BigDog/Dingweeds/Baja/2013

Yeh---don't you hate those cliffhangers---glad to be able to throw one out---instead of always receiving them

This is a different hill --but we kept climbing and started seeing a bit of snow.
The elevation here was about 5,000 ft.


















This here was really dangerous. We traveled toward the camera shot---righ in front of Scott was a narrow dirt path between 2 rocks
which was the only path thru-----you couldn't go too fast and if you tumbled you'd end up in those rocks with the bike on top of you.
Here Scott is going back for one of his gloves he found missing.







You can see all the bike tracks we were following.
It was so tough in here in places and Scott made the comment "it's got to be OK for us---there are bike tracks"
I kind of thought different -----as from the non DOT tire tracks I was seeing---I figured these guys were on unladen dirt bikes--------and the lines they took were not the easier lines we chose.























I hoped the magic of the no hassle tassels would get us through.







On top of the world we started going down for miles.
At some point in here it had taken us 3 and 1/2 hours to go 12 miles.
We spent a lot of time going really slow picking our way thru nasty boulders, resting and picking ourselves up after tip-overs.









Scotts moving some rocks to give us a safe and good line.







It was in here I made my 4th tip-over---each time I wasn't hurt---but was in a bad position and needed help picking my bike up.













We could almost see the Pacific ocean from here.






This isn't it-----but I remember a spot similar to this with bigger rocks.
We were in a creek bed finding our way thru and Scott had a zero mile an hour tipover and a huge pointed rock gouged him in the side below his left armpit.
I'm sure he broke some ribs and he was in a lot of pain.
He's a tougher guy than me for pain. He couldn't hardly move his arm for a bit--we got his bike picked up and move forward for a good place
to park it and took a big rest and evaluated our situation.
After a bit---there was nothing to do but to try and ride on.














Somewhere down below here---the road was completely gone.
We had to go down a hill that was over 45° steep into a boulder infested creek and climb out the other side.
Scott was hurging badly and asked me to ride his bike down that hill and up the other side which I did..
That's when I knew he was really hurting.
We have no pictures of that--------but lot's of good video.










The road eased up to easy.
We had been traveling West for a long time now toward the Pacific ocean and just passed the El Coyote ranch we turned South.








I think the Melling Ranch was thru that gate---I went up for a look, but we weren't going that way.

Another extreme act of kindness was bestowed upon us here-------we were just stopped for a break and a
rancher pulled up in his pick up truck and was truly concerned if we needed some help and was obviously ready and
willing to help us out any way we could.

He asked if we had come from Mikes Sky Ranch on the washed out road----and couldn't believe we had gotten thru there.







We hit the pavement that goes from Hwy. 1 East to the Observatory but went West toward the ocean.
Scott was hanging in there and refused to give up the ride.

Getting really close to the Pacific ocean west of paved Hwy 1 we got on some sandy dirt roads and came buy this agricultural area.
I think we crossed Hwy 1 at a little town called La Providencia where we went North a bit and got gas at a Pemex.












Our first glimpse of the Pacific ocean------the smell was invigorating and the surf was really loud------pretty cool.
There was almost nothing out here.

I haven't been around the ocean much---so it always overwhelms me.





Except this lonely abandoned church.




We rode for a good 15 miles right along the ocean----picking are way around washed out roads and rideable
roads and were approaching a waypoint I had loaded in my gps called "shipwreck"
One of the main things I wanted to see while down here.
For quite a bit I was following a track log I got from Jonz----the trail or road had long been washed away in many places
and we were forced to travel more inland at first.









More in a bit

Still riding along the ocean I was looking for a place the guys back at Mikes Sky Ranch called "Pirates Cove" for you gringo's.
Or "La Cueva Del Pirata" -----to the experienced Mexico traveler who could speak Spanish------which was not us.
They told us we'd be here by lunch---but they had no idea how slow we were---and how the road was washed out---nor
how many times we'd crash---nor how many naps we took.

Between me and the guys at Mikes Sky Ranch we entered a waypoint into my gps by just kind of guessing where this place was. We was about a mile off----but I had no problemo finding it. Scott was ready for a comfy bed.






As we first approached Pirates Cove---the place kind of looked like somebody blew it up.
A closer inspection revealed the place was open for business--------but never finished---a re-occuring them in Baja
since all the dumb Gringo's are afraid to come down here ignoring the news casts and newspaper reports about all the murders, rapes, car jackings, people taken hostage,
stabbings, drugs, crack whores, robberies taking place in their own country---and in their own neighborhoods.
I personally kind of like this situation down here---nice and quiet---like it was quite a few years ago.









