BajaNomad

Baja 1000 to use Turquesa grade

honda tom - 10-21-2021 at 07:20 PM

First time score has came down this! A bit south of Catavina the course turns due east and pops out just above Coco. A bike path for many years.... but now SxS have been wearing it in.
The baja 1000 will roll down it next month. Looks like it wont go through Calamuje. cool to see new tracks

JZ - 10-21-2021 at 07:31 PM

Can you drop some coordinates Tom?


4x4abc - 10-21-2021 at 07:40 PM

I have been using it for 30 years
a bit bumpy, but nothing special
https://carlosnpainter.smugmug.com/Events/Manly-Men-Baja-201...

Attachment: 4x4 rural la Turquesa road.kmz (2kB)
This file has been downloaded 240 times

Attachment: 4x4 rural mining la turquesa road - rough.kmz (5kB)
This file has been downloaded 245 times

Don Pisto - 10-21-2021 at 07:57 PM

Freds tractor trail?

4x4abc - 10-21-2021 at 10:01 PM

I would guess, the mine people built that road
including the airstrip

turquesa.jpg - 290kB

2021 Map & History of La Turquesa Grade

David K - 10-22-2021 at 08:25 AM

It is in the new Baja Atlas from Benchmark as '4x4 Trail' (no, it wasn't my doing).

Leaves Hwy. 1 by Km. 213 (214 on Atlas map) and joins Hwy. 5 by Km. 176. The new Coco's is just south of Km. 179.



Credited as 'Fred's Tractor Trail' after Fred Hampe of Rancho Santa Ynez who may have built this road after abandoning the road he was building to Punta Final from Mission Santa María, to provide a short-cut between the two places, both owned by Josefina Zuñiga of Rancho Santa Ynez.

A tiny turquoise mine, made famous in the 1970 Cliff Cross Guide, gives the area its name. Kacey Smith of the 2001 Baja GPS Guide for motorcycle trips, calls the grade the 'XR Ride'.



Baja Nomad 'The squarecircle' (Roy) is the first to get a vehicle through, in 2008, that was shared on Nomad, with help from TW and others to find a way across the canyon floor between the mine and the bottom of the grade. Photos: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=95475#pid1202...

bajaric - 10-22-2021 at 09:33 AM

I think the trail is older than the Fred Hampe days. Nelson described riding on horseback in 1905 from near Cerro Pedregoso down to a "small strongly mineralized stream flowing through a series of pools in the smooth rock bottom of a large canyon". Then they crossed some low hills and arrived at Las Arrastras, a "long abandoned mining camp". The Arroyo Turquesa trail is the only trail that would match the description, going from near Pedregoso to Las Arrastras.

David K - 10-22-2021 at 10:00 AM

Oh for sure, but a horseback rider didn't need a bulldozed grade. The grade is bulldozed, and Fred Hampe had one in the 1960s, to build the road to Mission Santa María.

PaulW - 10-22-2021 at 02:12 PM

Should be an easy drive down hill

The Turquesa Grade Nomad Story: 2007-2008

David K - 10-24-2021 at 05:56 AM

Quote: Originally posted by PaulW  
Should be an easy drive down hill


In Feb. 2007, I drove from Hwy. 1 (Km. 213+) to the top of the grade for a first look at what I assumed was only a motorcycle trail (Kacey's XR Ride).







I didn't expect to see a 'Jeep trail' with switchback grade.




I walked about halfway down, hoping to see how it was for driving (I didn't want to risk taking a road with no way to turn around should it have a cliff, drop-off). Not seeing the full grade and traveling solo (one vehicle), I chose to drive around using the main roads. Stayed at Campo Beluga that night.


Sketched onto a topo map.

Nomads 'steekers' and Ken Cooke made exploratory runs from the Hwy. 5 end. Ken and his Jeep crew only got a short distance past the mine, as I recall.


Photo taken by 'steekers' of the grade as seen from the turquoise mine area.

Roy 'The squarecircle' with help from TW (TMW) and others got his Land Rover through, to the bottom of the grade, and up to the top. This was in May of 2008... The first four-wheeled vehicle we have seen cross between the two highways using the Turquesa Grade:





















Monument at the top of the grade.


The road on to Hwy. 1 (Km. 213+).


mtgoat666 - 10-24-2021 at 06:31 AM

Why is score opening a new road? Racing will turn a little-used track into an ugly scar. Sad that score can’t live by an offroad credo to “tread lightly” and use existing roads and not create new roads.



David K - 10-24-2021 at 06:54 AM

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Why is score opening a new road? Racing will turn a little-used track into an ugly scar. Sad that score can’t live by an offroad credo to “tread lightly” and use existing roads and not create new roads.





Again, you don't read before you speak... It is NOT new... originally built in the 1960s by Fred Hampe after he built the road to Santa María and a little beyond. The photos are from 2007 and 2008... 14 years ago.

