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Ateo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5927
Registered: 7-18-2011
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A Trip Down South -- Baja 1000 -- El Arco
A good friend of mine called me earlier in the year to see if I wanted to help pit the THR Kawasaki motorcycle in this year's Baja 1000. It would be
a run down the peninsula to La Paz and I didn't have to even think about it -- I WAS IN.
Bikes were ferried to Ensenada, parts were packed and we were ready to head south. First night was a stay in San Q at Jardines. The place needs no
more hype as it's always booked so I'll leave it at that.
The following morning we bailed for Guerrero Negro. We made a quick stop in El Rosario for gas and firewood, paying an exorbitant amount of pesos for
the wood, which we never used. Oh well. Better to have and not need than to need and not have.
Taken from the dirt road that goes to San Felipe, near Laguna Chapala.
I want to give a shout out to Shari in Bahia Asuncion. I had never stayed in Guerrero overnight and she recommended Cowboy. She even called and made
us a reservation. Good thing cuz the whole town appeared booked and we would've been sleeping in the desert if not for her.
We woke up race day at the break of dawn and headed to our pit -- El Arco.
Would this tire be needed for Team Kawasaki's bike? We would find out soon..........
We arrive at El Arco in about an hour. Cool area. Great people. Well fed cows.
A bucket of copper, taken from the El Arco mine site
Baja Pit team
More copper piles or something............
We were all set up and ready to go...............the bikes were expected around 3PM. We were visited by the team Kawasaki helicopter. They refueled
and my buddy spoke with alternate racer aboard the chopper. He would race if one of the racers went down.
The mining office had satellite internet so we and the mining crew checked for updates. The anticipation was building. The bikes were almost
here.............
Sometime around 3PM, Team Honda came screaming by. No chopper, little to no warning, and no pit. Just gone. Into the desert the rider was absorbed.
We heard 8X (Kawasaki) would be next and they were. Destry Abbott came screaming in like a rock from a catapult. He pulled in with the look of stoic
determination, gassed up, and took off in less than 10 seconds.
The only words from his mouth were "how far ahead?"
He was asking about Honda. My friend told him -- and like that -- Destry was gone.
Our work, was done. Time to relax and enjoy the rest of the race!!!
More to follow........
[Edited on 11-20-2012 by Ateo]
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Ateo
Elite Nomad
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Registered: 7-18-2011
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Part 2:
A "trophy" -- as the kids referred to the Trophy Trucks -- approaches with an eery haze.
A rider settles down in my chair for a rest. Some background on him from my friend: Ken Kosiorek riding an XR650R goes by the name of "The Baja
Turtle". He rides his XR650R from San Diego to the race the day before, sleeps in the desert overnight, rides to the race start, rides the race,
sleeps in the desert again, then rides back to San Diego and stores the bike and Fun Bike Center. He stops and eats at every pit!
Around 4AM I realized I needed some sleep or I'd be wrecked the following day so off to the front seat of my truck I went.
The mood the following morning was a little slower paced. The racers coming thru now had obviously had problems the day before and were running on
sheer will. The mood was very light though. People were laughing and a little out of their minds.
The jail at El Arco. No kidding.
We were done. Time to head to Bahia de los Angeles to wash the dust off.
We said good bye to some new friends and headed out the road back to the trans-peninsular highway.
More to follow......................
[Edited on 11-20-2012 by Ateo]
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Ateo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5927
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Bonus part of the trip -- Bahia de los Angeles.
Breakfast at Alejandrinas:
Rain:
Gotta Peso:
That was it.
Thanks to the Bell family for letting me be an insignificant part of your stellar organization for this one day. It is with great pride that I say
this.
And to that friend who made this adventure a possibility, thanks for the invite. You know where we stand. Mil gracias amigo.
Jon
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Paulina
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3812
Registered: 8-31-2002
Location: BCN
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Very nice report, thanks!
When I saw the photo of the blue rocks in the cart, it made my heart happy. We used to collect those "magic rocks" in Bahia. The rocks in your photo
would be beautiful when added to a campfire.
