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Bajaboy
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4375
Registered: 10-9-2003
Location: Bahia Asuncion, BCS, Mexico
Member Is Offline
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Good report David. We crossed at Mexicali today about 2pm with an hour wait. Funny, guy approaches our vehicle and asks if we have two kids
inside...guess they have us pegged in the database.
Glad the economy is treating you well. I'm sure you're enjoying the Change.
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DocRey
Nomad
Posts: 180
Registered: 2-27-2013
Location: SADM, Playas de T.J./Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Cautiously Optimistic
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Thanks David. Nice pictures & narrative. I spent my weekend out in the So-Cal High Desert with desert rats. I was planting "The Baja" seeds every
chance I got. Decent time, but no ocean/sea in sight. Bunch of pathetic scare-ty-cats. They particularly didn't like the fact that they couldn't
bring their guns & ammo down.
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JohnK
Junior Nomad
Posts: 69
Registered: 3-11-2012
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Great report, David. I've circled another spot on page 4 of the Baja Almanac map book. Thanks.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64739
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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It's the closest thing to what camping in Baja has been for my family, going back almost 50 years... No services, you bring what you need, you have a
vehicle that can get you there and back, and you enjoy nature, peace, relaxation, a real vacation away from civilization.
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desertcpl
Super Nomad
Posts: 2396
Registered: 10-26-2008
Location: yuma,az
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David:
question , from the highway how to you get on shell island
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64739
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Km. 26 is the direct access road. There is a short, cross cut road from Km. 25, but 26 is the one we use. When you reach the mud flats, a once
elevated road causeway went across the flats to the beach, with a concrete bridge at the far end... made in 1984/5.
The road has since mostly melted back down, leaving the concrete bridge high and useless. You can either drive in along or on top of the remaining
causeway or take the diagonal road that heads for the beach a bit south where the fishing camp is located (how we went in and out this trip).
While the fish camp access is lower and has more water on the road tracks, it is less deep mud holes I think. Once on the island, drop your air
pressure for deep sand and you have 1.5 miles of island to the south or 3 miles of island to the north to explore, camp, or just go for the day.
Photos from July 2011:
The fisherman pulled Art's 4WD motorhome back out of the mud flats, stuck near the bridge... It was just too massive and tires not aggressive enough
to pull through the slippery slime.
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desertcpl
Super Nomad
Posts: 2396
Registered: 10-26-2008
Location: yuma,az
Member Is Offline
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thanks
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hayb
Junior Nomad
Posts: 59
Registered: 6-7-2012
Location: Ramona
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David your trip report makes it look like a paradise! I hope it stays that way. Thanks for the update of road conditions and places in town for
healthy snacks. Any wind storms to deal with during your visit? Was it cold enough for campfire at night? After countless (ezup’s, quick shade’s and
Coleman’s) casualties over the years, we have learned to just take the cover off during wind storms. We will be there in couple of weeks with our
group for six days, our kids are talking about it every night at dinner. Last year’s trip did notice lots of plastic trash on the beach. We picked up
three large trash bag full. We used DUMPO just west of Laguna Percebu Bar. If the restaurant is open it’s a good place to pump up tires and get some
tacos and give some to local business. Thanks for a great trip report.
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Bajaboy
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4375
Registered: 10-9-2003
Location: Bahia Asuncion, BCS, Mexico
Member Is Offline
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| Quote: | Originally posted by hayb
David your trip report makes it look like a paradise! I hope it stays that way. Thanks for the update of road conditions and places in town for
healthy snacks. Any wind storms to deal with during your visit? Was it cold enough for campfire at night? After countless (ezup’s, quick shade’s and
Coleman’s) casualties over the years, we have learned to just take the cover off during wind storms. We will be there in couple of weeks with our
group for six days, our kids are talking about it every night at dinner. Last year’s trip did notice lots of plastic trash on the beach. We picked up
three large trash bag full. We used DUMPO just west of Laguna Percebu Bar. If the restaurant is open it’s a good place to pump up tires and get some
tacos and give some to local business. Thanks for a great trip report. |
We camped at Papa Fernandez in Gonzaga on Monday. We arrived about 4 with temps in the mid 90s and mid 70s at night. It blew pretty hard from dusk
until early evening. I'm sure the conditions were similar in SF.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64739
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by hayb
David your trip report makes it look like a paradise! I hope it stays that way. Thanks for the update of road conditions and places in town for
healthy snacks. Any wind storms to deal with during your visit? Was it cold enough for campfire at night? After countless (ezup’s, quick shade’s and
Coleman’s) casualties over the years, we have learned to just take the cover off during wind storms. We will be there in couple of weeks with our
group for six days, our kids are talking about it every night at dinner. Last year’s trip did notice lots of plastic trash on the beach. We picked up
three large trash bag full. We used DUMPO just west of Laguna Percebu Bar. If the restaurant is open it’s a good place to pump up tires and get some
tacos and give some to local business. Thanks for a great trip report. |
No wind... it was ideal perfect weather... just the sea was too cold for us. The night was cool and a campfire was great (as always).
