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MMc
Super Nomad
Posts: 1679
Registered: 6-29-2011
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When I put a hole in mine, jacked up the car. Carved a piece of drift wood to fit the hole, pounded it in, a put silicone around it. Worked for 2
weeks, until the new pan arrived. I used a little gas to clean off the messy oil. My friend wanted to drive it home immediately but the surf was good.
I used the excuse that we needed to see if it would leek before we left.
You'll see a lot of Astro vans driving in Baja.
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
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El Jefe
Super Nomad
Posts: 1027
Registered: 10-27-2003
Location: South East Cape
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Explored and surfed that area for years in a ford van set up for camping. For me that was idel. It was a good place to get out of the wind to sleep,
and had tons of room for all my camping stuff. A fold up awning and some shade cloth for a wind break and you are golden.
The van was two wheel drive, but I had a Dana limited slip rear end put in it so both rear wheels worked at once in the sand. With BFG tires and low
pressure I could go anywhere I wanted, almost. No problem ever in that area.
As you have already seen, big vans are cheap. All you gotta do is add gasoline.
No b-tchin\' in the Baja.
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wilderone
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3839
Registered: 2-9-2004
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At El Rosario, you can go to Punta Baja. Camp on the point - keep right - you'll see some fine camping spots. It may be windy. If so, leave town about
a mile or so heding back - keep on eye on the right for roads that head down the coast. They are graded, but may have a spot that requires minor road
building. Very fine camping on the cliffs for miles. There is also a very nice road to Agua Blanca that leads to the fish camp there. It's a
turnoff before you get to the turnoff to Punta Baja. You can explore north and south from there for a camp spot - the fish camp has a rocky shore.
At Laguna Manuela, you need to get up a very deep sand hill to the lighthouse (great camping right there); thereafter, there is a ridge road with
several places to camp. I've been in a 2-WD car trying to get up that hill - 4 people pushed while being driven - coming down isn't a problem. One
time, the sun was going down, the tide was in, no room at the gringo encampment with RVs - so we ended up camping in the middle of one of the arterial
roads near the estuary. Fortunately no cars wanted to use that road during the night.
If El Tomatal has been dry for a couple weeks, you can drive right to the beach over a narrow high-ground access road. You'll see deep dried mud
depressions - evidence of una problema if it is very wet.
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redhilltown
Super Nomad
Posts: 1130
Registered: 1-24-2009
Location: Long Beach, CA
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I'll second all the recommendations for a shovel and tow strap for this area...ya just never know. If you like your campfires, bring some wood as
like the roads, it can be very hit and miss. The locals in some of the remote areas can be great...and if they have a fresh catch you can offer to
buy some from them but the odds are they'll give it to you (or in exchange for some cold beer!).
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64961
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Shovels and tow straps are all great and belong in a Baja vehicle, but how about not getting stuck in the first place?
If the sand crossing is short, by increasing your speed, the momentum may get you to the other side. If the sand crossing is endless (you can't see
the other side), then DEFLATE your tires (all four) and move on across... avoid stopping if you are pointed uphill, or stop only when pointed downhill
or on wet sand for the best way to get moving again.
Have no fear if you stop on level, dry sand... but removing more air and clearing away sand from in front of tires may be needed to get rolling
easily. You must have a good dial style air gauge that reads below 10 psi and an electric air pump or other method to refill the tires once you are
off the sand. 10 psi is a good place for most tires on a 2WD... however, I have been down to 7 psi in really bad sand stuck (3 ply sidewall, mud
terrain style tires). Just do not turn sharply or brake suddenly when you are deflated.
Even 4WDs need to deflate on certain types of sand... such as the coarse sand, crushed shell beach of Shell Island:
Photos at the point I could go no further, fully loaded truck at 32 psi. Deflated to 15 psi and drove on, with ease... Floatation!
In 2010:
Works even on big, heavy motorhomes that tried 4WD and locking both differentials....
Just removed more air from the tires, and Art easily drove on down the 2 miles to our camp...
It is all about AIR PRESSURE in sand! 
In 2012:
36 psi Hankook Dynapros:
Deflated to 18 psi:
A deflated tire on a truck weighing thousands of pounds does not sink as deep as a footprint of a man weight a bit less than 1000 pounds, lol!
[Edited on 6-26-2013 by David K]
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BooJumMan
Senior Nomad
Posts: 906
Registered: 8-11-2007
Location: San Diego
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Too bad this area is now easily accessible with 2wd. The roads are all now graded and in good condition. Obviously after a rain, it could be sketchy.
I remember some years where the rivers were full and would be 3-4ft deep.
Good camping, lots of open space to be alone. Locals here are awesome. They will usually just give you clams and lobster for some gas or beer as
stated earlier.
Goes without saying, but is always good to reiterate... bury your business and pack out your TP cause its some great untouched lands. To me, and to
many others, its a very special place.
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15939
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
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Mood: Everchangin'
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^^^yep!^^^
don't take it for granted....
