David K
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El Rosario & Sidetrips 11/04 (Part 5, El Camino Real)
Returning to Hwy. One on the newer San Carlos road I was aware that El Camino Real between San Fernando and El Rosario passed very near the highway
where the San Carlos road joins it (between Km. 80 & 81). I knew this from the maps made by Howard Gulick 50 years ago (see http://vivabaja.com/ECR ) and Harry Crosby's research and maps.
The Camino Real passed the north edge of Mesa la Sepultura per Gulick's research, then uses Canada San Fernando. If you draw a straight line between
those two known points, it passes over the San Carlos road a half mile south of Hwy. 1.
As it turns out, 0.5 mi. south of the highway (at the sharp curve, near km. 81), on the San Carlos road, a dirt road turns west at 30?01.19',
115?32.08'.
I took that road and it followed the edge of the cultivated field west, south then west into the low, shrub covered hills.
I drove to where it ended 1.7 miles from the San Carlos road. I then hiked straight north anticipating I would cross the old camino.
Sure enough I eventually came to a well worn trail going in a straight line, the right direction. This was at 30?01.167', 115?33.260'. I turned left
and hiked towards El Rosario for a half mile or so and I was very convinced. I then turned around to walk the opposite direction, passing the point
where I intersected the trail and continued on.
Surprise, it came right to the auto road I had driven over just before my hike started. The Camino was obliterated by the cultivating field east of
that point.
To find the 'start' of the Camino Real from this road near the field, go 1.4 miles from the San Carlos road... GPS: 30?01.167', 115?33.260' elev.
973'. From here you can hike towards El Rosario, perhaps all the way! This is one photo on the trail...
[Edited on 12-2-2004 by David K]
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David K
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Another...
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David K
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Another...
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David K
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and finally, this shot... that's Mesa la Sepultura in the background.
[Edited on 12-2-2004 by David K]
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Barry A.
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Great Historical stuff !!!!
Thank you, David. This is fasinating stuff and I applaud you for seeking it out, and posting it here for us all to see and enjoy. The pictures are
neat!! I too love doing this type of exploring, and your posting it just gets me really excited to get back down there and see what you have found,
and more.
Thanks again. Barry
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Don Jorge
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DK,
Thanks for posting the photos. I see those tracks leading off into the desert and I want so bad to walk into that place.
Ni modo. No se puede ahorita.
Keep posting. Like I have to say that! LOL
Jorge
�And it never failed that during the dry years the people forgot about the rich years, and during the wet years they lost all memory of the dry
years. It was always that way.�― John Steinbeck
"All models are wrong, but some are useful." George E.P. Box
"Nature bats last." Doug "Hayduke" Peac-ck
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Neal Johns
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David, Good dog! (too many Huskies around here! 
My motto:
Never let a Dragon pass by without pulling its tail!
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David K
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Thank YOU guys for the kind words!
I know I am not the only one with 'Baja Fever' or is nuts about finding 200 year old trails or 'lost' missions!
I will keep seeking places to see the old stuff in Baja...
David
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David K
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OK, now to the LAST part... PITAYAS, the yummy fruit of Baja!
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wilderone
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Thanks so much for sharing this - it's not a route that I would have sought out. Rather, I have been curious whether or not there would be an old
trail from Las Pintas to San Fernando mission. We went to the mission last weekend to do some exploring, but ran out of time when we ran into the old
irrigation canals and didn't go further than the reservoir. There is a road that is drivable past the reservoir, but I don't know how far it went.
Do you know of any such route to Las Pintas from the mision?
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David K
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Hi wilderone, the road west from the mission goes to the cliff with the petroglyphs (see photo), about a mile from the mission, where the canyon beds
to the south. The Camino Real continues west from the start of that bend, in a tiny side canyon. The petroglyphs face the mission... climbing up a
sandy berm is needed. I have more photos from the time Lorenzo and I went there at http://vivabaja.com/davidlorenzo/dlpage4.html (Las Pintas on previos page, 3).
The road seemed to end here. On the other end of Arroyo San Fernando, at the Las Pintas side road, I read Neal Johns report of driving towards Mision
San Fernando only to run into a big ranch fiesta, and was told muy malo about driving on...
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wilderone
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Actually, the road continues past those petroglyphs, past the reservoir, and then on to an abandoned structure another 150 yards or so down the road.
It's very driveable to that point, but we didn't explore further. Just wondering how much further that road went and if there was any info on a trail
(versus a "road") leading west. Seems like the Rio San Fernando arroyo would be a likely route. You gave me a good idea though - maybe a trail, if
one exists, would be on the south side. Also, from the info I have on that mission, it states the plateau (which has the 7 palm trees all in a row)
was for cultivation (and the irrigation canals provided water), and that the indians resided in rancheros in outlying areas from the mission. (So I'm
thinking there must be trails connecting those rancheros.) Oh well - another trip.
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David K
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On the Almanac map...
| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
... To find the 'start' of the Camino Real from this road near the field, go 1.4 miles from the San Carlos road... GPS: 30?01.167', 115?33.260' elev.
973'. From here you can hike towards El Rosario, perhaps all the way! This is one photo on the trail...
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In the Baja Almanac, this is on Map 15, V-3 where the two pages meet in the center, just south of ARROYO SEPULTURA.
The trail continues west to Canada San Fernando (so named as it was the route from/to Mision San Fernando, from Rosario), and straight to El Rosario.
Going east, one would have to hike along the eastern edge of the cultivated field to find the Camino Real as it goes past the northern slope of MESA
LA SEPULTURA and head for Mision SAN FERNANDO VELICATA, on the right side of Map 15. See the route description details (from Gulick and Crosby) at http://vivabaja.com/ECR
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