BajaNomad
Not logged in [Login - Register]

Go To Bottom
Printable Version  
Author: Subject: trip report
john
Junior Nomad
*




Posts: 73
Registered: 10-14-2004
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 1-4-2005 at 11:33 PM
trip report


After reading the poleline adventure here on the forum, I decided to give it a shot myself. My 13 year old son a friend of his and my wife and I headed out 6 am. Friday morning. We were driving 2 jeep cherokee XJs both well equiped for long range off road travel. We crossed the border at 11 am. gassed up and hit the trail to Canyon Guadalupe. We drove up to the springs in Guadalupe cyn. just see what they looked like. We had never been there before. We found a little side trail below the springs and found a nice spot to camp in the rocks. This was about 4:30 pm. we woke up to a sunny day and we were back on the trail by 9am Sat. morning. We followed a small trail that stayed close to the rocks along the mountain range and saw a group of big horn sheep on the rocks not more than 50 yards away. We stopped for lunch just below Agua Caliante. After lunch we decided to drive up the summit trail to get a birds eye veiw. From there it was easy to see the trail leading south. We reached the wash right before "basketball hill". I can see why it took awile to find the trail again. it had rained pretty good a few days earlier so most of the tracks from the trip a week or so ago were washed away, but if you looked hard enough you could find some. We went up basketball hill without any problems and reached Eminido cyn. by 4:30 pm. where we camped for the night. Sunday was another sunny day we did some hiking in the cyn. in the morning. We were on the trail by 10:30 am. This last section of the trail comming down the mountain is the most technical. We reached the intersection that you can use to go north or south and decided to try the southern route. The previous group took the north route. The first wash you come to, the road leading out of the was is completly washed out. We traveled down the wash for a while and found another bypass trail leading out of the wash. The one jeep with lockers had no problem my other jeep without lockers needed a little help. We continued to Arroyo Grande and could not find the road on the other side of the wash so we drove down Arroyo Grande which is part of the race course and came out at a ranch. Here we turned right and took this road to La Ventana. On hwy. 5. we drove to San Felipe and gassed up. It was now getting dark, but we still wanted to try to find Canyon Diablo across Valle Chico. We found the road leading west. We set our GPS for an intersection near the canyon across the dry lake bed. As we were flying across the dry lake bed we noticed a set of head lights coming at us at high speed from the north. Sure enough it was the Mexican Army in their Hummer. They stopped us, asked us a few questions, slightly searched our vehicles but overall were quite friendly. They clearly thought we were crazy for being out there at night. By 8pm we found a camp spot next to canyon Diablo. Had a little dinner and turned in for the night after a long day. Wouldn't you know the night I decided not to put the rain tarp over the tent, it started to rain at 2am. I had to get up and cover the tent. It rained through about 7 am. We hiked up the canyon for a ways before heading out. Our hike was cut short because I knew the rain was going to have a negative effect on this dry lake bed. Sure enough I was right. The dry lake bed was now a wet slippery muddy lake bed with a lot of water holes. It was all we could do to keep the vehicles moving in as straight a direction as we possibly could. We finally made it across with about 50 pounds of mud on each vehicle. We found our way back to San Felipe. Had to have fish tacos for lunch before heading back across the border. I would like to thank Neal John for taking the time out to call me back on my cell phone and give me some last minute tips. Thanks Neal
View user's profile
Neal Johns
Super Nomad
****


Avatar


Posts: 1687
Registered: 10-31-2002
Location: Lytle Creek, CA
Member Is Offline

Mood: In love!

[*] posted on 1-5-2005 at 12:15 AM


Great job, John. You must have been doing this sort of thing for a while. Do you have any pictures to post?:yes:



My motto:
Never let a Dragon pass by without pulling its tail!
View user's profile Visit user's homepage
bajaandy
Senior Nomad
***




Posts: 769
Registered: 2-7-2004
Location: North County
Member Is Offline

Mood: Adventurous

[*] posted on 1-5-2005 at 08:20 AM


[Wouldn't you know the night I decided not to put the rain tarp over the tent, it started to rain at 2am. I had to get up and cover the tent.]

HA! I swear that is good 'ol Murphy and his twisted law. Happens to me every time. (Usually in the Sierra's)

Nice trip report. Sounds like you had a good time with the family. My 13 year old son decided not to go with me on my last trip. When I got back and told him about the trip and showed the photos, he was regretting it. Swears he's gonna go next time.

Thanks for the report.

[Edited on 1-5-2005 by bajaandy]

[Edited on 1-5-2005 by bajaandy]

[Edited on 1-5-2005 by bajaandy]




subvert the dominant paradigm

"If you travel with a man, you must either fall out with him or make him your good friend."
JBL Noel
View user's profile
john
Junior Nomad
*




Posts: 73
Registered: 10-14-2004
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 1-5-2005 at 06:22 PM


thanks Grover for the editing. much easier to read. I am going to try and post some pics. tonight
View user's profile

  Go To Top

 






All Content Copyright 1997- Q87 International; All Rights Reserved.
Powered by XMB; XMB Forum Software © 2001-2014 The XMB Group






"If it were lush and rich, one could understand the pull, but it is fierce and hostile and sullen. The stone mountains pile up to the sky and there is little fresh water. But we know we must go back if we live, and we don't know why." - Steinbeck, Log from the Sea of Cortez

 

"People don't care how much you know, until they know how much you care." - Theodore Roosevelt

 

"You can easily judge the character of others by how they treat those who they think can do nothing for them or to them." - Malcolm Forbes

 

"Let others lead small lives, but not you. Let others argue over small things, but not you. Let others cry over small hurts, but not you. Let others leave their future in someone else's hands, but not you." - Jim Rohn

 

"The best way to get the right answer on the internet is not to ask a question; it's to post the wrong answer." - Cunningham's Law







Thank you to Baja Bound Mexico Insurance Services for your long-term support of the BajaNomad.com Forums site.







Emergency Baja Contacts Include:

Desert Hawks; El Rosario-based ambulance transport; Emergency #: (616) 103-0262