Runnin' with the Devil || Inuvik to the Baja in a '91 Toyota HiAce

ideam

New member
Van Halen now sits in an RV park in Kanab, a small town on the Utah-Arizona border.. The cold weather has chased us south since the first dusting of snow experienced in the Sawtooth Wilderness exactly one month ago.. Since then we've been steadily checking off the boxes - Craters of the Moon, Yellowstone, Tetons, Great Sand Dunes, Mesa Verde, Moab, Arches, Canyonlands, Escalante and Bryce. Next up is Zion and then the Grand Canyon before we make the escape south at Tecate into the sand, sun and sea (and warmer weather) of the Baja.

Here's a few highlight pics of Van Halen from the past month... More shots (not just of the trusty van) can be found at www.vanhalen91.com if you're interested.

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Craters of the Moon, ID

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Yellowstone, WY

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Grand Tetons, WY

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Great Sand Dunes, CO

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Elevenmile Reservoir, CO

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Big Meadows, CO

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Vallecito Lake, CO

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Corona Arch, UT

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Farley Can CG, UT

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Dixie National Forest, UT

Thanks for the read!!

We are finding that life perspective that every traveller searches for... The US has so much to offer, but damn I love being Canadian (I write as I sit outside at 7pm, meanwhile 15 cms of snow fell back home in Calgary today)
 
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ideam

New member
Lucked out and won a permit to explore the Coyote Butte North Permit Area - home of 'The Wave'.. First day - first ball.

87 people were there at the lottery for 10 spots. Some had been coming every morning for the past 4-7 days..

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Awesome.
 
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ideam

New member
Baja - Hwy 5 South of San Felipe to Hwy 1 (Puertecitos - Bahia Gonzaga - Chapala)

The Highway 5 connection south from San Felipe through Bahia San Luis Gonzaga then across the mountains to the Hwy 1 intersection at Chapala is referred to by the locals as the ‘Camino del Infierno'… translated as ‘Road from Hell'.

Gringos simply refer to it as the ‘Bad Road'.

Over the past few years the road has been paved all the way from San Felipe to Bahia Gonzaga (~150 kms), leaving only the final 60 km that reaches west over the mountains from the Sea of Cortez to the Hwy 1 intersection.

For days I debated our route plan and searched around online knowing that if the road was too bad we'd have to back-track over 400kms north to make the connection over to Highway 1.

Any predispositions about the conditions of this road were reinforced by someone or another on the interwebs with a strong enough opinion to have stated in some forum it for all to see. The online opinions range from ‘never do this road if you don't absolutely have to' to ‘it's an absolute must do'.

So, in the face of my Captain Safety tendencies we said ‘why not?' and opted to give the final unpaved stage of the Camino del Infierno a go.

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(This map isn't great as it doesn't show detail, but it gives a general sense of how we were trying to connect back to the main highway system)

We drove into San Luis Gonzaga the day before we were to attempt the ‘bad road' and spent the night at ‘Papa Fernandez' before an early departure the next morning. We paid $7 US had this gated camping area to ourselves…

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I arose before dawn the next morning to snap some shots and saw a pod of dolphins in the distance which I took as a positive sign for the day ahead.

After leaving Bahia Gonzaga the dirt road weaves alongside the newly-laid pavement for around 15 kms and we passed small road-crew camps set-up along the way. At one point we passed a group of workers shoveling ashphalt and a young guy stopped us looking for a drink of agua - which he was super grateful for after sucking back a large glass in one pull.

The road wasn't so bad for the first 30 kms from Bahia Gonzaga to Coco's Corner; there was some washboard as shown in the intro photo and a few sections of washout, but on the whole it was a breeze and nothing more serious than any typical BC Forest Service Road.

Coco's Corner is a famed watering-hole deserving of a stop from every-one that passes by.

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Coco has had both legs amputated at the knees and lives here with his 12 cats. As far as we can tell he earns his living by the 15 peso mark-up on Pacificos that he sells out of a well-stocked ice-box in the back.

