BajaNomad

What are the top trails to explore around Mulege and Bahia Concepcion

JZ - 9-7-2019 at 03:57 PM

Got the Guadalupe Mission loop, Guajademi Trail, and tracks into San Sebastian/San Nicholas/Punta Pulpito.

What else? Any good stuff around Chivato?

Nikno - 9-8-2019 at 11:07 AM

Check out Fort San Bruno and continue on to Ensenada de Mangle. There are some cool coves and remote beaches along there and several abandoned villas by Ensenada de Mangle. There are also some additional trails to explore in that area if you look at satellite images though I have no idea if they go anywhere. Here is a GPX track I recorded in June with some waypoints:

https://www.gaiagps.com/public/rFYSslDexMqZHhPU6ph17HX5

A loop that is quite fun and beautiful and not too difficult is head south on the 1, take the turn off towards San Isidro, head south to Comondu Viejo mission, old road to San Jose del Comondu, San Javier, and loop back through Loreto. That can be done in a day from Mulege. Or from Comondu loop to La Purisima, overnight and then Guajademi to Mulege. Lots of options in that area. I have GPS info if you need it for a particular trail.

JZ - 9-8-2019 at 11:44 AM

Thank you. I've done the San Javier to Comondu route.

Have been to Ensenada de Mangle by boat (there are some cool caves a few mile North), but those trails are new to me. Will make for a fun day around Loreto.

AKgringo - 9-8-2019 at 12:06 PM

In case you are looking at the road headed west from Mulege and over the pass to the Arroyo San Raymundo, I can give you old information.

In late November 2016, I followed Ged and Dave over to San Juanico on that route (me in a Kia, them on bikes). An experienced driver in a rugged 2wd could make the run, but 4x4 allows for crawling through some of the rougher patches.

What appears to have been a route with many more river crossings, had been modified by storms (Norbert and Odile) so that much of the old high banks were gone, or inaccessible. There was a track bulldozed down the river bottom in places, but there was very little sand or gravel, so it was a lot of miles of cobbles and larger rocks!

I did not air down, because I was concerned about clearance, and I had no idea how long the cobbles would last. If I do the route again, I would definitely air down!

motoged - 9-8-2019 at 12:38 PM

Gary, Bailey, and the KIA,

Your rig managed it only with your bulldozer driving skills. That water crossing about 3 feet of water had me worried when you picked your own line.... and got high-centered for a moment...

Pffftttt....who needs air-cooled leather seats... just something else to fail....

AKgringo - 9-8-2019 at 12:51 PM

Oh yeah....forgot about the high center! Remember me saying that something felt different? A long time later, after many miles off road and the highway home, I discovered a broken motor mount.

Nikno - 9-8-2019 at 03:28 PM

I did Arroyo San Raymundo in June 2019. Road was in great shape. I was able to average almost 30mph from the grade down and that was in the dark. Granted, with a heavily modified Wrangler, but the road is passable in a 2WD with some clearance. There are still about 5 water crossings. The first 3 were only about 6-8 inches deep. By the 4th one I didn't even bother to slow down. Well, that one was more like 12 - 16 inches deep and sent water flying straight over my roof and was a bit of a shock to the system. Pro tip: slow down for all water crossings unless you have already crossed it or watched someone else cross it and know exactly how deep it is. Also, obviously better to not do it in the dark. There was a cow or two parked right on the trail.

GPX:

https://www.gaiagps.com/datasummary/track/315fdb92dc3d58db68...

4x4abc - 9-8-2019 at 04:00 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Nikno  
Check out Fort San Bruno and continue on to Ensenada de Mangle. There are some cool coves and remote beaches along there and several abandoned villas by Ensenada de Mangle.


that means, the gate shortly after the San Bruno site is gone?

JZ - 9-8-2019 at 04:13 PM

Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc  


that means, the gate shortly after the San Bruno site is gone?


On the tracks he posted, it has a way point for Abandoned Gate.

