HadesOmega's BARF Baja 2016 Ride Report

[HadesOmega]

Campfire time! It is getting really cold. I would have to say it got into the 50's at night. Not the most pleasant night of sleep.

And it sleep time, you see OaklandF4i getting some Zs here. A handful of people decide to sleep by the campfire. I should have moved my tent behind one of the buildings because it was CHILLY. Next year I will take my bigger sleeping bag. That's it for riding day 1!

Here is my ride report video of Day 1. Pretty much everything you just read in video format and some ride statistics and after action comments and reviews.
https://youtu.be/rqXhnpb6-Zk

 

[OaklandF4i]

 

[1962siia]

Nice Merlin! Next year I'm going to splurge the extra $10 for the cabana! This report is awesome, but dont stop now keep it going man! I'm looking forward to the San Borja ride but at this rate it wont be up until fall! JK man so happy and thankful for the documentation of this trip!

 

[HadesOmega]

Yeah sorry so busy lately, I try to do a post a day and I'm working on that Japan RR also. I may wind up doing what I did with the last one and skip the vids and do them later.

 

[HadesOmega]

DAY 2 - PSF TO EL ARCO TO SAN IGNACIO TO MULEGE

Its the second day of riding and look at what I wake up to!

These are our hosts for our stay at San Francisquito

Window of stickers

Here's what the facilities look like here

Everyone is getting ready to saddle up

There's an airfield back there

Bubbles ready for another day of riding.

The moon is greeting the sun

 

[HadesOmega]

Here's the tracks for Day 2. Its going to be a long day of dirt and slab riding, to include my favorite SAND highways! The route today is to leave PSF the way we came in and head towards El Arco. Then at that point we were going to decide if we were going to take the supersand route I took and kicked my ass last year or bail out and take a long graded dirt road to the highway. Then slab it to San Ignacio Rice and Beans. Have lunch and then slab it to Mulege. Me I'm down for whatever. Also I'd like to note myself and EricB are equipped with our GPSs and my tracks from last year, there's no way we can get lost right?

Here is Punta de San Francisquito our start point for Day 2. Also I never noticed it before if you look at the airfield it says PUNTA SAN FRANCISQUITO

Here I am ready to head out. Today I am leading an expedition that consists of myself, EricB, Ian, and Fran. We couldn't find Fran when we were ready to take off but he actually took off before us. We left before everyone because we were the SLOW-ER group and you'll find out why later on haha.

Soooo uh remember that super sandy driveway from yesterday, yep we gotta do it in reverse. Nothing like a super sandy driveway to help you get those dirt legs in the morning. So in this picture you see me going around the corner at not long after....

I see this! KTM ENDURO DOWN!

I manage to get off my bike without dumping it and help Ian get the KTM up.

Caught up to Eric and he wants me to get a photo of him in that boat there.

Ready to set off with the sun to our backs, gettin off to a slow start.

So I don't know what happened but I managed to get off the super sandy driveway and onto this less sandy road that runs parallel. You can see Ian took the other way. Just something in my brain told me pssst go the less sandy way haha.

Well that is short lived because it merges onto the supersandy driveway. Yeehaw!

Not long and I make it to the road.

EricB is waiting for us.

 

[HadesOmega]

Alright here we go we're pretty much just backtracking from yesterday until we have to turn onto another road that will take us to El Arco.

Off we go

Same long dirt roads as yesterday

So we found Fran! Apparently he left before us. After awhile he disappears again our group is just too slow for him. We don't see him until San Ignacio later on. How is it an old dude on a monster R1200GS beat 3 dudes on bikes half the size?

Giddyup!

I'm riding sweep *yawn

Oh yeah choppy! It's like a sandbox!

 

[HadesOmega]

So this is like a repeat of earlier. I'm slowly going around the corner because its BLIND and SUPRISE!

Ian looks a little frustrated

I stop ahead and help Ian get the KTM backup and surprisingly enough another KTM comes around the corner. I yell and wave that there's someone here. IT'S DMITRY! With Lunchbox not too far behind him.

Yeah probably not the best place to take a break.

Dmitry and Lunchbox take off. I told them we'd be kinda slow we're only going like 35mph so they should definitely pass us.

On the road again moving pretty good now.

So uh EricB has pointed out that this is not the rightway we should go. Somehow I thought it was this turn that was where the sign was but it's not we actually missed it like a mile back. Even with the GPS I managed to lead us astray. I zoom in a whole lotta on it and realize hey he's right! So back we go!

 

[HadesOmega]

Video of the first section the Sandy Driveway out of PSF video. It was an adventure going in and now it's an adventure leaving PSF.
https://youtu.be/FwOfKivY2nQ

 

[HadesOmega]

Alright so we've back tracked and we're back on track. This section I like to call Sand Highway because that's basically what it is. Its a long straight stretch of deep loose sand that you can just bomb right through. I ride only as far as I can see but in this case I can see pretty damn far.