Glad you like the report... and hoping to indeed keep camping there the rest of my life!
A request and good ecology: Please do not dump in the desert or local dump. Bag out any trash that doesn't burn to at least a San Felipe trash can or
back home. The dump west of Percebu (unless improved) simply gets 'flash flooded' into the gulf and ends up on the beaches to the south... There was a
lot more trash on Shell Island than typical, and that comes down from Percebu or points north.
If you can bring full bottles south, isn't even easier to take them back empty?
Hope you forthcoming Baja vacation is awesome!
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Whale-ista
Super Nomad
Posts: 2009
Registered: 2-18-2013
Location: San Diego
Member Is Offline
Mood: Sunny with chance of whales
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Jealous
What a great trip! Thanks for sharing the photos, it looks like a lot of fun And a beautiful beach.
And thanks for the reminder about hauling out trash And helping protect these beaches for future visitors.
Would love to go for a visit, but will need to wait till things cool off in the fall. I'll be overseas most of June and have a feeling July and August
would be a bit warm down there.
Thanks again.
\"Probably the airplanes will bring week-enders from Los Angeles before long, and the beautiful poor bedraggled old town will bloom with a
Floridian ugliness.\" (John Steinbeck, 1940, discussing the future of La Paz, BCS, Mexico)
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chuckie
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6082
Registered: 2-20-2012
Location: Kansas Prairies
Member Is Offline
Mood: Weary
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Lotsa bugs?
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64739
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by chuckie
Lotsa bugs? |
No, never 'lotsa bugs'... just saw a couple moths attracted to the campfire and Baja Angel brushed a hairy sand spider off the tent when we were
taking it down. 
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viabaja
Nomad
Posts: 277
Registered: 10-6-2003
Location: Georgia
Member Is Offline
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Dave, get a Sentri pass!! Came back the same day as you, 2 minutes to cross at 9:30 am.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64739
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by viabaja
Dave, get a Sentri pass!! Came back the same day as you, 2 minutes to cross at 9:30 am. |
Thanks Chris, but there is no special lane in Tecate for one, and we are not going to Baja more than a few times a year. Maybe the day will come when
business is back to previous levels or I sell a lot more books  ?
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grace59
Senior Nomad
Posts: 614
Registered: 9-14-2004
Location: San Felipe, Baja, Mexico
Member Is Offline
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Thanks for the "trip" to Shell Island. I really do want to get down there someday! Perhaps I'll see you there...I'll keep an eye out for your Toyota!
Whenever I hear that rainy, chill wind blow. I think it may be time to head for Mexico. Tengo que obedecer mi corazon!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64739
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Sounds good... !
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Ribbonslinger
Nomad
Posts: 131
Registered: 12-15-2013
Member Is Offline
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Hi David
Think a F350 with a camper can make it over to shell island at low tide?
Thanks
Ron
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64739
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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I think tires have a lot to do with it, as well as the tide... Art (edm1) could not get through the mud in is 4x4 motorhome with front and rear ARB
lockers... The nearby fisherman's truck pulled him out and back to the dry side of the salt flat... My Tacomas never have an issue, but if the tide is
super high, like all the way to the desert, I wait it out or camp at Nuevo Mazatlan, 4 miles south.
However, I know a fellow (and his brother) from Vista, CA who regularly drove their full size motorhomes onto the beach at Shall Island... 2WD
motorhomes... just with the largest tires possible and deflated.
Instead of the road to the concrete bridge, they used the original diagonal route onto the island... more water, but if you stay right on the track,
it is compacted. That's how I drove my little Subaru onto the island, as well. Get off the deep worn track, and the mud is like oatmeal! Ask me how I
know! Neal Johns also experienced it!!
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deanfootlong
Junior Nomad
Posts: 53
Registered: 10-7-2013
Member Is Offline
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It really is the best camping spot. Ever. Here's my wife and I a few days before hanks giving 2013.
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