BAJA LOST MISSION EXPEDITION 2011 (PART 4, EL VOLCAN GEYSER)

Continued from PART 3: http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/of...ja-lost-mission-expedition-2011-part-3-a.html

On Saturday afternoon, after visiting the Olvidada barite mine and white slope of springs, we drove south on the road along the east edge of the El Volcan arroyo gorge... It goes about 3/4 a mile past some onyx mine activity and then drops steeply down to the arroyo.

Coming back up the steep grade gave me an opportunity to demonstrate the Tacoma's A-TRAC traction system to Vern (a Jeep owner)!

[A-TRAC or Active Traction Control is Toyota's answer to front and rear lockers to achieve maximum traction. A-TRAC is available on the Off Road TRD 4WD Tacoma since the 2009 model. Using the ABS brakes and spin sensors, any tire that starts to spin from a loss of traction gets braked to match the rotation on the opposite tire on that axle... an automatic locker effect for all 4 tires... however, steering ability is uneffected]

Once back up to the mine area, we hike around... and eventually go to the edge of the gorge where we look down on the giant dome that is EL VOLCAN... Baja's 'Cold-Water' geyser!

On Sunday, we return in the arroyo with BAJACAT and have a very close look at the geyser. Vern even took some videos of the activity... so stay tuned for Sunday's photos!


View up Arroyo El Volcan from the onyx mine area








Looking into the gorge and to the right...


El Volcan













Another look down upon El Volcan:









STAY TUNED for Sunday's UP-CLOSE photos at the geyser!


TW demonstrates how to use gasoline to start a fire!

 

TW gets underway...







We wait for David (dtbushpilot) to get underway, then BAJACAT, El Vergel and I go visit El Volcan:



We can drive about half of the 2,000 feet from the road to El Volcan. Last time I was here (2006) the arroyo was sandy... now it is mostly rock.


Walking towards El Volcan




A look back towards our trucks


El Volcan








Looking beyond El Volcan






A large vein of onyx in the cliff past El Volcan


BAJACAT gets a closer look




We hike past El Volcan


José on top of the boulder


Plenty of tracks in here!

More Coming, stay tuned!

 

The top of El Volcan




El Vergel records a video clip of the bubbling cold water springs






A baby elephant tree


Onyx is all over the place!










Lots of bubbles on El Volcan!






Our trucks from El Volcan



Stay tuned for video movies of the El Volcan cold soda springs from Vern's camera!

 

El Vergel took several short video clips of the bubbling springs at El Volcan...

http://s213.photobucket.com/albums/cc212/DavidKier/EL%20VOLCAN%202011/Verns%20Videos/?action=view&current=Volcan227.mp4


Here are the 10 bubbling clips and the waterfall off the geyser dome as the last one. (If you click 'next' after the first clip finishes, the others follow).

The bubbling videos are numbered 227-236, and the waterfall is #237:






















(if anyone knows how to sew these short clips together into one long clip... let me know or go for it!, thanks)

 

There is still more to come... the drive out and another look at El Marmol, the site of the World's only Onyx Schoolhouse... and we even spotted the world's only onyx water trough (for cattle), a few miles away at a windmill!

Onyx crafts for sale at Rancho Sonora, and a visit to El Rosario's taco shop and art gallery of Hugo Lopez! Baja is such a gas!!

Stay tuned!!

 

Nice pics man

 

Thanks! The area is really exotic, and one I have been going to since 1974... However, that was along the road only and I hadn't seen the El Volcan geyser until 2003, and this was my third time. Hoping to catch an eruption!

 

Okay, PART 5 now posted... http://www.tacomaworld.com/forum/of...ion-expedition-2011-part-5-a.html#post3177575