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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64757
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Wayno shares pics of Coco, Gonzaga Pavement, etc.
Just received photos from Wayno of BB Bait in Blythe...
Vados south of San Felipe being filled in (not all, yet... so keep your speed down until Puertecitos)!
New bridge just north of Papa Fernandez' turnoff.
End of Pavement, south side of new bridge... No new work south of here, road getting very rough from lack of grading.
Military Checkpoint south of Papa Fernandez' road.
Rancho Grande Bar
Coco
Coco's Quad
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
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Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
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basically identical to how we found it 2 weeks ago. from just before Coco's to H1 it is getting bumpy. from the Pemex south about 10 miles it is
mostly 35-40mph.
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BajaNomad
Super Administrator
Posts: 4994
Registered: 8-1-2002
Location: San Diego, CA
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| Quote: | Originally posted by woody with a view
from just before Coco's to H1 it is getting bumpy. |
I was copied on the emails. He noted that he felt they hadn't graded the road between Coco's and H1 for quite some time.
When I was young, I admired clever people. Now that I am old, I admire kind people.
– Rabbi Abraham Joshua Heschel
We know we must go back if we live, and we don`t know why.
– John Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez
Affordable Domain Name Registration/Management & cPanel Web Hosting:
https://www.regionalinternet.com |
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bajacalifornian
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Posts: 1117
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Location: Loreto/Lopez Mateos/Rosarito
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Nice post. Nomad style . . .
American by birth, Mexican by choice.
Signature addendum: Danish physicist — Niels Bohr — who said, “The opposite of one profound truth may very well be another profound truth.
Jeff Petersen
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cocoscabana
Junior Nomad
Posts: 83
Registered: 6-24-2013
Location: Mulege and British Columbia
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Mood: Que sera, sera!!!
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We travel to Mulege every october, and are interested in travelling thru Gonzaga to Lake Chapala this year (we always go Mex1). Picture #4 shows a
fairly level surface with rocks. How much worse than this does it get? Chevy dually, 4x4 with 11ft camper (fully loaded by the wife). We are
familiar with Baja side roads, as we take an annual trip from San Ignacio thru El Datil down pacific coast to San Juanico. How does this compare
to the Gonzaga road, in regard to the road surface?
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
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Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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Without a culvert that vado will last about 5 minutes during the first storm
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
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Mood: optimistic
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| Quote: | Originally posted by bajaguy
Without a culvert that vado will last about 5 minutes during the first storm |
In my experience, if they built those "Texas crossings" (no culvert) correctly, they would last indefinitely and they would save the price (and
maintenance) of a "culvert". But "texas crossings" are not often for "high-speed" roads, which none of us expect in Baja anyway------right??? 
If you remember, or have travelled the Imperial County section of Highway 78 between Ocotillo Wells and Highway 86 (southwest of the Salton Sea) you
might have noticed that it has a half-dozen + "Texas Crossings" (no culverts) and they have lasted for years with minimal repair and much
over-flooding, and the road is fairly 'high-speed'. There are examples of these 'texas crossings' all over the Mojave Desert and the Southwest USA
deserts. Culverts, unless they are huge, are a real pain in the A-- to maintain in the desert, and they almost always plug-up and overflow in
flash-flood conditions, often ruining the road bed above them.
Just my 2-cents.
Barry
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64757
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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| Quote: | Originally posted by cocoscabana
We travel to Mulege every october, and are interested in travelling thru Gonzaga to Lake Chapala this year (we always go Mex1). Picture #4 shows a
fairly level surface with rocks. How much worse than this does it get? Chevy dually, 4x4 with 11ft camper (fully loaded by the wife). We are
familiar with Baja side roads, as we take an annual trip from San Ignacio thru El Datil down pacific coast to San Juanico. How does this compare
to the Gonzaga road, in regard to the road surface? |
It is a 2wd graded dirt road. 38 miles from the pavement to Chapala. Washboard surface to rough rocky surface so slow driving. Any car except low
sportscars can get through. I would suggest no motorhomes or trailers until it is regraded or paved.
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bajaguy
Elite Nomad
Posts: 9247
Registered: 9-16-2003
Location: Carson City, NV/Ensenada - Baja Country Club
Member Is Offline
Mood: must be 5 O'clock somewhere in Baja
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Barry A.
In my experience, if they built those "Texas crossings" (no culvert) correctly, they would last indefinitely and they would save the price (and
maintenance) of a "culvert". But "texas crossings" are not often for "high-speed" roads, which none of us expect in Baja anyway------right??? Barry |
Yup, no doubt they built those vados correctly.......just like the one immediately south of Cataviña.
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15939
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
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Mood: Everchangin'
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
| Quote: | Originally posted by cocoscabana
We travel to Mulege every october, and are interested in travelling thru Gonzaga to Lake Chapala this year (we always go Mex1). Picture #4 shows a
fairly level surface with rocks. How much worse than this does it get? Chevy dually, 4x4 with 11ft camper (fully loaded by the wife). We are
familiar with Baja side roads, as we take an annual trip from San Ignacio thru El Datil down pacific coast to San Juanico. How does this compare
to the Gonzaga road, in regard to the road surface? |
It is a 2wd graded dirt road. 38 miles from the pavement to Chapala. Washboard surface to rough rocky surface so slow driving. Any car except low
sportscars can get through. I would suggest no motorhomes or trailers until it is regraded or paved. |
now that the master has spoken..... forget the drama. if you can make the salt flats to SJ then this road is a dream!
