honda tom
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Registered: 8-28-2003
Location: middle calif
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Big river cut loreto trip short
crossed the border fri morning at 8am. Made BOLA by 4pm and got a room at the "new" place costa del sol? at 60 bucs a night. Great room good shower
and cold a/c. The son of the owner of villa vita, is trying to run the place, and got us a panga for $140. (many other attempts to get a panga didnt
work out) Guillermo was booked , he quoted me $300.
Ate dinner at guillermos and had some great magraritas.
6:30 sat morn went out on the panga with Sergio, very good guide, lifelong resident of bola and owner of some bay property next to villa vita that
he hopes to start developing. He spoke very excited about the escaulara nautica. We did good landing 5 yellowtail 4 bonita and many bottom bass. It
then started to sprinkle on our way in. After a quick lunch we headed south toward san francisquito, (our plan was to make it to san ignacio, than on
to loreto) this is where it really started to rain. On 2 of the small mountain crossings the mud had taken over the road and slid my f250 off into
the culverts(this was slow sliding mud that fills up your tread and turns your tires into slicks. Dad and i were very relieved that low loc and new
BFG's crawled their way back with little trouble.
turned off to san fran with the rain now extreme. many arroyos had now taken the road away. we found it best to not even try slow goin it through
some of them, just point it straight and gas it. 2 miles from S.F. we started to make a left turn that heads uphill, THE ENTIRE ROAD HAD BECOME A
DOWNHILL RAPID. It was at this point i decided if we continued on we would be spending more time at S.F. than we had planned, we turned back toward El
Arco. Our last hour of light was spent bouncing and spinning through small streams that had taken the road away. Although the graded road was a relief
to finally reach, the rain and nightfall made it still a slow go. We reached Guerrero Negro and got a room.
The next day we headed south for loreto, still sprinkling. 5 miles north of Vizcaino the traffic came to a stop. People were standing and sitting
with umrellas and picnic tables. A very large arroyo was flowing, at least 200' across and my best guess was 5 to 6' deep. Some people tried to wave
my truck to the front to give it a try (somewhat tall) but this thing was huge, NO WAY! We all got a kick at the 3 Mexican guys in the 2 wheel drive
toyota that went out 20' to see how deep it was, at 20' it was 2' and water splashed on ignition parts and killed his motor, he was quickly pushed
back. The federallies showed up and said that if it rained no maswe could pass at 4 pm. Well, it was 8am and still raining.
Dad and i decided we would catch Loreto and Arturos dorado tourney again next year, and head north. We did some west coast exploring ans spent the
night at don eddies (san Quintin) 45 buc room and awesome food. Some shopping at Rosarito and a 1:15 border wait and we were on our way home.
Oh well, yellowtail at bola, pulled out 2 stuck trucks, gave 2 gals gas, did some nasty arroyo fording, and a bunch of margaritas and
tecates........ A GOOD TRIP!
I would be interested if anyone knows when that arroyo was passabl and how much damage was between there and Loreto.
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bajaloco
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Registered: 12-5-2002
Location: Huntington Beach, California
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Great report honda tom...We made the same trip from LA Bay to San Francisquito in July, with no rain. I can just imagine the roads after a downpour.
How did you like that road to Hwy.1 from El Arco? In my opinion that is one of the most misrable roads in Baja...When you have two parallel side
roads, you know it's bad.
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elgatoloco
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Registered: 11-19-2002
Location: Yes
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Thanks for the report!
That vado is famous! It has a sign with a name that escapes me at the moment.
Your story brings back fond memories!!
In 1997 we were headed north from surf trip to Abreojos and we stopped in Vizcaino for fuel. There were LOTS of people/vehicles in the area and that
was a bit unusual. Waiting for my buddy Jim to fill up his 100 gallon auxiliary fuel tank we struck up conversation with some folks who told us that
the road was flooded north of town. It seemed odd because it was a bright , sunny day with no evidence of recent rain. We headed north about 7-8 miles
and there was the line of vehicles backed up in both directions. We stopped and got out and what we saw was a 'happening'. There were people swimming
in the 'lake' with family members sitting by in beach chairs, there was a guy cooking and selling carne asada tacos another guy selling coco
helados,sodas,cold beers out of the back of his truck people milling about having a good time, except for those who were on a schedule. 
The night before there had been BIG thunderstorms up in the Sierra San Francisco that had sent down the torrents of water causing the temporary
'waterpark' to materialize. It was eveident by the locals activity that this wasn't the first time this had occurred.
As we were sitting there we could see the water level dropping gradually and before too long the first big rig truck forded it's way southbound across
the vado, then one went northbound and so on. Eventually my buddy Jim and his one ton Chevy pickup with a 27' fifth wheel trailer was right behind the
next big rig to cross northbound. As the 18 wheeler proceeded to head across Jimbo jumped in his rig thru the driver side window as he had duct taped
all the door gaps, and as the crowd roared it's approval he quickly followed in the wake of the other truck with the water about half a foot over the
running boards and made it to the other side giving us and everyone else a big wave as he hammered it northbound.