A picture too:






[Edited on 9-8-2019 by JZ]

JZ - 9-8-2019 at 04:19 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Nikno  
I did Arroyo San Raymundo in June 2019. Road was in great shape. I was able to average almost 30mph from the grade down and that was in the dark. Granted, with a heavily modified Wrangler, but the road is passable in a 2WD with some clearance. There are still about 5 water crossings. The first 3 were only about 6-8 inches deep. By the 4th one I didn't even bother to slow down. Well, that one was more like 12 - 16 inches deep and sent water flying straight over my roof and was a bit of a shock to the system. Pro tip: slow down for all water crossings unless you have already crossed it or watched someone else cross it and know exactly how deep it is. Also, obviously better to not do it in the dark. There was a cow or two parked right on the trail.

GPX:

https://www.gaiagps.com/datasummary/track/315fdb92dc3d58db68...



You are got damn man for posting these tracks! Hope I can return the favor.




[Edited on 9-8-2019 by JZ]

Nikno, thanks for the update!

AKgringo - 9-8-2019 at 04:34 PM

Barring another flood, I wouldn't mind doing that San Raymundo run again! I am certain that we finished the arroyo on a different track than you.

There is a community about eight or ten miles north of San Juanico. We took a fork in the trail that brought us into the village from the north east.

If I remember correctly, there was a sign (or we decided) that the right fork went toward El Datile so we headed left to S.J. That was about where I got high centered!

[Edited on 9-8-2019 by AKgringo]

JZ - 9-8-2019 at 04:37 PM

Route through Arroyo San Raymund in White for anyone trying to follow along.




David K - 9-8-2019 at 04:43 PM

Agua de Gringo?

JZ - 9-8-2019 at 04:47 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Agua de Gringo?


It's what MulegeAl (I think it was him) called it. This was like a week or two ago. I asked him at the time if you could get all the way to the coast from there and he didn't really give me a straight answer.



advrider - 9-8-2019 at 04:57 PM

I'm so close to retirement and ordering my new Gladiator truck and building my Baja expo rig so I can drive all of these awesome tracks and trips that you guys are posting! Keep posting these ideas and tracks... Thanks to everyone that contribute's!

JZ - 9-8-2019 at 05:10 PM

Quote: Originally posted by advrider  
I'm so close to retirement and ordering my new Gladiator truck and building my Baja expo rig so I can drive all of these awesome tracks and trips that you guys are posting! Keep posting these ideas and tracks... Thanks to everyone that contribute's!


Have you ever ridden the Magy Mesa trail? Trail begins at El Rosario, and the ridge line single track starts about 7-8 miles in.

Watch the first 2.5 mins of this, it gets really interesting at about 1.5mins: https://youtu.be/H6xmch5nBxk




[Edited on 9-9-2019 by JZ]

Nikno - 9-8-2019 at 06:12 PM

Harald:

As JZ posted there is an abandoned gate along the shore as shown in the pic. There was also some fencing and another abandoned gate straight north from the fort and then instead of heading east to shore, heading west. That road shows up well on satellite but is completely abandoned and grown over. I assume that this at one time was the access road that led to the abandoned villas. No other gates and no private property signs.

AKGringo:

The route I took goes down to La Ballena and then meets up with the ranch road going south to San Juanico. There is a turn off at approximately:

26.510556, -112.507738

That trail takes you over one arroyo through La Yaqui and directly into Cadejé which is probably the route you took. The route on my GPS track is more frequently travelled and in better shape and even though a few extra miles, probably faster.

JZ and Harald:

There is a Cerro el Gringo on the 2009 Almanac pretty much right next to the spot marked, so not a stretch to think there might be a spot called Agua de Gringo below it.

AKgringo - 9-8-2019 at 06:28 PM

Nikno, you are probably right about our track. I was navigating IFB (I follow bikes) and couldn't tell you for sure where we went!

Maybe some day I will progress to the point of sharing photos and tracks.

advrider - 9-8-2019 at 07:11 PM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ  
Quote: Originally posted by advrider  
I'm so close to retirement and ordering my new Gladiator truck and building my Baja expo rig so I can drive all of these awesome tracks and trips that you guys are posting! Keep posting these ideas and tracks... Thanks to everyone that contribute's!


