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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8923
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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The Summit & Pole Line Roads (2005)
I have a few photos to post from a 2005 trip to The Summit and the Pole Line Road. Our Jeeps looked much newer then, and our numbers were much
greater, but the best part is having these photos to remember some good times in Baja!
The Summit Road - High above the Laguna Salada
A true-life Movie Star! DesertXplorer made a cameo appearance in DUST TO GLORY!
The Pole Line Road leads off into the distance.
Nomads crawling the Summit Road with their Esposas.
A massive lineup of Jeeps, Toyotas, a Ford Ranger & Explorer line the Summit Road.
A lonely corral beside the Summit Rd.
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8923
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
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Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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Traveling down the Summit Road looked like this...
A TRAFFIC JAM! 
A complete cobblestone hill along the Pole Line Road.
TW!
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
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Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
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Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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"Oil Pan Wash" Cañon Enmedio and Basketball Hill
"Oil Pan Wash" took out an oil pan. But, thanks to some JB Weld and a bar of soap, the Jeep made it back to San Diego without incident.
Basketball hill
Mike's Toyota climbing Basketball Hill at dusk
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8923
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
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We made it up Basketball Hill, and set up camp in Cañon Jaquegel
Our 2005 group
The next morning in Cañon Jaquegel
John and Maam Vera
The BajaNomad.com group camped together!
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
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Leaving Camp for Hwy 5 along Cañon Jaquegel
Very rock section
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
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Location: Riverside, CA
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Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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Nearing the end of this great 4WD trail
Everyone parked in the Laguna Salada - Hwy 5
End of photos!
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
Member Is Offline
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Man does that bring back some good memories. Fun trip, thanks.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64615
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Awesome... everything is better in FOUR WHEEL DRIVE!
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64615
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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MAP
The summit 'Portezuelo de Jamau' and the Pole Line Road (along Arroyo Jaquejel and across Arroyo Grande) on Howard Gulick's 1962 map...
Close Up:
Full Map:
[Edited on 12-5-2011 by David K]
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64615
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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There are several Pole Line Road threads on Baja Nomad... So I think it may be helpful to place the good info here, too...
Here is the road log from Hwy. 2 at the north to Hwy. 5 (near Hwy. 3 jcn.) in the south including the Pole Line Road. This log comes from the great
Aridologist, Mr. Neal Johns:
>Time/mileage: the mileage is approximately, we take two easy days, starting
>at 8:00 a.m.
>
>
>
>0.0 Hwy. 2 at top of Laguna Salada. Once graded road.
>
>(A better way to get to Mile 27.0 is down the Laguna Salada lakebed when
>dry).
>
>
>
>15.0 Cantu Palms on right - Petroglyphs.
>
>
>
>27.0 Pass road right to Canyon Guadalupe Hot Springs.
>
>
>
>33 Bear right (straight) to go to Canyon Isabel and Palomar).
>
>
>
>47 Cross 0.8 mile wide Canyon Palomar. Scenic area here.
>
>
>
>53 Fancy abandoned Lodge in Canyon Isabel. Drug lord? Politician?
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>57 Cajabuzo Junction - go south (road east across wash goes to Hwy. 5).
>
>Continue south, keeping to left, follow your nose to next checkpoint at
>mile 66.
>
>
>
>66 Cross open gate in fence line (Major checkpoint). Continue south, a hair
>left, and in about 0.4 miles, climb up onto 10 foot mesa, and follow hard
>surface two-track south. If you miss the road on the mesa, it is probably
>to your left. (Don’t ask me how I know).
>
>
>
>71 Campo Victoria intersection - CV is an old mining camp/foundation east
>across washes. On old AAA maps, circa 1978. How do I know? 'cause I'm 73,
>that's how! Road angles down, left, off of mesa to go east across washes.
>
>Here is where you chose how to get to the bottom of Summit (Canyon El
>Alamito). Three or four ways have been used by the racers. Just don't get
>sucked off west to Canyon El Mano). Take your choice and turn south on it
>after a few tenths, see map.
>
>
>
>79 Enter sand wash of Canyon El Alamito.
>
>
>
>83 Note, but don’t take, road over right bank going up to Summit. Go over
>to left (south) bank and maybe downwash 0.1 or so and take a hard-to-find
>steep road up bank angling from left-bottom to right-top of bank.
>
>
>
>83.5 Go through gate in fence and go right. Heavy road erosion soon.
>
>
>
>84.5 Crest of pass.
>
>
>
>85 First of two washouts.
>
>
>
>86 "Y", Go left.
>
>
>
>86.2 Ignore road right.
>
>
>
>87 Ignore road right. Continue east.
