David K
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EL CAMINO REAL in Baja (Part 6), San Ignacio to Santa Gertrudis
Baja Almanac pages 32, 29, 28, 25:
Two major routes were used as El Camino Real north from San Ignacio. One kept to the Pacific side of the Sierra San Francisco and the other, on the
gulf side. Perhaps one was used in the hot months and the other in the cooler months. Or, it depended on which visita needed a visit?
The Pacific Side Camino Real leaves San Ignacio going slightly west of true north and drops into ARROYO SATANCIO following it up into the mountains...
Go to Map 29.
From just east of 113? longitude, the trail goes north, then off the map at about 27?35' latitude. NOTE: The auto road shown betwen Santa Marta and
San Francisco de la Sierra does NOT exist, this is a mule trail. Go to Map 28.
Arrive at SAN FRANCISCO DE LA SIERRA, once a visiting station of San Ignacio and perhaps an early choice for the next planned mission to the north (to
be called 'Dolores del Norte').
Ruins of the old chapel walls were identified as 'Dolores' to the first outsiders (Choral Pepper and others with the Erle Stanley Gardner sponsored
helicopter expedition of 40 years ago).
From tiny San Francisco, the Camino Real is shown in the Almanac as it goes west then northwest, finally dropping down into San Pablo Canyon to the
visita of SAN PABLO. See photos of San Pablo and the El Camino Real at http://davidksbaja.com/bajamissions/page7.html .
From the visita, continue down ARROYO SAN PABLO to (just past) the first MESA SAN PABLO, where it climbs to the north and goes straight to SAN
CASIMIRO. From there, the Almanac once again shows the ECR as it heads straight north. Go to Map 25...
After crossing the 28? parallel, the ECR curves to the notheast and soon reaches Santa Gertrudis.
The Gulf Side Camino Real is shown in the Almanac leaving San Ignacio straight north, veering east of CERRO SANTIAGO and dropping into ARROYO EL
INFIERNO, and follows it upstream. Go to Map 29...
SANTA MARTA was a visita and a resting place for Serra and others on the Camino Real. Continue north into ARROYO EL ROSARITO to the flat plain of SAN
GREGORIO. Here Crosby comments on how nowhere had the road (ECR) been so wide, straight, and clearly marked. Go to Map 25...
It is difficult to plot the ECR on the Almanac at the point where it leaves the San Gregorio plain. Many place names used by Crosby are not in the
Almanac plus there were several newer detour trails.
One of the El Camino Real routes is shown as a trail in the Almanac. It goes almost to SAN CASIMIRO then turns north to EL CARRIZO, joins with the
Pacific Side ECR and reaches Santa Gertrudis.
A far east route goes from ARROYO SAN GREGORIO north through SAN JUAN DE LAS PARRAS, then swings westward and follows ARROYO SANTA GERTRUDIS to the
mission.
To Be Continued...
[Edited on 10-24-2003 by David K]
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academicanarchist
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Dolores and Santa Gertrudis
David. I would add that there was confusion over whether or not Dolores del Norte was a mission site, or if San Francisco was a mission. However, the
documentary evidence makes clear that it was not.
http://www.timsbaja.com/rjackson/santagertrudis.htm
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64845
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Yes indeed, and because of the confusion, uncertainty, and lost mission legends, the continued interest in Baja history and research is assured!
Your paper over on TimsBaja.com is an excellent one that helps understand how the name Dolores de Norte is still shown on some maps (in the wrong
place sometimes) at San Pablo or why the Arce's up at San Francisco believed their village was the home of Dolores... it was an early site being
considered. The water was limited on top of that mountain, found only in tinajas. Without a spring or stream, no mission!
Thank you... I will get into this more when I re submit my mission series here on Nomad. This series is primarily about El Camino Real, and where to
find it today.
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