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Pappy Jon
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Baja Adventure 2014: Take 2, Pappy's Revenge
This was Take 2 of a trip I attempted in April. Due to a vehicle failure, that trip was aborted.
Players: Mike in his 1997 FZJ80 Landcruiser, and me in my 1985 4Runner.
We crossed on Monday, October 13th, and recrossed on Sunday, October 26. Both crossing were made in Algodones.
The mission of this trip was to explore three general areas. 1) Valle la Bocana. 2) San Miguel/Los Corrales (south of El Barril). 3) the south shore
of Bahia San Rafael.
We spent two nights in the desert at two locations, 7 nights beach camping along Bahia San Rafael (4 locations), and 2 nights staging from Pete's Camp
in San Felipe. Oh, and one night in Bahia de los Angeles.
[Edited on 10-27-2014 by Pappy Jon]
"The association of flowers and warm-blooded love is more than a romantic convention; it is based upon one of the great advances in the evolution
of life." Ed Abbey
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Pappy Jon
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Let's start with a few photo-spheres. Scroll left, right, up, down.
La Turquesa Canyon
Laguna Agua Amarga
Bahia San Rafael
Bahia San Rafael
Bahia San Rafael
Bahia San Rafael
"The association of flowers and warm-blooded love is more than a romantic convention; it is based upon one of the great advances in the evolution
of life." Ed Abbey
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woody with a view
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Location: Looking at the Coronado Islands
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that is very cool to say the least! glad you had a blast!
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Pappy Jon
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Valle la Bocana.
We started in from the north. Very quickly it was obvious that Hurricane Odile had her way with the area. The first wash we came to was blown out. We
were following tracks, clearly of somebody who knew where they were going. We made camp in the San Vicente wash. The next morning we picked up the
tracks south and following them for about 1/2 the way down. Most of the travel was navigation by imagination.
We made it to the big wash at San Pedro where there was no sign of tracks. We lost the trail east here. We poked around until I finally decided to
look on foot. I walked in the direction where I thought the trail was, and did find it. I communicated back to Mike to drive back and I would walk the
route backwards.
I instantly lost the trail in a wash, picked it up, lost it again, then connected with our tracks. The connection would have been rough, and we could
have done it. But because we didn't know the condition of the trail east we decided to retreat. We spent the night north of Poncho's.
[Edited on 10-27-2014 by Pappy Jon]
"The association of flowers and warm-blooded love is more than a romantic convention; it is based upon one of the great advances in the evolution
of life." Ed Abbey
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Pappy Jon
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San Miguel
Next up was an attempt to visit the stone corrals along the Gulf near the 28th parallel. I will say that Odile really tore this place up. It was a
mess. All the main roads in the area from Gonzaga Bay to Chapala, and from LA Bay to El Barril had been repaired, and some were well graded. We saw at
least three road crews grading and repairing the main roads. We even had a grader on the road south-west from El Barrill.
This road didn't get very far. There were a series of switchbacks that were blown out at the first switch. Somebody had made a bypass to one side, but
with our loaded rigs we decided not to try. Again, we didn't know the condition ahead. So we retreated.
[Edited on 10-27-2014 by Pappy Jon]
"The association of flowers and warm-blooded love is more than a romantic convention; it is based upon one of the great advances in the evolution
of life." Ed Abbey
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Pappy Jon
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Bahia San Rafael
We went back to El Barril, then a detour to San Francisquito, then up to the south end of Bahia San Rafael. We spent three nights there in two
different locations.
We made a stab at the lagoon at the south end of the bay. The road was rough, we managed to take a wrong turn in that cluster of mining roads ... then
made the mistake of stepping out of the trucks.
Oh, did I fail to mention that the bugs were insane? And I mean really crazy, viscous insane? Let's see, we had mosquitoes in the morning and evening.
We had no-see-um biters during the day. Then we had three flavors of mostly non-biting fly from dusk until dawn. Those little bobos suck folks. They
were in our ears, our noses, our eyes. And the last thing we wanted to do was camp near a freshly filled breeding pond.
So, using the excuse of the bugs, and the fact that Mike was getting low on fuel, we got the heck out of there. We ended up camping south of Poncho's.
"The association of flowers and warm-blooded love is more than a romantic convention; it is based upon one of the great advances in the evolution
of life." Ed Abbey
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Pappy Jon
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Google Earth Track
"The association of flowers and warm-blooded love is more than a romantic convention; it is based upon one of the great advances in the evolution
of life." Ed Abbey
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Pappy Jon
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There was a wash west of Bahia San Rafael, I think called La Palma. It was seriously blown out. When we first entered the wash from the south it was
scoured. As we went down the wash, north, the debris from up stream was piled down below. I made a video that shows the destruction.