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MMc
Super Nomad
Posts: 1679
Registered: 6-29-2011
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Mood: Current
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X2
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
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mojo_norte
Senior Nomad
Posts: 725
Registered: 2-14-2006
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Skipjack Joe
| Quote: | Originally posted by mtgoat666
| Quote: | Originally posted by shari
Another great camp spot is Laguna Manuela...turn to the beach at Jesus Maria.
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laguna manuela looks like interesting stop for camping. where do you camp at laguna manuela?
i see on google sat photo there is a fish camp(?) where main access road ends at ocean beach, and i see a broad rocky point west of the lagoon and
fish camp. |
The rocky point is El Morro. It has a series of pocket beaches that can be descended from the dirt road to the lighthouse. It takes 4WD to get up that
road. The beaches have corbina and halibut at times. Beautiful country up there.
The northern part of the lagoon has been hit hard by the locals and has little to offer. They've built a small pier where the oyster farm had been and
very little fish remain anywhere within walking distance of it. The locals fishing there will tell you how great it is but they don't know how it was
just 20 years ago.
Camping there is a bit challenging. It's usually calm in the mornings and the wind grows steadily from noon. Stay in camper or a good tent during
those hours. |
I checked this spot out a couple years ago. It's a bit of a drive - 10 miles ? from Jesus Maria and the bay at the fish camp was a bit of a grim mud
flat I ended up back tracking north and finding a track up through the dunes to the beach a bit north of the bay - soft sandy tracks running along the
beach- definitely 4x4. Definitely remote.
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Sunman
Nomad
Posts: 400
Registered: 6-22-2007
Location: Oxnard
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We camped at Laguna Manuela a couple of years ago, we found it to be a pleasant surprise...
We poked around a bit before we left but felt we barely scratched the surface...
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chuckie
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6082
Registered: 2-20-2012
Location: Kansas Prairies
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I have a an Astro (Safari) with AWD..generally goes anywhere with low pressure. Important critical item in stuck box is a case of COLD pacifico. WHEN
you get stuck, put out awning, set up camp chair. Sit under awning, with cold pacifico, look sad and distressed. ..If no one shows up to pull you out before the beer is gone???? Well...You'll figure it out..
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64961
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Sunman
We camped at Laguna Manuela a couple of years ago, we found it to be a pleasant surprise...
We poked around a bit before we left but felt we barely scratched the surface...
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Great photos... it has been 30 years since I was last there, but it looks the same... There were sea lions down in one of those coves, beyond the
lighthouse. We drove around to the long beach, north of the hill for some of the best surf fishing we ever had in Baja. The road to it was a couple
miles east of Laguna Manuel camp. Whistler told me his friends called it 'Variety Beach'... We caught yellowfin croaker (boca dulce), corbina, halibut
on the sand beach, and calico bass (by the rocks).
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willardguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6451
Registered: 9-19-2009
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we were out there a couple months ago and thought it was pretty cool, how about putting a blowup boat in by the old shellfish processing plant and
boating around the corner to fish it? or kayaks for you younger folks?
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MMc
Super Nomad
Posts: 1679
Registered: 6-29-2011
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I've been there plenty with a kayak and I can say there are no fish there or in the lagoon.
"Never teach a pig to sing it frustrates you and annoys the pig" - W.C.Fields
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willardguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6451
Registered: 9-19-2009
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| Quote: | Originally posted by MMc
I've been there plenty with a kayak and I can say there are no fish there or in the lagoon. |
david caught em
all?
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64961
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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It was articles in WON (Western Outdoor News) by Tom Miller, Tom Miller's Baja fishing book, and then Tom and Shirley Miller's Mexico West newsletters
that brought us down to Laguna Manuela in the late 70's and early 80's. Our first time there was a Mexico West Travel Club group camping party.
Besides showing us Laguna Manuela, Tom Miller is also responsible for my selling my Jeep and buying a 4WD Subaru (in 1977)... It was great in the
sand, even with those little 13" tires!
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Skipjack Joe
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8086
Registered: 7-12-2004
Location: Bahia Asuncion
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| Quote: | Originally posted by MMc
I've been there plenty with a kayak and I can say there are no fish there or in the lagoon. |
The lagoon looks much the same as before but things have changed. There was (and still is) a depression you could walk to along the bank from the fish
camp where I would hook a spotted bay bass on every cast for 2 consecutive hours. 80 fish. It was still like that in the early 90s. This winter we
stopped there - 2 undersized bass. What happened? They built a small pier close to it and I saw a car drive up each day. Those fish don't move around
very much. They may spend their entire lives on a 50 square meter patch of eelgrass. So the new fishing pressure probably did them in.
The interior of the lagoon is less accessible. I would expect the fishing to remain pretty good.
The beaches and rocky points below El Morro had a decent population of white sea bass at one time. I got spooled a couple of times while fishing for
calicos. They're mostly gone now as well.
Variety beach is still pretty good but you need a good 4WD. The road in is deep sand. Just deflating your tires ain't gonna do it.
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