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Mexitron
Ultra Nomad
   
Posts: 3397
Registered: 9-21-2003
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
Member Is Offline
Mood: Happy!
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Eons ago we were surfing at Punta San Jacinto(Shipwrecks) by Colonet.......while we are riding the 2' monster barrels we see a guy waving and yelling
on the bluff. We got out of the water and went up to the guy....he was really upset, his truck was stuck about quarter mile away....so we said no
biggie, we'll get you out.
We drive over to his truck, and are amazed to see that he tried to drive across one of those salt flats in the area--only this salt flat wasn't
dry!! The guy's truck was way in over the axles--fully imbedded. He said he tried to drive across it really fast, which is sort of like leaning into
a left hook.
I backed my Ford Ranger in as far as I could and attached my tow strap to his truck as my friends and him tried to dig as much mud out from as they
could from the tires.....gave it a pull and not a budge...and my truck was starting to go in too......so we got my friend's Four Runner and attached a
line from his to my truck.......still nothing moving....so we get my brother's Ford F 150 and attach a line to the Four Runner and we dug out even
more mud from the guy's truck........Finally!! We pulled him out--what a mucky mess we all were! The guy is so stoked, thanks us and says he's going
into town and get us some cases of beer for our efforts.
Well, he never came back with the beer--rat, but we had another Baja story under our belts.
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Markitos
Nomad

Posts: 218
Registered: 1-4-2004
Location: San Diego/La Paz
Member Is Offline
Mood: let me check
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Years ago when my daughter was about 10. We where in San Fhlipe. She was driving around looking for a place to camp for the night. I wanted to camp so
we could see the sea. We were crusing all over the place looking for a cool spot with a nice view. I tell the poor young'n hang a left and floor it to
get over the knoll! HA! No way. Ive never seen my truck sooo buried. I dug for hours. The kid and the dog playing in the sea and haven the time of
ther'y life's. As ole pop dug and dug. After awhile a VW van,2 wheel drive shows up and offers to help me out. I'm thinkin right dude! HELLOOOO F250
4X4! What ya gona do wit that little thing? And he says........
Ever tried letting some air out them big ole tires? Ya dumb sum beach?
JR was that you?
All that wonder are not lost
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
   
Posts: 4863
Registered: 2-2-2003
Member Is Offline
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What year was it?
 
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David K
Honored Nomad
       
Posts: 65179
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Now, THAT was funny!
Thanks Markitos (and JR) for the good laugh!     
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Skeet/Loreto
Ultra Nomad
   
Posts: 4709
Registered: 9-2-2003
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Beach South of San Felipie
On my second Trip to Baja in 1968/69, I fueled up out of 55 Gal Drums behind the Motel with the "Good Eats' departed south and Headed toward Loreto,
decide to check out the Beach so stayed low.
As i came over a Sand Dune near the Water, there was a Group of girls and Boys playing Volleyball, All Naked as "Jaybirds" jumping and waving as i
circled to get a better Look!!
For Several years afterward I would always do the same routine, finally getting to where I could identify and individual by "The Tuff of Their Puff".
Skeet/Loreto
"In God I Trust"
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4baja
Super Nomad
  
Posts: 1339
Registered: 9-4-2003
Location: morro bay ca
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we were camping at la salina(back when you could) and this guy was racing around in his ford f250 with his girlfriend drunk as a skunk when he decided
to drive into the swamp behind us. he sunk that thing up to his doors in deep mud and water was seeping in through the jams. he came over to me and
ask me to pull him out with my winch with wich i agreed. all my winch did was pull my truck towards him no matter how hard i stepped on the brakes
when this guy in a chevy came over and told me to get out of the way and let a chevy pull him out. he was alittle drunk as he reached into his camper
shell and pulled out this huge rope and coiled it on the ground. i cleared people out of the way knowing something bad was about to happen when this
guy stepped on the gas and the rope began to unraval and then it snapped. pow the rope went through his back window and bent in the tail gate then
went through his back cab window and sprayed glass all over his front windshild. this guy gets out of his truck and grabs the rest of his rope and
drive away red faced. it later took a 18 wheeler wrecker to get this guys truck out of the mud.
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bajaandy
Senior Nomad
 