Thank you for taking the time to post your adventure.
P>*)))>{
\"Well behaved women rarely make history.\" Laurel Thatcher Ulrich
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65347
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Copper was going to replace gold as the prime element to mine. Once the price is high enough expect mining to start.
Great report Jon!
[Edited on 11-18-2012 by David K]
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Curt63
Super Nomad
Posts: 1171
Registered: 3-28-2009
Location: San Diego, Ca.
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Mood: Fish tacos and Tecate
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Cool report. Good Times!
No worries
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willyAirstream
Super Nomad
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Fantastic report. Cool night time pit pics.
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Ateo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5927
Registered: 7-18-2011
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A video of the THR chopper...............
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g1Q_Sa66YMs&feature=g-all...
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BornFisher
Super Nomad
Posts: 2124
Registered: 1-11-2005
Location: K-38 Santa Martha/Encinitas
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WOW!!!! Adrenaline rush post!!! Loved it, thanks for the ride!!
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8970
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
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Mood: Pole Line Road postponed due to injury
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Great report!
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Rides2Little
Newbie
Posts: 21
Registered: 9-9-2012
Location: Wish\'n I was back in Baja
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Great photos and thanks for the inside scoop. I was bummed to not be down there chasing this time around but your story did a great job of making me
remember how it is!
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Ateo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5927
Registered: 7-18-2011
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Here's the KTM bike thru our pit:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p76OU2wbEoI&feature=g-all...
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TMW
Select Nomad
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Location: Bakersfield, CA
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Excellent report with memories for a life time.
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Ateo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5927
Registered: 7-18-2011
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Thanks TW. Hopefully we'll be hearing a bit about your trip?
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HelloMrSoul
Newbie
Posts: 6
Registered: 2-25-2012
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My first post! Longtime lurker...
The trip with Ateo was awesome - nothing less. Ateo knows every corner and everywhere we went locals thought he was Ballistic BJ Baldwin! On Monday
I drove to Ensenada to drop off the race bike, the mechanic, and Ryan (the backup rider in the helicopter) and then drove back to Riverside to get the
spares, race gas, etc. Tired early Tuesday when I showed up at Ateo's estate but from there it only got better. Ateo has 40gig of music on his iPod.
But we drove a thousand miles to dump 2.5 gallons of race gas into a motorcycle in about five seconds and we were done. During those thousand miles
and over 100 hours that iPod didn't get turned on once.
Go the extra mile; it\'s never crowded.
\"The cold air stung us and we played till our bodies glowed.\" From Joyce\'s Araby
\"It\'s amazing what a man can see by the light of a burnin\' bridge.\" James Aldridge and Michael White
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Ateo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5927
Registered: 7-18-2011
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Welcome aboard HelloMrSoul. Great name by the way.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 65347
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Hello HelloMrSoul and welcome to Baja Nomad!
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15940
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
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Mood: Everchangin'
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very healthy foto burst! wish i was there ('cept no surf and 1000 miles in 2 days!) split the driving! next time lemme know how to put some $ towards
the goal.....
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Ateo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 5927
Registered: 7-18-2011
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| Quote: | Originally posted by woody with a view
very healthy foto burst! wish i was there ('cept no surf and 1000 miles in 2 days!) split the driving! next time lemme know how to put some $ towards
the goal..... |
Sounds good Woody. Foto burst -- Yep, I figured pictures speak louder than words. It's always rough going to Baja without a surfboard......I checked
the forecast and was gonna sneak a session in but it was tiny so I left the boards at home and concentrated on the non surf Baja experience. Next
I'll be fishing on the Sea of Cortez if this continues!!!!
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BajaRat
Super Nomad
Posts: 1304
Registered: 3-2-2010
Location: SW Four Corners / Bahia Asuncion BCS
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Mood: Ready for some salt water with my Tecate
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Well written Senor.......... thanks we really enjoyed it. 
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