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Fatboy
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Here is the KML path that I hiked.
I started on the road and walked out to the trail, turned right (westerly), walked along the trail for a bit, then turned right(southerly) and walked
back to the road and again turned right(easterly) on to the road and followed the road back to my car.
Attachment: Baja Trail Hike.kml (8kB)
This file has been downloaded 65 times
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Fatboy
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Here is a short drone clip of the trail.
Drone Footage of Trail
This seems to be so much more than just a random trail to me, it is a well used trail and it does not meander, it seems to have a certain destination
in mind.
[Edited on 2-6-2025 by Fatboy]
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4x4abc
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you ran into one of the ten thousand animal trails
well defined on Google Earth
Attachment: cr min anim.kmz (7kB)
This file has been downloaded 37 times
Harald Pietschmann
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cupcake
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John, The two-wheeled track is a short distance to the west of the circuit you have mapped in the new KML file you just posted. The GPS coordinate you
posted to start this thread is right on top of the two-wheeled track. The upper left, or north-west leg of the diamond-shaped route you have mapped in
your newly posted KML file, is the single-track trail that crosses the two-wheeled track, which I saw previously on Google Earth.
I think this is the first time I've ever seen video taken from a drone. It looks awesome! If you can watch this video live, as it is taken in the
field, I can see how this would be a great navigational tool.
I'm still hoping to get down to hike something on the ECR (anything), but I'm waiting for warmer weather. I can't carry much weight anymore (I
probably could, but don't want to), so I am wanting to go as light as possible - as little as possible besides food and water.
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cupcake
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Screenshot of your route, with (approximate) original GPS coordinate of thread (top) and single-track trail intersection (bottom).
[Edited on 2-6-2025 by cupcake]
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Fatboy
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Hmmmm..... Not saying that animals do not use/make trails and I am not saying that animals do not use this one BUT.....
This trail, through very open desert does not seem to fit what 'animals' would usually do.
Most trails that have that much use are much shorter, usually through as pass where a bunch of fainter trails converge together.
This trail is at least a mile long in open desert....
Just does not seem like a trail made by animals.
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Fatboy
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Quote: Originally posted by cupcake  | John, The two-wheeled track is a short distance to the west of the circuit you have mapped in the new KML file you just posted. The GPS coordinate you
posted to start this thread is right on top of the two-wheeled track. The upper left, or north-west leg of the diamond-shaped route you have mapped in
your newly posted KML file, is the single-track trail that crosses the two-wheeled track, which I saw previously on Google Earth.
I think this is the first time I've ever seen video taken from a drone. It looks awesome! If you can watch this video live, as it is taken in the
field, I can see how this would be a great navigational tool.
I'm still hoping to get down to hike something on the ECR (anything), but I'm waiting for warmer weather. I can't carry much weight anymore (I
probably could, but don't want to), so I am wanting to go as light as possible - as little as possible besides food and water. |
Yeah, remember, when I was getting coordinates the first time I just looked on my tiny phone screen, saw a faint line close to where I was, assumed
that was it and posted those locations.
Once everyone on here said it was a two track, and I looked at it on a larger screen, I realized I had marked the wrong location.
Hopefully you get a chance to do some hiking in Baja, it has a quality rarely matched with hikes in the states.
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cupcake
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With Harald's overlay.
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cupcake
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| Quote: Originally posted by Fatboy |
Hopefully you get a chance to do some hiking in Baja, it has a quality rarely matched with hikes in the states.
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I think I know what you mean. It is wild in comparison to maintained trails.
I am hoping to go without tent and sleeping bag, so I need to wait for late spring or early summer. Just a pad and bivi sack.
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cupcake
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| Quote: Originally posted by Fatboy |
Yeah, remember, when I was getting coordinates the first time I just looked on my tiny phone screen, saw a faint line close to where I was, assumed
that was it and posted those locations.
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Like me trying to use the topo map on my Garmin in the field; even with my reading glasses it is a challenge.
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4x4abc
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| Quote: Originally posted by Fatboy |
Hmmmm..... Not saying that animals do not use/make trails and I am not saying that animals do not use this one BUT.....
This trail, through very open desert does not seem to fit what 'animals' would usually do.
Most trails that have that much use are much shorter, usually through as pass where a bunch of fainter trails converge together.
This trail is at least a mile long in open desert....
Just does not seem like a trail made by animals. |
100% authentic Baja cow/burro trail
they often help locating old vehicle trails
these animals will follow a trail, once established by vehicles, for the next 100 years
the one below (in front of the Toyota) helped us find an old route in 2012
https://carlosnpainter.smugmug.com/Events/La-Fortuna
Harald Pietschmann
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4x4abc
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I have a couple of hundred examples in my collection
Baja cow trails are very distinct
and they last a long time
https://carlosnpainter.smugmug.com/Events/La-Fortuna/i-JRC6W...