Posts: 769
Registered: 2-7-2004
Location: North County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Adventurous
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A few years back we decided to watch the Score 250 down in San Felipe. Of course there were a bunch of people down there to watch the race, and quite
a few 'wanna-be racers' who had obviously had a bit too much cervesa. The tide was out, and needless to say a couple of those guys decided they'd
drive out on the flats. The first guys truck is out maybe a quarter mile or so when it gets stuck. The second truck (maybe attempting rescue, I'm
not really sure) gets stuck only a couple hundered yards out. He's digging and digging, of course just making it worse because all that wet sand just
pours right back in the hole. By this time the tide is comming up, and the truck further out is getting swamped. It was a nice looking Toy 4X4. The
owner apparently had by now abandonded all hope of recovery and was probably out getting drunk (again or still) to try and forget his stupidity. The
other guy is by this time frantic. A crowd has now gathered on the beach. I mean a BIG crowd. (This was race weekend, remember.) The tide is still
coming and he's digging and digging and pleading to the crowd to help him. And truth be told, a few people did... some tried to help him dig, and a
guy with a big 'ol Chevy and a long rope gave it there best effort, but all to no avail. By now the water is up to the top of the hood on the Toyota,
and suddenly an erie sound begins to come from the truck... almost like it's crying. Turns out the car alarm was beginning to short out. In the end
it sounds like a dying robot, weeeEEEEoooo weeEEEoooo weeeurg. The sun is setting, and the spectators have had enough. Slowly people depart. The
last thing I remember seeing was the guy still desperately drying to dig as the water washed around his legs. The next morning in the early glow of
sun up, we could just see the top of the Toyota reflecting at the level of the sea.
I wonder how they got home?
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Baja Bernie
`Normal` Nomad Correspondent
   
Posts: 2962
Registered: 8-31-2003
Location: Sunset Beach
Member Is Offline
Mood: Just dancing through life
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No Panic Here
Two posts here made me think back to the ?good old days? in La Salina when everyone camped on the beach. Sunday mornings I used to wander around the
beach and watch all of the macho guys and gals try to get their vehicles unstuck after a weekend of drinking and fun(?). Normally, after getting
stuck they would start to party and as time passed numerous ?pro?s? would try to unstuck them with the result that they just got stuck ?better? and
better. I would wander over and suggest that they lower the tire pressure. This always elicited questions about where they would get their tires
pumped back up (no thought of having a TIRE PUMP).
Anyway, they would usually listen and a miracle would occur and they would be free of the sand. Then I would direct them to a Mexican friend up by
the Cantina who would re-inflate their tires for a small fee.
And then there was the story of the macho, macho biker type with the leather vest, bald head and bandana?yea the chain too. This guy had a black
Willy?s parked between my house and the dunes. Saturday morning we woke to his bellowing because his truck would not start. The ground surrounding
it was covered with wasted beer and tequila bottles and he was already working on his bottled breakfast. It was very comical and entertaining until he
reached into his rig and came out with about 10 feet of tow chair. We watched as he beat all of the windows out of his mis-behaving truck. He worked
so hard on this effort that he soon fell off of the roof and passed out in the sand.
Later in the day, after he had visited the Cantina for information on how to get his truck started?PUT GAS IN IT he returned with a gas can.
He started the poor wrecked thing and immediately attempted to drive it to Japan. It stopped again as the waves started to crash over the hood.
He kinda of sobered up in the cold water as he stumbled back up to the sand.
Poor bad assed macho guy just sat watching the sea claim his pride and joy. There with tears running down his face as he cried for help.
Yea! We got him out but that is another story.
[Edited on 8-12-2004 by Baja Bernie]
My smidgen of a claim to fame is that I have had so many really good friends. By Bernie Swaim December 2007
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pappy
Senior Nomad
 
Posts: 679
Registered: 12-10-2003
Member Is Offline
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to tag on to Mexitron's story- it was the poor guy's first trip to baja-he was huntin' down some friends that had passed thru and were camped further
up the coast.he asked if we had seen them, etc.we had and gave him directions.instead of following the coastal track apparently he thought it would be
quiker to cut across the "dry" salt flats.Anyway. like Mexitron said, took e few vehicles and as many hours.in the process, his truck(which was one he
JUST bought) got so twisted it popped the windshield clean out.we taped her up best we could-yes he was VERY happy to be out but commented on how f'ed
up a place baja was and vowed he would never come back again!(we never got our beers either) i wonder if he ever did go back??
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
   
Posts: 4863
Registered: 2-2-2003
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In the dumb and dumber dept.
When I was young and dumber, I had a Toyota Landcruiser that would go anywhere.
After a fun outing at Hussongs, we decided to take the riverbed back to San Miguel rather than the street.
We made it as far as due north of the outhouses before getting buried. In the sewage from the outhouses. This was bad.
Especially considering it was crowded with pretty girls and people who had all of a sudden decided to watch the dumb gringo antics in the river of
dung.
Not only that, I just had sandals. So, after climbing out the window and getting somebody to go get a vehicle with a winch, I climbed into the goo
barefoot to go get the cable and immediately sliced my foot on glass. In the goo!
Nothing to do though so I waded across and got the cable and we got winched out. I then proceeded to the beach, got an entire bottle of tequila and
poured it in the wound while cleaning it with the sea water.
And then it was about 100 trips back and forth on the beach trying to wash off as much of that horrid smell as possible.
Needless to say it was caked with the stuff.
One thing good did happen because of it though. We got waved right through at the border!
PS, the wound never even got infected! Jose Cuervo is good for something!
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Debra
Super Nomad
  
