Sweetwater
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Baja trip plan Feb-March
A good buddy and I are coming down on dual-sport motorcycles for a 3 week trip down the peninsula. The bikes are 650cc and we'll have light camping
gear and not much else. The bikes are set up with knobbie tires so we'd like to ride dirt roads but will not be highly attracted to deep sand or
whoops like the Baja race course sections.
I'd like to go fishing for a day or two, I know my buddy likes kayaking....we both enjoy historical sites, old mines, pretty women.........
We're leaving from Yuma the end of February....what sites and routes can you suggest to us....?
I'm all ears...........
Everbody\'s preachin\' at me that we all wanna git to heaven, trouble is, nobody wants to die to git there.-BB King
Reality is what does not go away when you stop believing in it. -Philip K Dick
Nothing is worse than active ignorance. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe(1749-1832, German writer, artist and politician)
When choosing between two evils, I always like to try the one I\'ve never tried before. - Mae West
Experience is what keeps a man who makes the same mistake twice from admitting it the third time around.
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David K
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Location: San Diego County
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Mexicali to San Felipe to Gonzaga Bay to Bahia de los Angeles to Punta San Francisquito to San Ignacio to Mulege/ Bahia Concepcion... on south and
return... Lots and lots of possibilities. Three weeks will be great... Get to the tip and work you way back up spending more time at places you just
touched on your way south you liked.
As for historic sites, mines, etc. I have photos of many along with other destination sidetrips here: http://vivabaja.com/tours
The missions and many visitas (sub-missions) are here: http://vivabaja.com/bajamissions
You will get plenty of ideas from other Nomads, too.
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shari
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Location: bahia asuncion, baja sur
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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we host lots of riders here in Asuncion and surfdoc has a fishing kayak you can rent or fish with Juan here too. Then you can take the coast road to
Abreojos which is beautiful...some good rides around here...maybe see ya then...also ride out to the whale lagoon just south of Guerrero Negro which
is sweet and have lunch at the lagoon and maybe jump on a panga if the mood strikes you.
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TMW
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I suggest you follow the Baja 1000 course to La Paz. Pick it up south of San Felipe at K52. The old Puertecitos road out of San Felipe is pretty rough
with lots and lots of whoops, so you might want to avoid it. You can keep going to Cabo or at La Paz go north up thru San Evaristo and back thru San
Luis Gonzaga mission area to Constitucion. Maybe take the hwy back to Loreto and back in toward San Javier but turn north toward the Comondu's and
back to La Purisima. Back north toward San Ignacio but turn off at El Alamo and go to Punta Abreojos, Bahia Asuncion and out to Punta Eugenia. Coming
back take a side trip at San Jose de Castro up to Malarrimo beach and maybe find a box of rum. North of Guerrero Negro at about KM60/62 maybe where
the military check is go west to the ocean and follow it all the way up to Punta Canoas.
This is a lot of off road miles so you may want to pick and choose and stay over at some places to rest or fish etc. There are some long sections
where gas could be a problem. If you can go 200 miles on a tank you should be OK. There is gas as of last Nov. in La Purisima and San Francisquito and
Gonzaga Bay. Going north of Guerrero Negro fill up at Jesus Maria. The section going north along the pacific will be the longest. There may be gas at
Santa Rosalillita. Some of the fish camps and ranchos may have gas but you also may want to carry an extra gallon.
Get a Baja Almanac and bring a GPS. Check out your route and make sure you're prepared, especially gas wise. If you don't speak some spanish bring a
small dictionary so you can at least put some words together in the out back areas if needed.
Baja 1000 maps are available at http://rlhcomm.com/bfg.html click on the section in the upper right when the main menu screen comes up.
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Sweetwater
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Mood: chilly today hot tomale
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Muchos gracias for some great responses....always waiting for more of them.....
The Baja Almanac was my Christmas present...mostly I've been a map 'n compass guy from my backpacking days but we will be GPSing too.....200 miles
will probably be the limit of our gas supply so that advice is well taken....
We hope to be prepared for Baja but not overloaded with gear....how are the temps inland and on the coastal zones for this time frame....and what
about precip?
I'm way excited.......
Everbody\'s preachin\' at me that we all wanna git to heaven, trouble is, nobody wants to die to git there.-BB King
Reality is what does not go away when you stop believing in it. -Philip K Dick
Nothing is worse than active ignorance. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe(1749-1832, German writer, artist and politician)
When choosing between two evils, I always like to try the one I\'ve never tried before. - Mae West
Experience is what keeps a man who makes the same mistake twice from admitting it the third time around.
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mcfez
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Mexicali to San Felipe to Gonzaga Bay to Bahia de los Angeles
This is a excellent route.
It's mostly paved except down near Gonzaga Bay. Go to Papa Fernández for fishing.
Market, motel, great eatery, camping at the Gonzaga Bay.
Pointe_final at the opposite of the Bay....go up that hill and over in there and there's a great spot for camping and fishing. You'll see a dirt
road, sometimes a chain across. Just ask to go on in. They are super nice there. No facilities.
The road leading up to the coastal route....the high desert, is some of Baja's finest.
Bahia de los Angeles is off the track a bit. It's worth to go there. Fantastic islands, great "Mom and POP" town, Camp Daggetts is safe and secure.
Fishing...kayaking...you name it, this place has it all.