The restaurant was quite nice and we had great meal and were the only ones there.
Scott's not grumpy here----------he is hurting.







After our meal we aquired a nice room----500 peso's for a room with a view----400 for no view.
You see which we chose and I went back into the restaurant and got me and Scott a couple Tecate's.
We stayed out here till the sun set completely ---------and then some.







We had preferential parking for our bikes---I didn't ask------we just rode them up onto the outside deck.
What are they going to do--------throw their only customers out ????





















72 Miles for the day
Here is the route we rode today. A truly iron butt day



insert another cliffhanger
The next day we ride on.
But what would finally be the last straw for Scott
And this ride ???

I REALLY want to do this trip someday,

I just talked to Scott today and we agreed we are going back---the entire 3,000 mile route I had laid out was
going to be awesome---we'll finish it someday----------soon.


He never mentioned his ribs----or whether he ever went to the Doctor ???

BigDog

Now that I can see the pics, it changed from a good report to a GREAT report
Glad you're OK Scott

I really hope you can recover the information. Your site has a ton of great information and photos.

Scott, hope you heal up fast. Ribs hurt like all get out. Really enjoying the report you and Mark put together....as always.

Take care and hope to see you riding again soon.

Thanks Cannonshot!.....and 10Cup!...........It was just a Goofy tipover onto a pointed boulder on my side ribs!!......my pressure suit does not have any armour on the sides!!!.............we soldiered on.

Scott

Days 4 would take us from our Motel at Pirates Cove on the Pacific ocean South to the nice little town
Of El Rosario which is just a few miles from the Pacific.

Much to my surprise Scott was determined to keep riding and I never said to him--------but thought maybe he was soldiering on just for
me--------something------as his good friend-----I wouldn't let him do if I knew it. We had both went thru a lot of preperation to do this trip
but that didn't matter to me. In the following hours of riding I assured him if he couldn't go on that it was OK with me.
I think he knew that---but I made sure he knew that.



A better picture of Pirates Cove as we rode away "hasta la vista"








I wanted to get right down to the ocean and feel it----and hear it.
Looks like if that bank washes away----pirates cove will be in the ocean.
Maybe that's why they never finished it ?????







The weather had been perfect are whole trip-----today would be no different.
We would start off wearing a jacket and later remove it.
On top I was wearing a armored compression suit----and would never take it off.
Over that I would wear and old gortex MSR enduro jacket I've had for 20 years. I would remove it when I got hot.

I was wearing a brand spanking new pair of Sidi TA offroad boots (not waterproof)
Much more protective than my usual Sidi adventure rain boots (waterproof).
I don't care if my feet get wet when it's warm-----and a non-waterproof boot is cooler to wear in warm weather
and will dry out better if water gets in them------but it never rained-----I never got my feet wet anyway, even in the many creeks we crossed.

Taking off on a long ride with new boots is a bad idea---but I tested them out on a day ride before I left to make sure they wouldn't bother me-------I hoped------they were fine.

















From the ocean we rode East out to paved Mexican Hwy. 1 to Vicente Guerrero and got a really good tip from a local where to have
breakfast. The restaurant at Pirates cove didn't open up early enough for us.

The route I had laid out went East on a dirt road but we rode South a bit to here. But it was closed ------or so we thought.






The Restaurant Baja Fiesta had become another victim of the poor economy since the gringo's quit coming.
We had dis-mounted and were ready to leave when the nicest lady ran up to us from the place next door you see hear.
She fixed us a great outdoor breakfast with lots of coffee.
She spoke very good English and we had a hoot with her---everyone was just so friendly.
We ordered one breakfast burrito each----and she knew we'd want more and had another ready before we finished the first.
Really nice people------------don't know about the Starbucks sign ????
I think we may have gotten Starbucks coffee at Mexico prices.
Never thought I'd ever have coffee at Starbucks

Scott seemed fine and was in good spirits and we headed into a mountain preserve East of town and the riding was superb.







The route thru here was just dirt---no gravel or rocks---just dirt ---but there were a few nasty washouts worse than this one that kept you on your toes.









We had ridden about 12 miles and were both estatic about the riding. I was keeping an eye on Scott and asked at least twice if he was doing OK.
He was------and was a happy camper.
But when I got here at this neat little camp-------it was a long time before Scott showed up and I feared something was up.

Scott hadn't crashed----but got it a rut or something and tweaked his already broken ribs. The pain was unbearable for him ---and it was here
we decided to retreat---ride some easier stuff and try to give him some time to heal.
It would have been about 100 more miles of this terrain before hitting pavement again------or gas.