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Coco has lived here since the early 1990s and he estimates that over 80,000 people have been through to sign his guest-books since then. He will draw a little cartoon of your mode of transportation and then leave some space for you to sign your names or leave a note. This book has been collecting names since the start of 2014 and it appeared to us that he averages around 3-5 groups passing through per day.

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In addition to photos and memorabilia tacked on the wall in Cocos there are dozens of womens undies ranging from mini-skivies to did-she-come-from-the-sea sizes. When Coco pressed my wife with the question of whether to pin up her undies or a business card she didn't waste a moment reaching into her pants to find her proof of being an Tax Accountant.

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(Spot the AltaGas Card…. no I didn't bring any business-cards, nor did he want my undies:)

The road worsens after Coco's corner into a embedded-rock base with much of the sand fill having been washed or blasted away by tires. We learnt that the Baja 1000 rally race came through the section after Coco's a few years back and the result was that the road took a solid beating. Coco told us to drop down to 20 psi but I only took it down to 28-30 psi in Van Halens BF Goodrich ATs and we didn't have any issues with flats. (In fact, we haven't had a flat since these tires were put on back in June and we've driven over 4,000 kms of dirt tracks).

I wish I'd taken some photos of the road surface but as happens I was too focused on following the best line to stop and pull out the camera. Here's a poached photo showing the typical surface (source: http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=784894. Great write-up. Worth a read!)

Baja28.jpg

The road really wasn't so bad. Should anyone looking to do the road catch this blog: give it a chance while you still can! if you have good tires and you go slowly, there should be no problem.

On a more pressing matter: on the drive in to the mountains to visit the mission San Javier (near Loreto) today we came across two small pups on the side of the road. Both were tiny, super dirty and had broken twine twisted around their necks. My wife lives for dogs and there was no way we were leaving these two just sitting there.. We drove to all the farms surrounding and they just told us people sometimes come up from Loreto to discard them on the side of the road.

We lucked out and found an awesome couple from Vancouver Island in the RV park we stayed at in Loreto that were looking for another dog as their old fella recently passed away.. they took the wee female and named her Chloe.

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As far as we can tell the shelters on the Baja are full-up so you need to foster (which is tough for us as we are on the move with two dogs already) .. his temporary name is Javier. He's a nice little guy and looks to be in decent shape after a bath, meal and a sleep. We are looking for suggestions or ideas for the second one - anyone in, or know, someone on or near the Baja looking for a pup?? .

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RMP&O

Expedition Leader
The Highway 5 connection south from San Felipe through Bahia San Luis Gonzaga then across the mountains to the Hwy 1 intersection at Chapala is referred to by the locals as the ‘Camino del Infierno'… translated as ‘Road from Hell'.

Gringos simply refer to it as the ‘Bad Road'.

Over the past few years the road has been paved all the way from San Felipe to Bahia Gonzaga (~150 kms), leaving only the final 60 km that reaches west over the mountains from the Sea of Cortez to the Hwy 1 intersection.

Congrats on finally making it to Baja! Nice van you got there, solid platform.

I think it is unfortunate they are paving that road. They are actually moving pretty fast on it too. When I was down there in 2009 it only was paved 20 miles (at most) south of Puertecitos. The road getting paved is really going to open up this section of Baja which means more travelers on the road. More than that though, it will mean development. Personally, I would rather it stayed dirt all the way south from San Felipe.

Keep living the life! Maybe we will bump into each other next month, I will be down in Baja.

PS, awesome deed there saving those two small dogs. Well done sir, well done!

Cheers
 

ideam

New member
I think it is unfortunate they are paving that road. They are actually moving pretty fast on it too. When I was down there in 2009 it only was paved 20 miles (at most) south of Puertecitos. The road getting paved is really going to open up this section of Baja which means more travelers on the road. More than that though, it will mean development. Personally, I would rather it stayed dirt all the way south from San Felipe.

