road, Ken. Did they show any of the cobblestone sections or full length poles?


David - The group appeared to get held up at the big washout and first entrance to Cañon Jaquegel. The route can be deceptive to the first-time traveler along the Pole Line Road. They had waypoints, but waypoints alone don't reveal the makeup of this elusive route.

chuckie - 3-26-2017 at 09:59 AM

That magazine had a GREAT quiche recipe, a while back!

mtgoat666 - 3-26-2017 at 10:27 AM

Does the pole line road pass anything worth seeing? (Old utility poles and glass transformers are interesting for about 5 seconds)
I have seen your pics, looks like there are much better places to see in baja, like just about anywhere would be better!



David K - 3-26-2017 at 10:34 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Ken Cooke  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Too bad they didn't ask you to show them the road, Ken. Did they show any of the cobblestone sections or full length poles?


David - The group appeared to get held up at the big washout and first entrance to Cañon Jaquegel. The route can be deceptive to the first-time traveler along the Pole Line Road. They had waypoints, but waypoints alone don't reveal the makeup of this elusive route.


I suggest you write to the editor or to the article author directly and let them know you have since made it through (in Jeeps)! Perhaps include the link to our 2015 trip article in Baja Bound, too? https://www.bajabound.com/bajaadventures/bajatravel/pole_lin...

This road is not just for adventure! It is a road going back in time, into the history of both the United States and Baja California, Mexico.

David K - 3-26-2017 at 10:41 AM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Does the pole line road pass anything worth seeing? (Old utility poles and glass transformers are interesting for about 5 seconds)
I have seen your pics, looks like there are much better places to see in baja, like just about anywhere would be better!





In 2015, we extensively detailed the World War II project HERE and provided dozens and dozens of photos. Poles, Insulators, and the cobblestone roadbed were the most obvious visual signs. However, if more time is spent in the area one would find more artifacts including the stainless steel anchors and lines that held in place some of the poles, windbreaks were the workers or army personal made meals (old tin cans found), and the runway at T Junction were supervisors or supplies were flown in.

chuckie - 3-26-2017 at 11:21 AM

Quiche?

mtgoat666 - 3-26-2017 at 03:25 PM

Quote: Originally posted by chuckie  
Quiche?


Yum

Please share your recipe

TMW - 3-26-2017 at 07:01 PM

They must not of had the Paul W GPS track.

Ken Cooke - 3-26-2017 at 08:56 PM

Link to the FOUR WHEELER article:

http://www.fourwheeler.com/events/1611-baja-jeep-adventure-w...

POLE LINE ROAD on MAPS

David K - 3-27-2017 at 01:12 AM

Except in the middle of arroyos, the WWII road is totally visible from the Jamau summit to Arroyo Grande, south of the gold mine's wells. Which is pretty much the run we did in 2015 (and most other runs Ken has led and Neal Johns made famous).

Here are the detail topo maps, west to east, with road mileage:










Here is the road as it was mapped in the 1962 Lower California Guidebook, with arrows added along the road, all the way out to Hwy. 5:




Here it is as shown on the 2009 Baja Almanac, arrows added, just to Arroyo Grande:



Close up, with mileages (between arrows) added. The far right mileage '5.3' is the distance from the wells (at the end of the road from Km. 106.5) to the Pole Line Road:




Here is the Pole Line road (out to Hwy. 5) on Google Earth:



Here is the oldest map we know of (1953) that includes the Pole Line Road:





TMW - 3-27-2017 at 09:47 AM

In 90 and 91 we rode it on motorcycles. Didn't know it was called the Pole Line Road then. We also didn't go up and over Basketball Hill, didn't know about it either and never saw a road to the right in that area. We went past the BH turn following the arroyo to the falls. Took a cow trail up and over a hill to the NE. Down the other side we carried the bikes over some rocks into a side wash with a road to it's side then road into Enmedio picking up the PLR from it.

After the T junction and just after rounding the hill the road went more or less straight to the wells, not down to Arroyo Grande as it does now.

David K - 3-27-2017 at 10:09 AM

Looking at the Almanac, it shows your road from T Junction directly to the wells. Did you see any poles on the route you took? Many more existed but erosion and humans like to take them down. Roy has a good story... He has been driving the road for ages.

TMW - 3-27-2017 at 11:02 AM

I don't remember seeing any but back then we weren't looking for anything like that. We were just interested in where the road we saw coming over the summit went to. We only road it two times. We were courius about the cobble stone sections in the road and thought it odd being in the middle of nowhere.

TMW - 3-27-2017 at 11:09 AM

In 2003 my brother and I tried to follow the straight line road from the well area back west that we used in 90 & 91. There was very little of the road left with lots of rocks too big to drive over in my 93 Toyota. Winding our way around became a problem so we left thinking the whole road was wiped out at least on that side of the mountains.

PaulW - 3-27-2017 at 03:26 PM

On my first adventure to the PLR we encountered the washout when using the AG entrance. It was well marked with ribbons and tracks and I had a WP from one of you all an Nomads (Tom?). I knew there was supposed to be a track from the wells to Jaquegel, but that was a failure to find anything reasonable to drive, so we went back to the washout then started walking and came across the switch back down into the arroyo which we all now use. A week later SF friends that read my report did find a track from the wells into Jaquegel. Turned out the leader had a very old GPS track the they followed. He said it was pretty rough and was slow going. I never followed up to get a copy of that track since the AG route simplifies the the whole thing.
Last week I took some friends into AG and made a point go look at the turn off for Jaquegel and found it was nearly impossible to see. No tracks up the small bank and the ribbons are missing. I had the WP marked or I would not have noticed.