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Graham
Senior Nomad
Posts: 558
Registered: 6-16-2006
Location: San Diego and DeTour, MI
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Santa Rosalia
Santa Rosalia isn’t everyone’s cup of tea, but I've been fascinated by the place for over fifteen years... especially hiking and car camping the
canyons around town. Fantastic mineral collecting and relics from a bygone era.
Seems like big changes are coming with Baja Mining making a major investment in extracting the copper remaining in the district, largely through open
pit mining.
And looks like parts of Santa Rosalia’s familiar copper smelter complex are being dismantled and others are being given a make over and preserved.
Across from the new Pemex, sandwiched between the two towering convertors next to the road and the old Boleo Company electricity generating plant, a
“plaza” has been laid out as a place to enjoy exhibits from the time when the French company operated one of the most important copper production
sites in the world. Santa Rosalia lays claim to be the second city in Mexico with electricity.
If you want to immerse yourself in a little unique Baja history, park near the harbor or Pemex and check it out.
Rotary dryers prepared ore for the furnace.
As many as seven furnaces produced a low grade copper “matte” which was poured off into these large crucibles, and then transported by crane to the
convertors…
In the convertors, blasts of oxygen were forced through the matte to burn off the impurities and produce a 98% “blister” copper ingot. The two
convertors were manufactured in Milwaukee, WI.
Mini train for carrying the poured ingots to the weighing shed.
Wheel detail. Made in Chicago.
One of the few blister copper ingots that stayed in Santa Rosalia.
View from the smelter structure to the harbor which is largely constructed of furnace slag.
The people of Santa Rosalia are proud of their history. When I passed through there a few weeks ago, the streets were packed for a parade celebrating
the town’s 125th birthday - 1885-2010.
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Bajaboy
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4375
Registered: 10-9-2003
Location: Bahia Asuncion, BCS, Mexico
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Thanks for the history lesson. Our neighbors have a lot of family from "Rosalia" and we enjoy meeting them. We hope to take them up on their offer
to visit.
Zac
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Cypress
Elite Nomad
Posts: 7641
Registered: 3-12-2006
Location: on the bayou
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Mood: undecided
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Graham, Thanks for the pictures. Santa Rosalia! What's not to like about Santa Rosalia?
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goldhuntress
Senior Nomad
Posts: 663
Registered: 1-28-2010
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I love Santa Rosalia, it's so old and charming. Nice pics.
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BajaNews
Super Moderator
Posts: 1439
Registered: 12-11-2005
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Baja ready to break ground after raising US$1 billion
| Quote: | Originally posted by Graham
Seems like big changes are coming with Baja Mining making a major investment in extracting the copper remaining in the district...
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http://www.bivinteractive.com/index.php?option=com_content&a...
23 November 2010
Baja Mining Corp. (TSX:BAJ; OTCQX:BAJFF) said Tuesday it is ready to break ground on a copper-cobalt-zinc-manganese project located near Santa
Rosalia, Mexico, after raising US$858 million in September and, more recently, $184 million in bought-deal financing. The Vancouver company expects
to begin moving earth at its Boleo project within a month, and expects to reach copper production by 2013.
Baja Mining owns a 70% interest in Boleo, with a Korean syndicate of industrial companies holding the remaining 30%.
The project has 265 million tonnes of measured and indicated resources, including roughly 70 million tonnes of proven and probable reserves and
roughly 165 million tonnes of inferred resources.
The project has a minimum scheduled mine life of 25 years with an ore body value of US$1.306 billion.
John Greenslade, Baja Mining’s president and CEO, told BIV Tuesday the company began preparing for construction two years ago in anticipation of
having its bank financing in place.
The financial downturn de-railed that financing, and construction plans were halted.
Of the company’s successful second attempt at project financing, Greenslade said: “It’s probably one of the largest financings done by a junior
company in Canada.”
Bank financing was structured using $1.75 per pound of copper. The mineral’s current market price is $3.70 per pound.
“We should be out of bank debt with in three years at current metal prices,” said Greenslade. “[The mine] has a long life, a reasonable amount of
metal, and its very low cost.”
Baja Mining initially began development of the Boleo project, which is the company’s sole project, in 1992.
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Fred
Senior Nomad
Posts: 500
Registered: 3-15-2007
Location: Las Vegas
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Thanks for the pics. I should be pulling into San Lucas Cove late next month.
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Terry28
Senior Nomad
Posts: 825
Registered: 8-25-2007
Location: S.Calif mtns.
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Mood: Thirsty
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Not to mention one of the coolest bakeries in all of Baja........
Mexico!! Where two can live as cheaply as one.....but it costs twice as much.....
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kiterkip
Nomad
Posts: 139
Registered: 10-17-2010
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Nice pictures, I've only been through there to quickly get gas and run along.
