goodtimes
Expedition Poseur
Thanks. I should have been clearer -- we're heading south via the coastal road. I just wasn't sure the condition of the road, or how much time it would take.
3 weeks exploring Baja...
- Thread starter LilKJ
- Start date
Thanks. I should have been clearer -- we're heading south via the coastal road. I just wasn't sure the condition of the road, or how much time it would take.
Scott Brady
Founder
I found the coast road to be pretty boring after Pulmo, though it is still worth doing. The housing development east of San Jose Del Cabo goes for about 30 miles and the road is wrecked.
Brian, will you be taking the Wrangler? You may consider the Naranja Road over the mountains there. Beautiful.
Brian, will you be taking the Wrangler? You may consider the Naranja Road over the mountains there. Beautiful.
LilKJ
Adventurer
Day 18- Into the heart of darkness
OK well maybe it wasn't QUITE that dramatic... but we set out on quite the adventure... cross the mountains from San Quintin to San Felipe. We didn't want to go all the way to Ensenada and take the highway, so it was off into the mountains we went. Time to see what a hurricane does to mountain roads
Woke up to a very green Baja in San Quintin...
Our campground was at the end of this cool road...
Green green green
The bridges are still gone on Mex 1... crews are working hard to fix them...
We took our turn off the highway just north of Colonet... even ran into a Army checkpoint in the middle of nowhere... they seemed quite puzzled about some gringos out there and our conversation went something like this:
"Hola. Hablas Espanol?"
"Solo un poquito"
"...something something something in spanish"
"...me looking confused..."
"...El camino... something something... es asi asi..."
"Es ta peligrosa?"
"Si... something something (poining at Jeep)quattro y quattro?"
"Si."
"Es ta bien... buena suerte amigos"
Must be safe
We cruised through farmland and the road has some rather large mud holes... the flatbed pickup with a winch that followed us made me feel much better about crossing them. Going through mud with a trailer is quite the experience...
OK well maybe it wasn't QUITE that dramatic... but we set out on quite the adventure... cross the mountains from San Quintin to San Felipe. We didn't want to go all the way to Ensenada and take the highway, so it was off into the mountains we went. Time to see what a hurricane does to mountain roads
Woke up to a very green Baja in San Quintin...
Our campground was at the end of this cool road...
Green green green
The bridges are still gone on Mex 1... crews are working hard to fix them...
We took our turn off the highway just north of Colonet... even ran into a Army checkpoint in the middle of nowhere... they seemed quite puzzled about some gringos out there and our conversation went something like this:
"Hola. Hablas Espanol?"
"Solo un poquito"
"...something something something in spanish"
"...me looking confused..."
"...El camino... something something... es asi asi..."
"Es ta peligrosa?"
"Si... something something (poining at Jeep)quattro y quattro?"
"Si."
"Es ta bien... buena suerte amigos"
Must be safe
We cruised through farmland and the road has some rather large mud holes... the flatbed pickup with a winch that followed us made me feel much better about crossing them. Going through mud with a trailer is quite the experience...
LilKJ
Adventurer
Then I got to cruise in some deep sand for a while...
You can see how badly the area flooded...
Cruising on my little shelf road... you can see where the flooding washed away a large part of the vineyard.
And then the road was gone...
So I decided to backtrack and cross the riverbed itself... after a little bit of dirtworkboth Jeep and trailer made it up the other bank... (always bring a shovel!!! )
After cruising a little up another arroyo... we were back on the road... apparently not the first though
Near the top, the roads felt like home... little shelf roads in the mountains...
You can see how badly the area flooded...
Cruising on my little shelf road... you can see where the flooding washed away a large part of the vineyard.
And then the road was gone...
So I decided to backtrack and cross the riverbed itself... after a little bit of dirtworkboth Jeep and trailer made it up the other bank... (always bring a shovel!!!
)
After cruising a little up another arroyo... we were back on the road... apparently not the first though
Near the top, the roads felt like home... little shelf roads in the mountains...
LilKJ
Adventurer
Near the summit of our crossing of the Sierra San Pedro Martir... I think that's Spanish for "not the place to bring a trailer"
Another piece of the road gone... bypass was interesting
And after we popped out at Valle de Trinidad... we made it back to pavement!!
And we made it back to yummy food at Pete's Camp!
...and I promptly went to bed
Another piece of the road gone... bypass was interesting
And after we popped out at Valle de Trinidad... we made it back to pavement!!
And we made it back to yummy food at Pete's Camp!
...and I promptly went to bed
LilKJ
Adventurer
I agree... the road was a mess and the housing developments just kept on going... it's gorgeous though... worth doing once:ylsmoke:
LilKJ
Adventurer
Day 19- Relaxing in San Felipe
Ahhh... San Felipe... we decided to spend our last couple of days relaxing in San Felipe before we headed back to the states... it was a good choice.
Sunrise over the tidal flats...
Nicole added significantly to her beach combing collection...
Then we hit the town to do some shopping and eat some good food.
Headed up to the shrine overlooking town...
The San Felipe Malecon...
My prize find from the trip... hidden on the shelves of a book store in San Felipe... the book is awesome
Finished the day off with an obscenely large Tecate and sat in the sun...
Ahhh... San Felipe... we decided to spend our last couple of days relaxing in San Felipe before we headed back to the states... it was a good choice.
Sunrise over the tidal flats...
Nicole added significantly to her beach combing collection...
Then we hit the town to do some shopping and eat some good food.
Headed up to the shrine overlooking town...
The San Felipe Malecon...
My prize find from the trip... hidden on the shelves of a book store in San Felipe... the book is awesome
Finished the day off with an obscenely large Tecate and sat in the sun...
07 Elephant
Adventurer
Your girl is a trooper. I didn't see any tears in all those photos You bought wedding rings in Mexico right? :sombrero:
You bought wedding rings in Mexico right? :sombrero:
goodtimes
Expedition Poseur
Yes, and it appears that we are running solo for the whole trip. No one wanted to come along . . . they must be skeered. Either that, or they don't like my snoring.
That's OK, it will give Marisa one last chance to change her mind before she moves in.
It should never take 4hrs on that road. The key to washboard is speed and 15psi in the tires - it feels like a caddy crusin even with a trailer - i know. I think the fastest i have done it is 45 minutes - i was haulin baja style!!!
Great report - thx for the pix - now i just need to convince the wife to watch the newborn for a few days so i can get my baja fix...
LilKJ
Adventurer
We went slow, and took lots of pics... after our issues with the trailer on the road through Gonzaga, we decided to take it slow:smiley_drive:
Regcabguy
Oil eater.
I found using a wetsuit leg made a perfect cooler/holder for those "obscenely large Tecates" I'll take a Pacifico over the Tecates though. Oh,that's right I stopped drinking a year ago. Good for the liver but not the spirit. Once again,fine photos and write up.