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geoffff
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Name the canyons west of Laguna Salada?
Writing up my last trip into the Laguna Salada area, I wanted to properly name the canyons I visited. As with PaulW's in his recent posting about the canyons east side of San Pedro Martir, I thought I might now try to list all the canyons in the east side
of Sierra de Juarez and their names. Yes, I'm a bit of a nerd like that 
It turned out to be surprisingly difficult! Many of the sources conflict. I looked at Google Maps, Bruce Barber's Of Sea and Sand book, various old
articles in Desert Magazine, Rob Williams' Guadalupe Canyon Guidebook, INEGI, and the Baja Almanac. (Desert Magazine doesn't really count, as they
have hand-drawn maps.) These sources usually have the canyons listed named in the same north/south order, but their maps point out different canyons.
Here's what I've found so far:
(click to enlarge)
Cantú Palms - I presume what I have labeled in green is correct, as that's where I went. The others are close, except of Sea and
Sand.
Cañon el Tajo - The majority of sources agree, but not INEGI. Shouldn't INEGI be the ultimate authority?
Vibora Canyon - This name only appears in the maps of the Guadalupe Guidebook, but its two maps disagree! Desert magazine calls it
"Petroglyph Canyon". I visited this and did find petroglyphs.
Cañon la Mora - Most sources show this as one of the canyons I hiked on my last trip, but Baja Almanac shows a different location.
And again the Guadalupe Guidebook maps show two different places.
El Palomar - I'm pretty sure Of Sea and Sand gets this wrong.
Does anyone have the definitive answers here? DavidK?
-- Geoff
[Edited on 3-31-2018 by geoffff]
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geoffff
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Here are some of my source maps. Click to open.
Of Sand and Sea (my annotations in orange), and Baja Almanac:
 
Desert Magazine: July 1950, June 1958, Jan 1967:
  
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PaulW
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Good job Geoffff, You are way ahead of my effort doing the same.
I trust INEGI, but it so time consuming that my updates for the south area have been neglected.
FYI, I have found I have to make INEGI prints of the area of study from the valley floor all the way to the ridge line. That usually involves two
images. Then I trace all the drainage's on the prints with a soft pencil all the way from the ridge line to the valley and try to find a label along
the way. Of course INEGI neglects to label many of the canyons or drainage paths so then I go to other references.
When I give up on finding a name I choose a landmark off the INEGI map and go with that. When choosing a name I try to avoid the local names that only
the locals use. Example: Azufre (a SCORE label)/ Parral (INEGI) /Crazy Horse (local) are all the same Arroyo.
In the south area I have the advantage of local inquiries that is not possible up north. Then I get the multiple names and some input is good. Of
Course down south I have the ability to drive to most of them.
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David K
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What a super-great job, Geoff!
INEGI is wrong a lot with place names... often switching with a nearby arroyo (El Volcán & Zamora, for example). Some government mapper is Mexico
City are maybe to blame?
Baja Almanac uses the INEGI maps, so the same mistakes are duplicated except where Landon has changed them.
Bruce Barber has a ton of passion but he was not always careful when labeling or adding roads onto the maps he used, but overall the best since John
Robinson (Camping and Climbing in Baja).
Here is John's Map from 1967:
Close up:
[Edited on 3-31-2018 by David K]
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geoffff
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Thanks, David, for the maps from John Robinson's Camping and Climbing in Baja. I actually ordered my own copy a few days ago, but I got impatient
waiting for it.
Here is my updated map incorporating Camping and Climbing. I'm not sure if the picture is any clearer now Robinson's a hand-drawn map so I shounldn't take it too literally.
Torrentes - Robinson seems to place it directly below Cantu Palmes, where INEGI has Agua Grande (?)
Tajo - Everyone except INEGI and Of Sea and Sand agree with Robinson here.
Mora - Placed at the southern option that matches Baja Almanac.
-- Geoff
[Edit: I crossed off some of the likely errors, which includes most of Of Sea and Sand.]
[Edited on 3-31-2018 by geoffff]
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David K
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Super!
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Maderita
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Geoff, As to the location of Tajo, the old topographic map had labeled the wrong canyon. The upper (northern-most arrow that you drew) is the correct
location. The arrow tip intersects with a horizontal grid line on your map. The upper canyon has two main forks. El Gran Trono Blanco, at the top of
the escarpment, is between the two, above the approximate center of the canyon. The 1600' granite face is a prominent feature from Laguna Salada. Tajo
is the biggest of the eastside canyons.
