Gonzaga Bay questions???

[expeditionswest]

I have a question on driving time:

Mexicali to Gonzaga Bay via San Felipe? I have estimated 8 hours

From Gonazaga Bay toCatavina to San Diego? I have estimated 10 hours

What do you gurus think? Road conditions?

If you had to pick the best camp near Gonzaga Bay on the water (preferably near cliffs for our spear fishing activities), where would that be (GPS coordinates?)?

I am leaving for the Gonzaga Bay area on Wed. and am curious... Thanks so much.
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Scott Brady
mailto:guide@expeditionswest.com (guide@expeditionswest.com)
http://www.expeditionswest.com

[YukonBob]

I'm walking out the door headed for Baja. I'll be back on Monday and I will be able to give you some detailed driving times if you don't get an answer before then.

The road from Gonzaga Bay to Highway 1 is graded dirt and usually in good condition. The road from Puertocitos to Gonzaga Bay is often called the worst road in Baja. Really rough washboard that doesn't get graded very often. It's broken many a vehicle (including mine) that travel it too fast. Last trip through the area was June 2002.

[BajaTaco]

Scott, regarding the Puertecitos road (SF to Gonzaga), I haven't driven it without screwing off or camping along the way, so I can't really give a good estimate. It may be best to go over to bajanomad.com and ask there. I am thinking that 8 hours coming all the way from Mexicali is nowhere near enough time. As Bob said, speed on this road is not good for the vehicle, especially the section between SF (just past the airport) to Puertecitos. I would think you could spend 8 hours just going from SF to Gonzaga with a break for lunch and a little sight seeing along the way.

As far as your exit route to San Diego, I have no idea on time - I would suggest the nomad forum as well.

Places to camp with rocks - will probably be before you actually get to Gonzaga. Along the coast from isla Lobos to isla San Luis, there are reefs along the shore area and rocky beaches.(There are actually some beautiful cliffed areas much more north of here - closer to Puertecitos). Gonzaga bay itself, and the area just north of itseems to be pretty broad, with wide open beach, so not sure about rocks/reefs right off the beach here - probably not.

Hopefully FLYWGN will see this - I'm sure he can tell you alot about the area, including average drive-time. Al might know too.
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http://www.bajataco.com

[AlWalter]

Scott,

I think your 'drive' times are right on the mark. Depending on how much sight seeing, shopping, dinning etc you do in Mexicali & San Felipe, may make it a long trip to GB. The road from SF to Puertocitos has been partially repaved. The part that has yet to be repaved has some pretty awesome potholes. The road south of Puertocitos is no where near as bad as it was many years ago when you had to handle the '3 sisters'. Of course it may depend on any recent storms & possible wash outs that may have occurred. Most people returning to the San Diego/LA areas from GB prefer the GB-Catavinia- Mex 1 north route. I have no info on camping at Gonzaga Bay.

Have a good trip.

KG6SGM
Always ready to go.

[Ursidae69]

I'll be a week behind you. http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/biggrin.gif I should be in Gonzaga the 21st. I plan to camp where Bajataco and I camped last time on a really beautiful beach south of Alfonsina's. Wasn't it Chris? I plan to do some snorkelling there, but I don't remember much in the way of rocks around therelike you want. After that I'm heading on down to San Ignacio. I'll hopefully have whale stories to tell at the party the 27th. http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/beertoast.gif


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[BajaTaco]

Ursidae69 said...
...I plan to camp where Bajataco and I camped last time on a really beautiful beach south of Alfonsina's. Wasn't it Chris? Yea, it sure was http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/cool.gif






Post Edited By Moderator (JackSilb) : 7/12/2004 11:31:01 PM (GMT-8)

[YukonBob]

Scott</div>
I think your estimate of 10 hours from Gonzaga Bay to Tijuana is pretty accurate. It will take you about an hour and a half to get from Gonzaga Bay on the dirt road out to Highway 1.</div>
I think your estimate of 8 hours from Mexicali to Gonzaga Bay is a little high. I figure about two and a half hours from Mexicali to San Felipe. And three and half hours from San Felipe to Gonzaga Bay. Taking it slow on the bad road could add a couple of hours so you may be right. </div>

[Ursidae69]

Man I love that picture!!!!!!!!! http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/yeah.gif http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/yeah.gif http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/yeah.gif

I will be on that very beach in... where's my calendar... in 12 days!