I don't think this bottle of Tequila would have helped his pain.







We headed back the same way----but I had dropped a waypoint on the way in of another trail heading back SouthWest-------for reference.
We used that waypoint and trail to get back to the highway---man I love GPS's.
All these little dirt roads were in my E32 gps maps I bought before we left.







We would head South to El Rosario on Mex 1 and get a good motel and some food and rest up.
Mi Casita---what a nice place------nice people---right beside the road in El Rosario.
The had a Pemex here and plenty of places to eat ---and plenty of hotels---the town had a very nice slow, hometown feel to it.
Nobody running around in a hurry---pushing and a shoving their way around.













I can't remember the name of our Motel--but it was nice for $400 peso's I think---about $32.
It was right next to the Pemex as we came into town from the North.










In the US--this room would bring $220 dollars in the right location.
The people running it waited on us hand and foot and would make sure everything was to our satisfaction.
The beds were huge---the biggest I ever slept in---and made out of solid wood---we marveled at the craftsmanship.
I tried to get Scott a job-------since he didn't have one. He is a bricklayer by trade and they were laying some floor tiles
and I tried to get him on to no avail.





89 miles for the day today
And here is a map of our route today.

Ho-chi-momma :eek1. This place looks fantastic! I thought it was all flat sand down there.

Put it on my "A" List.....with only one exception: No tierra ir cuando es muy caliente. Or something like that, my Spanish needs refreshing. I don't want to ride there when it's hotter than sin! The weather looks fantastic in January. And the lack of crowds even better.

I'm loving this RR....though so sorry Dingweeds got hurt. The pointed rock under the armpit routine is a major bummer. Happened to me in a Trials event once, and took 6 months for the soreness to go away. It hurt to even open an eyelid or turn my head. So, I feel your pain Scott. I had to stop and take some Advil, just to keep reading...

HF

Big Dog, Great report. Going to baja in 2 weeks. Do you know if you can ride west from the hot springs over to Laguna Hanson? We are riding GS1200's.

Big Spag

The Hot Springs are a dead in up into the mountains---there is lots of deep sand to get in there. There is no way close from the Hotsprings to get over those mountains to the West-----especially not on your bikes.

The only way for you is to go back North to the Highway then West and then south to Laguna Hanson-----Laguna Hanson has lot's of deep sand---you won't be happy on the big bikes.

Going South from the Hot springs and across the dry lake bed (laguna Salida)--------to Mex 5 (the way we went)----Then South on the pavement (Mex 5) and then West on the pavement (Mex 3) to access Laguna Hanson from the South is another way------but again ----you won't be happy in the deep sand and maybe some slick ass mud on Laguna Salida. We thought we would have never made it across Laguna Salida maybe 2 days before we went--------it was muddy and slick-----and it has rained a lot down there since we did it.

Smaller bikes are so much better in Baja----people do it on big bikes---------thousands of people do it------but doesn't make any difference--smaller bikes are much better. You will be avoiding all the good stuff----and have a hard or impossible time if you try it.

I'd rather ride my old clapped out KLR down there than a 1200GS. It's a much better bike for that stuff.

BigDog

El Rosario to Alfonsino's at Gonzaga Bay on the Sea Of Cortez





We had promised the gals back at the La Casita road side restaurant that we would be back for breakfast at 7AM when
they opened and they were there waiting for us. Their breakfast did not dissapoint us.
We ate outside on a picnic table as the weather was already georgous and tried to chat with the locals the best we could.







We rode a good 60 miles down paved Mexico 1 still skipping our planned route a bit--,making it easier on Scott. I re-routed an easier way and planned on re-joining our planned route
a bit down the road before turning off toward the Pacific ocean again where we would run along the mud flats right on the ocean.

I rode right passed the turnoff toward the ocean on purpose to get our tanks topped off.
We hoped for barrel gas in Catavina and there it was. Several people were trying to make a little money out here where there is a long
way between Pemex's on the paved road here. We were very glad to help them out and gave them a little extra.






These nice folks were selling the gas and helped us out a bit with some assurances of my routing and where it was taking us.







And it was here we met this fellow-----I'd guess you'd call him an ex-pat.
He lived in this town and had a ranch out in the boondocks with a full shop, welder and anything else you might need.
Before we left him he gave us some very good intel on our routing, offered his place to stay, and said if we needed anything repaired
he'd see to it that it got done. He had moved the exhaust system on his Toyota pickup and installed an extra gas tank and had
a 700 mile range----awesome. He was 80 years young and was a total hoot. He seemed lonely and we talked to him for an hour.
And before we left he helped me drop a waypoint in my gps of his ranch and he was astounded his ranch was not only
in my gps ----but had his full name on the ranch-----this was all from the Mexico E32 maps I had loaded. He liked to stay off the radar
as he put it and I'm not sure he liked that his place was designated on the map---it surprised me too. He had a place in New Mexico too.