While in the US, I live in Tacoma Wa, where there was and ASARCO copper smelting plant for almost 100 years. The black slag was used as landfill,
driveway materiel, and various other uses. Then in the 70's it was discovered to contain "dangerous" levels of Lead, Cadmium, and other heavy metals.
This stuff also was emitted from the smokestack. EPA and ASARCO have been cleaning this up for 30 years now. Some of my friends got the top 24" of
topsoil removed from their yards, and new landscaping. I got a check. 
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
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Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
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Mood: optimistic
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I'm with you, Graham------I have always been fasinated with Santa Rosalia, and spent many days there poking around. I love all things Santa Rosalia
including just hanging out on the main street on some restaurant front porch watching, with the possible exception of the squirrley PEMEX station,
which I avoid.
Beautiful and interesting pictures and comments. Thanks mucho for your post.
Barry
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BillP
Nomad
Posts: 420
Registered: 1-28-2010
Location: Lake Havasu City, AZ
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Great pics and story, Thanks!
Question, did they ever take out the underpass on 1 ?
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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Great pix and historical info.
I have to admit, and I'm sure that I'm not alone on this, but the first time I headed that far South, at the top of Cuesta Del Infierno, viewing, for
the first time, the Sea of Cortez o0n my journey, I was so looking forward to getting down the hill. Then, as I hit sea level, and was confronted with
a bunch of rusted and abandoned industrial stuff, I didn't believe what I was seeing. Yet, to hang a right, and go into town was amazing. It is, in my
opinion, the most interesting and unique town in Baja. In subsequent visits, when bring new travelers with me, I always warn them that they should not
jump to conclusions when approaching the town.
That said, in my most recent visit, I got the distinct impression that the "Eiffel Church" could use some Rustoleum.
As someone earlier posted, if you just stay on Mex 1, you miss a great experience.
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Skeet/Loreto
Ultra Nomad
Posts: 4709
Registered: 9-2-2003
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Thank you so much for this Post.
1970 I crossed on the Ferry headed for Loreto, stopped and stayed 2 days in Sant Rosallia. Fell in love with the Backery and the people!. Mu Mother
and i stayed for the marathon which was being run. Later I stayed in the Frecn Hotel which is up on top of the Hill on several trips.
The week end the Road opened I was Northbound in my Cessna 170 with my Son and ran into some bad winds and had to land at the Airport which at that
time was located up on the Hill. After landing two Mexicano guys came running out and held down the Wings as I taxied in to tie down.
If you are close you should sxpend some time just looking around and especially spending a night in the French Hotel up on the Hill!!
Skeet/Loreto
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mulegemichael
Super Nomad
Posts: 2310
Registered: 12-24-2007
Location: sequim,wa. and mulege
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...i understand the mining project will employ between 2-3000 people...really nice for the economy here locally
dyslexia is never having to say you\'re yrros.
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roundtuit
Senior Nomad
Posts: 607
Registered: 12-21-2004
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Old copper mine near Redding Ca
http://twilightearth.com/news/iron-mountain-mine-most-pollut...
Never learned from a book-Only from mistakes, mine and yours
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Bajahowodd
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9274
Registered: 12-15-2008
Location: Disneyland Adjacent and anywhere in Baja
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| Quote: | Originally posted by mulegemichael
...i understand the mining project will employ between 2-3000 people...really nice for the economy here locally |
If true, that would be great news.
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
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I live in Redding, and have for some 19 years. To compare this mine with the Santa Rosalia mine is----- well------- apples and oranges, I believe.
Here, the problem is continually running water from the mine-----doubt that they have that problem in Santa Rosalia. 
Also, this mine is very unique-------and not duplicated anywhere else, I don't believe.
Barry
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Graham
Senior Nomad
Posts: 558
Registered: 6-16-2006
Location: San Diego and DeTour, MI
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Rooms in the Hotel Frances
The machine shop - a virtual museum of industrialism. Saddened to see it being demolished.
Some of the wonderful assortment of minerals found in a canyon north of town... plus a coyote melon.
Sad grave of young French child
Santa Rosalia's black slag beach.
Don't pig out on the carnitas!
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David K
Honored Nomad
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Location: San Diego County
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Just great Graham... 
GRACIAS!
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Pescador
Ultra Nomad
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Location: Baja California Sur
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One of my very favorite songs that comes from this area is called "Playas Negras" and was written by my best friends Uncle, Rafael "Bono" Mendoza
Collins, and refers to the Black Sand Beach.
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capt. mike
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8085
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Location: Bat Cave
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maybe they'll fix up the old dirt airport north of town [now military only, and choppers] just after the turn up the road left out of town climbing
that death grade.
formerly Ordained in Rev. Ewing\'s Church by Mail - busted on tax fraud.......
Now joined L. Ron Hoover\'s church of Appliantology
\"Remember there is a big difference between kneeling down and bending over....\"
www.facebook.com/michael.l.goering |
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