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rocmoc
Nomad
Posts: 234
Registered: 5-25-2009
Location: Tucson, AZ
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Mood: Live today like it maybe your LAST!
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Mike's Sky Ranch
Going to Mike's Sky Ranch with my single track is one of the items on my bucket list. When is peak season / best time to go to Mike's? Time isn't on
my side so if I am going to do this I have to start making it a priority.
Thanks,
rocmoc n AZ
rocmoc n AZ/Mexico
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TMW
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Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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Anytime is a good time to go to Mike's Sky Rancho. When there is a SCORE race it gets pretty busy. Not much going on in the winter, besides it's cold.
Spring, summer and fall are the best times.
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rocmoc
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Posts: 234
Registered: 5-25-2009
Location: Tucson, AZ
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Mood: Live today like it maybe your LAST!
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What is the weather like in early June? How hot? That is a good time to be out of AZ as it is HOT!
rocmoc n AZ
rocmoc n AZ/Mexico
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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Unequivocably!
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David K
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Hi Roc,
We drove across Baja through Mike's in the summer (Labor Day) 2005... from San Quintin to San Felipe... photos and road log here: http://vivabaja.com/905/
The rains may have done a number on the road dropping into Mike's from the south:
[Edited on 12-27-2010 by David K]
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TMW
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I've stayed there on a July 4th weekend a couple of times and the weather was good. You're up about 3500-4000 ft. Great camping. If you stay in the
hotel make sure you open the windows ASAP in the summer to cool the room down. 1st weekend in June is the Baja 500 race so leading up to and during
the race rooms may be full.
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mcfez
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8678
Registered: 12-2-2009
Location: aka BN yankeeirishman
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| Quote: | Originally posted by rocmoc
Going to Mike's Sky Ranch with my single track is one of the items on my bucket list. When is peak season / best time to go to Mike's? Time isn't on
my side so if I am going to do this I have to start making it a priority.
Thanks,
rocmoc n AZ |
http://www.totalescape.com/lodge/ADS/mikes.html
There's a phone number mid way down the page.
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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Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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There are several off-road motorcycle tours as well as Wide Open Baja buggy tours that stay there so it might be a good ideal to get a reservation if
you plan to get a room. Also be careful and watch for other traffic, there are some blind curves and hills going in and coming out. If your bike is a
dirt bike you'll have a lot of fun in and around Mike's. You might also like to drop in on another Mike at Rancho La Concepcion about 10 miles from
mike's to the south off the Observatory road about 2 miles in.
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David K
Honored Nomad
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Location: San Diego County
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If Mike's is full... try Rancho El Coyote... they cater to the off road motorcycles, as well.
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rocmoc
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Location: Tucson, AZ
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Yup, dirtbike. CRF450R setup as street legal in AZ, barely.
Thanks everyone, these sites are great for first hand info.
rocmoc n AZ
rocmoc n AZ/Mexico
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RufusTheDoofus
Newbie
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Registered: 11-16-2010
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Are the roads from Mike's to Rancho Melling still only passable by dirtbike?
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TMW
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The last I heard bikes and buggies have gone thru. The problem area appears to be close to Rancho Coyote.
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David K
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| Quote: | Originally posted by RufusTheDoofus
Are the roads from Mike's to Rancho Melling still only passable by dirtbike? |
Never heard they were impassable to 4WDs... and I think word would get out to here.
We were there 6 years ago, and it was deeply eroded but no problem in a Tacoma... used low range once right near Mikes.
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805gregg
Super Nomad
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Registered: 5-21-2006
Location: Ojai, Ca
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Way over hyped, not much there.
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CortezBlue
Super Nomad
Posts: 2213
Registered: 11-14-2006
Location: Fenix/San Phelipe
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| Quote: | Originally posted by rocmoc
Going to Mike's Sky Ranch with my single track is one of the items on my bucket list. When is peak season / best time to go to Mike's? Time isn't on
my side so if I am going to do this I have to start making it a priority.
Thanks,
rocmoc n AZ |
I need to hook you up with my two neighbors who want to do mike's sky ranch
I live between Phx and san felipe and they are much younger than I and have the equipment
U2u me if you want to discuss further
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RufusTheDoofus
Newbie
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Registered: 11-16-2010
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I have read a number of trip reports online that stated the winter rains in the 2009-10 made the roads between Mike's and Rancho Coyote impassable to
anything but dirt bikes. (One of these reports is at Expedition Portal:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/overlandroutes/index.php?title=Mike's_Sky_Ranch )
I have a very capable old diesel Land Cruiser with lockers front and rear and dual transfer cases riding on 33" tires. But those things don't help
when there's a 3+ meter drop in the middle of what once was a difficult dirt road. I'm kinda interested in Mike's but only as a place to stay after
doing the canyon roads from the hot springs at Guadalupe Canyon.
