David K
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Baja Bound Article by Nomad 'GregN' about Arturo Grosso of Laguna Chapala
https://www.bajabound.com/bajaadventures/bajafever/arturo_gr...
A very nice read about Mama Espinoza's oldest brother.
I have an article coming in September that mentions another brother of her's and Arturo's. Thought I would post this one for those not on the Baja
Bound mailing list.
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ehall
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Great read. He sounded like a man that could make things happen.
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mojo_norte
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Good read - Pavement finished this year ?
To get the job done this year Mexico has allocated another 290 million Pesos. Project Director Alfonso Padrés Pesqueira stated that the additional
federal resources will help get the highway completed during 2016.
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David K
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No way will Hwy. 5 be completed this year... or a couple more after, at the rate this section has been progressing.
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TMW
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Good read for sure. Grosso and his sister were certainly people to admire and be thankful for. They have done so much for Baja and the people they
have met.
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TMW
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If it takes a little longer than expected OK. Just make sure it is a good build hwy and does not turn into pot hole BLVD in 6 months after it is
completed.
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jbcoug
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I really enjoyed the article, glad to hear it was written by a nomad. Good job!
\"The average dog is a nicer person than the average person.\" Andy Rooney
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David K
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GregN, Graham, and I are some of the Nomads here who write books and articles that have appeared in both Discover Baja Travel Club and Baja Bound
Insurance on-line newsletters.
Here are Greg's two Baja books:
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Pablito1
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Good read, I enjoyed it. Back in the 1980s I was staying at the Papa Fernandez camp quite a bit. One day during a conversation with Papa I asked him
about the road to San Felipe and who built it. And for sure he said Arturo Grosso.
Thanks and Regards
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gsbotanico
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David, thanks for posting the link. I would have missed it without the link. I thoroughly enjoyed reading the article. Arturo Grosso was truly a
remarkable man.
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Udo
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Nice read, DK...Grosso was a great person to know.
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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Udo
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There is no way the HWY will get finished this year.
They still have to build the wall! 
Quote: Originally posted by mojo_norte  | Good read - Pavement finished this year ?
To get the job done this year Mexico has allocated another 290 million Pesos. Project Director Alfonso Padrés Pesqueira stated that the additional
federal resources will help get the highway completed during 2016. |
Udo
Youth is wasted on the young!
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David K
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| Quote: Originally posted by Pablito1 | Good read, I enjoyed it. Back in the 1980s I was staying at the Papa Fernandez camp quite a bit. One day during a conversation with Papa I asked him
about the road to San Felipe and who built it. And for sure he said Arturo Grosso.
Thanks and Regards |
Yes, Arturo built the first 'pilot' road between Calamajué and the Sulfur Mine (23 miles south of San Felipe)...
Jeeps were able to drive up to Gonzaga Bay, but not further north. The sulfur mine was worked in the 50s so a road did exist from San Felipe to there,
plus an extension to the beach at Agua de Chale (now 'Nuevo Mazatlan').
In 1955, the state government offered a 10,000 peso reward for anyone who could open a road to complete a corridor between San Felipe and Laguna
Chapala (or Calamajué). Grosso grabbed some dynamite and got the job done!
A few years later (about 1960), government bulldozers scraped a slightly improved version over Grosso's pilot road... and that would become the
toughest main road in Baja over the following years.
In 1986, a brand new graded road, practically a dirt highway, was built between Puertecitos (which began about 1959) and Gonzaga, and met up with the
1983 new road from Chapala to Puerto Calamajué (the junction became Coco's Corner in the 90s).
Here is a map published in 1956 showing the Jeep road ending where Papa Fernandez' is today... (mapping research for it was done in the early 1950s by
Howard Gulick):
[Edited on 9-2-2022 by David K]
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Pablito1
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If you go north cross country from Papa's well you will find a canyon. In that particular canyon there is an old abandon road that goes up the hill. I
found this road while walking and asked Chi Chi about it. He told me that it was the original road and was changed. I never walked up the hill to find
where that part connected in however.
Regards
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David K
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Yes, you can see it still... and a few other places, too,
There are basically 4 roads between Puertecitos and Gonzaga. Each has a slightly different route/ alignment and often one is built over the previous:
~1955-56 Grosso's Pilot Trail. First auto road between Puertecitos and Gonzaga. (Puertecitos didn't exist before 1957)
~1957-59 Government improved the road, very steep grades, 4WD recommended
1985-1986 New Graded Road, 2WD safe
2007-2015 New Paved Highway
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GregN
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David. Thanks for posting my article. I'm glad so many of you enjoyed it. By the way, as far as totally finishing it this year, I just quoted what
they reported. Quien sabe?
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64946
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Location: San Diego County
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| Quote: Originally posted by GregN | | David. Thanks for posting my article. I'm glad so many of you enjoyed it. By the way, as far as totally finishing it this year, I just quoted what
they reported. Quien sabe? |
Yes, exactly!
There is a couple years of work still ahead (if not more) unless they increase the crews and equipment... like they did to build the last 300 miles of
Hwy. 1 so fast in 1973 (San Quintin to San Ignacio/Santa Rosalia).
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