BajaNomad
Not logged in [Login - Register]

Go To Bottom
Printable Version  
 Pages:  1    3
Author: Subject: Agua Verde back door to San Jose de la Norria
colloquialoatmeal
Newbie





Posts: 12
Registered: 1-6-2020
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 12-9-2021 at 12:45 PM
Agua Verde back door to San Jose de la Norria


Hey all,

I posted about this back in early 2020, then went down in February to find that the road was still pretty wiped out. There was a section at approx km 14 that still had massive holes in it, just past the old rancher's gate.

However, while planning for a trip next March, I found this:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuPqK2y7CjE&t=96s

It would appear that most of those sections have been filled in somewhat...

Has anyone tried the route since this video came out last December?
View user's profile
4x4abc
Ultra Nomad
*****


Avatar


Posts: 4291
Registered: 4-24-2009
Location: La Paz, BCS
Member Is Offline

Mood: happy - always

[*] posted on 12-9-2021 at 12:53 PM


km14?
from where?
Constitucion?




Harald Pietschmann
View user's profile Visit user's homepage
100X
Nomad
**




Posts: 234
Registered: 11-3-2021
Member Is Offline

Mood: Thankful

[*] posted on 12-9-2021 at 08:14 PM


Did the Agua Verde backdoor today in my side by side, from Loreto to AV and back to Loreto via the loop to km 30/hwy 1 Harald recommends.

Km 14 I believe is a little way up the back door grade after the switchbacks (km markers start in the wash from AV and count down from 16 or so as you climb up and out).

Have never been on this road before so can not compare to previous conditions but is seems pretty good through the switchbacks, then there is an incline that has seen significant erosion damage. I believe this is the area c..o.. is talking about.

We made it up past the switchbacks and erosion section without issue, thinking we were pretty cool, when we came upon a Ford Ranger with its bed full of what looked like dark driftwood, stopped, adding water to his radiator. We stopped to see if we could help and were told all was good, just a little hot. It then hit us he was not going down, but had come up the grade ahead of us, full load of wood, marginal tires, and 2WD!

The rest of the trip went great and Harald's loop back to hwy 1 was very green and spectacular.

93F2DD27-DE7B-4374-BC32-357A54DB3918_1_201_a.jpeg - 221kB

[Edited on 12-10-2021 by 100X]




A life of fears leads to a death bed of regrets.

Find someone who will take care of you, and take care of them.
View user's profile
JZ
Select Nomad
*******


Avatar


Posts: 10699
Registered: 10-3-2003
Member Is Online


[*] posted on 12-9-2021 at 08:46 PM


Awesome to hear.

Was the loop-back the one shown on this map that comes out at Turn Off in the center, just West of San Rafael Uno?





[Edited on 12-10-2021 by JZ]




See Baja California in 4K: https://youtu.be/4VNTIhRa6q0

Ever wanted to camp on a deserted island in the Sea of Cortez? https://youtu.be/g3ThXCm3XSA

Come along for a ride of the famous Seven Sisters https://youtu.be/hrdzmTWPUQs



View user's profile
100X
Nomad
**




Posts: 234
Registered: 11-3-2021
Member Is Offline

Mood: Thankful

[*] posted on 12-9-2021 at 08:53 PM


Yes, exactly, right at km 30.



A life of fears leads to a death bed of regrets.

Find someone who will take care of you, and take care of them.
View user's profile
4x4abc
Ultra Nomad
*****


Avatar


Posts: 4291
Registered: 4-24-2009
Location: La Paz, BCS
Member Is Offline

Mood: happy - always

[*] posted on 12-9-2021 at 10:31 PM


Agua Verde backdoor is one of the most spectacular drives in Baja
especially after rain

https://carlosnpainter.smugmug.com/Travel/Baja-California-No...




Harald Pietschmann
View user's profile Visit user's homepage
4x4abc
Ultra Nomad
*****


Avatar


Posts: 4291
Registered: 4-24-2009
Location: La Paz, BCS
Member Is Offline

Mood: happy - always

[*] posted on 12-9-2021 at 10:39 PM


reminds me of the west-east crossing north of La Paz we did many years ago
nobody had done it before
nobody has done it since

a local guy became ware of it
he has a hunting cabin along the way
super remote
close to an undisturbed cave we discovered on our trip

there is so much more n Baja than Mike's Sky Ranch and Coco's

https://carlosnpainter.smugmug.com/Events/Uno-Baja-Extreme-A...