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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TMW
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The weather can be all over the place, just depends. Usually your looking at 60+ or better especially on east side. Near the pacific it can get cold
at night. Mountains get cold at night too. If the sun it out it will be very nice weather.
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David K
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Posts: 65278
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Location: San Diego County
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Bahia de L.A. won't be off track if they continue south to San Francisquito or slightly back track and go south via Mision San Borja... Now that place
should neve be passed up... for the furthest north stone mission in Baja... but for the wonderful family who live there and will offer to guide you,
outside the mission itself.
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mcfez
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Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Bahia de L.A. won't be off track if they continue south to San Francisquito or slightly back track and go south via Mision San Borja... Now that place
should neve be passed up... for the furthest north stone mission in Baja... but for the wonderful family who live there and will offer to guide you,
outside the mission itself. |
Yeah...that's a righto.
DK....any pictures of San Francisquito? I have not been there yet.
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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Posts: 65278
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Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Quote: | Originally posted by mcfez
Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Bahia de L.A. won't be off track if they continue south to San Francisquito or slightly back track and go south via Mision San Borja... Now that place
should neve be passed up... for the furthest north stone mission in Baja... but for the wonderful family who live there and will offer to guide you,
outside the mission itself. |
Yeah...that's a righto.
DK....any pictures of San Francisquito? I have not been there yet. |
Just this one Deno (until I find others) from 1983, camping out of my Subaru on the beach, the fly-in resort is at the opposite end:
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mcfez
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Whoa! This place is really cool! David.....what's the route to this from BoLA? Is the road decent for a Ram two wheel?
Thanks for taking the time to get that photo! You are always here when us Nomads need good info.
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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Yes, it is a graded dirt road south from Bahia de los Angeles (was the Baja 1000 route last November)... after you pass the access road for San
Francisquito, the graded road continues on to either El Arco or to Guillermo Prieto and out to Hwy. 1 just north of Vizcaino.
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Sweetwater
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Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Yes, it is a graded dirt road south from Bahia de los Angeles (was the Baja 1000 route last November)... after you pass the access road for San
Francisquito, the graded road continues on to either El Arco or to Guillermo Prieto and out to Hwy. 1 just north of Vizcaino. |
Our second rider biffed through that section and needed extraction on the El Arco road....which piece has the silt beds that we really want to avoid?
I've been on that beach at the bay of Gonzaga although the sand spit was covered (high tide?) and we could see the trail on the opposite side. I did
ride down to Coco's Corner and rode the wash out to the highway. Did not make LA, San Francisquito etc...but was on the highway through to San
Ignacio. Are there places to stay and eat for multiple days south of Gonzaga?
Everbody\'s preachin\' at me that we all wanna git to heaven, trouble is, nobody wants to die to git there.-BB King
Reality is what does not go away when you stop believing in it. -Philip K Dick
Nothing is worse than active ignorance. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe(1749-1832, German writer, artist and politician)
When choosing between two evils, I always like to try the one I\'ve never tried before. - Mae West
Experience is what keeps a man who makes the same mistake twice from admitting it the third time around.
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David K
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Registered: 8-30-2002
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The road south to Hwy. 1 via Guillermo Prieto had no moon dust when I drove it, but that was a long time ago... It is a better road than the one
through El Arco... mostly because the once paved El Arco highway (Mex. #18) is all trashed.
Yes, the sand bar connects with San Luis Gonzaga Island at low tide, and that trail up the island is where I got the photo that is the wallpaper on my
home page http://vivabaja.com
Bahia de los Angeles has many places to stay and eat, and two Pemex stations, too... Now, 24 hour electricity with the wires brought in from Guerrero
Negro. See http://www.bahiadelosangeles.info for the scoop on L.A. Bay places.
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Sweetwater
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While chasing for the race in November, I spent one night at the Playa Tecolate north of La Paz...are there other spots comparable to it further south
or on the west coast? What's recommended south of La Paz as I did not get to venture there due to racing situations......
We have 3 weeks and lots of mobility....no set schedule or reservations....do we need them?
Everbody\'s preachin\' at me that we all wanna git to heaven, trouble is, nobody wants to die to git there.-BB King
Reality is what does not go away when you stop believing in it. -Philip K Dick
Nothing is worse than active ignorance. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe(1749-1832, German writer, artist and politician)
When choosing between two evils, I always like to try the one I\'ve never tried before. - Mae West
Experience is what keeps a man who makes the same mistake twice from admitting it the third time around.
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elfbrewery
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Two years ago we jeeped the road from San Jose de Comondu to San Isidro. Bad choice. It was painful and very, very slow. The word is the road is no
longer used. There is another road from San Javier to the west coast and from Comondus SW to coast.
San Francisquito shouldn't be missed.
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Sweetwater
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Mood: chilly today hot tomale
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Nice ......
I have been logging favorite threads as this goes along....hot springs etc. Do you have favorite threads that you'd recommend I read for this trip?
Everbody\'s preachin\' at me that we all wanna git to heaven, trouble is, nobody wants to die to git there.-BB King
Reality is what does not go away when you stop believing in it. -Philip K Dick
Nothing is worse than active ignorance. Johann Wolfgang von Goethe(1749-1832, German writer, artist and politician)
When choosing between two evils, I always like to try the one I\'ve never tried before. - Mae West
Experience is what keeps a man who makes the same mistake twice from admitting it the third time around.
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