BajaNomad

La Turquesa Grade & Canyon Ride Video

David K - 2-28-2023 at 04:27 PM

Also known as 'Fred's Tractor Trail' for the builder, Fred Hampe of Rancho Santa Ynez, who also built the road to Mission Santa María and 2 miles beyond.

https://youtu.be/IK3D6y50ZEM




Roy, The squarecircle, was the first Nomad documented to have driven it, going up! That was in May 2008, with help from TMW and others. The Baja 1000 has since, used it!


DannyRT - 4-26-2023 at 08:50 PM

Looks a bit tough trail. My uncle is retiring soon and looking to hit La Turquesa Grade next month. I'm coming over to his garage to help him install the front bumper, winch, rack, and a couple of jeep accessories onto his Wrangler JK this weekend. I'll show him that video.

David K - 4-27-2023 at 09:05 AM

All the photos of Roy's LR3 climbing the grade are near the bottom of this page I made of his photos: https://vivabaja.com/squarecircle/


4x4abc - 4-27-2023 at 12:10 PM

Quote: Originally posted by DannyRT  
Looks a bit tough trail. My uncle is retiring soon and looking to hit La Turquesa Grade next month. I'm coming over to his garage to help him install the front bumper, winch, rack, and a couple of jeep accessories onto his Wrangler JK this weekend. I'll show him that video.


none of the things you are installing will help to climb the one steep grade. Beneficial: Air, lockers, driver skill. And momentum is not a driver skill.


[Edited on 4-27-2023 by 4x4abc]

TMW - 4-27-2023 at 12:35 PM

There were two places that were hard to get thru besides the hill climb out of the arroyo. One was a 90 degree turn out of the sandy wash and the other was a section of the sandy wash with a rock ledge to get up and over. A short wheel base vehicle like a Jeep would be no problem on the first one. The rock ledge just take it easy and try not to spin the tires. Coming up the hill shown in David's pictures was a bear for Roy because he didn't have a locker and his wheels wanted to spin. Lot's of loose rocks and the hill angles down to the east. So if you spin the tires the vehicle wants to move down the hill sideways.

TMW - 4-27-2023 at 01:06 PM

I believe the Baja 1000 went thru reverse of what Roy did. They went down the hill not up.

David K - 4-27-2023 at 01:34 PM

That is correct, about the Baja 1000.

Roy spinning tires may have been due to both fully inflated tires and the Rover's traction system not set in the correct mode or turned off.

Since the 1000, the road across the valley floor must be more obvious and passable than when you guys opened the route for a full size vehicle in 2008. Flash floods will keep washing it away, naturally.