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My 01 GMC 130k and still going...
www.treadlightly.org/ (http://www.treadlightly.org/) Please Tread Lightly

[expeditionswest]

Thanks so much guys! I leave tomorrow...

I wonder what the guys in the military check points will think of my 6' spear gun ; )

Scott Brady
mailto:guide@expeditionswest.com (guide@expeditionswest.com)
http://www.expeditionswest.com

[AlWalter]

Scott Brady said...
Thanks so much guys! I leave tomorrow...

I wonder what the guys in the military check points will think of my 6' spear gun ; )
</div>Probably not much going southbound, but may raise some eyebrows coming back north.

KG6SGM
Always ready to go.

[bufeo]

Scott,
You've probably already left. Sorry I didn't see this posting earlier.

We drive the Mexicali - Punta Bufeo (8 mi north of Gonzaga) on a regular basis, 15 round trips last year. Excluding stops in Mexicali for supplies (Walmart Supercenter, Costco, or Home Depot-all on Rte 5 going south out of town) and in San Felipe for fuel, lunch, friends, etc., our road-time from Mexicali to San Felipe is 2 - 2.5 h. Watch out for the Policia with radar at La Ventana, both north and south of the store for a few Klicks.

Road-time from San Felipe to Pta Bufeo is 2.5 h as well. The pavement south of SF gives way to humongus potholes (ZIP Code size) around Km 35 ±. There we air-down our tires. Roughly 50% of highway PSI. Our tires are BFG AT D-range (3-ply sidewalls) with Fwy pressure usually 55 PSI, so, depending on our load (Silverado 2500HD 4X4) we drop to about 22 PSI for the rear and 24 PSI for the front.

A mining company is maintaining the road south of Puertecitos for about 8 miles, so it's in pretty good shape. From there on the road is in okay shape, considering. A few turns in the Virgines have some moguls (sp?) that make your back end want to jump up and down. Once leaving Puertecitos I just leave our 4WD engaged for better stability and traction through the three sets of hills. Once we drop down off the southermost hill into Huerfanito area I go back into 2WD.

There is some washboard (not nearly as bad as two years ago) but 30 - 40 mph is comfortable (Rancho 9000s adjusted to the max) with the lower tire pressure.

From PB to Rancho Grande driving time is 20 min. From RG to Coco's about 45 min. From there to Laguna C about 30. These times, of course, will vary greatly depending on how much sight-seeing you do. There are some really neat side trips paralleling Rte 5 once you get south of RG. I can give you approximate GPS data if you haven't left already.

Sorry again I didn't notice your post.

Allen

Here's to meeting good people on bad roads!

[expeditionswest]

Thanks Allen!

I am leaving tonight to drive to the US side of the border. We will leave at dawn. If you have GPS coordinates for nice camp spots near cliffs and reefs, that would be great. We will be moving around quite a bit looking for the best fish zones. We are using the Baja Catch book, which is pretty detailed. Thanks again.

I will be able to check this forum again tonight around 4:00 CA time.

Take care!

Scott Brady
mailto:guide@expeditionswest.com (guide@expeditionswest.com)
http://www.expeditionswest.com

[bufeo]

If you have GPS coordinates for nice camp spots near cliffs and reefs, that would be great. We will be moving around quite a bit looking for the best fish zones. We are using the Baja Catch book, which is pretty detailed.
Scott,

Apparently I mis-spoke. As soon as I read the above I went out to the truck to fetch my maps/logs, but the gear bag is not there. We had to depart our house at Punta Bufeo in haste, and although I'm a believer in, and user of, check-lists, I went off and left my map bag on my desk down there.

All is not lost though. If you're using Kira's book you'll have good information at hand, and since I don't snorkel or spear-fish I wouldn't have been able to add much to your data. Anyway, my reference to side trips south of RG was meant to add a couple of old tracks that eventually bring you back on to Rte 5 or, better yet, such as the route through Calamajué Wash would do, out to Rte 1. Not much fishing on those tracks.

