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astrobaja
Senior Nomad
Posts: 952
Registered: 5-22-2006
Location: near San Pedro Martir Park
Member Is Offline
Mood: beam me up
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The final straw
Hi all,
A few weeks back a guy e-mailed us from El Centro saying that a group of cars/jeeps from a 4X4 club was coming through the sierra. This was the same
guy who last year dug up our gate towards Mikes. That time we said ok we'll let you through but no more try to find another way around.
Since then our north gate had been re-inforced pretty well. But it seems a bunch of them spent a few hours cutting a bunch of brush and went around
we have another gate at our house here so they got here (a mix of Mexicans from Mexicali and Mexican-Americans from El Centro) A few of them were
pretty abusive verbally saying we could not own property in Mexico blah blah blah, we kept our distance as some were obviously drunk and beligerent.
We called the 67th battalion, they said they would sent a hummer but nobody ever showed. We told the park what was happpening on the radio, they took
all the plate info when these bozos arrived. So yeah they proceeded to break more vegetation right in front of us and passed by. The front gate was
open since I radioed the condor folk and they drove down to unlock it so that the tour would not damage it.
Later that night 2 stragglers tried to go by but we were pretty furious at that point so my "very loud" warning started them to turn back but my Wife
(in her bathrobe) took a shovel to the back window of one of the jeeps. In retrospect not a good action but it was the final straw.
So I'm getting a bulldozer in here soon to totally close the road, permanently!! Enough is enough!! Too bad it came to this, we were probably way too
accomodating from the getgo.
This whole thing could be fixed if that way from Mikes through to Coyote were re-opened. I e-mailed Sal Fish to see if SCORE had any plans to fix
that road for future Baja Milles. I also e-mailed that tour leader from El Centro and told him if they got together with a bunch of other groups and
each pitched in say $500 then we would pony in $1500 to get work started. If any of you Nomads know other tour operators that possibly would also be
willing to pony in to keep the region open for off-roading that would be great. But bottom line is our road will be closed soon so we had better start
working together for a solution. I'm getting pushed into a corner here, this is where we live, for them its a "hobby"
[Edited on 2-6-2012 by astrobaja]
\"There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear
and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.There is another theory which states that this has already happened\"
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wessongroup
Platinum Nomad
Posts: 21152
Registered: 8-9-2009
Location: Mission Viejo
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Mood: Suicide Hot line ... please hold
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Thanks Astro ... a good one to start the day with... 
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goldhuntress
Senior Nomad
Posts: 663
Registered: 1-28-2010
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A bad combo, arrogance and ignorance. Add a little alcohol and it's downright scary! Sorry that happened to you. Beautiful place you have.
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astrobaja
Senior Nomad
Posts: 952
Registered: 5-22-2006
Location: near San Pedro Martir Park
Member Is Offline
Mood: beam me up
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Goldhuntress:
Yeah I know, it was a nasty encounter! But you could tell a bunch were just being swept along by the majority. I think more than a few knew what they
were doing was wrong (and illegal) but the blowhards led the way.
I could go ahead and files denuncias but am skeptical if anything would come of it, maybe at most a fine to pay next time they registered their
vehicle.
I hope they will agree to try to raise money to fix the alternate route. Like I said we will agree to chip in.
\"There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear
and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.There is another theory which states that this has already happened\"
Douglas Adams
our website: http://bajadarkskies.com |
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Skipjack Joe
Elite Nomad
Posts: 8084
Registered: 7-12-2004
Location: Bahia Asuncion
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hooligans!
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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Sorry Mike on what happened. I just don't understand why some people have to be such jerks and ruin a good thing for the rest of us. If I can help in
any way I will, let me know. I'll chip in for the cost on getting the road to Coyote open.
I'm wonder how bad the road to Coyote is. Last I heard there was a small section near Coyote that was the problem.
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Oddjob
Banned
Posts: 330
Registered: 7-30-2011
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Are you even allowed to close the road through your property? It was used for decades by lots of travellers and it is shown on maps, and it's the only
reasonable way to get a four wheel vehicle to the observatory road from Mike's. The road to Coyote is in bad shape and at this time only suited for
dirtbikes. It will take a lot of money and time if it will ever get repaired. You need to be careful up where you live. Mexicans trying to get through
and being told to go back to Mike's may resent a foreigner trying to keep them off a road that has always been open.
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TMW
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Actually where he is closing the road to his property is 6 miles from Mike's Sky Rancho and was for years posted as no trespassing. I think SCORE got
an OK for a few races before Mike got the property or started developing it. Also the turn off for his place is from a road that goes west also to El
Coyote. It part of a loop from Mike's Sky Rancho back to it and there are two cross over sections. Here is a not to scale map of the area. The turn
off to Astrobaja's place is the lower right for La Concepcion. When I did the map his place was posted as R, La Jolla.
[Edited on 2-6-2012 by TW]
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rts551
Elite Nomad
Posts: 6699
Registered: 9-5-2003
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Sorry to hear this. If you were going to let them through, I don't understand why all the damage?
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Oddjob
Banned
Posts: 330
Registered: 7-30-2011
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The road from your point #2 to #5 at Rancho Coyote is really gnarly and you aren't taking any 4 wheeled car or truck through there. Going from Mike's
the other way to Coyote past the Simpson turnoff is a pretty tough road too since all of the rain the last few years. Lots of deep ruts and washed out
sections. I understand astrobaja's frustration with the situation, but I'm just saying that it won't go over too well with some.
