BAJA!: TO MISION SANTA MARIA MEMORIAL DAY. LOCKERS and A-TRAC only!

Yah... and an Off Road TRD so you will have the locker and/ or A-TRAC to climb 'The Widowmaker'!

 

Report just in from someone who elected to not take their Toyota the final mile and a half to the mission, and walked from the top of the Widowmaker. The water in the bog is reported by another as too deep for non-lifterd Toyotas... Just makes it more of an adventure!

Here is a You Tube from 'Baja Roadrunner' showing his lifted Cherokee with good tires climbing the Widowmaker last year... This is Part 2, part 1 shows going in and the mission and oasis beyond...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B7yTm5v-gTg&feature=channel

 

David, This trip looks so much fun! I want to go to Baja bad.

 

It is fun!

What can I do to help you make it happen (short of paying your way, as I am short on cash, too)?

Did you see BajaRoadrunner's two videos? He might be going again, too.

 

Here is Part 1, going to the mission, down the widowmaker, to the oasis a mile beyond the mission:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k46uFVwO2eY&feature=player_embedded

 

How about a sign up if anyone here is brave enough to venture deep into Baja, Mexico for 3-4 days?

Nobody?

That's okay, I will be more than happy to post all the photos I take when we get back (IF we get back... LOL)!

There are about half a dozen from Baja Nomad forums going...

The checklist for going:
* 4WD with rear locker and/or Traction Control plus min. 9" ground clearance... some body damage to be expected. Remove the 4 mud flaps if you want to keep them!
* Good tires for rocks
* Passport (or birth cert. + photo ID)
* Mexican Auto Insurance
* $200-$400 for gasoline, restaurant/ taco stand meals and camping food/ drinks, possible motel stays for Friday and Sunday nights in El Rosario
* Good off roading/ camper attitude!
* Top your tank in San Diego and you can easily make the 225 mile drive to El Rosario on less than a tank. The Pemex (gasoline) station in El Rosario is perhaps the most honest in Mexico. The owner speaks English and is a good man (Antonio). Top off in El Rosario for the trip to the mission and back (185 miles), and again on your way home. No need to stop in Ensenada or Tijuana if you want to avoid cities.
*Returning north through Tecate only adds about 25 miles and is a mellower border crossing experience. Some even prefer to go south through Tecate... using Hwy. 3 to Ensenada.

If you run into any issues with Mexican authorities, a friendly smile and lots of patience will usually get you through... In Mexico, don't be in a hurry!

If you get pulled over and you are or are not guilty... Insist on going to the judge/ police station, if the officer says you broke the law... Fines are tiny compared to the U.S. and if you didn't break the law and show no fear, you will be sent on your way. Bad cops are few, but they prey on scared tourists and often get up to a $100 bribe (mordida) to avoid going to the station. Wait them out, and they will soon send you on your way and seek out easier prey!

Live life to the fullest... in four wheel drive!

 

You got a pm. david.

 

Got it, thanks...

Some more details on the trip:

It is 300 miles from the border to where the trail starts at Rancho Santa Ynez, which is a mile past Cataviña. That is about a 7 hour drive from the border. The trail to the mission is less than 15 miles, but will take about 3 hours!

I plan to stay in El Rosario at Baja Cactus Motel Friday night and Sunday night (reservations: motel*at*bajacactus.com) tell Antonio the owner, speaks English, that you are doing the Mision Santa Maria run with David K). Beautiful rooms are only $40 or less. If full, the Turista Motel on the south side of town is excellent and cheap (maybe $30). Other motels include the Cabañas at Mama Espinoza's, the Sinahi, and Baja's Best Bed & Breakfast.

I will leave El Rosario (fill up gas there) about 8:30am Saturday and drive the 77 miles to Santa Ynez, meet others who will already be there and start the mission run by 10:30. We will be camping one night by the mission and leave perhaps around noon on Sunday and be back in El Rosario for dinner. We will return to San Diego on Monday (Memorial Day)... That's the plan, anyway...

 

Damn, if I was able to go I would totally be down. Those trails look sick.

 

David, I still can't go on this trip, but I'll tell you this... I'll be applying for my passport card very soon, I got most of the paperwork all filled out and it's because of your influence and your sharing of these wonderful experiences you have had in Baja!

Viva Baja!

 

Thanks Crom... It is a fun place... I only wish I had more time/ money to go south more often! I did a lot in 2005 and 2006, see my trip photos here and at http://vivabaja.com