Posts: 2101
Registered: 10-31-2002
Location: Port Orchard Wa./Bahia de Los Angeles BC
Member Is Offline
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Love the stories!
In '97 the hubby, myself and Brendan (then age 4) took a day trip to Baja (turned out to be 3 1/2 mons.) in our little 23ft. Dolphin motorhome it was
on a 1 ton Toyota truck and had just a little 4banger on the floor (I miss that little thing) anyway, the hubby even managed to get it stuck on a
street (sand) in downtown La Paz!
We were at the surf beach south of Todo Santos and sure enough he got it stuck again, he trys and trys to get it out. (sheesh! when he feels it start
to slip his answer was to slow down or stop!, what can I say, he's a city boy!) So in front of all the "surfer dudes" that have gathered to watch, I
tell him let me try.....I start rocking and it starts to move I give it a big rock and gun it, hubby is yelling at me that I'm going to blow the
clutch....I go for it, and it pops out! "surfer dudes" are cheering for the "dumb woman" (hubby is red-faced) I didn't want to embarress him, but, I
didn't want to listen to him cuss and fret for a few more hours either. After that he followed my advice and didn't stop when he felt something soft.
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
   
Posts: 4863
Registered: 2-2-2003
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Yep Grover
I don't remember where though. Amigos?
As far as stuck stories, unfortunately I have many.
Pendulumed both the landcruiser and my 69 ford bronco off the sides of mountains after roads giving away and sliding down.
Tie long rope to tree and roll cage. back and forth until you are back up on the road!
Knee shakers for sure
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Debra
Super Nomad
  
Posts: 2101
Registered: 10-31-2002
Location: Port Orchard Wa./Bahia de Los Angeles BC
Member Is Offline
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JR?
You actually rolled the rigs off the side of cliffs? That is my worst nightmare! Please tell more!
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
   
Posts: 4863
Registered: 2-2-2003
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OK then
First off, not cliffs, just way steep hills.
Incident #1. Way rad 69 bronco dual shocked, complete cage, 302, a heck of a lot more comfortable than jeep or toyota to get to the off road areas
in.
In the Santa Cruz mountains there are some trails that head off from Highway 17. We used to take them. Regularly.
Out exploring one on the west side of the hills, back in the middle of nowhere (comparatively speaking!) driving along slow admiring the view and
there we went.
The road gave out, lot's of mud and moisture in those hills, and we were stuck. At such an angle that there was no way I could get my knees to stop
shaking enough to try and drive out. I'm pretty sure we would have rolled had I made the attempt.
So we climb out and get the rope, climb back up and tie it to a tree on the other side of the ex road.
Starting Veeeerrrrryyyyy slowly (gulp!) I started rocking back and forth to wear a path out of the landslide spot.
Once the thing started moving around a little, the rope tightened up and then I was off.
( My friend was a spectator) rather than passenger, wimp!
Got up over the bank and back on the path, realized the my Bronco RULES, and headed off to Santa Cruz.
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
   
Posts: 4863
Registered: 2-2-2003
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Time #2
Backside of BigBear out by Deep Creek. Out wheelin and trying to make it by a spot similar to what was described in incident #1 but in the
landcruiser.
Didn't make it and the more I spun, the further down I went until, too scary to continue. This was already a canyon from the slide so when I slid
down, I was stuck in it.
Out comes the rope, and the shovel. Same story with the rope except diggin time on this one. Opened up an escape route and pulled er on oughtta
there.

Both times, if it hadn't been for the rope, I would have rolled them for sure.
Then, there's the stories of when I wasn't so lucky but let's here some others too.
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Debra
Super Nomad
  
Posts: 2101
Registered: 10-31-2002
Location: Port Orchard Wa./Bahia de Los Angeles BC
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EEEKKKK!
Scary!
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
     
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: optimistic
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JR
That is the best "stuck"-"get unstuck" story I have ever heard!!!! Really good thinking when you realized that you maybe could get out by the pendulum
action, and even if you didn't get out, at least it would not slide down the hill further. I am going to remember that idea til my grave. Bravo!!!!
You have to be real careful to get the angles right, tho.
Barry
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jrbaja
Ultra Nomad
   
Posts: 4863
Registered: 2-2-2003
Member Is Offline
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In the desert,
you can use a Danforth anchor!
Glad you guys enjoyed the stories. Many years of trying to learn how to drive
I'll catch on one of these days I'm sure!
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
     
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: optimistic
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Pull-Pal
Danforth anchor reads "Pull-Pal"-----they work like a charm----I know because I have one. They are pricy, but I look at them as insurance-----lots
cheaper than losing your vehicle. I think a new one is about $300. (the heavy duty military style) Barry
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4baja
Super Nomad
  
Posts: 1339
Registered: 9-4-2003
Location: morro bay ca
Member Is Offline
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barrys right on i have the medium one and it will dig to china with my 8000 pound winch pulling on it. 300 bucks is cheap ins.
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