Have you ever ridden the Magy Mesa trail? Trail begins at El Rosario, and the ridge line single track starts about 7-8 miles in.

Watch the first 2.5 mins of this, it gets really interesting at about 1.5mins: https://youtu.be/H6xmch5nBxk







[Edited on 9-9-2019 by JZ]


[Edited on 9-9-2019 by advrider]

Never have but I now want to!!! Holly chit, tell me you have a track for that? That looks amazing and needs to be on the ride list for next year...

[Edited on 9-9-2019 by advrider]

JZ - 9-8-2019 at 07:32 PM

I have it. Scouted it out last weekend a little. Didn't have the bikes.

Want to have the drone follow us as we run it.



advrider - 9-8-2019 at 07:52 PM

Can you send it to me, it looks amazing. Does it come out at Catavina and take off again? Where does it end at?

JZ - 9-8-2019 at 07:57 PM

Quote: Originally posted by advrider  
Can you send it to me, it looks amazing. Does it come out at Catavina and take off again? Where does it end at?


I sent you the Hagy Mesa track. About 20 miles. The video goes from El Rosario to BoLA. They do the 22 day trail.



[Edited on 9-9-2019 by JZ]

advrider - 9-8-2019 at 08:50 PM

I was wondering if the second half was the 22 day trail, thanks..

Mulege Canuck - 9-9-2019 at 07:13 AM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Agua de Gringo?


It's what MulegeAl (I think it was him) called it. This was like a week or two ago. I asked him at the time if you could get all the way to the coast from there and he didn't really give me a straight answer.





I drove from Agua de Gringo to San Juanico my first time up there. I said I would never do it again. The brush is way too thick and it took me forever to brush it out so I could get my camper down the road. The most scenic drive is the first half from Mulege.

JZ - 9-9-2019 at 08:51 AM

Got you. What other cool drives around the area?

David K - 9-9-2019 at 09:57 AM

Why not go up the Concepcion peninsula? There is a nice beach at the very end on the bay side and a manganese mine (Gavilan) from the 1940s on the gulf side. See geoffff's post on his last trip report. There is also some petroglyphs (Los Pintados) and a stream in a little canyon (Tres Marias)... all in my Baja Extreme 2016 trip report when we tried going up to the end (a hurricane the week before washed out the road about 8 miles from the end.





David K - 9-9-2019 at 09:59 AM

geoffff's 2019 trip report: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=92615

4x4abc - 9-9-2019 at 11:41 AM

whole network of roads to explore out at Rancho San Lino
will find the tracks later


Attachment: Rancho San Lino.kmz (744B)
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4x4abc - 9-9-2019 at 11:47 AM

one of the least traveled is the 1930's road Mulege - Loreto
driven most of it with 4x4 - MC or mountain bike would be best

Attachment: old Baja road 4x4 1930's.kmz (2kB)
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Attachment: 4x4 good one old Baja road 1930's (1941 AAA).kmz (4kB)
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JZ - 9-9-2019 at 01:08 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
geoffff's 2019 trip report: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=92615


Thanks. Cool canyon out there.


Nikno - 9-10-2019 at 09:17 AM

JZ:

On the San Nicolas thread you posted a map that has "Caves" marked on it. Those caves appear to be within 1 mile of Ensenada de Mangle which is where the abandoned villas are on that track I posted. There are some roads that go in the direction of the caves but none of them appear to go through. I'm curious what kind of caves are there and are they worth checking out? Also, do you have exact coordinates?

My thought was next time I'm in the area to either get as close as possible and hike over or launch a kayak from the beach and check it out.

Harald:

Thanks for posting the old 1930's road. I will definitely check that one out next time I'm there. As I recall, the road continued south and went by Comondu Viejo. I believe David K. posted about doing that road 50 years ago. Is that correct, David? Does anyone have a pic of the 1930 map they can post?

