BajaNomad

Trans-Baja Hiking trail?

caj13 - 7-2-2018 at 03:32 PM

Just got out of the Sierra Nevada here in central California, enjoyed meeting several Pacific Crest trail hikers and talking with them, hearing their stories.

several of them ended up discussing Baja - and hiking it tip to tail. I am not sure but I thought I have seen a couple of discussions here on some sort of trail, and some individuals wsho were hiking it. seems like it m ight have followed el camino real?

David - or anyone else, any info, I've got a guy who has hiked the triple crown (Pac coast trail, Appalacian Trail, and continental divide trail) and wants to add another challenge. I'm hoping members here have some info/ resourc es that might be of value!

Hiking Baja

John M - 7-2-2018 at 04:05 PM

Border to tip! What an adventure that would be.

I am currently reading The Mission Walker, (Published 2017) by Edie Littlefield Sundby. She is following the mission trail from Loreto to San Diego. She has employed probably as many as 20 local vaqueros to enable her to follow the mission trail as much as is possible. That is very difficult.

There is a bicycle route "The Baja Divide" that uses dirt roads mainly, some trails, and a little Highway 1. There are a number of Your Tube videos chronicling that route. There is also some sort of website about the trail I believe by the two who "pioneered" or laid it out. This route logistics have been somewhat worked out though a "chase" crew would be helpful on some sections.

We were in Bay of LA a month or so ago when a large group of dirt bicyclists did a east to west crossing, ending in BOLA - though it is probably less than 100 miles by the route they followed.

David K - 7-2-2018 at 04:27 PM

The Camino Real Mission Trail, of course!

Get Edie's book, The Mission Walker, https://themissionwalker.com/ as it will take you from Tijuana to Loreto using the Crespi-Serra route (1769 route that was inland from the coast route of 1775+ that connected the Dominican missions from San Fernando to San Vicente).

Graham Mackintosh also traveled from the border (Tecate) to Loreto for his 1997 adventure, published as Journey with a Baja Burro. His books are available at www.DiscoverBaja.com.

Loreto to Cabo is not so well documented as far as the Camino Real goes, but the bicycle riders have a popular website and I met a Canadian couple using it, at Mission San Luis Gonzaga. https://bajadivide.com/ .
Here is the couple's website: http://www.zerotocruising.com/





[Edited on 7-2-2018 by David K]

caj13 - 7-2-2018 at 04:46 PM

hey John,
we got the Sierra Slam in less than 3 hours. my brother from Michigans bucket list, so we got after it. pretty good day - exhausting hike though!

David K - 7-2-2018 at 04:52 PM

A couple who have been hiking and GPSing the true mission road (at least one of the routes) from Loreto to El Rosario have made a Google Earth map: http://caminorealbaja.com/

John M - 7-2-2018 at 05:30 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
The Camino Real Mission Trail, of course!

Though David exclaims the mission trail, it is not simply following a trail.

The direction the author took was Loreto to San Diego, not San Diego to Loreto.

Reading the book I cited, you will see that the trail is mostly not recognizable to anyone except the local ranch people. The cowboys leading the way were bush-wacking through head high cactus for miles, riding mules or burros most of the time. Extremely difficult would be my description, and without local help from the remote ranchos you would not be able to follow it, let alone know water sources. It is more of a "romantic" route and a worthy quest but beyond the capabilities of most, in my opinion. If the mission trail is chosen, please check out The Mission Walker.

john






[Edited on 7-3-2018 by John M]

David K - 7-2-2018 at 05:48 PM

Exactly, the true mission trail, where it has not been built upon, is only easy to use in some places. Graham wanted to follow it but chose modern roads most often. Maybe the bike route link I gave is a better option?

TMW - 7-2-2018 at 07:29 PM

What route did Mike Younghusband travel on his journey from Tacate to Cabo. When is his book coming out.