Keep living the life! Maybe we will bump into each other next month, I will be down in Baja.

Cheers

Yea - I hear you man. It's a super interesting stretch of road all the way from Puertecitos.

Poor ol' Coco didn't sound like a fan of the new road. He said it'll pass a couple of kms away from where he's located so people will really have to make a point of dropping by to visit his watering hole.

Otherwise I'd expect that the campgrounds and restaurateurs along highway 5 will more than likely benefit from the completion of the highway. I met a fellow expo forumer today from Denver (no dinero) who said that the route saves him over 500 miles as otherwise he has to head west to LV before making the turn straight south, so I'd imagine that San Felipe will see a boost from the connection.

That said - they still have the most mountainous stretch left to complete. They've been averaging around 50kms per year so in my uneducated opinion I'd give it two years before it's done?

Thanks for the feedback mate. Much appreciated... We lucked out and found a great home for the female black pup with some super nice snowbirds from Vancouver Island.

As for the other one, his name is Javier (Javi) and he's riding with us for the time being. We're slowly teaching him English. ;)

Javi Xmas 4 (1 of 1).jpg

Always stoked to meet fellow forumers. Fire us a note if you end up in our area!
 

shaggydoink

New member
I've enjoyed reading through your adventure, and admire your care for the two poor, little pups. :) Thanks for sharing!

Shaggy
 

parkkitchings

Adventurer
You'll be blessed for saving those pups. One thing I dislike about Baja/Mexico is their total disregard for animals. Have seen these every time I've been down there. Being an avid dog lover it's really sad to see.
 

RMP&O

Expedition Leader
Amazing you did that drive from San Felipe to GN in under 5hrs. It took 2-days when I did it in 2009.

Development has it's benefits. But I think you will find 9.99 out of 10 Baja travelers would rather it stay dirt.

Even worse, I have read that the west coast of Baja is being developed with ports every 30 miles or so. The idea behind the project is to allow sail boaters or the like to travel down the coast easily. However, this is going to ruin (already has one or two) of some of the most amazing surf breaks in this part of the world. It would be so much smarter to develop with surfers in mind and not destroy the breaks with ports.

Coco is a total icon. Super nice guy and funny to boot. We gave him some water melon when we stopped and signed his guest book. I got an old book, called the Baja Catch. Picture in it of Coco way back in the 80's. he still had one leg then and walked around. Coco makes his living from passers by. At the least I hope he gets a big sign out on the main road letting people know where he is. A stop at his place is a must in my opinion if passing by.

Any ways, I am sure you are having a blast. I am super excited for my trip, less than 3-weeks and I leave. I spent nearly 30-days in Baja in 2009 but missed many locations. Plan to hit those up this trip.

Cheers
 

NoDinero

Adventurer
Hey Ian and Leslie; I am in Loreto and the puppy is doing well :) although it chews everything in sight! Randall Just went snorkeling today with a young couple biking down from BC since mid-September. Went to dinner last night with Sal from Mendicino who is sleeping in the back of her truck her at Rivera until the 1st of May. Heading out tonight with Chris who is on a big KZ heading south and then taking the ferry to the mainland. Great adventure and glad that I came out here.
 

ideam

New member
Amazing you did that drive from San Felipe to GN in under 5hrs. It took 2-days when I did it in 2009.

Development has it's benefits. But I think you will find 9.99 out of 10 Baja travelers would rather it stay dirt.

Coco is a total icon. Super nice guy and funny to boot. We gave him some water melon when we stopped and signed his guest book. I got an old book, called the Baja Catch. Picture in it of Coco way back in the 80's. he still had one leg then and walked around. Coco makes his living from passers by. At the least I hope he gets a big sign out on the main road letting people know where he is. A stop at his place is a must in my opinion if passing by.

