2011 Baja Extravaganza as journal’d from the back seat

[FatCity]

BAJA EXTRAVAGANZA!
This is our Baja trip word for word from my wifes journal...
Aprill 16th-23rd 2011

In to Mexico.
Tecate border at 7:30 a.m.
30 miles to La Rumurosa.
We hit dirt at 8:45. Tequila shots!
Rumurosa grade was crazy. Grade with switch backs. Eric says it drops 4000 ft in 2 miles.
Passes some hikers but no other vehicles.
Lots of scary cliffs but beautiful terrain, ocotillo, barrel cactus's (look like thumbs) basalt shooting out of the hill sides, black lizards.
I wanted to get out several times but Eric refused. I think he would have been embarrassed.

Connon De Guadalupe at 10:45. Hungry, but we hadn’t seen any restaraunte's since we got off the pavement. Haven’t seen much of any civilization since we hit dirt, just the occasional ranchito.

It's been very slow going these last miles. Pretty sure Eric made a wrong turn but wont admit it. He's said we're ten miles out 3 different times now and keeps saying that the GPS says we're headed south and that’s what counts...
Truck sputtered. Eric poured both extra gas cans in the truck.

Trail seems to be getting worse. Climbing, dropping, not getting anywhere on GPS
Wrong turn. Stuck behind fence.
Mexican gentleman in a Toyota saved us. Cut barbed wire fence and lead us to Hwy. 3. Gave him 300 pesos, about 30 bucks.

(Helping our new amigo mend the fence)

4:30 Valley T - Valley de Trinidad.
Lunch! Eating much needed tacos. I've been starving.
870 pesos of gas. 500 pesos taco's.
Quote of the day "There are no XXXXing bicycle’s!"

 

[FatCity]

San Felipe - Miramar Bar - 6:30
Beautiful, on the coast, full moon.

We met up with the rest of our crew (Scott & Tandi, Bob & Michelle) and drank beers with taco's and watched the moon on the water.
There were lots of people downtown- so fun. I love San Felipe because it is a mix of desert with Ocotillo bushes right up to the ocean. Eric and me blended.

We left Mirimar very happy. Picked up beer and fireworks, then went home to the casita. THE CASITA!
The style was my favorite. It was in a private area on the beach. Awesome deck top and bottom and the moon on the water. Heaven!

 

[FatCity]

Day 2
Breakfast at 9:20. Then hit the road.
Gas Pmex $299 pesos.
Divey breakfast. Eric wanted something fast so we could get moving. Papas y Chorizo y Manchaca.

On our way to Puertocitos. Vado's!
Eric say's they've paved 40 more miles since he was thru here last. He was bummed out. Kacey and I enjoyed the smooth ride in the back while it lasted.
Following a volcanic landscape along the sea of Cortez. Beautiful. Detour to the water. Tequila!

Gonzaga at 1:00
The waters aqua, beautiful and clear. Pmex $320 pesos. Lunch on the water at Alfonzo's restaraunte/hotel. Restaraunte owner came out and asked if we needed a room. We told him we were just stopping for lunch, he said we'll see with a smile. The tide would be in in an hour.

(A guy in the restaraunt points 30 feet to our right and tells us "Hard to beleive I landed a plane there about an hour ago")

Pescado and camarones tacos (fish and shrimp) Perfecto! Everyone seemed hesitant to drive out in the water.
Eric wanted to get moving. Said we are still 100+ miles out of Bay of LA. Thru the water we go.
15 miles out of Gonzaga- Scott Hartman’s fuel filter broken- 1st breakdown-

On our way to Coco's

 

[FatCity]

Calumua wash. Very pretty as the sun falls.

The guys collected firewood at sunset.
9:00 pm- Bajia de Los Angeles-
Dinner at La Palapa Alejandrina. Very windy so we are looking for a hotel. WINDY!
Dinner $350 Beer $400

We found a hotel at 10:30 - simple. Heaven since it's still windy.

 

[FatCity]

Desayuno fantastico! (breakfast)
La Gringa - Camping $60 pesos per coche ($5 per car)
Beautiful camping, kayaking. Wed. a.m Eric and Jeff kicked ass fishing. Went to town and had breakfast. Went to grocery store. Lots cheaper than restaurants. Bought more beer. Breakfast $40 U.S (for 4 people) Food $330 pesos.
Found Steve Abajions house on the shoreline (friend of ours' dad) Not there. One more night here.
Taco tour! Yum!

Camp

Mercado

Uncle Jeff and Tuesday evenings catch. He says "lots of people go fishing, he goes catching..."

Ryan frying up fish tacos

 

[FatCity]

Sunrise

Whale skelliton next to our friends dad's house

BBQ'n carne on the beach.

Ryan and Tori suggested a taco tour of the town, so six of us headed in to hit all the carts and window fronts.