>
>
>
>87.5 Hill on right.
>
>
>
>90. Ignore road left to "Arroyo Enmedio north"
>
>
>
>92 Narrow "Y", Looking down onto Arroyo Enmedio. Bear right, straight, on
>parallel original road down hill. Some cobblestone left. At bottom, road
>goes south following Canyon Enmedio.
>
>
>
>94 Small, perfect, cobblestone hill pictured in Discover Baja article.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>95.4 Arroyo right is Basketball hill. Go right. Looks like a cow path.
>Trees in bottom hide remains of old road. GPS and real Baja topo useful.
>Pole stump partway up arroyo. The reason for Basketball Hill is about two
>miles below; where Canyon Enmedio joins Canyon Jaquegel is a dry waterfall
>which Basketball hill bypasses. Bikes can continue down Enmedio if desired
>and there is a way down the waterfall on the left. Also here at this canyon
>junction, is an old sidehill road over the hill left (OK
>
>for bikes, but no longer useable for 4wds – tippy plus!).
>
>
>
>97 Bank of Canyon Jaquegel. Nice camp spot. Road goes down into canyon and
>down canyon for 0.2 miles and up/out the other side (to bypass canyon for a
>while).
>
>Sidetrip - You can drive up canyon a mile to Palms, bedrock metates, rock
>shelters (on far side).
>
>
>
>97.2 Enter Canyon Jaquegel bottom. Go left, down canyon.
>
>
>
>97.4 Climb out on south side to take a bypass around rocks in canyon.
>
>
>
>99.2 Enter small side wash of Canyon Jaquegel and either go left, north,
>down canyon to junction of Jaquegel, or go right, upwash, 100 feet, cross
>to far (east) side of wash, and take road on east side bank of wash down
>(north) to Jaquegel. Down road last
>
>for about a half mile before being washed out, note pole on right side of
>road.
>
>
>
>99.7 Road enters the side wash to continue to Canyon Jaquegel.
>
>
>
>100 "T" into Canyon Jaquegel - turn right, downwash. Original road (now
>impassible due to washouts) is up a few feet on right bank.
>
>
>
>101 Exit Canyon Jaquegel right, up hard to see road going up spine. In a
>mile or so, several poles will start to be visible.
>
>
>
>102.5 Bottom of bad, rocky, eroded hill.
>
>
>
>102.7 Top of hill.
>
>
>
>104.5 Top of last hill going down to mouth of Canyon Jaquegel. Very rocky,
>as it is the
>
>natural watercourse. Picture on cover of February 2001 Discover Baja
>Newsletter. Wife Marian driving.
>
>
>
>104.6 Bottom of hill.
>
>
>
>105 Enter Canyon Jaquegel again. Cross side wash and pick up road east.
>
>
>
>
>
>
>
>109 "T", Road north goes to Ejido Jose Saldana and Tres Pozos. Road right,
>across arroyo, up bank is washed out for 4wd on far side (there may be a
>way around this washout, it may be OK for bikes), is the Pole Line Road and
>goes either to La Ventana
>
>or El Chinero on Hwy. 5. Mileages are for El Chinero – assuming we get
>past the washout somehow.
>
>You are at north end of a three mile long hill complex (circled on map).
>
>
>
>112 You are at north end of a one mile long hill complex (circled on map).
>
>112.5 Enter and cross 0.6 mile wide, sandy, Arroyo Grande. On the far side
>there are deep ruts on hard surface from racing.
>
>
>
>103.7 "Y", Go right on main road.
>
>
>
>104 Edge of large wash going south (race course - probably tracks).
>
>
>
>104.3 Enter sand wash going south. Many mesquites in wash.
>
>
>
>115.5 Enter mountains.
>
>
>
>118 Crest of pass. Soon enter sandwash downhill.
>
>
>
>124.3 "Y", Go left, east, slightly downhill for El Chinero on Hwy. 5 or go
>right, south, to Hwy. 3.
>
>
>
>130.5 Hwy 5 a few miles north of Hwy. 5/3 Junction.
====================================================
Here is a big thread with more: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=54381
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wessongroup
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21152
Registered: 8-9-2009
Location: Mission Viejo
Member Is Offline
Mood: Suicide Hot line ... please hold
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Thanks Ken for all the work for putting up the 2005 run... WOW .. what a turn out... 
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8923
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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| Quote: | Originally posted by wessongroup
Thanks Ken for all the work for putting up the 2005 run... WOW .. what a turn out... |
The runs would simply grow exponentially in size back in these boom years. For example, I was courted by a famous "Jamboree" company about one of my
Baja 4WD routes before the boom when bust.
