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baja Burbventure International Wheelin - cooking On Camp Fire - Photo 48289257

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  • We spent a final night camping near Calamajue Canyon and feasted on burgers and brats over a fire and under headlamps. It would be northbound the following day and back to the daily grind, but for now we were living like low-buck kings and queens. We had barely scratched the top of Baja, and there was so much more to see south of us that we promised ourselves another trip in the future.
We spent a final night camping near Calamajue Canyon and feasted on burgers and brats over a fire and under headlamps. It would be northbound the following day and back to the daily grind, but for now we were living like low-buck kings and queens. We had barely scratched the top of Baja, and there was so much more to see south of us that we promised ourselves another trip in the future.
131 1304 01+baja burbventure international wheelin+suburban side shot When I first brought home the CheapBurban and was cleaning out the carpet and garbage from prior owners I found 7 pesos in coins in the dash. I wondered if the Burb had ever been to Mexico, and I decided that it should go someday. The Burb was mostly as I had left it off last month with new 1-ton axles and a fresh clutch (“Got 74s?” Mar. ’13). I did cobble together a quick spare tire mount, and Mickey Thompson outfitted our entire group with tires. The Burb is on 315/70R17 Baja Claw TTC tires (about 35 inches tall) on Classic 3 aluminum wheels. This tire and wheel combo was much lighter than the steel wheels I ran previously. Ned Bacon and Kat Wiechert were in their ’84 GMC Jimmy. Their truck has a 305 V-8, a 700R4 automatic, and an 208 transfer case. They also had an Offroad Design shackle flip kit and taller front leaves to clear 33x12.50R15 Mickey Thompson Baja MTZs. Ned had the most Baja experience, so he led our troupe over some cool roads and trails with no major problems save some overheating on the sandy beaches. Stephen and Miranda Watson came in the Offroad Design ’99 GMC 2500, a truck that has been on multiple Ultimate Adventure trips. The big-block 454, swapped in front Dana 60 axles, and 37-inch MTZs all made short work of the Baja backroads. The ARB rooftop tent was their accommodations for the weekend. Phil Raymond’s ’73 Volvo C303 isn’t a GMC, but it is boxy, so it sort of fit the theme. The straight-six Volvo was definitely underpowered compared to the GM V-8s, but it tagged along behind us and had the full amenities inside for easy living off the Baja beaten path. Phil has an assortment of gear, radio equipment, and Mickey Thompson MTZs on his special portal axle wheels. We crossed the border in Tecate and made our way down to Ensenada for the prerace contingency. Contingency is a madhouse of spectators and race cars as the vehicles are crept through a parade and into tech inspection. It’s cool if you want to get up close to the high-performance race cars about to battle across Baja. It’s not cool if you are looking for a peaceful uncrowded vacation. After escaping the mobs at contingency we visited a local icon, Husongs. This little saloon is an original in Ensenada. We were quickly serenaded by a true mariachi. Getting tired of the city life, we bolted down along the race track to camp out for the night and find a place to watch race trucks whiz by the next day. We found a great spot about 60 miles from Ensenada and got to enjoy the thrill of mad-motored race machines buzzing by at incredible speeds. The race course changes every year, so having a copy of the course and at least one quality GPS with the course programmed is a good idea. Also stay off the course during the race, as these trucks are on a mission to win.
We were finally ready to ditch modern civilization and megadollar race machines for some Baja R&R, so we left the race course and headed to San Felipe. But before we made it far, the CheapBurban limped to the side of the road and died. I climbed under the hood to diagnose and found no spark coming from the old cap and rotor. With daylight fading we hooked the Bubba Rope and had an exciting tow behind the Watsons’ 2500 into Pete’s Camp just north of San Felipe. With no parts available that night we hit the hay and awoke to a breakfast of Mexican omelets and fresh coffee. We headed into San Felipe to repair the truck. We don’t recommend towing around town behind a tow strap, but in Baja this seemed the norm. We replaced the distributor cap, rotor, coil, and plug wires, and the Burb sprang back to life for more adventure. We quickly escaped San Felipe’s urban grunge and headed to the Sea of Cortez coast. The Mickeys were aired down, and we cruised miles of beaches heading south to Puertecitos. The Burb was running great, as was the Watsons’ 454. Ned was wishing for a bigger radiator because his little 305 kept getting hot, and Phil finally opted to pull off the sand for a less strenuous route on the highway, meeting us at the beach’s end. We zoomed down the road and hit solid dirt coming into Gonzaga Bay (Bahia San Luis Gonzaga), where we feasted on the best fish tacos at Alfonsina’s. Fish so fresh it was probably swimming that morning! We heard stories about how the old road used to be dirt all the way north to San Felipe but was quickly being paved. If you like dirt you better visit Baja soon before it becomes coated in asphalt. We awoke the next morning on the beach and celebrated the birthdays of multiple people in our group with a surfside breakfast. This was when we were all finally in “Manana time.” That’s when you stop worrying about where you’re going and decide to just slow down and enjoy Baja. The sand was in our toes and our trucks, and we all just enjoyed the day. Eventually sitting got boring, so we loaded up and headed south via a dirt two-track Ned had found years before from Punta Final to Calamajue Canyon. The trucks were locked in low range, and we clawed our Baja tires over the rocky trail. We spent a final night camping near Calamajue Canyon and feasted on burgers and brats over a fire and under headlamps. It would be northbound the following day and back to the daily grind, but for now we were living like low-buck kings and queens. We had barely scratched the top of Baja, and there was so much more to see south of us that we promised ourselves another trip in the future.
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