Harald Pietschmann
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cupcake
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| Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc |
100% authentic Baja cow/burro trail
they often help locating old vehicle trails
these animals will follow a trail, once established by vehicles, for the next 100 years
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Interesting. John was probably thinking game trails, the same as me. Now, I can see there is a big difference between a game animal trail and a
domestic or livestock animal trail, the former being more wispy and wild looking.
[Edited on 2-7-2025 by cupcake]
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4x4abc
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well, main animal trails are well visible from space
the difference to cow trails is that they are not much carved into the ground
reason is likely that cows are heavier than Pumas, big horn, foxes, coyotes
a quick inspection of the footprints would give it away
Harald Pietschmann
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Fatboy
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I understand what you are saying, and my thoughts were horse/cow trail not wild game except for the following reason...this trail goes on for perhaps
several miles in the open desert with cow tracks going every which way in the desert around that trail.
My point being that you only see deep cow trails like this in open country for short distances, and usually through narrow areas. Once the terrain
opens back up the cows usually disperse and make many fainter trails that usually fade out to nothing, then usually becoming well defined again when
it encounters another bottleneck in the terrain.
If this trail was only a couple of hundred yards I would completely agree, but it's long length opens up the possibility of it being something other
than a game/cow trail at least originally.
Having followed miles of such trails on my hikes of the ECR (and my years of exploring the deserts of Northern Nevada) shows this to be mostly true,
and the trails that do go so directly across open country for so long all appear to be man-made originally even though they are currently used by
animals far more than humans nowadays.
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cupcake
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| Quote: Originally posted by Fatboy |
My point being that you only see deep cow trails like this in open country for short distances, and usually through narrow areas. Once the terrain
opens back up the cows usually disperse and make many fainter trails that usually fade out to nothing, then usually becoming well defined again when
it encounters another bottleneck in the terrain.
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The trail seen in your drone video footage looks fairly deep, maybe a foot in places? I could see cows not wanting to walk in something like that,
especially if there was flat ground for them nearby (as long as it was not too sandy), in the same way that a grate in the ground will keep a cow from
walking through an open gateway in a fence.
An interesting thing about the single track 'trail' I can see on Google Earth, the same trail that Harald has marked (in green on the image above in
this thread), and that forms the north-west leg of your hike, is that it seems to peter out at its northern end. I loose sight of it there on Google
Earth, and it appears Harald did as well, as his green line ends at this point. If it is a cattle trail, why does it peter out there?
[Edited on 2-7-2025 by cupcake]
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Fatboy
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If I had known all this, I would have flown the drone further along the trail to see just how long it is....oh well, now I will probably never
know....
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baja-chris1
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There are cattle ranchers out there with livestock on open range as well as fenced on vast tracts. The cattle will form trails as they move from
grazing areas to areas where the rancher may have water or feed.
Starlink Mini is a game changer, I have one on my exploration vehicle now, and can move it from truck to truck as desired. Hikers even take them in
backpacks, powered by cordless power tool battery packs. With this you have full communications, google earth, etc. I have a backup battery in the
trucks.
Carry plenty of water and fuel and there is no reason to become hopelessly lost and run out of fuel or supplies.
A far cry from my first remote baja explorations with nothing more than a AAA map and jerry cans of fuel, water, and tools/camping gear.
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4x4abc
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| Quote: Originally posted by Fatboy | | If I had known all this, I would have flown the drone further along the trail to see just how long it is....oh well, now I will probably never
know.... |
I can tell you
the trail peters out going NE
it originates in Colonia Agropecuaria El Paraíso
it heads for Rancho El Cancer
it is well defined north of Rancho El Cancer - heading for Rancho Miramar
Harald Pietschmann
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4x4abc
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| Quote: Originally posted by cupcake | | Quote: Originally posted by Fatboy |
My point being that you only see deep cow trails like this in open country for short distances, and usually through narrow areas. Once the terrain
opens back up the cows usually disperse and make many fainter trails that usually fade out to nothing, then usually becoming well defined again when
it encounters another bottleneck in the terrain.
|
The trail seen in your drone video footage looks fairly deep, maybe a foot in places? I could see cows not wanting to walk in something like that,
especially if there was flat ground for them nearby (as long as it was not too sandy), in the same way that a grate in the ground will keep a cow from
walking through an open gateway in a fence.
An interesting thing about the single track 'trail' I can see on Google Earth, the same trail that Harald has marked (in green on the image above in
this thread), and that forms the north-west leg of your hike, is that it seems to peter out at its northern end. I loose sight of it there on Google
Earth, and it appears Harald did as well, as his green line ends at this point. If it is a cattle trail, why does it peter out there?
[Edited on 2-7-2025 by cupcake] |
animal trails (cows are no different) peter out because on their way between 2 distinct sources of food/water they may encounter tempting growth of
feed
the trail will then later consolidate.
Harald Pietschmann
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