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degoma
Junior Nomad
Posts: 64
Registered: 7-21-2009
Location: Mojave, CA
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The grade out of Tembabichi
After the ‘Norte’ advisory had made its way through the maritime net, boats began leaving and there were no new arrivals. By evening Pto. Gato
was ‘ours’ again. The Norte brought us a day of on and off light rain and then thunder storms with some pretty spunky squalls. Waves crashing
on the beach a few feet from our back door and white caps everywhere. The rain subsided in the evening and the sea lay down fast.
We left beautiful Pto. Gato around 08:30; later than planned…as usual. The mud flats near the lagoon were pretty squirrely but it seemed to be
just a surface slickness rather than a drop to your axles sort of thing. There are more large trees along the 8 mile drive up the wash (to the bottom
of the hill) than I’ve seen anywhere else. It’s a pretty spectacular drive by its self.
When we reached the place where the road leaves the wash and climbs up to a level place with almost white dirt we stopped. Pancho had given us some
tips about going up (or down) the road. This place we stopped can be seen from somewhere up higher (I didn’t get exactly where…maybe the one
place where two vehicles can pass or the top) and people coming down will stop to look and listen so give a good shout or honk your horn…I did both.
Also, your less likely to meet someone on the road if you go out in the morning at 8 or 9 and likewise don’t be descending in the morning. I told
him how much I dreaded the thought of having to back up or down that road (given my long wheel base). He said the local people who use that road can
do it backwards just as well as forwards. Right!
I think that if I were to come in here again I would have a pair of hand held radios (been thinking to get some anyway) then park at the top (or
bottom) and both of us walk to the place where two vehicles can pass. I would leave Gay there and walk back to the truck and drive to there and
repeat the process for the last part. It’s only 1.3 miles for the spotter and 2.6 for the driver. The views are breath taking. With real current
road information and good backing up ability all this may not be necessary…it’s just my thought at the moment.
OK, let’s do this; I listen, then holler and honk and listen again…nothing, here we go. As we started the steep 1.2 mile climb I'm in compound
low (slower than walking speed) and Gay is walking ahead rolling rocks that have fallen onto the road. Came to a spot where the road bed tilted
slightly the wrong way...i.e. toward the edge! Neither of us noticed that it was very slick slippery clay-like thin mud...just didn't seem
possible...everything looked so like rock like. Nor did the reverse tilt look like any big deal. So I was driving along at a half mile per hour when
for no apparent reason the rear end just slid toward the edge which crumbled under the right rear tire. Gay waved her arms frantically and I stopped
just in the nick of time.
I set the brake, shut down and had to push real hard on the driver door to overcome the tilt angle. With some difficulty I managed to walk all the
way around the truck. This did not look good. #$@^% I opened the back but the tilt was such that the first thing I did was drop the uphill tire
pressure way down. That didn’t help the tilt much but made me feel better. I got into the back and started extracting our cribbing. Naturally
it’s stored way up by the cab.
Another couple of trips around to determine if I had to jack or could I somehow drive out of this. Must jack! But where? The logical place,
outboard under the axel was not stable enough. I had to come forward along the frame until I thought I could trust the ground. That meant I would
have to jack through the spring travel before I got any lift. Sure hope we have enough cribbing for that. This is exactly where one of those
Australian air bag jacks would have been just the ticket.
In the picture above I’ve been jacking while Gay continued to fill around the big rocks we had placed.
We started building the roadway from below at the white arrows. Moving the largest rocks we could manage and filling between with small rocks then
dirt with gravel size pebbles we gradually built the roadway back up (good we had a pick and 5 gallon buckets). But it wasn’t right; ideally we
should have started on a level shelf hacked out of the hillside. As I looked around it was apparent something like this had happened here before;
automotive glass and bits of metal bore testament to that. The roadway in that immediate area had been patched back up exactly like we were doing it.
Notice how far forward I had to come to find stable ground for jacking (white arrow). Also, see how crossways I am to the road? As the slow motion
slide was going I was slow motion turning the wheels toward the hill. Of course that’s exactly what you don’t do in a slide. Go ahead, turn into
this one!
It was a slow process. Gay took it all in stride and worked really hard. We’ve been in some tough spots before but never on the side of a hill
like this. Yiiikes.
At this stage things are starting to look pretty good. I had been pounding rocks and dirt under the tire as it came up. Our efforts on the slope
made it seem much less precarious. I felt another 2” or so would do it so reset the jack with more cribbing and started up. Not going to happen;
the check valve failed on the jack. It had clouded up a bit and was starting to spit some rain drops. Although I had two other jacks I thought, man,
if it really starts to rain we won’t be going anywhere until it dries out. That’s it, clear the cribbing and let’s get outahere.
I stayed in compound low, and for this ‘extraction’ attempt, engaged the rear locker (front locker off). Without giving it any gas (diesel) I
ever so slowly let out the clutch. The truck just crawled right out of there. Aw shucks, we didn’t need to do so much work was a fleeting thought.
But no, the reality I felt was that we probably only had one shot at it so do as much as we could within reason before going for it.
We spent another 45 minutes or so fixing the road up to at least as good as before the slide, maybe better. The rest of the drive up was completely
uneventful.