I will agree with you that racing does a number on the roads. The income it provides the people of the peninsula and the overwhelming local fan support assures the sport will continue as long as possible.

mtgoat666 - 10-24-2021 at 07:05 AM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666  
Why is score opening a new road? Racing will turn a little-used track into an ugly scar. Sad that score can’t live by an offroad credo to “tread lightly” and use existing roads and not create new roads.





Again, you don't read before you speak... It is NOT new... originally built in the 1960s by Fred Hampe after he built the road to Santa María and a little beyond. The photos are from 2007 and 2008... 14 years ago.

I will agree with you that racing does a number on the roads. The income it provides the people of the peninsula and the overwhelming local fan support assures the sport will continue as long as possible.


That road has returned to nature. No reason to reopen it, if you care about the land.

Score has already ruined many roads, they should stick to using roads they already destroyed, and not open new roads.
Score are bad people. Dumb sport, regardless of whether it results in people buying beer and consumables to litter the desert.

David K - 10-24-2021 at 07:17 AM

It's not being 're-opened'... Since The squarecircle got through, others have, as well. It's even in the new Baja Atlas (again, look at the images and read the text).

honda tom - 10-24-2021 at 09:41 AM

I rode this in 2002 or 2003. we left cocos for a ride to the Pacific and back to Gonzaga. Coco told us about the trail 20 miles south of Catavina that came back to the east. We found it to be covered with slick sliding shale.... the last half mile was the worst. Then one wrong fork in the wash at the bottom and your pulling your bike over boulders. Anyway fun stuff!
The trail now is much more traveled and no real degree of difficulty. but with 7 1/2 foot wide trucks going through some off camber stuff could get interesting.

steekers - 10-24-2021 at 08:58 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
It's not being 're-opened'... Since The squarecircle got through, others have, as well. It's even in the new Baja Atlas (again, look at the images and read the text).


As an ex-racer I have mixed feelings about this. For sure after all the pre-running and big trucks the "trail" will be so widened out and lots of damage. I am not in favor of this route for cars. They should go through Calamajue wash. They should just let the bikes go through this section and re-route the cars. Maybe time to change it.

David K - 10-25-2021 at 06:29 AM

Quote: Originally posted by steekers  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  
It's not being 're-opened'... Since The squarecircle got through, others have, as well. It's even in the new Baja Atlas (again, look at the images and read the text).


As an ex-racer I have mixed feelings about this. For sure after all the pre-running and big trucks the "trail" will be so widened out and lots of damage. I am not in favor of this route for cars. They should go through Calamajue wash. They should just let the bikes go through this section and re-route the cars. Maybe time to change it.


Valid points...
Yesterday, Cameron Steele drove it, filming his pre-running. A couple of photos posted here: https://www.facebook.com/DesertAssassins

steekers - 10-25-2021 at 08:37 AM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Quote: Originally posted by steekers  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  
It's not being 're-opened'... Since The squarecircle got through, others have, as well. It's even in the new Baja Atlas (again, look at the images and read the text).


As an ex-racer I have mixed feelings about this. For sure after all the pre-running and big trucks the "trail" will be so widened out and lots of damage. I am not in favor of this route for cars. They should go through Calamajue wash. They should just let the bikes go through this section and re-route the cars. Maybe time to change it.


Valid points...
Yesterday, Cameron Steele drove it, filming his pre-running. A couple of photos posted here: https://www.facebook.com/DesertAssassins


My prediction: Lots of flat tires, bottlenecks, crashes, rescues!!

mtgoat666 - 10-25-2021 at 08:52 AM

Quote: Originally posted by steekers  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Quote: Originally posted by steekers  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  
It's not being 're-opened'... Since The squarecircle got through, others have, as well. It's even in the new Baja Atlas (again, look at the images and read the text).


As an ex-racer I have mixed feelings about this. For sure after all the pre-running and big trucks the "trail" will be so widened out and lots of damage. I am not in favor of this route for cars. They should go through Calamajue wash. They should just let the bikes go through this section and re-route the cars. Maybe time to change it.


Valid points...
Yesterday, Cameron Steele drove it, filming his pre-running. A couple of photos posted here: https://www.facebook.com/DesertAssassins


My prediction: Lots of flat tires, bottlenecks, crashes, rescues!!


add to that prediction: needless blight and environmental destruction, with a sprinkling of litter to decorate the desert in the manner offroaders apparently love.

David K - 10-25-2021 at 09:23 AM

Don't worry goat, Nature bats last.
One big flash flood and the human-made changes will all be erased.

PaulW - 10-25-2021 at 09:28 AM

David youi will never convince Goat

JZ - 10-29-2021 at 05:33 PM

Can't wait to give the trail a go. Thx for sharing Tom.





[Edited on 10-30-2021 by JZ]