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BAJA CALIFORNIA (MEXICO), a real Off-Road Adventure (especially with Jeeps)

This is a pics-series about our 1999 spring break Baja adventure. I was helping my good friend Werner who runs an off-road adventure operation based on good old American Jeeps. Sorry no Unimogs this time. Next time I'm gonna be there with my 416 Diesel Monster. I ain't gonna shovel rocks around, so that I won't slide on my pumpkins (diffs) all over the virtually non existing road, etc...

baja01.jpg (9995 bytes) Convoy !!!

It all starts near the US border in Mexico, between Tecate (great beer) and Mexicali.

About 30 miles south and west of a dry salt lake you find the Guadalupe canyon. Palm trees and hot springs in the middle of a rocky desert. baja02.jpg (19646 bytes)
baja03.jpg (25487 bytes) I love palm trees, especially lots of them and surrounded by rocks. There is a creek flowing trhough the middle of them.
The overflow of a hot spring in the foreground. The water is finally feeding the palm trees again. baja04.jpg (21926bytes)
baja05.jpg (17602 bytes) How does this sound as the right camping spot ??? Back in the palm trees a hot spring to relax in.
This is the close up of the hot spring. A little improved with concrete, so that the hot water stays inside. baja06.jpg (16168 bytes)
baja07.jpg (11857 bytes) Another dry river bed. Lost about 30 miles south and still west of the dry salt lake. In search of another valley with more palm trees and hot springs.
We finally found it. Another day in paradise. Can you see the road. Don't worry, it wasn't too clear to us either. baja08.jpg (19536 bytes)
baja09.jpg (19947 bytes) How does this hit you as the next camping environment. I love it. This is not like canyon De Guadalupe, there is no one around here, guaranteed !!!
Yes at the beginning of April, with an Arctic cold front over Northern California. This is the place to be. Sunny and warm Baja California. baja10.jpg (20428 bytes)
baja11.jpg (20016bytes) The camp. That's it, do I have to explain more ??? Back to basics, peace and lots of sunshine.
You will find a lot of different cactus plants all over the place. Just don't get too close. The rocks in the background make this the classic Baja picture. baja12.jpg (25857bytes)
baja13.jpg (18233 bytes)
Son Vincent is a good measurement to estimate the size of a local organ pipe cactus. He's 6' 3" tall.
Here a few blossoms on the top of a barrel cactus. This particular cactus was about 4' in size.
baja14.jpg (20538 bytes)
baja15.jpg (31521 bytes) Sorry, but I have to present this picture as large as it is. The rocks, the palm trees, the blue sky, the right place to be in winter. About 5 more miles and you have personal hot springs all for your self. Unfortunately did the Jeeps not manage the remainder of what was once a road. Unimogs next time, for sure.
One more classic picture. What a panorama. I can hardly wait for winter 1999 / 2000 for my next Baja adventure. baja16.jpg (21190 bytes)
baja17.jpg (19158bytes) Well, as I said, there is water. That's the road to freedom, slow and rocky, but at the end it's worth it.
I guarantee your that we where the only humans within a 50 mile radius. I wish, I would be there again, right now if I only could. baja18.jpg (18149 bytes)
baja19.jpg (16723 bytes) Rocks, sand, some flowers and blue sky. Here with some clouds. Actually, there was some rain in the mountains in the far back.
Well, again, please let me introduce "The Road". A couple of minutes later it started to rain real hard and the road was no longer climbable with our Jeeps. baja20.jpg (24435 bytes)
baja22.jpg (30769 bytes) Once again, through a forest of palm trees. This time we had to make sure to not get stuck in the mud between the trees. The ground was very soft, every where. As you can see, grass, dry palm leaves on the ground and lots of water, which is not too obvious in this picture.
Take a close look at the rear wheel. We really made an effort to go fast through the mud. You just cant risk to get stuck. We had plenty of trees, but no winch. baja23.jpg (21450bytes)
baja21.jpg (17185bytes) Back on the road again. Really, that's a nice sandy road. compared to other parts of our trip.
A short stop. I had to fix a clutch linkage on the red J10, which broke right there. You can also see our scout three wheeler. It was the only thing which made it to the hot springs in the 2nd canyon. baja24.jpg (13983 bytes)
baja25.jpg (9456 bytes) That's the sceene right next to the salt flat. Al you have to do is go south, straight as can be.
At the local camp spot in San Felipe. A few abandoned beach houses, sand and the Sea of Cortez (golf of California) in the background. baja26.jpg (9484 bytes)

This is the place to rest after some of the off road adventures in Baja California. The beach 5 miles north of San Felipe Mexico.

baja27.jpg (12838 bytes)

 

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