BajaNomad - North from La Gringa

North from La Gringa

Jinete Viejo - 2-14-2018 at 05:53 PM

There is a trail which goes north out of La Gringa and meets the Window Rock trail west of Bahia Guadalupe (I think it is a Bill Nichols trail). I last rode this trail in 2006 and am planning to try it again in a couple of weeks. Does anyone know if this trail has been affected by hurricanes or fences?

TMW - 2-14-2018 at 06:01 PM

I don't know about any fences but there have been some riders who have ridden it in the past year. If you do come upon a fence gate please close it when you go thru.

advrider - 2-14-2018 at 08:27 PM

I hope to ride it next month, we will see!

ehall - 2-15-2018 at 05:10 AM

Let us know how it goes. Are you taking the dry lake shortcut or going to try the whole trail?

TMW - 2-15-2018 at 11:32 AM

Window Rock Trail.

pacificobob - 2-15-2018 at 11:44 AM

Quote: Originally posted by TMW

I don't know about any fences but there have been some riders who have ridden it in the past year. If you do come upon a fence gate please close it when you go thru.

yes, and if i may add, close it if that is the way you found it. if its open when you pass, then one should leave it open. i was raised on a ranch, i can't count how many time i have heard that! sometimes the open gate allows the stock to get to water.

Jinete Viejo - 2-15-2018 at 01:53 PM

Thanks all for the input. The route depicted on the map posted by TMW is what we plan to ride (including a gas stop at our chase truck at El Crucero as shown). We typically take pavement west out of town and then cut across the dry lake to intersect this route, but we're going north out of La Gringa this year for a change of pace. I don't think there is a dry lake option if you ride it as shown. Also, we always close gates if we find them closed.

ehall - 2-15-2018 at 03:42 PM

We bailed out on the blue line just before dark.

JZ - 2-15-2018 at 03:50 PM

Window rock trail looks very interesting. Bike only? How hard? How long?

4x4abc - 2-15-2018 at 04:48 PM

could anyone please provide a track file?
I want to plug it into Google Earth

motoged - 2-15-2018 at 05:05 PM

Bike only.....

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wIt9zQtJk9A

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DpQmWR3qK_c

[Edited on 2-16-2018 by motoged]

[Edited on 2-16-2018 by motoged]

rich t - 2-15-2018 at 05:17 PM

Will be riding it March 18, have been bypassing the first mile out of El Crucero because of fence, I do have some tracks on the east side of the dry lake bed if you are coming from L.A. Bay, you avoid the silt bed.

4x4abc - 2-15-2018 at 05:22 PM

I know it is bike only - still would like a track file

JZ - 2-15-2018 at 05:23 PM

Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc

could anyone please provide a track file?
I want to plug it into Google Earth

Yes, can someone hook us up?

advrider - 2-15-2018 at 07:02 PM

We will be running it from BOLA north past La gringa, never run it but looking forward to it. We should be running it around March 18th as well. Let me see if I can post some tracks I have.

[Edited on 2-16-2018 by advrider]

JZ - 2-19-2018 at 02:18 PM

Where is the actual window rock located?

We will be running this March 8 or 9

soundchaser - 2-19-2018 at 03:25 PM

We are looking to run this March 8 or 9. Here is a copy of the tracks I have, (I also posted on another post, did not see this one). This track is truncated, have the more precise ones if needed, but file to large to post.

Attachment: ACTIVE LOG085351.gpx (184kB)
This file has been downloaded 292 times

JZ - 2-19-2018 at 04:12 PM

Don't know how hard it is, but it looks right to me.

Here is a thread on the first leg you have coming out of Gonzaga. They took 4x4's, so it can't be that difficult on a bike. http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=89440

Your track:

[Edited on 2-19-2018 by JZ]

[Edited on 2-20-2018 by BajaNomad]

David K - 2-19-2018 at 04:36 PM

Exactly the route I presumed, above.
JZ, the Window Rock is north of that Hwy. 12 sign.

LukeJobbins - 2-19-2018 at 06:00 PM

I’m not sure if that’s the exact trail I took but I drove it in my jeep last year. A bit rocky but nothing really hardcore at all. I drove north as far as the road goes then west and it passed through a canyon with a pretty narrow and sharp turn before opening up again. Same trail or different?

soundchaser - 2-19-2018 at 06:12 PM

Thanks guys. I am pretty new to this area, only ridden down here once before so don't know the bailouts that well. Trying to avoid that. Anyone have a suggestion for a nice ride south of BOLA? We have never been down that way and hear it is just beautiful. More interested in seeing the scenery that great single track, but will take both. We have a range of about 120 miles.

Was thinking a ride to San Franciscita and back might be fun but too much milage without carrying lots of extra gas.

Will post a report when we get back.

Cheers! Rod

David K - 2-19-2018 at 06:14 PM

The section that runs from west to east is a lot of single track. That would be from just above that Hwy. 12 sign on the map to a bit north of La Gringa, except for a few miles approaching the gulf coast north of La Gringa.