TMW - 7-2-2018 at 07:59 PM

It's not that hard to put together a trail down Baja using existing roads to hike on. Trying to use the El Camino Real would be difficult and you would need to interact with locals to find the way. Some roads are washed out as far as vehicle traffic but on foot OK. San Ignacio to Patrocino and on to Mission Guadalupe and from there the road from Mulege to San Isidro for example. A good source for a GPS track is the Baja 1000 trails on Murdock
http://www.murdocknav.com/mapsmex1.php

A couple of other trails would be the one south of LA Bay going south to San Pedro then east to the main road south of San Rafael. The No Wimp Trail would be a good hike and if the gates are locked either climb over them or better yet ask the rancher at La Ilusion to pass thru.

You could always go down the La Rumorosa grade in the dirt and follow the dirt roads to the Pole Line Road then south on the race course to the Borrego crossing on hwy 3. then south across Diablo dry lake to Matomi. Maybe stay in the pine forest and drop down El Mano then the PLR. Lots of possibilities.

advrider - 7-2-2018 at 08:35 PM

The Baja divide route would be my choice, it's got some nice areas it passes through...Just hung out with a buddy for two days in the sierras, he's about 1200 miles into the PCT and going strong.. 2680 miles in total.

Baja Divide

John M - 7-2-2018 at 09:25 PM

avrider is right - no sense in re-inventing the wheel. This is a proven route, documented. Of course because it's a mountain bike route, the distances between re-supply points used by bicyclists may not be sufficient for a hiker.

Graham & Mike both had a support system in place - the burro.

mtgoat666 - 7-2-2018 at 09:40 PM

There are great trails and reliable water all along the crest from USA border down to matomi, a pont inland of El Rosario. Water is reliable in winter and spring.

There are great trails in the San Francisco’s and lagunas, with reliable water year round.

In the lower desert areas, there are springs, ranches w/ water — but You need to link up the old timey trails and ranch stock trails. Do it in winter to avoid heat.

No guide books or internet trail guides for this country. You need to do a lot of research, and in some areas you will want guide, in at least one area guide required by govt.

mtgoat666 - 7-2-2018 at 09:43 PM

Quote: Originally posted by John M  
avrider is right - no sense in re-inventing the wheel. This is a proven route, documented. Of course because it's a mountain bike route, the distances between re-supply points used by bicyclists may not be sufficient for a hiker.

Graham & Mike both had a support system in place - the burro.


Bad advice. The bike divide trail is not a good hiking route. The bike divide route just links up old auto roads, does not link natural water sources or go thru the higher elevation areas that are way more interesting

David K - 7-3-2018 at 09:09 AM

Quote: Originally posted by TMW  
What route did Mike Younghusband travel on his journey from Tacate to Cabo. When is his book coming out.


Do you want to see the maps or just the link to where Mike's story and my maps of his route are?

He began near Tecate on Oct. 1, 2010 and was in San Quintín on Nov. 1. That's 219 miles, averaging just over 7 miles/day.

Here is the thread with photos and maps: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=47853

I would love to see his book published. Sadly, not yet done...

Here is a new thread with the maps of Mike's route:

http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=90691

[Edited on 7-4-2018 by David K]

TMW - 7-3-2018 at 07:22 PM

Keep it coming David, the rest of the route.

David K - 7-3-2018 at 08:08 PM

Quote: Originally posted by TMW  
Keep it coming David, the rest of the route.
Ok, stay tuned and I will select the maps that show the most out of the 60 some pages of the thread on Mike's journey.

To keep this thread clear of all the maps, I am making a new post just to show Mike's route, go here to see: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=90691

[Edited on 7-4-2018 by David K]

advrider - 7-3-2018 at 08:14 PM

There are a lot of ways you could hike Baja, there is more water around than people realize in the desert. The mountains would be fun but the coast would be my choice as much as I could. Most on the PCT are making 20 +miles a day.