Yeehaw bring on the Sand Highway! The DR just eats this right up. I kept it at about 35mph and if it got squirrelly I sped up to 45-50MPH. I remember last year I did this at 50mph but I didn't know how to slow down in the sand yet it was so sketchy haha. This year the since I pushed the forks up the bike is a bit more stable on the sand!

These cacti were playing games with my eyes. I kinda got freaked out because of the shadow the cactus cast looked kind of like a tripwire of some sort.

Stopping to see if those guys are ok on this patch of hard sand. Seems like they're fine they're not moving very fast though.

Moving right along on the sand highway.

Hey's what this!? Its Aarons straps but I'm going to fast to stop and pick em up. Plus I don't want those guys to plow me. Luckily Eric picks them up later.

And that's the end of the Sand Highway. This is probably the longest stretch of deep sandy straightaway there is.

 

[HadesOmega]

I stop here and wait for Ian and Eric. They are taking their sweet time. Good time to bust out the camera because this is a epic shot with the sand highway and the cactus in the background.

Ian rollin up, I ask him how it was and he says it was awesome.

Like 20 minutes later EricB comes rolling along. He needed to adjust his luggage and he picked up Aaron's straps.

 

[SFMCjohn]

Alright so we've back tracked and we're back on track.

I think if you keep going straight west
you come out in the same place ...
narrow and really deep (bottomless) sand ...
I'm sure you guys took a look down that
way where the road turns north ...
the part heading west where you turned around
has been part of the Baja 1000 in
the past, so I'm told ...

... great pics and ride report!

 

[OaklandF4i]

Hah! Love this photo of me. This is the definition of cowboy camping!

 

[HadesOmega]

Oh yeah I looked at the google earth map and it does indeed meet up with the Sand Highway. Really deep sand huh I think I will pass on that one if I could.

Haha glad you like that photo CJ

 

[HadesOmega]

Alright continue on the Sand Highway a little bit and we get to some stuff that not straight and it starts going up. I'm back on sweep watching Ian.

More sandiness

This is a fun section, some nice little twists and goes up.

In this section surprise its pavement! I think they put this in to make this section more passable in the wet weather. I love how they work on the road just enough so its barely passable right?

Nice little technical hillclimbing section

 

[HadesOmega]

Moving right along I'm following Ian on this short straight sorta sandy section.

EricB stopped on the side and waved us by so I guess he'll be the sweep. So what does that mean? I get to pass Ian and ride lead.

After goosin it I come upon this dip. The Cactus Punchers overly stiff front suspension makes the rear end almost bottom on this.

Good thing I passed Ian because there is this long striaght sandy highway section. Look at the YES ITS DEEP! And the Cactus Puncher takes it like a Pro!

Onward!

Some climbin

A nice sandy S turn, good thing I slowed down a bit and slid the bike through a bit.

Turn around the corner and what do I see a CACTUS FOREST!

 

[HadesOmega]

So I'm turning the corner and I see this cactus forest I just gotta stop and take pictures. It'll give time for those dudes behind me to catch up because I've been flyin! These pictures pretty much sum up Baja's sandy cactus adventures!

Ian comes around the corner

Well that's embarrassing! So I'm here posted up getting ready to take pictures. Ian comes around the corner. I turn my head to get Eric when he comes by and Ian comes to a stop and dumps the 690enduro breaking part of the lever off in the process.

So what do I do snap another picture this is great stuff! arty

Hear comes EricB no drama though!

Helping Ian get the 690enduro up on its feet.

 

[HadesOmega]

Here is a video of the previous section till now more awesome desert riding!
https://youtu.be/edDCuBBZLIg

 

[HadesOmega]

Alright not too much left to go till we get to El Acro.

Just riding through the cactus forest.

Not to far ahead I take a picture of this great desert view.

Not too long and Ian shows up. I kind of brief him on that its going to more sandy up ahead. You'll see in a bit but I think something came in and graded the sand or something because it's not nearly as sandy as last year. We were like swimin in it last year.

A little further down the road norcalslowpoke is taking a break. He gets a couple shots of me and Ian. I stop for a bit to let them catch up they're going a bit slow. These picture courtesy of norcalslowpoke.

 

[HadesOmega]

Onward, some deep sand and fallen giant cacti pictured here.

Moo moos coming up ahead!

Greeting the Moo moos as they clear the way. The little one kinda got confused and stayed there for a bit.

Continue on after passing that rancho, can you tell there were cows here?

Another long straight sandy road, you can tell it runs along this fence that goes to this ranch.

Going up

Going down

And going up again

Looks like if I got thatta way there's a ranch there.

So I kinda got lost. I'm following my tracks and I see that last year we headed straight ahead here instead of veering to the right. It looks much shittier err harder going that way though. So I turn around and wait for everyone else.

Ian shows up and I tell him we're suppose to go this way and wait for Eric so he knows.

Off I go yeah it looks pretty jacked up but its not as bad as it looks.

The deep sand disappears and its gets a little rocky.

Heading out into the cactus forest again.

Look at this cactus it looks like he's ready to box! It's like "Come at me bro!"

Then I find out that other road just goes back to this road haha.