We did San Felipe to Gonzaga Bay last year and are trying to plan a different route this year. The observatory area looks interesting so I'm
researching ways to get there. We'll be in Baja for 4 to 8 weeks with a very general itinerary of places we missed last time and those we want to
revisit this time. (Driving from the mountains of Maine to Baja is a great way to break up the winter. 
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65410
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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If you read more of Nomad's Trip Reports forum or the Off Roading forum here you will see Nomads have driven through Mikes... recently. A Toyota with
front and rear lockers (or A-TRAC) cannot be stopped!
You are also aware that Guadalupe Canyon's nice private camping sites (Arturo's Campo #1) are no more? The other, not nearly as nice or private sites,
are all that are open now. The hot spring that once supplied all of the camp sites is located on the other brother's property... and being jealous
that brother Arturo got most of the business.. he cut off Arturo's share of the water. Nice, huh?
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65410
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by RufusTheDoofus
I have read a number of trip reports online that stated the winter rains in the 2009-10 made the roads between Mike's and Rancho Coyote impassable to
anything but dirt bikes. (One of these reports is at Expedition Portal:
http://www.expeditionportal.com/overlandroutes/index.php?title=Mike's_Sky_Ranch )
I have a very capable old diesel Land Cruiser with lockers front and rear and dual transfer cases riding on 33" tires. But those things don't help
when there's a 3+ meter drop in the middle of what once was a difficult dirt road. I'm kinda interested in Mike's but only as a place to stay after
doing the canyon roads from the hot springs at Guadalupe Canyon.
We did San Felipe to Gonzaga Bay last year and are trying to plan a different route this year. The observatory area looks interesting so I'm
researching ways to get there. We'll be in Baja for 4 to 8 weeks with a very general itinerary of places we missed last time and those we want to
revisit this time. (Driving from the mountains of Maine to Baja is a great way to break up the winter. |
Hi Rufus, I wasn't able to find any trip reports in the past 12 months here on Nomad of a drive through Mike's... It would surprise me if you couldn't
get a Land Cruiser through. However, it it was impassable, and you wanted to continue on south you could just return north towards Valle de Trinidad
and take the graded road west to Hwy. 1 (just south of San Vicente)... then go south. The observatory road is paved all 62 miles from Hwy. 1 (south of
Colonet) to the top at 9,280'... Meling Ranch is half way there.
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RufusTheDoofus
Newbie
Posts: 20
Registered: 11-16-2010
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Does Mike's Sky Ranch have a website or contact info? I'd contact them directly if I could find them on the web. Mike's isn't necessarily a must-see
destination for me. My days on dirt bikes and buggies have been over since moving from CA to ME. I'm primarily interested in charting a path
through the mountains and Mike's is convenient. I'm trying to stay off of the highways as much as possible this trip just for the experience and
enjoyment. So if the road is impassible I'd plan a completely different route.
When we went to Guadalupe in Feb of 2011 we took the dirt roads and the playa across to San Felipe. As little pavement as possible, within reason.
BTW, I thought Guadalupe Canyon was a nice even though the private pools on the north side of the canyon are closed. We stayed on the north side back
in the late 90s and it was nice but not that much nicer than what's available now. We arrrived on a Sunday afternoon in late February and had the
place to ourselves for 3 days.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65410
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by RufusTheDoofus
Does Mike's Sky Ranch have a website or contact info? I'd contact them directly if I could find them on the web. Mike's isn't necessarily a must-see
destination for me. My days on dirt bikes and buggies have been over since moving from CA to ME. I'm primarily interested in charting a path
through the mountains and Mike's is convenient. I'm trying to stay off of the highways as much as possible this trip just for the experience and
enjoyment. So if the road is impassible I'd plan a completely different route.
When we went to Guadalupe in Feb of 2011 we took the dirt roads and the playa across to San Felipe. As little pavement as possible, within reason.
BTW, I thought Guadalupe Canyon was a nice even though the private pools on the north side of the canyon are closed. We stayed on the north side back
in the late 90s and it was nice but not that much nicer than what's available now. We arrrived on a Sunday afternoon in late February and had the
place to ourselves for 3 days. |
That's great (about Guadalupe Canyon).
If you go to the off road racing forums you will no doubt find newer road info. on Mike's to El Coyote. In fact, El Coyote has a web site so ask them
if your Toyota can get between the two guest ranches.
RaceDezert.com, Score-International, Baja.net all have forums used by off road enthusiasts who may know.
As for El Coyote Guest Ranch (on the road between Mike's and Meling),... http://ranchoelcoyote.com/english/contact-us/
On this close up map:
Mike's is in the top/ right quarter...
El Coyote is on the left edge of the map...
Meling Ranch is on the bottom edge...
There are two roads to El Coyote from Mike's, once past the Simpson Ranch road jcn.
AstroBaja's Baja Dark Skys Inn is on the road east from Los Encinos, and then the right fork... where that road crosses the arroyo.
[Edited on 9-17-2011 by David K]
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