David K - 9-10-2019 at 09:50 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Nikno  
JZ:

On the San Nicolas thread you posted a map that has "Caves" marked on it. Those caves appear to be within 1 mile of Ensenada de Mangle which is where the abandoned villas are on that track I posted. There are some roads that go in the direction of the caves but none of them appear to go through. I'm curious what kind of caves are there and are they worth checking out? Also, do you have exact coordinates?

My thought was next time I'm in the area to either get as close as possible and hike over or launch a kayak from the beach and check it out.

Harald:

Thanks for posting the old 1930's road. I will definitely check that one out next time I'm there. As I recall, the road continued south and went by Comondu Viejo. I believe David K. posted about doing that road 50 years ago. Is that correct, David? Does anyone have a pic of the 1930 map they can post?


The main road to La Paz (to 1971) passed by Comondú Viejo as well as San José and San Miguel Comondú. Loreto was on an almost dead-end road (but you could go on south via San Javier). The new highway being built north from La Paz went from Insurgentes east to Ligüí and then north to Loreto and on to Mulegé.

Here is the 1930 map of that area (note, it is not accurate in many places):





If you search the Baja Historic Interests & Maps forum here on Nomad, you can see more of this and other old maps. You are also welcome to see them on my Photobucket maps albums. Here is the 1930 album: https://s213.photobucket.com/user/DavidKier/library/Maps/193...

David K - 9-10-2019 at 09:54 AM

A 1941 road map. The heavy line is the main road south:



The 1962 Howard Gulick map (very accurate):

Tioloco - 9-10-2019 at 09:57 AM

Pretty cool old maps

David K - 9-10-2019 at 11:20 AM

Old maps are like windows to the past!

4x4abc - 9-10-2019 at 11:46 AM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
A 1941 road map. The heavy line is the main road south:



The 1962 Howard Gulick map (very accurate):



the 1941 map shows the 1930 road

the Gulick map shows the "new" dirt road - don't know when it was built

the paved 1973 road is positioned between the two

the original Camino Real from Loreto to Mulege is between the 1930's road and the paved road, going past Tinaja Las Cruces

JZ - 9-10-2019 at 12:07 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Nikno  
JZ:

On the San Nicolas thread you posted a map that has "Caves" marked on it. Those caves appear to be within 1 mile of Ensenada de Mangle which is where the abandoned villas are on that track I posted. There are some roads that go in the direction of the caves but none of them appear to go through. I'm curious what kind of caves are there and are they worth checking out? Also, do you have exact coordinates?

My thought was next time I'm in the area to either get as close as possible and hike over or launch a kayak from the beach and check it out.



I went there in my boat 3-4 years ago. We took the Zodiac inside of a cave. I have a video of it some where. Will try to post when I get back home.

geoffff - 9-10-2019 at 03:00 PM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ  
I went there in my boat 3-4 years ago. We took the Zodiac inside of a cave. I have a video of it some where. Will try to post when I get back home.


So, these caves would be only accessible by boat? Or could I walk up the beach and then inside?

-- Geoff

JZ - 9-10-2019 at 04:13 PM

Have to be on the water.

JZ - 9-10-2019 at 06:51 PM

Pic of one of the caves.

26.2988820, -111.3820290









[Edited on 9-14-2019 by JZ]

JZ - 9-10-2019 at 07:17 PM

Very rough vid clip of the cave.

https://youtu.be/mUa7IxpfzYI





[Edited on 9-11-2019 by JZ]

Nikno - 9-12-2019 at 03:01 PM

Cool old maps! Thank you for posting. Fascinating to see the history of Baja roads.

ehall - 9-12-2019 at 03:17 PM

Quote: Originally posted by JZ  
I have it. Scouted it out last weekend a little. Didn't have the bikes.

Want to have the drone follow us as we run it.





Looks like a great single track. Those guys were flying the first couple minutes.

honda tom - 9-12-2019 at 10:44 PM

I have a video on my computer somewhere of driving my boat into a cave on isle carmen.... so cool to be on your own boat.