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juanroberts
Junior Nomad
Posts: 62
Registered: 9-27-2005
Location: Piedmont, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Baja Born
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
The summit 'Portezuelo de Jamau' and the Pole Line Road (along Arroyo Jaquejel and across Arroyo Grande) on Howard Gulick's 1962 map...
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A little bit of history:
In an interview for the Los Ancianos MC 50th anniversary, Tom Sarff who has been a member since 1960, said that Bill Steider, a co-founder of the
club, led a group of motorcycle riders and they had to approach the road on both sides to be able to put it together. I think the book's earlier
edition did not have it connecting, and after this intel, the following edition did indeed show it as a passable trail.
Here I am paraphrasing the interview:
...Bill had asked one of the authors if there was something they could do to help. At the time the authors could not find a way to hook up a trail
over the mountains. Bill tried it from West the first time, and they ran into a dry river bed and waterfall area and could not go further. Next time
Bill tried from La Ventana. They were on the old telegraph line from San Felipe to Ensenada from during the war. They followed the stumps of
telephone poles. Finally they found their own tracks on the wash from the previous trip and tied it all together. Bill then wrote and described it to
the authors. Next edition of the book came out and showed it as a complete trail but did not mention Los Ancianos...
This story was mentioned in the context of how the club was into doing adventure/discovery rides, but unfortunately this portion of the interview did
not make the final cut for what turned out to be the club's 50-year history video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7l0DzcQB8k
[Edited on 12-22-2011 by juanroberts]
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MICK
Nomad
Posts: 499
Registered: 11-12-2003
Location: Rio Hardy
Member Is Offline
Mood: livin the good life on the river
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We had a great time. I keep wanting to go back just never seems to work out. Maybe someday
Mick
Getting there is ALL the fun!
Ok being here is fun to
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64615
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
Member Is Offline
Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by juanroberts
| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
The summit 'Portezuelo de Jamau' and the Pole Line Road (along Arroyo Jaquejel and across Arroyo Grande) on Howard Gulick's 1962 map...
|
A little bit of history:
In an interview for the Los Ancianos MC 50th anniversary, Tom Sarff who has been a member since 1960, said that Bill Steider, a co-founder of the
club, led a group of motorcycle riders and they had to approach the road on both sides to be able to put it together. I think the book's earlier
edition did not have it connecting, and after this intel, the following edition did indeed show it as a passable trail.
Here I am paraphrasing the interview:
...Bill had asked one of the authors if there was something they could do to help. At the time the authors could not find a way to hook up a trail
over the mountains. Bill tried it from West the first time, and they ran into a dry river bed and waterfall area and could not go further. Next time
Bill tried from La Ventana. They were on the old telegraph line from San Felipe to Ensenada from during the war. They followed the stumps of
telephone poles. Finally they found their own tracks on the wash from the previous trip and tied it all together. Bill then wrote and described it to
the authors. Next edition of the book came out and showed it as a complete trail but did not mention Los Ancianos...
This story was mentioned in the context of how the club was into doing adventure/discovery rides, but unfortunately this portion of the interview did
not make the final cut for what turned out to be the club's 50-year history video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_7l0DzcQB8k
[Edited on 12-22-2011 by juanroberts] |
Very interesting! Anything more?
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Neal Johns
Super Nomad
Posts: 1687
Registered: 10-31-2002
Location: Lytle Creek, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: In love!
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Ken, I have created a Monster!  Good job! Neal
My motto:
Never let a Dragon pass by without pulling its tail!
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Pacifico
Super Nomad
Posts: 1299
Registered: 5-26-2008
Member Is Offline
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Great pics Ken! Looks like fun....
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Ken Cooke
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8923
Registered: 2-9-2004
Location: Riverside, CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: Its Pole Line Road time
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| Quote: | Originally posted by MICK
We had a great time. I keep wanting to go back just never seems to work out. Maybe someday
Mick |
It will be great to visit with you if the time arises that you can do this trip with us sometime. I want to get new tires for my next run along the
Pole Line Road. Mine are almost bald and did not provide the kind of traction this trail demanded.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64615
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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I sure wish we could find any documents on the building of the Pole Line Road in 1942... So far, just the radar stations in runways we built in Baja
back then...
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
Member Is Offline
Mood: optimistic
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Neal Johns
Ken, I have created a Monster! Good job! Neal |
True, but a happy, challenging, and alluring "monster", and that is the best kind.
I am just sad that I never actually took this trip, and now it appears that it is so rough that I probably never will. (sigh) I certainly have been
all around that area, tho. 
But, thanks to all you guys I have done it vicariously!!!
"Good Job" all you pioneers!!!
Barry
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