As all this was happening I had noticed a guy had pulled up on the northbound side in a 20 foot flatbed three axle truck. He proceeded to back the
truck up againast a dirt bank on the side of the road and two small cars drove themselves on to his rig and he carried them south across the flooded
vado and then backed in to another dirt bank on the south side. We were standing right there so I grabbed a shovel and everyone started to build up a
small ramp for the cars to back off the truck. The cars got off and the driver of the truck turned to me and asked what I was driving, I pointed to my
F-150 and he asked 'do you want a ride?' I said 'Si! Como No!'. I pulled in the mirrors and pulled onto the flatbed and he drove me across the vado. I
tried to ask him 'cuanto questa?' and he gave me a look like 'hey this is FUN'. We stuck around and helped the next folks get their rig onto the
flatbed and then handed out the last of our cold beverages and hammered it north to try and catch up to Jim. We caught him right at the Eagle
monument. As we pulled into the military checkpoint Jim pulled his rig on what was a slightly angled area and just as he came to a stop and the
soldiers started to check him out gallons and gallons of water started pouring out of the bottom of his fifth wheel storage compartments. It was one
of the funniest things I've ever seen as we all stood there and watched. The soldiers got a big kick out of it and Jim was chuckling as he now figured
that it was NOT the motor lagging from the driving thru the water but the extra weight he had picked up!
I can only smile when I think about this trip and others that Jim and I went on over the years, including a surf trip to Isla Natividad and numerous
forays to other surf breaks up and down the coast. It is also with a touch of sadness. August 24th, at age 39, Jim fell off a 9' ladder and struck his
head and died.
He lived life to the fullest and he will always be an inspiration to me and others who had the pleasure to know him.
RIP
James Francis McLaughlin
MAGA
marooons Are Governing America
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Mexitron
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Location: Fort Worth, Texas
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Mood: Happy!
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Sounds like you met up with the outflow of Hurricane Howard. Good adventure!
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4baja
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Registered: 9-4-2003
Location: morro bay ca
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4baja
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Location: morro bay ca
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hey tom cost del sol has gone up another ten bucks but well worth it with the air conditioning. will be there in three weeks with ten buddys for a
huge birthday party. will allso be there for the baja 1000 so if your around show up for a few c-cktails. will be at our places at gecko with all the
quads and boats.
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Alex67
Junior Nomad
Posts: 26
Registered: 9-5-2004
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Aye...
I'm doing my first ever baja sur drive on Friday Sept 10. I have a 4x4 X-Cab Toyota with a 7" lift and brand new (today) 33" BF's on it. I hardly ever
use the 4x4, so I'm a lil concerned, but I guess that if I take my time; am willing to wait, I'll be fine. I have a 6000lb winch on it as well that
might be able to assist other motorists. Reading about your trip inspires me, even though I have come minor worries in the back of my mind. I have no
timetable to keep up (well, I am meeting clients on Sept.22nd, but I am SURE I will be down in CSL by then!). so I should be able to manage. I will
pack plenty of beer, sodas and snacks! 
***********************************
If the going gets tough, the smart ones go to Baja.
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honda tom
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Posts: 493
Registered: 8-28-2003
Location: middle calif
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Hey 4baja, I had heard u had a place at bola and i even asked our fish guide if he knew of a toyota with the plate 4baja. This year for the 1000 i
think were heading to san ignacio with the trailers, and then riding south from there on the bikes (at least Loreto maybe La Paz. If the plan changes
I'll see you at the bay.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65277
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Alex, Toyota is #1 in Baja!
Mine is a stock 2001 Xtra cab TRD 4WD. If I can make it up the 'widowmaker' grade on the way out from Mision Santa Maria (shown above), then yours
will be no problem on any road in Baja!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65277
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Location: San Diego County
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajaloco
... How did you like that road to Hwy.1 from El Arco? In my opinion that is one of the most misrable roads in Baja...When you have two parallel side
roads, you know it's bad. |
FYI: By far, a superior route between Hwy. 1 and San Francisquito is via Guierrmo Prieto (jcn. just a few miles north of Vizcaino). The still unmapped
road follows along the Arroyo Purificacion to the junction with the El Arco- San Francisquito road, passing just west of Rancho Miraflores. GPS of
this route in my web site (link in my notebook below),
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bajaloco
Nomad
Posts: 159
Registered: 12-5-2002
Location: Huntington Beach, California
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Mood: wishin I was fishin
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David...We looked for that road but could not locate it. When we left San Francisquito we were advised to turn left at the windmill on the right side
of the road, just after the rancho with the stone corral. Well, we found the trail we think. But the road to El Arco had just been graded and it was
as smooth as a babies butt. We just drove on to El Arco, stupid me... We drove in and it was like a ghost town. Not even any soldiers at the post.
Then we found the road from hell. We had no idea it would be that bad...
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65277
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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There was a sign for Santa Gertrudis at the junction when I was on it. Both the AAA map and the Almanac show Arroyo Purificacion, and that is where
the new road braches south... It is a graded road as well and takes you right into the middle of Guillermo Prieto. At the state border is a sign
indicating the time zone change... that's all.
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marla
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Registered: 10-29-2003
Location: Long Beach
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Wow intersting trip report thanks!
[Edited on 9-8-2004 by marla]
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