Easily recognizable on maps/aerial views, the arc of granite crags above Tajo (approx 300' high) extends westward onto the plateau. That granitic arc
is on the eastern edge of the El Topo Pluton, an interesting geologic feature. Not apparent from the ground level, I was the one to inform the owner
of Rancho El Topo about his pluton! ja ja
I see that you have Canyon Alamar on your second map. Yes, it is between La Mora and Palomar. I've explored the upper reaches on horseback. My vaquero
friends have descended and ascended the canyon on horseback, with difficulty. I can't verify that the arrow is on the exact canyon. that would
require some time studying topos and Google Earth.
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geoffff
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I came across this interesting pair of 1963 articles by Roger K. Mitchell in Four Wheeler magazine, where he explores these canyons between Sierra
Juarez and Laguna Salada in a WWII weapons carrier truck and a WC-53 Carry-All.
He fittingly says,
| Quote: |
One of the frustrating aspects of traveling in Baja California is that it is often impossible to pin down places with names. This is especially true
with mountains and canyons.
A certain mountain or canyon may have two or three different names depending upon with whom you are talking or what maps you happen to have in your
hand at the time. We found ourselves in such a position. This could be Canyon La Mora, but on the other hand, we had passed several smaller canyons so
this could be Canyon Alamar, or perhaps “un canyon sin nobre” — a nameless canyon." |
Hah! So true!
Locations include: La Rumorosa, Canyon de las Palmas Azules, Cantu Palms, Tajo Canyon, Carrizo, Guadalupe Canyon, Pozo Cenizo, Palomar, Santa Isabel,
Agua Caliente / La Palmita, the Pole Line Road, and the Jamau climb up into Sierra Jaurez. Here is his map:
And some teaser photos.
Here are the full articles:
19631000--Four-Wheeler--Bajas-Sierra-Juarez-Canyons--by-Roger-K-Mitchell.pdf
19631100--Four-Wheeler--Exploring-the-Canyons-of-the-Sierra-Juarez--Part-2--by-Roger-K-Mitchell.pdf
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Tioloco
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Very interesting thread, thank you
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David K
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Thank you, Geoff!
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PaulW
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Thanks for opening the link
I need to update my lists.
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PaulW
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Thanks for opening the link
I need to update my lists.
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geoffff
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This is what I have so far. Any mistakes? There are still some unnamed canyons.
(As always, click my image to expand.)
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David K
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Great and uncluttered map! I will add it to my VivaBaja.com maps page once you feel it is ready.
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PaulW
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* Is it possible to compare names I published to your list? My list also has many references.
* I have diligently published then coords of all the canyons I visited, Can you do the same?
* And yes INEGI should be the primary source if properly validated for their many mistakes. They often put the label in the wrong place, but one can
still use the name by following the drainage.
* As of now the Almanac still is a great source and you have ignored most of the canyons name of the Almanac.
=== =
Quote: Originally posted by geoffff  | Writing up my last trip into the Laguna Salada area, I wanted to properly name the canyons I visited. As with PaulW's in his recent posting about the canyons east side of San Pedro Martir, I thought I might now try to list all the canyons in the east side
of Sierra de Juarez and their names. Yes, I'm a bit of a nerd like that
It turned out to be surprisingly difficult! Many of the sources conflict. I looked at Google Maps, Bruce Barber's Of Sea and Sand book, various old
articles in Desert Magazine, Rob Williams' Guadalupe Canyon Guidebook, INEGI, and the Baja Almanac. (Desert Magazine doesn't really count, as they
have hand-drawn maps.) These sources usually have the canyons listed named in the same north/south order, but their maps point out different canyons.
Here's what I've found so far:
Cantú Palms - I presume what I have labeled in green is correct, as that's where I went. The others are close, except of Sea and
Sand.
Cañon el Tajo - The majority of sources agree, but not INEGI. Shouldn't INEGI be the ultimate authority?
Vibora Canyon - This name only appears in the maps of the Guadalupe Guidebook, but its two maps disagree! Desert magazine calls it
"Petroglyph Canyon". I visited this and did find petroglyphs.
Cañon la Mora - Most sources show this as one of the canyons I hiked on my last trip, but Baja Almanac shows a different location.