[Edited on 12-10-2021 by 4x4abc]




Harald Pietschmann
View user's profile Visit user's homepage
JZ
Select Nomad
*******


Avatar


Posts: 10699
Registered: 10-3-2003
Member Is Online


[*] posted on 12-9-2021 at 11:06 PM


Damn good photo's Harald.





See Baja California in 4K: https://youtu.be/4VNTIhRa6q0

Ever wanted to camp on a deserted island in the Sea of Cortez? https://youtu.be/g3ThXCm3XSA

Come along for a ride of the famous Seven Sisters https://youtu.be/hrdzmTWPUQs



View user's profile
100X
Nomad
**




Posts: 234
Registered: 11-3-2021
Member Is Offline

Mood: Thankful

[*] posted on 12-10-2021 at 10:57 AM


Outstanding photos/trips Harald!

IMG_2913.jpeg - 268kBIMG_2917.jpeg - 166kBIMG_2922.jpeg - 180kBIMG_2927.jpeg - 81kB




A life of fears leads to a death bed of regrets.

Find someone who will take care of you, and take care of them.
View user's profile
advrider
Super Nomad
****




Posts: 1864
Registered: 10-2-2015
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 12-10-2021 at 11:45 AM


I'll third that, amazing photos. Never seen that style of rig in such remote hard terrain! Very impressive skills and work. Was it a road on a map at one time or something you discovered?
View user's profile
geoffff
Senior Nomad
***


Avatar


Posts: 675
Registered: 1-15-2009
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 12-10-2021 at 11:46 AM


Quote: Originally posted by colloquialoatmeal  
However, while planning for a trip next March, I found this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XuPqK2y7CjE&t=96s


Nice video!

Though I'm amazed he decided to drive this with his cooler and stuff hanging way back off one of those trailer hitch cargo carriers. Really messes with your departure angle.




2004 Sportsmobile 4x4
http://octopup.org/baja
View user's profile Visit user's homepage
4x4abc
Ultra Nomad
*****


Avatar


Posts: 4291
Registered: 4-24-2009
Location: La Paz, BCS
Member Is Offline

Mood: happy - always

[*] posted on 12-10-2021 at 12:00 PM


Quote: Originally posted by advrider  
I'll third that, amazing photos. Never seen that style of rig in such remote hard terrain! Very impressive skills and work. Was it a road on a map at one time or something you discovered?


Agua Verde was one of my very first destinations in Baja.
Drove up Arroyo San Isidro almost 3 miles past the entrance to the Backdoor Trail (it did not exist then). Got me my first magazine cover.
I was dreaming of a way over the mountains.
The locals told me of a couple of pack trails - but nothing drivable.
Drove half way to Santa Marta though.
The rest is hiking.
Some Gringo had secured that romantic hideaway for himself.
Go visit if you ever have the chance.

One day dicking around on Google Earth I discovered the new road past San Jose de la Noria to Agua Verde..
So I jumped in my truck and drove it.
Over the years about half my trips ended short because of water damage.
Back to Constitucion the long way around.




Harald Pietschmann
View user's profile Visit user's homepage
100X
Nomad
**




Posts: 234
Registered: 11-3-2021
Member Is Offline

Mood: Thankful

[*] posted on 12-10-2021 at 12:33 PM


Interesting Harald. Are there two ways up and over the mountain?

Although the route I took looked more like a trail, it did have road signs (yellow steep grade) and kilometer markers the whole way. Appears to be an established road "maintained" by BCS although subject to quite a bit of erosion from storms and not subject to much maintenance except maybe by locals.

Am curious when the kilometer markers date to. Were they there when you were first there? Subsequent trips? If there happens to be another, more challenging route, I would like to go back in there and start by hiking it.




A life of fears leads to a death bed of regrets.

