Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8932
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
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Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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2007 Baja Grande is gonna be big!
Baja Grande II started right here in San Felipe. My good friend Andrew Simpkins (pictured above, left) convinced me to host it again before he passed
away in June. So, in his honor, Baja Grande II will take place in 8 weeks - November 17-24th, 2007.
With still 8 weeks to go before the kickoff in San Diego, CA - we alreay have 12 vehicles confirmed and ready for action. M?? Are you going to
represent the Nomad's on this one??? 
Below is the trip itinerary:
One more thing...We plan to have an afternoon hike up Canyon Diablo on the first day. Does anyone want to meet our Jeep carrivan in the Mattias Pass
and hike together up the canyon? It should be fun... 
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Run Leader(s):
Ken Cooke (JustRuns/Rubicon Owners of CA/Baja Jeepin')
Christopher Glass (JustRuns/Baja Crawlers-Tijuana, MX)
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The run will take place in the following locations: (Trip Itinerary)
11/17 Day 1 - Meet up at SDSU-area WalMart. Depart at 9 a.m. sharp. Drive to 7/11 in Rancho San Diego for quick coffee stop & restroom break
(portable toilets). Cross border in Tecate. Travel Hwy 2 towards Mexicali. Break for lunch along side of the road at Laguna Salada. Afternoon
hiking adventure is planned for Canyon del Diablo - several locals will be meeting us at Mex 3/Mex 5 Intersection to join us for our hiking trip.
Group dinner at El Colorado Restaurant on Mex Hwy 5. Camp at Del Sol Camp Ground (incl. showers) on a bluff above the Sea of Cortez.
11/18 Day 2 - Depart Del Sol Campground at 9 a.m. Fuel up rigs (fill Gerry Cans) at PEMEX station in San Felipe. Visit Natural Hot Springs in
Puertecitos (soak our feet!). Lunch stop at El Huerfanito Island. Dinner at Rancho Grande. Camping just south of Alfonsinas in Bahia San Luis
Gonzaga. Showers are at Alfonsinas for ~$2.00 per person - don't worry, we will go as a group so nobody gets lost  )
11/19 Day 3 - Rebuild La Turquesa Mine Road with help of 20 Jeeps on tap. Winch and wrangle rocks and construct ourselves a road that connects
Gonzaga to Hwy 1. TW from BajaNomad.com will guide our group and hopefully, we will make ourselves proud with a job well-done!
11/20 Day 4 - Travel day to L.A. Bay to restock ice chests, fill up gas tanks & gerry cans, eat dinner as a group in town.
11/21 Day 5 - Depart Ensenada La Gringa at 8 a.m. sharp. Travel north along Mex 1 to Rancho Santa Ines. Make a quick stop in Catavina for beverages
and ice. Travel 14.7 Mi. East to Mision Santa Maria (a.k.a. - "Mission Impossible"). Camp out - Backcountry-style (no services).
11/22 Day 6 - Hike to pools of water in granite bowls. Possibly reach El Camino Real Native American hiking trail/site. Camp out -
Backcountry-style (no services).
11/23 Day 7 - Depart Mision Santa Maria at 9 a.m. Stop in Catavina for beverages & ice. Look around at the miniature chicken ranch behind the
mini market. Travel to 76 miles to El Rosario. Invade Baja Cactus Motel (incl. showers/high-speed Internet/Cable TV). Park our rigs gridlock-style
in the parking lot-Hey! The party's in the parking lot! ) Eat supper next
door at Mama Espinozas Restaurante.
11/24 Day 8 - Depart Baja Cactus Motel at 10 a.m. Travel to Santo Tomas for lunch/Baja Grande banquet at El Palomar Restaurante. Fuel up next door
at PEMEX station. Drive north through Ensenada to Tecate, MX. Cross the border, return to the U.S.A.
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Run Difficulty Level - Level 3 - Traction Aid Required for crossing the swamp at Mission Impossible and rock-climb out of Mission Impossible trail.
Anti-Swaybar-Disconnect strongly suggested due to tippy nature of Mission Impossible trail.
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Mandatory Equipment: 2 Gerry Cans (minimum) - we are doing some long-range driving, especially the long stretch from L.A. Bay to El Rosario since
Catavina cannot be counted on for having gasoline. Fire Extinguisher, Flashlight, good Spare Tire, Tools, Spare Parts, Radiator Hoses, Spare Fluids,
octane booster (87 Octane Pemex is really 85 Octane).
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***Mexican Driving Insurance is REQUIRED***RSVP FOR THIS TRIP IS MANDATORY***
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Type of Run: Bob-Tail Run
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Trail Boss - Ken Cooke (951) 255-1589 cell
[Edited on 11-6-2007 by Ken Cooke]
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64719
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Sounds great Ken!
