Santiago
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BOLA to El Arco short cut no bueno
In the new Almanac this short cut shows to be a decent road but in my full size pickup it got pretty hairy in a number of places. This is really a
jeep or 4-wheeler road. Looks to save about 5 or 6 miles by not needing to turn east first and then doubling back but probably cost us at least 30
minutes in road time. Deep, Deep ruts. What got me to try it was a large sign at the southbound intersection that shows a cafe in 26 kilometers and
it looks good the first few hundred yards. My passenger will no longer allow me to take any thing remotely called a shortcut.
[img] [/img]
[Edited on 4-12-2011 by Santiago]
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TMW
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What's the fun without the adventure.
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Santiago
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Good point right there. Fun to talk about it afterwards but anyone in a standard PU with 15" or 16" wheels or car would high center and drag bottom.
No place to turn around as I thought about it a couple of times. I have 18" wheels, standard lift and bumped skid plate lots. Sticky stuff grows
right to the sides, windows rolled up and no arms resting on the door.
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TMW
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I just looked at the GPS overlay on Google Earth and that section was used in the Baja 1000 race last year. That why the deep ruts.
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Santiago
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That's interesting, we saw no directional signs on this loop but it sure would explain the condition of the road. Dessert Bull said he drove the
BOLA/El Arco road a month or so ago, I wonder if he took this leg?
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ElCap
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We drove it the week before the Baja Mil, and it was already deeply rutted, and I can only imagine it's much worse after the race.
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Pacifico
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We have taken that road in the buggies. There are some skinny sections with rocks sticking out that can get your tires... It's not much of a shortcut
(time-wise) in a standard vehicle.
Did you stop at Pancho's?
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David K
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Nice job with the satellite map Santiago! Maybe you can show me how you did that!?
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msteve1014
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You have to try this stuff once in a while or you end up on the blacktop all the time. The next shortcut may turn up something great.
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David K
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| Quote: | Originally posted by msteve1014
You have to try this stuff once in a while or you end up on the blacktop all the time. The next shortcut may turn up something great.
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YES!
Every dirt road in Baja goes someplace!
As Neal Johns always says, "When you come to a fork in the road... take it! IF you don't, God will get you!"
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Pacifico
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You had to know this was coming:
The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
- Robert Frost -
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Pacifico
You had to know this was coming:
The Road Not Taken
Two roads diverged in a yellow wood,
And sorry I could not travel both
And be one traveler, long I stood
And looked down one as far as I could
To where it bent in the undergrowth;
Then took the other, as just as fair,
And having perhaps the better claim,
Because it was grassy and wanted wear;
Though as for that the passing there
Had worn them really about the same,
And both that morning equally lay
In leaves no step had trodden black.
Oh, I kept the first for another day!
Yet knowing how way leads on to way,
I doubted if I should ever come back.
I shall be telling this with a sigh
Somewhere ages and ages hence:
Two roads diverged in a wood, and I-
I took the one less traveled by,
And that has made all the difference.
- Robert Frost - |
obviously, my favorite poem of them all, ever.
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mcfez
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Did you stop at Pancho's?
What is this place Pancho's?
Old people are like the old cars, made of some tough stuff. May show a little rust, but good as gold on the inside.
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David K
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| Quote: | Originally posted by mcfez
Did you stop at Pancho's?
What is this place Pancho's? |
Bahia San Rafael, between Bahia de los Angeles and Punta San Francisquito.
Pancho has a beach campo there and does tire repairs. Pancho is one super nice guy and deseves business or just stop to buy a beer and chat. Beautiful
beach there... halibut and triggers from surf fishing... maybe more?
BajaBoy has made Pancho's a regular destination for years.
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David K
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Several photos of the San Rafael beach and Pancho in this thread: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=34670
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Desertbull
Senior Nomad
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We didn't run that road because it's lined with tons of gnarly cactus on both sides of the road with no turnarounds and its very narrow. Wild Bill
introduced that road to Frank about 11 years ago and like TW mentioned it's used at times for the race course.
Some of those so called short cuts are not so much a short cut...a few weeks ago I ran the old Ice House road from Las Ballenas to Mulege which a few
years ago was a no brainer, but last week it was 40+ miles of watermelon sized rocks before we arrived to San Miguel and then it was another 30 miles
to Mulege...took about 4.5 hours in an off road truck...slow going!
The main road thru there ( San Fransquito) is fairly wide open except for that mini Grand Canyon swtchbacks for a mile or so...
Or you could continue south to El Corrales instead of heading to El Arco and then take the shortcut to San Ignacio...gnarly!
[Edited on 4-13-2011 by Desertbull]
[Edited on 4-13-2011 by Desertbull]
DREAM IT! PLAN IT! LIVE IT!
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Santiago
Ultra Nomad
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Desertbull
We didn't run that road because it's lined with tons of gnarly cactus on both sides of the road with no turnarounds and its very narrow.
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No kidding.... I'm lucky as the only thing I need to repaint are my mirrors - and they were folded back. I have already had to repaint the sides due
to a fatal error of following a suggestion from Neal Johns......
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motoged
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I rode that stretch on dirt bike two years ago and can understand why the average 4-wheel off-roader wouldn't like it
I did it because it was there and was "less-traveled"....and looked like fun.
NOT recommended for anything else but fun-factor...
Don't believe everything you think....
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Marc
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Thanks Santiago. I am planning that route in October.
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