I will insert a couple of observations about possible campingareas for you. South of Puertecitos and Bahia Cristina there are numerous spots where you can drive down to the water and have a nice camp. You will see them easily. You cantake your pick, but be aware that a local may have a "proprietary" interest in your chosen spot. We've never heard anything bad, though. One place I would avoid in the Cinco Islas beach, just south of Huérfanito/Miramar, and sometimes called Nacho's CampOur local Mexican friends have recently hadsome unpleasant tales to tell about nuisances there.

Our beach, at the east end near the bluff that drops right off into the water, has good, sheltered dunes for camping, and I'm told by a friend good snorkeling and spear-fishing off the point. I can vouch only for the fish I've brought to a lure. You can check in at the Restaurant if you want to stay there. They have a small overnight fee. There are showers available as well, if you need them. There are several points from Punta Bufeo northwest along the coast line to Campo Delfines that are fair-good surf-fishing spots. If you choose to check in at PB and if either Miguel, Benito, or Juan Pablo is there, you can get detailed information about the reefs. Benito and Juan Pablo really know the area. Life-long residents and grandsons of Papa Fernandez. You are free to use my name...that and a couple of dollars might get you a cerveza.

Wish that we were going to be in residence ourselves, but we won't be going south until the 18th. If you come back that way, we hope to be there until the 26th. Our house (stone w/ stone garage)is adjacent to the runway at Punta Bufeo and we havea goodwindsock on the peak of our garage.

A couple of posters above (Ursidae69, for one) mention about coming down. Our invitation is open. If we're in residence, give a shout! We don't always sit on the deck awaiting the chance of a visitor, 'cause we spend a lot of time out in the desert poking around the canyons, nevertheless, there's a good chance we're in shouting distance. If you have a VHF marine-band--we all use those for local communication--so try to hail us on Ch 8.

Have a great time, Scott. If nothing else, leave a note on our door.
PS (on edit): I forgot to mention that you're going at a time when the tides (Sea of Cortez)are moving towards neap conditions, so the ranges will lessen while you're there. Depending on how long you stay their ranges will begin to increase on the 15th with full spring tides on the 20th (vernal equinox, incidentally). You can download a tide chart from www.sanfelipe.com.mx (http://www.sanfelipe.com.mx) if you want.
Ciao, A.
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Here's to meeting good people on bad roads!


Post Edited (FLYWGN) : 3/11/2004 1:16:48 AM GMT

[Ursidae69]

A couple of posters above (Ursidae69, for one) mention about coming down. Our invitation is open. If we're in residence, give a shout! We don't always sit on the deck awaiting the chance of a visitor, 'cause we spend a lot of time out in the desert poking around the canyons, nevertheless, there's a good chance we're in shouting distance. If you have a VHF marine-band--we all use those for local communication--so try to hail us on Ch 8.
Hi! I might stop by! My friend and I should be heading by P.Bufeo on March 21st sometime after lunch. We are camping near San Felipe the 20th, and heading south the next morning aftera stop at the springs in Puertecitos. Last time through there we cruised on by to Gonzaga, where is your place?EDIT(I see it in your post above now)I don't have a marine radio, only CB at this point. We planned to camp the night of the 21st in Gonzaga or nearby.
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My 01 GMC 130k and still going...
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Post Edited (Ursidae69) : 3/11/2004 4:04:16 AM GMT

[expeditionswest]

Thanks for the great info guys, we had a fantastic time (I was able to read all of your responses before leaving). I was able to see Allen's place at Punta Bufeo. What a great area!</div>
Thanks again! I will post a trip report soon...</div>





Scott Brady
mailto:guide@expeditionswest.com (guide@expeditionswest.com)
http://www.expeditionswest.com

[bufeo]

Scott,

Glad you had such a good time. Sorry we were not in residence to offer you some "cool" hospitality.http://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/beertoast.gif

We plan to leave here Wed a.m., spend the night in El Centro and then drive on down to PB on Thur., then return in time for the party in Cherry Valley on the 27th.

I just love driving that road from Puertecitos to PBhttp://www.4wdtrips.net/forum/emoticons/supercool.gif .

Here's to meeting good people on bad roads!