Bitchen view

 

[FatCity]

4-21-11
Hartmans Jeep- Changed coil at auto partes in Bahia de LA. Left town at 1:00pm.
A flip of a peso decided if we would back track thru Gonzaga to stay off-road or drive 200 miles on the highway and drive the Pacific ocean side. Heads, highway and Pacific side.
San Quintin- Pacific Side. 200 highway miles which were scarier than dirt. Narrow with crazy big rigs and no established passing lanes. Stayed at Mission de Santa Maria. Yeah!
Good food. Crab, mariachi, drinks, and a great room with a view of the Pacific.

(The new BOLA parts store was realy nice, but they didnt have Sh!t. Hartman cut his harness apart and made some random late model chevy coil work...)

 

[FatCity]

4-22-11
Ryan had a wonderful drunkin encounter with Humberto, a Mexican English teacher from Tijuana, who told us kidnapping is nothing to speak casually about. (Drunkin Ryan asked how much he would charge to kidnap him and bring him back to Baja later…lol) He was probably Catel. J/K!
Today we are doing dirt to Mike’s Sky Ranch- Our last night in Mexico.

(First stop was The Pirata's bar for breakfast and a brew)

(SteelFuser paying the pied piper for the night prior...)

San Vicente -2:45
We have been following the coast on dirt roads.
Every once in a while we’d take an inlet to the water. Customery Pacific Coast- Roaring, vibrant surf, swift breeze.
Finally hit beautiful sand beach right before San Vicente and highway.
Spotted whales (ballena) and dolphins enjoying the surf.

 

[FatCity]

Stopped for lunch in San Vicente at 3:30. Hard to find good taco stand- ate carne asada tacos and tortas. Jeff tried birria tacos. I tried Tory’s barbacoa sheep tacos- Excelente.

 

[FatCity]

Windmill with Toyota transmission to gear it down

 

[FatCity]

Took dirt road just south of town thru El Colorado. Race course. Thru vineyards of wine grapes. Windy road on cliff side.
Eric warned three vehicles that there was more coming behind him. Minutes later a call on the radio says that Bob’s Jeep was hit and then nothing else. We waited 15 minutes but Eric could’nt get anyone to reply back. Turned around to find a broken buggy and Bob with a bent front end. Eric say’s it should be fine for now. What were they thinking!

Coming in to the back side of El Colorado/ Trinada area.

4500 ft ascent into Mikes Sky Ranch. It is in a beautiful little spot on the side of the mountain. All Spanish style long buildings connected around a court yard with a pool and bbq under a gazebo.
On the backside there are another row of rooms. 4 of which were occupied. Simple rooms with three twin beds, shower and a heater. Wooden ceilings with thick beams painted brown. We got there at 6:30 and entered the dark bar.
Got rooms and ate with other guests at long Mexican style tables.
The generator comes on around 7:30 and lit the place. We had steaks, then hung in the bar full of race memorabilia until 10:30 reading stickers, business cards, posters and t-shirts that have been tacked up over the years by off road enthusiasts.

We added ours on Hartman’s very worn orange shirt. Also took a memento from the bar for Uncle Jeff.
Generator turns off at 10:30. Eric and I stayed in the dark talking with some people he met from the Rubicon trail area. Bed at 11:30

 

[FatCity]

4-23-11
Deseyuno en siete.
Left Mikes at 9:00 am.

Flagged down by 4 local stuck with a flat tire and no tools. Eric, Uncle Jeff and Ryan got them fixed up. They were very gracious for the assistance.
Great overland ride thru Laguna Juarez (Laguna Hanson) With many pines.

We found closure to our vacaciones incredibly by making our final batch of asada tacos over fire we made just off the road in a very pretty forest wash.

Made it into La Rumarosa at 3:45. Stopped at the best banos ever and back to Tecate. Home at 7pm.
What a memorable trip.
:cheers:

 

[jmaxj]

this is awesome in so many ways! thanks for sharing your wifes journal :greensmok

 

[tone]

Wow how awesome! Very well documented too and great pics!! I cant wait to do this in my jeep one day when I feel it's ready.

 

[Peacefrog53]

Baaadd AAsss..

I'm with Tone... Can't wait to get the jeep down there..

Thanks for sharing. Sounds like a great trip.

 

[GrimmJeeper]

this is hands down the best trip report I have ever read, please thank your wife for keeping a journal of the trip and thanks to you for posting it up. Absolutely amazing, both scenery and adventure... I love it.

 

[xj dreamin]

this is what it's all about! i love when people share their baja adventures, it gets me real exited! I go as far ojos negros when i go to the baja races but i would love to find a group like this and travel further just like you guys. thanks for sharing your story.

 

[Glenn B]

Very cool, thanks for sharing!!!!

 

[usaf_mike]

thanks for sharing, amazing photos

 

[silverslk]

Eric you guys coming down in August ??? Looks like we are taking over HP Ranch. Would be a blast to have you along.