So it was back to this sign---the sandy road would take us to the ocean---and I heard it was a mecca for surfing down this road.
Check out the crow in the picture.









I think it was about 40 miles to the Pacific ocean down this sandy road and it looks like we'd go thru a mountain range on the way.























We rode for miles on this sandy road------get your sand legs or go home.
Some of it was deep----we dialed our steering dampers up to a very high setting and pulled on the throttle.

Heading towards the Pacific ocean.










My favorite picture of the whole trip------my buddy Scott just tooling along having a great time in Baja.











I stopped to take a pee break---have a snack and let Scott catch up.
Scott dis-mounted and said his rear suspension was "wonky".

And inspection revealed what he already knew---his shock had blown a seal and discharged all of it's oil---so now he had no dampening on his rear suspension.
We probably sat here for an hour and thought about what to do. I pushed down on his seat to compress his suspension and it bounced up and down for quite a bit.
If you've never rode a dirt bike with a blown shock------------you can't.
It will buck you off and is miserable to try and ride even on the smooth pavement.
We both knew the trip was over here and just accepted it----relaxed a bit more ---had a snack ---a gatorade and rode back to the pavement
and I had worked out a plan in my head how to get back to the USA without retracing our route at all. I'd ridden the way I worked out before and
knew Scott would survive it with his blown shock and we would still get to see some neat stuff----meet Coco and camp on the Sea Of Cortex at an
awesome spot I knew of.

We went south a bit on Hwy 1 and turned Northeast on a rocky road I knew of that of that would take us to Coco---and if everything went right
we'd get there in the daylight. Despite me being told Coco was dead------I assure you he wasn't. Last time I saw him he had 1 1/2 legs---now he has none.
Sugar diabetes has taken them. I kind of thought we'd spend the night with Coco and camp here.





That is CoCos 4-wheeler------it was broke down a while back and I read about a guy that stopped in here and helped him fix it. He worked on it for hours---had to remove the carb I think and clean it.











He finally dis-mounted his 4-wheeler and kind of waddled like a penquin on his kneepads and walked into his little outdoor shack.













I mentiioned to Scott I knew of a really neat place to camp on the Sea Of Cortez and agreed to go there---although dark was fast approaching.
CoCo was not going to let us leave till we signed his guest book---it was very thick and very old----I suppose my name is in there from a few years ago.





We admired all the womens panties and bra's hanging from the ceiling.
Look under the motorcycle---------you'll see both of Coco's prostectic legs he can't use anymore.






I've got an old CoCo's corner sticker on my ratty old KLR------maybe I better keep that bike---it's been good to me.






If you ride this bike to anywhere in Mexico--you don't need a passport or anything.
They'll just wave you on thru

I told Scott to forget that gps gizmo and follow my tailight.
At the turnoff to Alfonsino's I paid for a palapa for the night ---130 Peso's.
And we filled up with gas at the Pemex on the dirt road and a really nice fellow fixed us a great big steak sandwich.
We loaded the sandwich's up with 2 cold beers (my limit is one) and headed to the beach to eat it and set up camp.
There was no wind------perfect temps as we ate and watched the sun go down behind us-----knowing it would ride
out in the ocean in the morning.







We were the only ones here---thanks to the many gringo's that won't come down here.






There were many birds out in the ocean making loud bird noises---that were actually very pleasing to the ear along with the soft sound of
the surf coming in.












I laid out my "Dingleweeds M-3000 Combo--Tarp---Bike Cover--Shelter--and Misc. Use".
We never go anywhere without these.






A hot steak sandwich and cold beer.
I usually drink about 5 beers a year-----I hit my quota on this trip and will have to wait till next year to have another.






ZZZZZZZzzzzzzZZZZZzzzzZZZZZZzzzZZZZZZZzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZzzzzzzzzzzzZZZZZZZZZZZzzzzZZZZ







About 195 miles for the day.
And here is the tracklog of the days riding.

I believe that hotel is Baja Cactus.

Thanks guys, I love Baja! Been down there on four wheels camping and kayaking for a month at a time. Would love to do it on two wheels. I have a 1200 gsa, way to big for that type of adventure. Your right, a smaller bike is perfect...Your guys know how to do it, keep up the good life!