dtbushpilot
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3288
Registered: 1-11-2007
Location: Buena Vista BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: Tranquilo
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dt and Ged's excellent baja adventure ride...Day 3
Day 3: Mulege to Punta Conception and back to Mulege. 141 miles
I had been out to Punta Conception with my son about 12 years ago and have always wanted to go back. Mi esposa bonita Jill and I went there last year
in out camper pulling a trailer with the Polaris on it....it was a bad idea. We couldn't get as far North as I had wanted because of the bad or
nonexistent road and it was so hot ( July) that we had to flee for our lives an hour after we had set up camp....this trip would be different...
We packed enough stuff for a day trip, got some breakfast, topped off the gas and headed South. We stopped again at Pompano"s and he was home. We had
a nice but short visit as we had a lot of miles to cover this day. After reaching the Southern end of the bay we turned off the pavement and headed
East. The road was a fun, fairly fast 2 track, the stuff that I really like. After a while we came to an intersection with a sign promising "excellent
ubication" to the right.
During our conversation with Marc the day previous we had talked about a canyon with a spring somewhere in this area and perhaps this was it.
Regardless, we had to check it out as neither one of us knew what "ubication" was and we were determined to find out. The trail wound up a little
canyon, passed an old ranch house and ended up at a cool corral followed by, I would guess, "ubication"
There was a dam across a narrow spot in the canyon to catch water from a spring above. There was a sporty, rocky climb to a wired shut gate to get to
the top of the dam but I was certain it would be worth the climb to check it out....besides you never know when someone will "get it wrong" and
provide a photo opportunity. It's always good to keep your camera ready just in case..
I told Ged to suck in his gut but he said it was already sucked it...
Don't drink that water Ged, that's for the cows.....
After soaking up some ubication it was time to continue on. The road, where there was one varied from roller coaster 2 track to hard packed mud flats
to riding on the gravely sandy beach. Ged mentioned earlier (and more than once) that he didn't like to ride in the sand......I on the other hand,
being a desert rat, rather enjoy it. I decided not to tell him that the last 4 miles of the ride through the canyon to the other side of the point was
in a sandy arroyo.
Along the way we saw a number of pangas apparently anchored with fishermen in them. What made them unique was the fact that they were double masted. I
had never seen sailing pangas....and as it turned out I still hadn't. On the way back the people I thought were fishermen were setting up camp on
shore. The boats turned out to be row boats with sails and it was some group of gringo adventurers, probably some kind of touchy feely rehab
thing....I don't know. Ged seemed to know what the guy was talking about and I didn't want to look uninformed by asking for clarification....and I
really didn't care.
We got to the place where the trail turned to an arroyo and I took the lead through the sandy canyon. After a bit I was tempted to pull off and hide
so that I could follow Ged through the canyon and make fun of him later....I learned that from my son....I decided against it, bad karma and all of
that.
We arrived at the other side of the canyon on the Sea of Cortez where there is an old mining operation. I don't know much about it or what they were
mining but I'm hoping a better informed Nomad will chime in and give us the details (DK?). After taking off our gear and relaxing a bit I wandered
around and took a few pictures.
Here's a picture of Ged gazing off to the East reflecting on the rich history of the area....at least that's what I think he's doing....
Eventually it was time to saddle up and go. We made the 4 mile trek through the soft sand without any major problems, Ged gave me a "thumbs up" at the
end of the canyon and we hit the trial to find the beer that I was sure I could hear calling me from the other side of the bay.
When we got back to Mulege we went straight to Jungla Jims where I was certain the source of the calling beer was. We pulled our bikes up onto the
lawn (of sorts) right in front of the window where all the bar patrons could see the intrepid adventurers that were about to grace them with their
presence. I nonchalantly threw my leg over the bike to dismount and hung my boot on my duffel bag. The bike fell in slow motion onto it's side and I
casually stepped away. I contemplated leaving it there like that so that perhaps the half drunk patrons of the bar would think I was really cool and
that's just "how I roll".....but nobody's that drunk....I went ahead and picked it up.
We went inside, ordered up some margaritas and made friends with the locals. We had garlic shrimp for dinner and headed to the house a couple of
hundred yards away.......
To be continued....
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64743
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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David... you get an A+ on this trip report!!
The mine is a manganese mine from WWII... There is an active thread on it right now, just below yours on Today's Posts page 1: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=51392
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dtbushpilot
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3288
Registered: 1-11-2007
Location: Buena Vista BCS
Member Is Offline
Mood: Tranquilo
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Thanks for the mine update and good grade on my trip report DK.....dt
"Life is tough".....It's even tougher if you're stupid.....
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wessongroup
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21152
Registered: 8-9-2009
Location: Mission Viejo
Member Is Offline
Mood: Suicide Hot line ... please hold
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Thanks for the "ride" really neat... and all the work.. 
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motoged
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6481
Registered: 7-31-2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
Member Is Offline
Mood: Gettin' Better
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David,
I have been so busy writing my own ride report on Adventure Rider that I have barely looked at BN...
And I am loving your report so far
I am looking forward to that/those nicknames you were thinking up for me throughout the 10 days together 
For the rest of you BN's....taking the chance to spend 10 days with a person I had never met before was a bit of a gamble....but DT is a good roll of
the dice.
Any time i asked him..."Which way do you want to go?" or, "Do you want to lead and not ride in my dust?"....Ol' DT would just say, "I am on permanent
vacation and I am just following you around on your vacation!"
I thought he was being incredibly sensitive and thoughtful....now I see he was under the spell of "STFU"....still, not a bad attitude
For those who don't know, DT is a gentle guy despite his appearance:
[img]http://[/img]
He knows how to enjoy "Excellent Ubication"...
And was a great riding partner, despite not trusting my navigational skills...as he pointed out that this desert trail was NOT a shortcut, but ratehr
was "An alternate Route":
[img]http://[/img]
David, I am following your tale....(That is 'T-a-l-e' )...
For the rest of you, here is a link to my ride report....you can read without signing up....but can't add comments unless you register with the forum:
http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=666961
Don't believe everything you think....
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fishabductor
Senior Nomad
Posts: 800
Registered: 5-29-2010
Member Is Offline
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nice trip report...wish I had a bike..but my body doesn't. I've broke enough bones to last me 3 lifetimes.
The water looks SO inviting...or uberiting.
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motoged
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6481
Registered: 7-31-2006
Location: Kamloops, BC
Member Is Offline
Mood: Gettin' Better
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| Quote: | Originally posted by fishabductor
nice trip report...wish I had a bike..but my body doesn't. I've broke enough bones to last me 3 lifetimes.
The water looks SO inviting...or uberiting. |
FA,
We didn't do any swimming this trip...except when I went swimming in a silt bed north of San Juanico on our return to San Ignacio ...more about that as the ride reports continue....
Don't believe everything you think....
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wessongroup
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21152
Registered: 8-9-2009
Location: Mission Viejo
Member Is Offline
Mood: Suicide Hot line ... please hold
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Cool site... thanks for the link.. I'm much like fish... my bike riding and a few others have left me... unable to ride anymore.... so you guys
sharing is really a treat ... just super...
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reelfun
Newbie
Posts: 3
Registered: 12-15-2010
Member Is Offline
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ubication
ubicacion is location and that does indeed look like a nice location great report and fun ride for sure
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BajaDave
Junior Nomad
Posts: 76
Registered: 9-2-2003
Member Is Offline
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Great writing style, David... you've got the skills. You had me laughing out load about the dismount at Jungla Jims!
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