And again the Guadalupe Guidebook maps show two different places.
El Palomar - I'm pretty sure Of Sea and Sand gets this wrong.
Does anyone have the definitive answers here? DavidK?
-- Geoff
[Edited on 3-31-2018 by geoffff] |
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geoffff
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Hi Paul, I think my names do match Baja Almanac pretty well! The only conflicts I can find are:
• I list "Agua Grande" and Baja Almanac lists "Cantu Las Palmas"
• the Palomar canyon is called "Escondido" in the Almanac
(click to enlarge)
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geoffff
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Here are my canyon locations in Google Earth: Laguna-Salada--canyons--2024.kml
| Code: | Name Lat Lon Notes
Cantu Palms 32.3497 -115.8325
Agua Grande 32.3334 -115.8540 Baja Almanac calls this "Cantu Las Palmas"
Tanques (Torrentes) 32.2998 -115.8548
Tajo 32.2629 -115.8578
? 32.2476 -115.8505
? 32.2148 -115.8121
El Carrizo 32.1994 -115.8185
Guadalupe 32.1501 -115.7924
Vibora 32.1245 -115.7821
? 32.0904 -115.7501
? 32.0717 -115.7256
Mora 32.0276 -115.7481
Alamar 31.9940 -115.7333
Palomar 31.9363 -115.7631 Baja Almanac calls the upper end Escondido
Enmedio 31.9023 -115.7275
Santa Isabel 31.8845 -115.7314
Genoveva 31.8699 -115.7328
Palmar 31.8626 -115.7127
El Mano 31.8095 -115.6728
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[Edited on 10-4-2024 by geoffff]
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Maderita
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geoffff,
Your work on this is appreciated. Good job
I can verify with 100% certainty that your coordinates, 32.2629 -115.8578 are in Cañón del Tajo. Many maps, including older INEGI topographical maps
misplaced the largest of these canyons!
100% certain that you have identified Carrizo correctly. Your marker at 32.1994 -115.8185 is a few hundred yards NNE of the magic spot.
Trailhead/end of 4x4 road parking is at 32.198303 -115.801283
I'm not certain about Cañón Alamar. I can ask a rancher friend who has ridden horseback from the desert to Rancho Alamar on the plateau. I'm
wondering if Cañón Alamar may be the next canyon to the north of your marker? It's a jumble of twisty 4x4 roads on the plateau. I was just there
last month on horseback and by 4x4 van. From Rancho Alamar to Rancho Agua Fria at (32.028012 -115.800666) and 1.75 air miles beyond to the ESE. If
Tito Dukes' corrals are at the mouth of Cañón Alamar, then you have marked it correctly.
Advisory to desert canyon visitors: Any canyon, except Guadalupe, with year-round water should be presumed to have illicit marihuana growing.
Vehicles were torched at the trailhead for Carrizo. I stopped going there in the mid 1990s due to the clear warnings. Growing starts around March,
with preparation & bringing supplies in February. Harvest is in the fall months. If there is a safer season to visit, December and January may be
best. Fortunately, the colder months are good for hiking.
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geoffff
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| Quote: Originally posted by Maderita |
I'm not certain about Cañón Alamar. I can ask a rancher friend who has ridden horseback from the desert to Rancho Alamar on the plateau.
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Thanks! Asking locals seems like the best info !!
I will post my proposed locations plotted on INEGI topo maps later when I have time.
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geoffff
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| Quote: Originally posted by Maderita |
Advisory to desert canyon visitors: Any canyon, except Guadalupe, with year-round water should be presumed to have illicit marihuana growing.
Vehicles were torched at the trailhead for Carrizo. I stopped going there in the mid 1990s due to the clear warnings. Growing starts around March,
with preparation & bringing supplies in February. Harvest is in the fall months. If there is a safer season to visit, December and January may be
best. Fortunately, the colder months are good for hiking.
|
Thanks for the warning! I posted an experience with the canyon you mention a number of years ago, and then was convinced (for seemingly valid reasons)
to remove my post. Exciting story... But the short of it is, I saw them before they saw me. (I have photos.) And my vehicle wasn't torched.
I've been up a few of the other canyons, and have never had any issues in those places.
I was hoping that with the legalization of marijuana, these issues would go away.... (?)
[Edited on 10-5-2024 by geoffff]
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