1 Winter Roadtrip Time! To Baja California Sur, Mexico, and back. Tue Jan 16, 2024 6:03 pm
Two Wheels Better
Moderator
On the 8th or 9th of February, I will swing a leg over the bike and head south and possibly west towards the coast, if snow and ice are forecast. If not, I'll go straight south over the Siskiyou range in southern Oregon. From there, it's into NorCal and away down the valley, at least to the Bay area, before heading to the coast along California's Highway 1, a road I've not ridden in some years, south of San Francisco. That does depend on whether winter storms haven't caused the roadway or bridges to slip into the sea, a relatively frequent occurence.
Highway 5, south of the eastern coast of Baja town of San Felipe, has been being paved through and over the mountains to Highway 1 at Chapala, since early 2020, and has now been fully sealed as of late 2023. In the past it was always a GS or dualsport road, or one for 4WD, and a part of the famed Baja 1000 route. I prefer that route following the coastline along the Gulf of California, over the main north/south highway (1) from Tijuana or Ensenada, where most of the population are. At mid-peninsula San Ignacio, there's a vast salt water bay, appropriately named Bahia de San Ignacio, where Grey Whales (ballinas gris) migrate during the winter months to calf, because it's calm water, and very salty, which allows the 900lb babes to float more easily while they nurse them for the long splash back up the coast to the Arctic.
Tho' this is not my image, I did this back in about 2005 or '06.
"San Ignacio, ......of sand. Where sorrow laughs and love sighs." On the wall of a B'n'B in San Ignacio. Can any of our Spanish speakers translate "comanance"?
Near La Paz, on the Gulf of California side.
Back then one paid about $20 for a couple of hour boat ride out into the gulf, where baby greys would sidle up to the edge of the boat, the 'piloto' would turn off the motor, and one could rub the wetsuit-like skin of the amazingly gentle creature. As it happened a recently graduated marine biologist was onboard the tour. She narrated, as the local captain had limited English, and there were folk from all over the globe anyway. She explained when I asked where the mother was, "Look overboard on the other side." There, at 20 or so feet down was a 50 foot-long grey floating beneath us. "One hint of distress from her calf and she'll rise." was her warning, said with a smile. It was incredible! Someone back on shore later on said they'd counted nearly 50 adult greys in the bay that day alone.
Highway 1 near Tres Virgenes (Three Virgins, extinct volcanoes) a few kilometres west from Santa Rosalia.
Coastal scene, south of Santa Rosalia, BCS.
Huts and cabins along the beach south of Mulege.
I expect to camp and stop in a 'hotel economico' once in a while. A long-time mate is travelling down by car through Mexico to his home in Nacaragua now, and tells me he's still finding $10 hotels in small coastal towns. I expect the Baja peninsula will be higher on average due to its locale and access for gringos from California, el norte. I am not a resort sort of traveller. Camping on a hammock under a palapa (grass roofed hut) at the water's edge suits me.
South of Mulege on my K1200S back on November of 2005.
A view from a bluff looking south towards La Paz.
I'm obtaining medical and the moto's travel insurance (Baja Bound & GeoGlobe-something or other) now. It's quite reasonable given the inherent dangers of riding in Mexico. I was down there in the northern state of Baja back in 2017, but haven't been back since. Roll on sunshine and warmth!
Empty beaches for miles!
Last edited by Two Wheels Better on Thu Feb 15, 2024 1:06 am; edited 1 time in total
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