trans-baja, ECR and other things

Baja Bucko - 7-4-2018 at 12:26 AM

4 years ago me, and 3 other women packed (mules) from the tip to Tecate at the border for 4 months. This was not the first time this has been done...my good friend and fellow traveler, Trudi Angell, has done this at least one other time years ago. I have ridden ECR -well about 90% of it which includes ECR from Loreto south-not just Loreto north-and again, these trails have been traversed many times before. ECR has been traveled by MANY folks over the years and Trudi Angell is pretty much THE AUTHORITY on the entire route today. She has been traveling many many old historic routes in Baja California via mule for over 30 years. For anyone seriously interested in various routes-especially old ones, I recommend contacting her at Saddling South.....her contacts/connections all up and down the peninsula have enabled many adventurers to do these trips-she is THE person who made The Mission Walker's trip even possible. As I said, ECR has been hiked, ridden, traveled for YEARS-all of it.

David K - 7-4-2018 at 08:14 AM

Agree with Bucko about Trudi's knowledge of the people along El Camino Real. It was Trudi who informed me of the couple researching ECR for the past 18 years who just produced this map: http://caminorealbaja.com/

Teddi, maps of ECR south from Loreto are not common. The coast trail south from Ligüí to Los Dolores was documented years ago by Marv Patchen, but not the inland routes, south from San Javier to La Paz and on. I would be most interested in seeing more.

wilderone - 7-4-2018 at 10:00 AM

If this backpacker wants to hike the length of the peninsula, a clear differentiation must be appreciated with those who have journeyed in the past on horses, with a team, with burros carrying gear and water. People (lone backpackers) who do the PCT, the Appalachian through hike (distinct trails), occasionally come into a town to replenish supplies, see others on the trail to share, and most importantly, have water sources solidly mapped. I don't believe there exists today a trail per se, with reliable water sources for the Baja peninsula, for the lone backpacker the intended traveler (as with the PCT). You could parallel Mex. 1, like the cyclists do. Lay over in some towns, plan to carry mostly water for those stretches with no ranches or bodies of water, or have a vehicle support team. Preparation of a map beforehand that included known sections to hike that offer food/water, detours to include a ranch to ranch route (might become famous so needs to be reliable), daily mileage, water sources, contingencies, etc. would take some serious research and communication with the ranchos. And, as we all know, there are forests, canyons, beaches, mountains, gulf, Pacific - definitely not one way to do it. Graham's Into a Desert Place should be required reading for some of the skills that might be involved (eating rattlesnake). And one of Graham's problems is that his shoes wore out. Need a plan for that.

Apology due to caj13

John M - 7-4-2018 at 11:17 AM

caji3 - I should apologize to you for what was perhaps an inaccurate depiction of the difficulties associated with hiking and following the mission trail Loreto to the California border. I was basing my remarks solely on the book The Mission Walker and from no personal experience other than a few miles hiked on the trail over a number of years.

Baja Bucko and wilderone have first hand experience and their advice should be taken, not mine.

John M

TMW - 7-4-2018 at 12:12 PM

It should be noted that when Mike Younghusband did his walk he had stored supplies at various places on the route he took. From that standpoint water and food would not be an issue.

4x4abc - 7-4-2018 at 12:17 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Baja Bucko  
4 years ago me, and 3 other women packed (mules) from the tip to Tecate at the border for 4 months. This was not the first time this has been done...my good friend and fellow traveler, Trudi Angell, has done this at least one other time years ago. I have ridden ECR -well about 90% of it which includes ECR from Loreto south-not just Loreto north-and again, these trails have been traversed many times before. ECR has been traveled by MANY folks over the years and Trudi Angell is pretty much THE AUTHORITY on the entire route today. She has been traveling many many old historic routes in Baja California via mule for over 30 years. For anyone seriously interested in various routes-especially old ones, I recommend contacting her at Saddling South.....her contacts/connections all up and down the peninsula have enabled many adventurers to do these trips-she is THE person who made The Mission Walker's trip even possible. As I said, ECR has been hiked, ridden, traveled for YEARS-all of it.


do you have a map record of your trip 4 years ago?
would love to see which roads/trails you chose

David K - 7-4-2018 at 12:33 PM

Harald, here is their Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/LaMulaMil/
The posts begin in August 2013.

[Edited on 7-4-2018 by David K]