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Barry A.
Select Nomad
Posts: 10007
Registered: 11-30-2003
Location: Redding, Northern CA
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Mood: optimistic
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| Quote: | Originally posted by woody with a view
| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
| Quote: | Originally posted by cocoscabana
We travel to Mulege every october, and are interested in travelling thru Gonzaga to Lake Chapala this year (we always go Mex1). Picture #4 shows a
fairly level surface with rocks. How much worse than this does it get? Chevy dually, 4x4 with 11ft camper (fully loaded by the wife). We are
familiar with Baja side roads, as we take an annual trip from San Ignacio thru El Datil down pacific coast to San Juanico. How does this compare
to the Gonzaga road, in regard to the road surface? |
It is a 2wd graded dirt road. 38 miles from the pavement to Chapala. Washboard surface to rough rocky surface so slow driving. Any car except low
sportscars can get through. I would suggest no motorhomes or trailers until it is regraded or paved. |
now that the master has spoken..... forget the drama. if you can make the salt flats to SJ then this road is a dream! |
-------and "SJ" would be what???
----and if you mean by "master" one of the most Baja-educated individuals on the board, and the most helpful, then I heartily agree. 
------what "drama"??? 
---by the way, I have never personally met DavidK.
Barry
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64757
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Yah, Woody... what did I say in that post that isn't accurate or contained drama?
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15939
Registered: 11-8-2004
Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
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Mood: Everchangin'
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cocoscabanas said something to the effect "we travel thru Datil to SAN JUANICO" = SJ... sorry if it wasn't clearer than your vision.
the master said, " I would suggest no motorhomes or trailers until it is regraded or paved." perhaps i read something into his post where he
"SUGGESTS" a dually might want to heed his commands.
i know, i'm reading WAAAY too much into it.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64757
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Correct. If a motorhome or travel trailer uses that road as a shortcut, it won't be without a mess or breakage as it is not a smooth, saltflat road.
Better to plan on rough and find it smooth than the other way around, yes?
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cocoscabana
Junior Nomad
Posts: 83
Registered: 6-24-2013
Location: Mulege and British Columbia
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Mood: Que sera, sera!!!
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Appreciate the two points of view. When we travel San Ignacio/Datil/San Juanico it is not all salt flats. Having said that, we do not have the
Lance camper on when we do that trip. Do not wish to shake the camper to pieces, however. We have a air compressor, so would be able to air down
for the 40 miles.
Big decision. We will be coming down this year from Santa Fe, not California, so the shortcut is very tempting!
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mtgoat666
Select Nomad
Posts: 18145
Registered: 9-16-2006
Location: San Diego
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Barry A.
"Texas Crossings" (no culverts) and they have lasted for years with minimal repair and much over-flooding, and the road is fairly 'high-speed'. There
are examples of these 'texas crossings' all over the Mojave Desert and the Southwest USA deserts. Culverts, unless they are huge, are a real pain in
the A-- to maintain in the desert, and they almost always plug-up and overflow in flash-flood conditions, often ruining the road bed above them.
Just my 2-cents.
Barry |
"texas crossing?"
i have always called them "arizona crossings"
just my 4 cents!
p.s you can also call them a "concrete paved ford" and thereby avoid thinking about unpleasant places like arizona and texas 
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woody with a view
PITA Nomad
Posts: 15939
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Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
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it took us 1 1/2 hours in a loaded tundra. didn't air down. just go.....
edit: BTW, it is nothing like the middle or upper roads.
[Edited on 8-18-2013 by woody with a view]
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watizname
Senior Nomad
Posts: 772
Registered: 8-7-2009
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Or call them "fair weather crossings". Highway 101 has one just North of Ventura where the highway crosses the Ventura river. When the river really
gets going, and washes out the campground there, the water actually comes up over the highway and crosses it. Big long low spot, kinda hard to see,
but it's there. Seen it happen.
I yam what I yam and that\'s all what I yam.
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TMW
Select Nomad
Posts: 10659
Registered: 9-1-2003
Location: Bakersfield, CA
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| Quote: | Originally posted by cocoscabana
Appreciate the two points of view. When we travel San Ignacio/Datil/San Juanico it is not all salt flats. Having said that, we do not have the
Lance camper on when we do that trip. Do not wish to shake the camper to pieces, however. We have a air compressor, so would be able to air down
for the 40 miles.
Big decision. We will be coming down this year from Santa Fe, not California, so the shortcut is very tempting! |
If you decide to take this route just be careful as I'm sure you will be. Last Nov. I came upon a guy pulling a trailer and he buckled his trucks
frame rails and broke one of the trailers leaf spring shackles. Here is my trip report. I wound up pulling his trailer with my full size truck and I
just took it easy. He did not think the rough road did the damage but the dips before Puertecitos. He was not aware of the dips until too late going
too fast. Another thing to remember is there are several holes on the side of the road from Cocos to hwy 1, don't get too close. Watch for the 18
wheelers too. Trip report below.
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=64258
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DianaT
Select Nomad
Posts: 10020
Registered: 12-17-2004
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| Quote: | Originally posted by TW
Watch for the 18 wheelers too. |
Some of the trucks are REAL big.
Fortunately, the pilot truck stopped us and the other vehicle before we entered the narrow mountain part of the road. We had to wait quite a while as
they were REALLY slow, but we were really happy that we did not cross paths with them on the main highway. 
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