Jan. '05: New Year's in Baja, Rock Art, Bahia de Los Angeles & Bahia San Luis Gonzaga
Feb. '05: Weekend with Aletha & Marvin Patchen in the Anza-Borrego Desert
Feb. '05: San Felipe 250 Race Weekend - including trip to Shell Island
Apr.'05: Off Road Day Trip to Cantamar
Apr. '05: Pyramid Resort's Third Annual Baja Book Signing Event
Apr. '05: Guadalupe Canyon trip
May '05 Memorial Day Weekend in El Rosario
July '05 Nomad 4WD Tour, Baja-Rosario Festival '05, and Shell Island
Sept.,'05: Across Baja via Mike's Sky Rancho (San Quintin to Shell Island)
Sept '05: Las Pintas Fossil Grotto, incl. detailed road log
Oct '05: Hector's Monument, L.A. Bay visit, La Lobera, Mision Santo Domingo
Nov.'05: Los Martires to El Socorro with Boojums and Petroglyps (also missions Santo Tomas and Rosario)
Dec., '05: Coastline south of El Rosario (Punta Baja to Punta San Carlos)
Jan. '06: New Year's near San Felipe and in Cañon el Berrendo
Jan. '06: El Marmol & El Volcan (Baja's Cold Water Geyser)
Feb. '06 El Rosario's Petrified Forest & La Bocana Beach
Apr. '06: Espinoza Museum, Search for Santa Ursula, Las Pintas & more!
May '06: Pyramid Resort's Book Signing Event #4
June '06: Baja 500 & Mision Santa Catalina
June '06: Shell Island, Ejido Delicias & Matomi Canyon
July '06: Baja-Rosario Cultural Festival
Aug.'06: Nuevo Mazatlan Weekend
Sept.,'06: Guadalupe Canyon Weekend Nov.'06: Baja 1000 Trip, including La Lobera, Cataviña cave, L.A. Bay, Gonzaga Bay, Shell Island.

 

Hey David nice pic's. looks like a great adventure, I made a trip to Catavina on spring break weekend, and from there headed to Santa Maria on my 450 X, me and my bro. and kid. I have to say... That was one of the toughest ride I have ever made, only 15 miles but felt like 50. so many dam big rocks on the trail. hard to go fast and can really slow down on the dirt bike. but it was one of the nicest ridding experiences. Highly recomended can't wait to go back.
I sold my old tundra to get my Taco but still not available...
I will post some pic's as soon I find out how !!!

 

looks like a fantastic trip. timing is really bad for me. but i would have love to go. driving into Mexico seems crazy in today's climate..but safety in numbers. what an opportunity!!

have fun.

 

Great... I think most of us set up a free photobucket.com account, and upload photos from our PC to photobucket... and then post them here (a url link is provided for each of your pictures on photobucket. Make sure to pick a reduced size on photobucket before uploading ... 'Large' works well.

Look forward to seeing your Baja pics!

 

Let me wake up my kid he knows how...

 

Thanks... and Mexico is a great place... it has had some problems in border cities between drug mafia members and police, but if you are neither of those, you are not a target. We don't camp in cities... in this case, we will be 300 miles from Tijuana and 3 hours over a 4WD trail.

 

The list of interested and probably going from the Baja Nomad forums:

1) BAJACAT (DODGE TRUCK)
2) David K & Baja Angel (TACOMA)
3) Neal Johns (TACOMA)
4) edm1 (4WD MOTORHOME or hitchhike)
5) KurtG (hitchhike)
6) Bajatripper (4RUNNER)
7) CG (DODGE DAKOTA)

The list of interested in going replies on Tacoma World forums:

1) HBMurphy

I guess either Mexico is to scary or the road to Mision Santa Maria is too scary for some of you here?

That's okay, just wait for the photos after we get back (if we get back)!

 

My first trip to Santa Maria was with BajaMur in '99... after our epic ride to the mission and back out to Santa Ynez, we continued on that night to Alfonsina's (via Chapala/Coco's) where we stayed with Doug Bowles.
A couple days later, Doug flew Mur and I (and another man 'Jake') over the mission and canyon of Santa Maria. Our goal was to locate the Camino Real or any route to the mission form Gonzaga Bay. We had tried going up the canyon by quad, but boulders and brush blocked our way not far from the road that ends at the canyon mouth.

Here are the photos Mur emailed to me... they are arranged from west to east:



The Widowmaker and road a mile from the mission, view northward.



The mission, view northward.



View eastward, down the arroyo a mile east from the mission.



The arroyo as it enters the top of the canyon leading to Gonzaga Bay, view southward. The road east from the mission comes out of the arroyo and follows its north bank before turning into the side canyon and bulldozed grade.



The bulldozed grade where the road construction from Santa Ynez ended... on the canyon rim, view eastward. From the end of the road, an Indian trail continues on down to the canyon floor. This was the first El Camino Real used by the Jesuits. The Franciscans ordered a better route built that stayed out of the canyon and went along the north rim.



Another look down the deep canyon.



Here the Camino Real can be seen.



Nearing the end of the canyon, view southward.



View southward of the end of the canyon. The Franciscan Camino Real is in the side valley at the bottom-right of the photo and reaches the arroyo just outside the canyon. In the top of the photo a distant hidden valley contains the Las Pamitas oasis and is on the Camino Real. The arroyo continues to the gulf coast between Alfonsina's and Punta Final.

 

Hi guys.

I'm from Ensenada, Baja and I just got my first Tacoma a couple of weeks ago! Its great, i love the car, and i like this site! it has answered a lot of questions about my tacoma!

The only not so good thing is that i was only able to afford the 2WD stock PreRunner with the RR Diff Lock, and i see you have some exceptions for the trip, does this means my Tacoma wont make through the trip?

I really would like to go on a trip like this, i dont think i can make it on this years trip since its such a short notice but i would really like to go next time!!

Do you think my 2WD tacoma would make it? Do you accept mexicans on the trip or is this only for americans (gringos lol j/k)?

Kind Regards

 

i want to go somewhere like that!! Awsome trails.. I hate all the damn forest trails around here! Awsome!