YouTube Video
"The association of flowers and warm-blooded love is more than a romantic convention; it is based upon one of the great advances in the evolution
of life." Ed Abbey
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Bajaboy
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Registered: 10-9-2003
Location: Bahia Asuncion, BCS, Mexico
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Good stuff...we're headed down to see Pancho in a month. How is the road from BOLA? Did he mention anything he needs? The pics are awesome...crazy
how green it it.
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Pappy Jon
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Pics
Sunrise C. La Turquesa
 IMGP0281 by xylorhiza, on Flickr
Sunrise C. La Turquesa
 IMGP0295 by xylorhiza, on Flickr
 IMGP0262 by xylorhiza, on Flickr
Big garden spider
 IMGP0241 by xylorhiza, on Flickr
Senita and cinch weed
 IMGP0201 by xylorhiza, on Flickr
Bahia San Rafael
 IMGP0155 by xylorhiza, on Flickr
Bahia San Rafael
 IMGP0137 by xylorhiza, on Flickr
Bahia San Rafael
 IMGP0100 by xylorhiza, on Flickr
San Vicente Wash
 IMGP0049 by xylorhiza, on Flickr
Laguna Agua Amarga near Bahia de los Angeles
 PANO_20141023_081554 by xylorhiza, on Flickr
[Edited on 10-27-2014 by Pappy Jon]
"The association of flowers and warm-blooded love is more than a romantic convention; it is based upon one of the great advances in the evolution
of life." Ed Abbey
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David K
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Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Wow wow wow!!!
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TMW
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Location: Bakersfield, CA
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Wow is right, I've never seen water in Laguna Agua Amarga.
Excellent, thanks for the report.
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BooJumMan
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Location: San Diego
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Nice... my two favorite Toyotas ever made!  I've got a 1997 FZJ80 myself.
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AKgringo
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Thank you for posting these photos and Google track!
I spent a couple of days (not enough) on that stretch last week, and spent a night at Pancho's place.
I am not very good about taking photos and posting them, so thanks for providing a thread I can direct my non Baja traveling friends to.
For what it is worth, the camp at Punta San Francisquito did not seem to have much going on recovering from Odile, but the fish camp on the north end
of the runway was in good shape, and even has showers available!
The access from there parallel to the the runway is a better way to get to the beach camp and restaurant than driving down the wash that the homemade
sign will direct you to.
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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bacquito
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Very cool, thanks
bacquito
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Pappy Jon
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| Quote: | Originally posted by David K
Wow wow wow!!! |
FYI, we talked about a bypass around the dry lake. There is ... the narcos were using it when I was taking my panoramas out there. At least they
didn't look like campers to me (three pickups).
"The association of flowers and warm-blooded love is more than a romantic convention; it is based upon one of the great advances in the evolution
of life." Ed Abbey
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TeamDonde
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Wow, great pics. I am heading down to Cataviņa in December to go see the mission ruins and the oasis. Will add the Canyon Turquesa to the list! How
is the access to get in there? Any problem for a lifted 4 door F150? Have to hike in far?
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Pappy Jon
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Location: Wrong side of the Continental divide.
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Mood: Temp rising.
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| Quote: | Originally posted by TeamDonde
Wow, great pics. I am heading down to Cataviņa in December to go see the mission ruins and the oasis. Will add the Canyon Turquesa to the list! How
is the access to get in there? Any problem for a lifted 4 door F150? Have to hike in far? |
Good luck with Mission Santa Maria. Let us know how it is.
As far as La Turquesa, it will depend on rear overhang. I did it in 2WD-low. No problem, it's not hard. There are a few crossings that might catch
your bumper. Please don't play on the rocks when you get there.
"The association of flowers and warm-blooded love is more than a romantic convention; it is based upon one of the great advances in the evolution
of life." Ed Abbey
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TeamDonde
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Thanks for the heads up David. We'll leave the full size behind for that part of the trip. Going in with an stock FJ Cruiser and a Rubicon on 37's.
Should be good with those rigs. Will definitely post up a trip report when we return. Wish I could go now! Lets see what kind of weather we get
between now and then.
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Pappy Jon
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Location: Wrong side of the Continental divide.
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It was still deep in March 2011. That is a very lifted FZJ80 Landcruiser on 35" tires.
 IMGP5282 by xylorhiza, on Flickr
"The association of flowers and warm-blooded love is more than a romantic convention; it is based upon one of the great advances in the evolution
of life." Ed Abbey
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