JZ - 2-19-2018 at 08:05 PM

Quote: Originally posted by soundchaser

Thanks guys. I am pretty new to this area, only ridden down here once before so don't know the bailouts that well. Trying to avoid that. Anyone have a suggestion for a nice ride south of BOLA? We have never been down that way and hear it is just beautiful. More interested in seeing the scenery that great single track, but will take both. We have a range of about 120 miles.

Was thinking a ride to San Franciscita and back might be fun but too much milage without carrying lots of extra gas.

Will post a report when we get back.

Cheers! Rod

It's a really nice ride out to San Rafael from BoLA, which is about half way to San Fransquito.

Good camping on the beach, or you can ride there and back in 1 day.

If you continue on, you can sometimes get gas at San Fransquito. You'd need to arrange with Beto, who owns a place there to make sure. He rents a place also.

[Edited on 2-20-2018 by JZ]

advrider - 2-19-2018 at 08:07 PM

The ride South of BOLA is one of my favorites, you can stop and see Poncho for a beer. Millage will be an issue an over sized tank is worth the money. You can always carry some extra fuel in a container but a tank is a safer bet.

AKgringo - 2-19-2018 at 08:57 PM

Soundchaser, I love that drive, and plan on passing through there about when you want to ride it. If the timing works out right, I could haul some fuel down to Pancho, or Beto's camp for you.

I would be continuing south from there, so no promise about hauling empty jugs back to BOLA. When you firm up your travel plan, post back here and maybe I or someone else could help out!

[Edited on 2-20-2018 by AKgringo]

ehall - 2-20-2018 at 04:42 AM

Great offer Akgringo.

advrider - 2-20-2018 at 09:26 AM

That would be the way to go and then just donate the gas jugs to Poncho, that way you don't have to worry about hauling them back. Its nice to ride and not have to pack all of the extra weight that a large gas tank comes with. Very nice offer,,,,

soundchaser - 2-20-2018 at 12:03 PM

Thanks AK, that is a very kind offer. I will be in touch!

Update

soundchaser - 3-11-2018 at 01:03 PM

Can confirm those tracks are good. A really long single day ride, would recommend making it over two days unless you are real fast or looking for a 10 plus hour non stop ride. Thanks to all for the advice, we had a great trip!

JZ - 3-11-2018 at 01:22 PM

Quote: Originally posted by soundchaser

Can confirm those tracks are good. A really long single day ride, would recommend making it over two days unless you are real fast or looking for a 10 plus hour non stop ride. Thanks to all for the advice, we had a great trip!

What part did you ride? Window Rock trail or are you talking about BoLA to San Fransquito.

[Edited on 3-11-2018 by JZ]

David K - 3-11-2018 at 02:10 PM

Just fyi, some of that Bill Nichols trail (Window Rock region) is on the California El Camino Real mission road (trail). Bill Nichols and the Jesuits or Indian trail makers have good direction sense!

North of San Borja, the Camino Real mostly resembles cattle trails as the Jesuits were expelled from California soon after the next mission north of San Borja was founded (at Calamajué, 1766) and they weren't there long enough to have the typical Jesuit road constructed.

The Franciscans and Dominicans that followed the Jesuits were not the road engineers and were satisfied with the simple trail with very little visible construction such as switchbacks, except where absolutely necessary.

soundchaser - 3-11-2018 at 08:01 PM

JZ, I am referring to the tracks I posted going from Gonzaga to Bola. From what I gather part of that is the Window trail.

Cheers!

advrider - 3-11-2018 at 09:19 PM

How long did it take you and did you drop down on the beach at La gringa? We should be gunning the week after next....

JZ - 3-11-2018 at 10:14 PM

Quote: Originally posted by soundchaser

JZ, I am referring to the tracks I posted going from Gonzaga to Bola. From what I gather part of that is the Window trail.

Cheers!

Nice! That is hella long for one day.

How tough was the ~18 mile leg from the bay/coast where you turn South down to La Gringa/BoLA?

I think this is the only leg of the Window Rock trail we are going to ride on our trip in a couple weeks. Up from BoLA and back down.

soundchaser - 3-20-2018 at 10:16 AM

Sorry for the slow reply, not on this board often. That section is really the only technically tough part. It was also beautiful in there. Wasn't too bad, but you should be an A rider. There are a few tough rocky sections but we made them without having to get off an push the bikes. My buddies KTM vapor locked in that section so we spent about 30 minutes trying to figure out what the problem was. I am sending a u2u with my contact info if you have any other questions. Enjoy!

satmike - 3-20-2018 at 06:06 PM

That section is a lot easier going from La Gringa North. Some pretty good climbs going South

JZ - 3-20-2018 at 06:39 PM

Good to know, figured as much.

How fast is the ride from where the flag is back down to the highway?

Thinking about doing a day ride loop from Bahia going up along the coast then West to the flag and shoot South down to the hwy.

[Edited on 3-21-2018 by JZ]

Jinete Viejo - 3-20-2018 at 09:27 PM

From the flag to the Hwy is good 2 track and dry lake. Very fast.
If you haven't done Hwy to the flag and then Window Rock trail to El Crucero and slab back to Bahia, that might make another good day loop.