Cheers

We drove from San Felipe to GN in 48+5 hrs...spent the night in Puertecitos at Octavios (not worthwhile), and in Bahia Luis Gonzaga at Papa Fernandez (worthwhile) before making the push over the final dirt section of Hwy 5. All total was probably 10 hrs drive time in Van Halen from San Felipe to GN... I live by the dirt-road mantra of 'you can do any road without getting a flat if you drive slow enough' (which, I've learnt, is not the way of the locals. They generally bomb on dirt, even in a sedan)

Completely agree about Coco.. he's an icon. A sign on the highway pointing his way will be his best option.

This port development you mentioned happened in La Ribera, just south of Los Barilles. I'll take some pics to share when we go check it out in a few days as I'm also curious to see the impact. (From what I've heard, this development plan isn't working at all as there has been no market for these high-end ports outside of Cabo and yachting is declining participation sport anyways)

Getting close to departure time for you. Have an absolute blast and be sure to post some pics!
 

ideam

New member
Hey Ian and Leslie; I am in Loreto and the puppy is doing well :) although it chews everything in sight! Randall Just went snorkeling today with a young couple biking down from BC since mid-September. Went to dinner last night with Sal from Mendicino who is sleeping in the back of her truck her at Rivera until the 1st of May. Heading out tonight with Chris who is on a big KZ heading south and then taking the ferry to the mainland. Great adventure and glad that I came out here.

Awesome to hear the little pup is doing well.. We were lucky to find such a great family for her.

Rivera del Mar in Loreto is a great place to spend some time. (We are missing that Loreto internet speed now ;) - it's been brutally slow through La Ventana and Los Barilles as the cables have yet to get down here so they work off of microwave signals. I'm up at 6am just to use it for a bit before everyone jumps on and bogs it down to unworkable speeds!)

Pleasure meeting you! Safe travels home.
 

ideam

New member
A few highlight pics from the past weeks

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Playa El Coyote on Bahia Conception.. Awesome MANN owned by a English Couple. Beautifully finished.

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El Requeson on Bahia Conception.

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Baja night skies... (Still haven't quite got these shots nailed down)

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San Javier Mission

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Juncalito Beach - Sierra Los Gigantes

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Tecolote

Met an awesome overlander in La Paz named Mike, or 'Scooter Mike' as we affectionately call him. He's ridden his 50 cc Honda Ruckus scooter from Virginia to Prudhoe Bay, AK and then down to the tip of the Baja. Fantatic guys with some awesome stories. Check out his blog at www.lostwithmike.com

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RMP&O

Expedition Leader
Getting close to departure time for you. Have an absolute blast and be sure to post some pics!

It is! Thank you for the pictures, helps with the wait. :)

I camped at Juncalito Beach for 5-days last trip. Had my kayak so I paddled out around the point and island fishing. Met a very nice couple down at the far end of the beach in the Ex-pat area. They own an organic apple farm in Washington. Really nice folks who cooked me a BBQ one night. Hope to stop and say hi on this trip. I met them because they go down to the beach for the best cell service. They were driving an old FJ55 Land Cruiser. Well, I just had to say hi once I saw the Cruiser! Oh and I guess there is hiking trails up into the Sierra Los Gigantes but I never checked them out.

If you want to check out something different. Look up Auga Verde, it is a small village inland from Los Barriles. Hot springs and good camping plus good hiking.

Looks like you are close to Cabo. I found a good RV resort near Cabo. Nice spot to do laundry, get a hot shower and clean the rig out. I think it was about $10/night with a nice restaurant next door. I am not into RV parks but once in awhile a guy has got to clean things up! Another one outside Los Barriles is nice with a cool ex-pat owner. He let me car camp for $10/night. Both good spots to clean up and get your gear in order without having to motel it.

The project I am talking about with the ports may be both coastlines but where it is really going to ruin surf breaks is on the west coast. Here is a quick article google turned up, but it mostly just mentions Baja Norte. The project is supposed to go all the way down the west coast but I think it has stalled recently.

http://savethewaves.blogspot.com/2010/04/this-wave-could-be-buried-by-breakwater.html

Cheers
 
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