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Bajaboy
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Location: Bahia Asuncion, BCS, Mexico
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Quote: Originally posted by advrider  | I would love to join you, I start the PCT March 17th so I will be gone for about six months on that. You are welcome to join me if there is a section
you want to do?
When I get back, I want to do surprise canyon outside of Death Valley, while not long it looks fun. I want to spend about three days hiking around
the ghost town.
I retired in November and want to stay active so I will stay in touch for sure. There are several places I want to hike in Baja.
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Before moving to Mexico full time, I did a lot of trail work on the PCT and other trails. Always fun meeting through hikers. Best of luck on your
adventure.
i
I'm currently trying to re route the Baja Divide bike route to include Bahia Asunion. Wish me luck!
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Fatboy
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| Quote: Originally posted by advrider | I would love to join you, I start the PCT March 17th so I will be gone for about six months on that. You are welcome to join me if there is a section
you want to do?
When I get back, I want to do surprise canyon outside of Death Valley, while not long it looks fun. I want to spend about three days hiking around
the ghost town.
I retired in November and want to stay active so I will stay in touch for sure. There are several places I want to hike in Baja.
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Are you going to post anywhere about your PCT hike in real time? Might be down for doing a section.
Surprise Canyon in Death Valley, is that the one that goes up to Panamint City?
I think it is and we did that early this year and it was an amazing hike. Your in one of the hottest, driest deserts in North America and the first
quarter of the hike is in a flowing creek!
Saw some bighorn sheep, Panamint City was really cool and while we saw a car at the trailhead we did not see anybody during hike.
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advrider
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Fatboy,
I plan to post on FB and hope to post videos every couple of weeks if I can. I will send you a link to my tracker when I get it set up. This record
snow fall could make things interesting in the Sierra's! Panamint city is the town I was talking about, sounds like an amazing hike!
Bajaboy,
I plan to volunteer as well after I finish the trail as well. We have a cabin near Kirkwood so we are close to several sections. Love the Baja
divide on my moto, fun meeting people on their bicycles. BA would be a great stop to add to the route.
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4x4abc
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| Quote: Originally posted by Fatboy |
Surprise Canyon in Death Valley, is that the one that goes up to Panamint City?
I think it is and we did that early this year and it was an amazing hike. Your in one of the hottest, driest deserts in North America and the first
quarter of the hike is in a flowing creek!
Saw some bighorn sheep, Panamint City was really cool and while we saw a car at the trailhead we did not see anybody during hike.
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I used to "drive" Surprise Canyon
it was the toughest 4x4 trail in the US
Harald Pietschmann
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4x4abc
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I have had Covid twice in 2020
after the 3 vaccinations my long Covid symptoms are gone
BUT - even short hikes exhaust me like a several day hike
sometimes working on my car for an hour gets me on my knees
I will not mention the occasional brain fog (can't form a single thought)
life has changed dramatically
Harald Pietschmann
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4x4abc
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in case you wondered - the yellow FJ40 is on a rear winch line
Harald Pietschmann
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advrider
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Always wanted to 4 wheel that trail years ago but didn't get a chance before it was closed. I remember seeing some of the amazing pictures in the
magazines back in the day. My scrambler would be the perfect rig for that kind of trail. Now the next best way to see it will be to hike it and spend
several days hiking around the area.
You my friend have some serious offroad skills to be running that trail. I know several people that have, and most said one time was enough. Most
said that after getting up to the ghost town they realized they had to make it back down!
[Edited on 12-28-2021 by advrider]
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100X
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About 20 years ago Gary Jones and Ron Lawson took trials bikes (one might have been a MX bike, not sure) up Surprise Canyon and wrote about it in Dirt
Bike magazine. Was very difficult, even for the National Champ. We rode to it about 10 years ago but it was closed to all motorized traffic then.
Maybe that was better-I might still be stuck up there.
Anyway, great photos Harald! You are lucky to have done that trip. I never would have guessed you could 4X4 up it, regardless of the number of winches
employed--very nice! Have pictures of the old mining camp, which I understand is still remarkably intact?
Hiking up it--now that sounds like some real fun!
A life of fears leads to a death bed of regrets.
Find someone who will take care of you, and take care of them.
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Fatboy
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| Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc | I have had Covid twice in 2020
after the 3 vaccinations my long Covid symptoms are gone
BUT - even short hikes exhaust me like a several day hike
sometimes working on my car for an hour gets me on my knees
I will not mention the occasional brain fog (can't form a single thought)
life has changed dramatically
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I am really worried about this. I am like that now and I am hoping it 'passes' and I can feel normal again.
Going to really suck if I can't backpack anymore.
Sorry to hear you are still suffering from it. 
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Fatboy
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For a short time....
It was a 'road' up to the town/mine for decades and sometime in the 1970's or early 1980's a downpour washed it out to bedrock exposing the huge
ledges and waterfalls as seen in your pictures.
A few years later the 4wd folks started running it.