A couple of notes...
The Baja 1000 is not passing near San Felipe, so you may not have as much 1000 stuff as usual...
Unless they get some rain near Cataviņa, the bog near Mision Santa Maria may still be dry (as it was last May)...
You will have a great time!!!
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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What, your not going to clear rocks at La Turquesa!!!! I' am shocked. All those off roaders could clear me a shortcut road in no time.
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8932
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
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Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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| Quote: | Originally posted by TW
What, your not going to clear rocks at La Turquesa!!!! I' am shocked. All those off roaders could clear me a shortcut road in no time.
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La Turquesa? I didn't hear about this being scheduled in November..Pardon my ignorance on that...
When were you going to be there, Tom???
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TMW
Select Nomad
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Location: Bakersfield, CA
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[When were you going to be there, Tom???]
Well, I was sort of waiting for you to clear the road so I could test it.
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TMW
Select Nomad
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Location: Bakersfield, CA
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I'm trying to convince my wife to hook up with you all on the 21st at mission Santa Maria.
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8932
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
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Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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| Quote: | Originally posted by TW
I'm trying to convince my wife to hook up with you all on the 21st at mission Santa Maria. |
Vehicle #13 just confirmed tonight. Word has really traveled among the Jeep crowd about this Baja event. Its looking interesting with Jeepers
Jamboree wanting to purchase it, and everyone watching it grow so fast. I wonder what our final group number will look like in November....
If I knew more about this Tourquesa trail...The size of our group would have something like that cleared in one afternoon. You should have seen how
fast we built a bridge in lower Canyon Enmedio to access the abandonded Suzuki Samurai that was stuck on some small rocks.
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8932
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
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Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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| Quote: | Originally posted by soulpatch
Maybe my family and I will cruise up to La Gringa to say hola and have a chilly one and meet a few folks. |
You have our itinerary, and we plan to stick to it closely. You won't miss the 15-20 Jeeps and pickups. We plan to be at the campground just south
of the military base near La Gringa. Not sure of the name, but the owner told us that if we were to return next year, that the 2nd phase would be
complete, and our group would have room to expand and/or fan out for the 2 nights that we planned on sleeping there. Yippee!! 
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Hook
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9009
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Location: Sonora
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"Its looking interesting with Jeepers Jamboree wanting to purchase it, and everyone watching it grow so fast."
Ken, what do you mean by "wanting to purchase it" ?
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8932
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Hook
"Its looking interesting with Jeepers Jamboree wanting to purchase it, and everyone watching it grow so fast."
Ken, what do you mean by "wanting to purchase it" ? |
I was approached by one of the people from that company with dollar signs and the offer to lead the trip for pay.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64719
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Location: San Diego County
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Ken, is it 'La Ventana' (next to the Los Vientos hotel)? That's were Marv Sherrill (Baja Calendars) has a place (with all the Dana Point signs)...
That is just south of the navy base...
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8932
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
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Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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Thanks so much for the reminder. I remember purchasing the Baja Calendars last month. He probably sold 10 calendars in like 30 minutes from our
group. That's the place I plan on our group staying at this year...
| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Ken, is it 'La Ventana' (next to the Los Vientos hotel)? That's were Marv Sherrill (Baja Calendars) has a place (with all the Dana Point signs)...
That is just south of the navy base... |
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8932
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
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Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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Today, vehicle #20 signed up for Baja Grande. Mr. Russell Butterworth will drive his Jeep Cherokee along the unforbidding Mission Santa Maria trail
on big, fat 31" tires. Seriously, this trip is looking bigger and bigger by the day. I hope everyone that wants to get involved signs up and shows
up. Because, we're gonna have fun!!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64719
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Ken, maybe re-edit the schedule to include the La Turquesa Canyon road repair project, since that is now such a big part of Baja Grande...? You reply
above to TW on 9-23 makes it sound like it was never planned... even though it was added in since.
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8932
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Ken, maybe re-edit the schedule to include the La Turquesa Canyon road repair project. |
Everything has been re-edited and the new schedule reflects changes made since the initial schedule was made back in September. Thanks for noticing,
David. Personally, I can't wait for this trip. It will be SO MUCH FUN!
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4baja
Super Nomad
Posts: 1339
Registered: 9-4-2003
Location: morro bay ca
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sounds like a great trip you put on, good luck and wish i coud go. ran into one of your friends and his wife up at a bar near my cabin in the high
sierras. they were very nice people and turned them onto some nice traills in my area. i couldnt remember there names but he had a red jeep cherokee
and he was missing a arm. tell him that 4baja from the ponderosa said hi
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8932
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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That would be Brad and Rhoda Green. I will let them know you said, Hello...
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