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Roberto
Banned
Posts: 2162
Registered: 9-5-2003
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I did that southern loop the last time in 2007-2008 I believe it was. The folks at Coyote told me already then that they weren't sure I would get
through, as there had been some heavy rains and the road had been closed for a while. Well, I DID make it through, with minor trouble. Since then
there have been more rains and damage and no work as far as I have been told. I have no doubt the road is in terrible shape. Astro, what do you think
it would cost to open it? I'm thinking it's gotta be in the $7,000 dollar range.
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astrobaja
Senior Nomad
Posts: 952
Registered: 5-22-2006
Location: near San Pedro Martir Park
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Mood: beam me up
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Roberto hard to say, it took a dozer a week to fix our road after the huge El Nino storm, it cost us $5000 to get back into "good" shape. Here it
might be that a dozer could just touch up along the way to the worst part near Coyote. Maybe 7-10 grand. We're willing to maybe go up to 1500-2000.
But since lots of clubs use the roads $500 a club it could add up quickly. The northern loop is way longer so probably better to concentrate on the
southern loop. I've got feelers out to SCORE and the clubs to see if we can work together on this.
TW --thanks for posting the map and the generous offer to help out monetarily.
rts551: I DID tell him no, please explore alternate routes, I even supplied him with TW's map but they are too lazy to go explore, a lot of the clubs
it just seems a big excuse to get totally drunk!
\"There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear
and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.There is another theory which states that this has already happened\"
Douglas Adams
our website: http://bajadarkskies.com |
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astrobaja
Senior Nomad
Posts: 952
Registered: 5-22-2006
Location: near San Pedro Martir Park
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Mood: beam me up
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Oh yeah I wanted to add Aida did have a gate and a sign that said no trespassing in both idiomas. Duane too tried to keep traffic out.
Right now legally the road from the Mikes turnoff and the observatory road is only a camino vecinal for us and Soren Meling (who obviously we gave
keys to for the front gate). I asked the park director and the military and they all confirmed this.
\"There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear
and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.There is another theory which states that this has already happened\"
Douglas Adams
our website: http://bajadarkskies.com |
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Oddjob
Banned
Posts: 330
Registered: 7-30-2011
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Unless one or both of the roads that go towards El Coyote are repaired, the road thru astrobaja's property is the only way to the observatory road
from Mike's.
There will be problems with the gates until there is another way to get thru, and if it's the wrong person they will bust up your gates and use the
road anyway.
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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I thought Mike's Sky Ranch owned a bull dozer for clearing the road.
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Oddjob
Banned
Posts: 330
Registered: 7-30-2011
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| Quote: | Originally posted by TW
I thought Mike's Sky Ranch owned a bull dozer for clearing the road. |
The Thousand is going to La Paz in November so if Score wants to go that way they will have to do something to the road. Or maybe they will ask
astrobaja for permission to use his road.
Does that bulldozer at Mike's even run?
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surfer jim
Super Nomad
Posts: 1891
Registered: 8-29-2003
Location: high desert
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So here we go again...why just not leave the road OPEN and everyone just drives through and waves "Hi" to each other and goes about their
business.
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astrobaja
Senior Nomad
Posts: 952
Registered: 5-22-2006
Location: near San Pedro Martir Park
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Mood: beam me up
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So sorry to inconvenience you Jim, but we LIVE here, 100% of the time. We don't want growers coming through and deal with all the trash and pulling
drunk Mexican off roaders out of the ditch cause they can hardly see.
And when we go away anybody can just drive up and steal what they want?
Tell you what why not leave your front and back door unlocked at your house and I'll tell people to come and go as they please, you trust them don't
you?
From what I'm told theres other roads in the Sierra Juarez that are being closed too, just a fact of a changing world!
\"There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear
and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.There is another theory which states that this has already happened\"
Douglas Adams
our website: http://bajadarkskies.com |
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 18380
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
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Mood: Hot n spicy
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the easiest way to block road is to find narrow points where offroad detour is not possible -- then use backhoe to dig trenches and position boulders.
this way you can reopen road by repairing only one section, and topography will prevent people from forging detour path around road block.
check with military and neighbors first, they may be annoyed at you if they rely on road. out of towners have no say in the matter, so no need to
check with them.
good luck!
p.s. another solution is to move gate to a narrow point where people cannot cut detour path. or import large boulders to gate location so potential
offroad detours around gate can be blocked with immovable rocks.
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astrobaja
Senior Nomad
Posts: 952
Registered: 5-22-2006
Location: near San Pedro Martir Park
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Mood: beam me up
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Heard back from Sal Fish (thanks Tom!) He correctly suggested 1st to ask Mike Leon if they have any plans for the road and to ask the coyote Melings
if its ok with them. I imagine they would stand to increase their business a bit. Probably best SCORE ask the 2 parties involved.
If this can go forward maybe we can just fortify the back gate a bit more so nobody can go around and leave it at that. Since the bad storm we have
seen a 3 fold increase in off road traffic.
\"There is a theory which states that if ever anyone discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear
and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable.There is another theory which states that this has already happened\"
Douglas Adams
our website: http://bajadarkskies.com |
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