Find someone who will take care of you, and take care of them.
View user's profile
4x4abc
Ultra Nomad
*****


Avatar


Posts: 4291
Registered: 4-24-2009
Location: La Paz, BCS
Member Is Offline

Mood: happy - always

[*] posted on 12-10-2021 at 01:25 PM


first time I hear about road markers - I have never seen any.
But i wasn't out there for a couple of years.




Harald Pietschmann
View user's profile Visit user's homepage
4x4abc
Ultra Nomad
*****


Avatar


Posts: 4291
Registered: 4-24-2009
Location: La Paz, BCS
Member Is Offline

Mood: happy - always

[*] posted on 12-10-2021 at 02:59 PM


Quote: Originally posted by lencho  
Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc  
Some Gringo had secured that romantic hideaway for himself.

You talking about Santa Marta? Wasn't Tim Means (of Baja Expeditions) involved with that for a long time? I was under the impression they were trying to turn it into a foundation or preserve or something, at least during that period...


yup - did not want to drop names

he was not the only one trying to turn something into a "preservation" in Baja
I have met many of those artists
the idea is to keep other developers away

like they say in Los Angeles
an environmentalist is someone who built last year




Harald Pietschmann
View user's profile Visit user's homepage
4x4abc
Ultra Nomad
*****


Avatar


Posts: 4291
Registered: 4-24-2009
Location: La Paz, BCS
Member Is Offline

Mood: happy - always

[*] posted on 12-10-2021 at 04:27 PM


Quote: Originally posted by lencho  
Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc  
the idea is to keep other developers away

How well did you know Tim?

I have a hard time equating him with a "developer"...


he definitely wasn't
one more reason to keep builders away

if you are very rich, you buy all the land around you
if you are not, you try to have the government declare the area off limits
except yourself, of course




Harald Pietschmann
View user's profile Visit user's homepage
colloquialoatmeal
Newbie





Posts: 12
Registered: 1-6-2020
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 12-10-2021 at 05:15 PM


This is all good to hear! Yeah, it was 13km up from the end of the wash, just north of Agua Verde. Just past the switchbacks, then across an old ranchers gate and there were just massive parts of the road out.

I'll definitely be passing it in March and take some pictures.
View user's profile
JZ
Select Nomad
*******


Avatar


Posts: 10699
Registered: 10-3-2003
Member Is Online


[*] posted on 12-10-2021 at 06:37 PM


Quote: Originally posted by 100X  
Did the Agua Verde backdoor today in my side by side, from Loreto to AV and back to Loreto via the loop to km 30/hwy 1 Harald recommends.



I was thinking about your comment more today. So did you drive it on MX 1 to the dirt or trailer it?

If you drove it, how fast did you go and how was that? I haven't driven mine much on pavement.

My rough calc of the highway driving would be about 80 miles from Loreto and back.





See Baja California in 4K: https://youtu.be/4VNTIhRa6q0

Ever wanted to camp on a deserted island in the Sea of Cortez? https://youtu.be/g3ThXCm3XSA

Come along for a ride of the famous Seven Sisters https://youtu.be/hrdzmTWPUQs



View user's profile
advrider
Super Nomad
****




Posts: 1864
Registered: 10-2-2015
Member Is Offline


[*] posted on 12-10-2021 at 08:48 PM


JZ, I run my 1000 Polaris ( non turbo) on the highway a lot, I'm street legal in Nevada and some other cool states. We run 65 MPH no problem and up to 80 MPH if needed. It will go faster but I don't over do it on the highway.
View user's profile
100X
Nomad
**




Posts: 234
Registered: 11-3-2021
Member Is Offline

Mood: Thankful

[*] posted on 12-10-2021 at 11:20 PM


I drove it the whole way and if you include the pavement after the AV turnoff, it was probably closer to 100 on the pavement. I stay between 55 and 60 and it does fine.

Only comment I would add is that because the headlights on SXS's are placed inwards a ways from the sides, and because I seem to wind up driving it on the roads after dark, I have put some reflector tape on the left side mirror and fenders so the trucks don't think they have extra spare room on my side of the line.




A life of fears leads to a death bed of regrets.

Find someone who will take care of you, and take care of them.
View user's profile
 Pages:  1    3

  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