In many places the road is perfectly fine. Other than a few spots that have previously washed out or given way (and not been repaired very well)
there are short stretches where the track has been covered with concrete. Where this concrete ends there are some big drop off's that are caused, I
think, by people on their way up (with 2WD) spinning their wheels at these points. The holes get bigger and the drops taller. The problem we had was
caused by the slick surface. If it had been dry we would have sailed right through there. It was a good wakeup call though.
(to be continued: the trip home…that will be short and very anti-climactic)
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64852
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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A Baja adventure, indeed!
Thank you! I hope to visit that coast and the nearby missions soon.
Kurt, maybe in May? I want to cover Agua Verde to La Paz. I was going to ask Squarecircle Roy and TW, etc. when I get back from this trip.
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y2kbaja
Newbie
Posts: 19
Registered: 2-2-2017
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Great report. Thanks for the link. Is this your beach on page 19 of their Un-brochure?
file:///C:/Users/User2/Downloads/2017_UnCruise_Adventures_Brochure.pdf
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KurtG
Super Nomad
Posts: 1205
Registered: 1-27-2004
Location: California Central Coast
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Mood: Press On Regardless!!
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Wow! Great to know what to expect. You mentioned the drop-offs at the end of concrete sections, would you expect me to have any problems there.
While I have a shorter wheelbase than your truck my clearance is less. Should I carry some short, 3 ft. or so, ramps? I've seen this on other steep
roads and if there is room to hit the concrete lip a little diagonally there is no problem. Also I think I'm going to pick up a bigger bottle jack
than I usually carry. Maybe even a Hi-Lift. Thanks for the great report. This sort of info is invaluable and much appreciated.
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degoma
Junior Nomad
Posts: 64
Registered: 7-21-2009
Location: Mojave, CA
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Kurt,
That link to page 19 does not work when I paste it in but I will get to it later direct from Uncruise...I'm curious to see, 'our beach'.
I don't think you'll need ramps for those drops. It's more a problem for cars than trucks.
Never hurts to have an extra jack and some cribbing. I could never figure out how to make a high-lift jack work with my truck, i.e. where to jack
from. I think in my situation...on the side of the hill....bottle jack under the frame may have been the only way (or the air bag).
B.
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degoma
Junior Nomad
Posts: 64
Registered: 7-21-2009
Location: Mojave, CA
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That is 'our' beach! And there's 'our' seagull up on the breakfast patio. How dare they Gay says.
B.
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KurtG
Super Nomad
Posts: 1205
Registered: 1-27-2004
Location: California Central Coast
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Mood: Press On Regardless!!
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Quote: Originally posted by David K  | A Baja adventure, indeed!
Thank you! I hope to visit that coast and the nearby missions soon.
Kurt, maybe in May? I want to cover Agua Verde to La Paz. I was going to ask Squarecircle Roy and TW, etc. when I get back from this trip.
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I'm headed that way within a couple of weeks. Usually in May we head for 4 Corners region camping but keep in touch as to your plans in case my
schedule changes. Also planning to be in Baja Sur in April.
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Mexitron
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 3397
Registered: 9-21-2003
Location: Fort Worth, Texas
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Mood: Happy!
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Great report, thanks!
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AKgringo
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6027
Registered: 9-20-2014
Location: Anchorage, AK (no mas!)
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Mood: Retireded
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Great pics, great story, great post!
I was in a similar pickle with my Suburban on Kodiak Island quite a few years ago. My solution was to place the jack under the rear axle, and level
the axle as much as possible (two lifts).
I then drove off the jack onto the base that I had stacked under, and in front of the problem wheel. That is a judgement call that can only be made
by the person on the spot, and is subject to a whole lot of variables.
Edit; Obviously this would only work if the vehicle has traction from a front drive axle and/or a rear locking device.
[Edited on 3-6-2017 by AKgringo]
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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degoma
Junior Nomad
Posts: 64
Registered: 7-21-2009
Location: Mojave, CA
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The Trip Home
Even with the 2.5 hour delay on the grade we were able to make Cd. Constitución before dark. We went straight to Palapa 206 and checked into one of
Mike’s great rooms. Actually it was a detached cottage with an open roof single car garage. The truck won’t fit but we pull a bunch of gear into
that space, shut the door and sort it at our leisure. Hard to beat for $35!
Next morning it was an easy drive to Loreto where we once again stayed with friends. We were only 10 minutes behind our planned 06:00 departure in
the morning and camped near Coco’s Corner that night. At Ranch Grande we picked up a passenger. Emanuel was walking north along the road with a
tire and rim under each arm. His car was about 45 km up the road.
His mother had been waiting with the car for four hours. Needles to say she was getting quite concerned. They both thanked us profusely; his mother
tried to give us some money….thanks but really, it’s not necessary.
In the Rio Hardy area we camped for the second time at, ‘Campo Mosqueda’. Good place but I wouldn’t want to be there on a holiday or the
weekend…seems like it could be crowded. It’s definitely truth in naming but we have a good mosquito net ; no hits during the night.
We arrived at the old port of entry around 10:30 on a Thursday morning and breezed through with only a 45 minute wait. We were home before dark.
--End--
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