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JZ
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What's the dirt bike riding like around San Felipe and Gonzaga Bay?
Any info? Thinking about taking my two boys down.
[Edited on 3-10-2014 by BajaNomad]
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David K
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'Epic' I think is the word...
Dirt roads, dry washes, endless attractions, old mines, palm canyons, beautiful beaches...
Gonzaga is 100 miles south of San Felipe, so where do you want to stay? How (camp or motel)? What do you want to see and do while riding or while in
camp/ motel?
Links to my photos grouped around destinations (San Felipe, Gonzaga Bay, etc.) can be seen at http://vivabaja.com/tours
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motoged
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JZ,
Google your question and you will likely find tons of info....
A great variety of terrain from paved roads to deep sand in the arroyos....and everything in between.
Wherever you do your overnights, lock your bikes with at least a padlock in the brake rotor....and cable bikes together is another good idea.
I say this as my 690 was stolen in San Felipe last month while I was in a bakery buying donuts for 5 minutes (they rolled it away as it was not
locked)....I offered a $15,000 peso reward ad put posters up....got the bike back 48 hours later...
My lessons were:
1) lock bike when leaving it out of sight.
2) Cut down on carbohydrate intake....
Don't believe everything you think....
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StuckSucks
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There's a whole lot of desert in Baja. If you like desert riding, you'll love the area - it has sand and rocks and killer scenery.
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rts551
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listen to people who actually ride motorcycles. There is a ton of places to go and things to do.
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TMW
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Lots of good riding around San Felipe and Gonzaga. SF has a lot of whoops on the old Puertecitos sand road going south and the power line road thru
the dump to the north, they will wear you out. Day trips would be great to Mikes Sky Rancho and Matomi wash etc. Stay in Gonzaga and ride to the
Turquesa mine, Calamajue mission site and gold mine. Visit with Coco.
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motoged
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| Quote: | Originally posted by TW
Lots of good riding around San Felipe and Gonzaga. SF has a lot of whoops on the old Puertecitos sand road going south and the power line road thru
the dump to the north, they will wear you out. Day trips would be great to Mikes Sky Rancho and Matomi wash etc. Stay in Gonzaga and ride to the
Turquesa mine, Calamajue mission site and gold mine. Visit with Coco. |
Great advice....that's about 5-7 days of riding if you do it right 
Don't believe everything you think....
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David K
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MAPS
Some maps to help you visualize the regions discussed...
San Felipe-Puertecitos Region:
Further South, Gonzaga Region...
Bahia San Luis Gonzaga (sometimes called 'Willard Bay')
Alfonsina's to Punta Final 'bay' is Ensenada de San Francisquito (but usually called 'Gonzaga Bay')
1970 map shows the turquoise mine, bird's eye view:
[Edited on 3-5-2014 by David K]
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ncampion
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As David says, riding there is Epic. Carry gas if possible and/or know your bike's range. It's easy to burn through a tank out there and hard to
find help.
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Hook
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| Quote: | Originally posted by rts551
listen to people who actually ride motorcycles. There is a ton of places to go and things to do. |
But, but, but...............oh, what's the use??? 
Apparently maps trump actual experience. 
[Edited on 3-6-2014 by Hook]
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treuboff
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Take spark plug out at night. In Gonzaga stay of beach or a crazy lady will hunt you down.
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David K
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Hook
| Quote: | Originally posted by rts551
listen to people who actually ride motorcycles. There is a ton of places to go and things to do. |
But, but, but...............oh, what's the use???
Apparently maps trump actual experience.
[Edited on 3-6-2014 by Hook] |
My first Baja 'vehicles' were motor bikes... I just graduated to four wheels sooner than others... I almost was killed at Bahia Santa Maria in 1972
riding a Honda... So, 'nuff said.
Places that are great for exploring (on bikes or otherwise) are in the maps and photos I have to share... Why limit the data he gets because I use a
Toyota instead of a Honda now? 
TW and Ged are great bike riders and they don't mind sharing... I haven't seen a m/c trip report or helpful suggestions by many others in this thread
yet...
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basautter
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The Baja 250 course is centered in SF. Lots of sandy whoops. Lots of info online. Not much by Gonzaga Bay except jeep trails and gravel roads. LA
Bay has single track. So does Catavina. Google "Lizard Lady GPS". She has great books with GPS info. They are expensive, but worth it. Have fun!
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treuboff
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Go out the well rd. west of El Dorado hit the power line turn S. Huge whoops& silt. Part of the Score course. Can continue west on the well road
and lots of desert. On way into town at the black Mountain look for a couple of uprights trails there that's used for Pete's Camp Poker Run. Inquire
at PC for upcoming run in Oct. Or look on lineFB Pete's Camp El Paraiso
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David K
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| Quote: | Originally posted by basautter
The Baja 250 course is centered in SF. Lots of sandy whoops. Lots of info online. Not much by Gonzaga Bay except jeep trails and gravel roads. LA
Bay has single track. So does Catavina. Google "Lizard Lady GPS". She has great books with GPS info. They are expensive, but worth it. Have fun!
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It may surprise you but there are a lot of tracks around Gonzaga Bay for m/c riding... One heads west from the north side of Rancho Grande market,
drops into an arroyo and circles to the south. A side track goes to the Onyx Spring (glacier). South from Beluga, you can go all the way to Punta
Final on the old road, via Molino de Lacy. A really old Jeep road (that is probably only passable on bikes now) goes south from Molino de Lacy to
Coco's Corner area, via the Pioneer Gold Mine. There are other gold mines in the region.
The track to Las Palmitas is a fun run and going up the Santa Maria Canyon to the pools and palms may be possible on a bike. See my sketch map of some
of these tracks I posted above.
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JZ
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Thanks guys. Kids spring break starts on Good Friday. Does everything mostly clear out after Easter Sunday in San Felipe?. If so, thinking of
coming down then.
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David K
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In Mexico, Easter is a 2 week deal... Easter is in the middle. Get away from San Felipe... but all beach camps will be full. Camp out in the valley,
canyons, anywhere but the beach if you want privacy and free country to ride in.
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JZ
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In San Carlos (mainland) the town goes from 40K back to the normal 4K by 2pm on Easter Sunday. Not the same at San Felipe?
We aren't camping. Have been doing that too much here the last few months. What are the better hotels.
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David K
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Oh well good luck then... A better hotel will be one with an available room, by this point!!!
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TMW
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San Felipe rocks all thru Spring break or it use to. The El Capitan hotel is not a bad place to hang if you want a base. In Gonzaga maybe the El
Sacrificio maybe the place, never stayed there, but I think it's cheaper than Alfonsina's but the food at Alfonsina's really rocks.
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