If you make it up to Panamint city you will see RV's, Dump Trucks, Pickups and lots of equipment that went up there before the flood. Is was still a
challenge back then and it was not uncommon for a tractor to pull some of the rigs through the bad sections.
There was already anchors and eyebolts in some of the places that gave a spot for the 4wd crowd to hook their winches to. Within a few years, for
better or worse, it was closed off to vehicles
It was tough though.
Now it is an amazing hike through a flowing creek with trees and vines all through the lower section.
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advrider
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I worked with many people that have recovered from COVID and everyone is different on recovery. Some were fine with in a couple of weeks, others
months.
Harold, is that you pulling winch line looking like Sammy Hagar, some serious curls... Any other pictures you can share?
Fatboy I remember reading about those two ridding up there years ago. I've hiked a couple of miles up in my riding boots and always vowed I'd come
back prepared and hike it.
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John M
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Panamint City
In our early days of four-wheeling we drove to Panamint City on two occasions. The first time it was relatively easy, probably 1970. The second time a
couple of years later it had become a route where four-wheel-drive was definitely helpful, '73 or '73? but certainly before the flood.
I suppose we have photos somewhere.
John M
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advrider
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John M, I would love to see some photos. I've read about a time when you could just drive up there like you are saying. Sometime later some big storms
caused floods that washed out most of the road. Then even later it turned in to the world class challenge that Harold posted pictures of.
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4x4abc
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main reason for closing off Surprise Canyon was that it was incorporated into Death Valley NP
but even when it was under BLM it was closed on occasion
a squatter at the entrance would chain it
only one house at the top is kinda intact
not much equipment left
a lost road continues far above Panamint City
36° 8'29.47"N, 117° 6'54.81"W
I have been up and down through the waterfalls numerous times
sometimes training Special Forces
at night, no lights of course
it's already tough in daylight
and always cold and windy
one day we were surprised by snow
not funny
Harald Pietschmann
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4x4abc
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Death Valley is a good example if how much we have lost - and how much we will lose in the future (in Baja)
there were almost 100 mining roads and trails 40 years ago
no it's down to a hand full
gated, locked, obscured
I was lucky enough to have driven most of them
one of the most spectacular was San Lucas Canyon
a mining road chiseled into a rock face
connecting Cerro Gordo with Saline Valley
direct route
mind boggling
36°37'18.96"N, 117°45'30.30"W
Harald Pietschmann
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mtgoat666
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| Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc | Death Valley is a good example if how much we have lost - and how much we will lose in the future (in Baja)
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not a good comparison. usa has tons of public land, and it is all open (for use as specified, so, yes, you may have to hike or ride horse or bike,
and not drive with a beer in your hand). by comparison, mexico has little public land.
death valley is still open for all to enjoy, and hiking is quite easy in winter when temps are cool. good they got rid of all the vehicles and the
trash/visual blight they left in the desert! still plenty of spaces for the offroaders to drive in the desert
[Edited on 12-28-2021 by mtgoat666]
Woke!
“...ask not what your country can do for you – ask what you can do for your country.” “My fellow citizens of the world: ask not what America
will do for you, but what together we can do for the freedom of man.”
Prefered gender pronoun: the royal we
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4x4abc
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| Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666 | | Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc | Death Valley is a good example if how much we have lost - and how much we will lose in the future (in Baja)
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not a good comparison. usa has tons of public land, and it is all open (for use as specified, so, yes, you may have to hike or ride horse or bike,
and not drive with a beer in your hand). by comparison, mexico has little public land.
death valley is still open for all to enjoy, and hiking is quite easy in winter when temps are cool. good they got rid of all the vehicles and the
trash/visual blight they left in the desert! still plenty of spaces for the offroaders to drive in the desert
[Edited on 12-28-2021 by mtgoat666] |
you seem smart - but not very bright
Harald Pietschmann
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advrider
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Good stuff Harold. I've ridden all over DV and surrounding areas. Some amazing stuff. I can't imagine how it was before it was all a park.
There is a guy with a YouTube channel that owns Cerro Gordo mine, I think that's the one? He restoring and renting parts out.
[Edited on 12-29-2021 by advrider]
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John Harper
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I've been to several isolated mining operations in the Sierra Nevada, but not yet over to the Cerro Gordo area. It's mind blowing the amount of road
engineering and mining technology involved, and that's over 100 years ago. Hauling all that mining equipment, just awe inspiring!
John
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4x4abc
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| Quote: Originally posted by advrider | Good stuff Harold. I've ridden all over DV and surrounding areas. Some amazing stuff. I can't imagine how it wad before is was all a park.
There is a guy with a YouTube channel that owns Cerro Gordo mine, I think that's the one? He restoring and renting parts out.
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Cerro Gordo is amazing!
this "road" is downhill from Cerro Gordo on the east side
the guy is the second owner in recent history
it takes massive amounts of money to get it restored for rentals
the last owner tried and failed
Harald Pietschmann
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