Baja Adventure 2008

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pappy

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Too far north. Too far east.
Yep, I'm planning for next year. Like previous trips I'll open this up HDC folks who might be up for an adventure. I do have one other MUD fella that is interested. Right now it sounds like we will be exploring beaches from the Baja state line north to just above Bahia de Los Angeles on the Sea of Cortez side. I've become aware of a remote beach I want to explore north of LA Bay, and Chris has a few beaches near San Francisquito he wants to check out.

I usually go the middle two weeks of March. Think about it.

Jon
 
Any possibility of timing it with the APS spring break?
 
Any possibility of timing it with the APS spring break?

Greg,

I can't. My boss has dibbs on Spring Break so she can vacation with her kids.

how expedition ready does one need to be?

Define "expedition ready?"

You must be self contained and able to live out of your truck for extended time. The ability to carry extra fuel is a plus. I have 30 gallons on board, plus 5 gallons on the bumper. Usually it's not an issue and the NATO can on the bumper doesn't come off. This trip, it was needed.

A 12v fridge is a great idea, but not necessary. Ice is available. The problem is it might not be available when you need it. There is a compromise here. Ice chests can provide water used for bathing and washing dishes. A fridge requires you carry extra water. A second battery will also relieve some anxiety, though having a buddy along with jumper cables helps too.

The ability to air down and up is important. I almost always consume a full 10lb CO2 tank, or at least come close.

I think the bottom line is your truck must be ready. It must be 100%. You don't need monster lift, large tires, and lots of armor. But, just about anything you do to improve your performance in Moab will have a positive benefit in Baja. It needs to be capable, without sacrificing too much comfort. Having worn street tires is a script for doom. Baja will eat poor condition, or poor quality tires. Some folks carry two spares. I'm content with one and a patch kit. In my last 5 trips neither have been needed.

Also, looking at a calendar, I'm planning on March 6-23, 2008 (Thursday - Sunday) realistically coming back on Friday, March 21st.
 
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Bringing this back to the top. I had a coworker remind me it's six months away. The countdown has started.
 
For the most part, yes. It would depend on the destination. Mission Santa Maria would be a challenge getting out, but I'm sure it could be done, even if you needed a tug. Ensenada Grande might be scary going down, and a challenge getting out. It involves driving across a narrow ridge, then making a sharp right turn down a steep slope. This was a drug beach so I’m not sure I want to go back (except the fishing was great).

I’m currently working on where I want to go, and so far a trailer is not a problem, except for maybe Santa Maria.
 
Counting down. Baja here I come.
BajaMarch06.webp
 
Dos mas ...
oenothera_sm.webp
santamaria_sm.webp
 
Counting down. Baja here I come.

Jon,
I heard on TV that the drug dealers are killing gringos again. Found a family of 3 on a remote beach with their throats cut just a few weeks ago. Not much left after the buzzards finished with them.

Don't worry though... I'm sure you'll be OK. Can I have da 40 if you don't come back? :D

-Mike-
 
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Shame you can't legally pack heat when you cross the border!
 
Baja Adventure

Just be aware that Mexico is not a friendly country towards Americans.

Sophisticated Mexican groups plot abductions



By Tony Manolatos
UNION-TRIBUNE STAFF WRITER


February 6, 2008


Organized, well-financed and violent Mexican kidnapping cells are targeting a growing number of U.S. citizens visiting communities popular with San Diegans and other California residents.


Last year, at least 26 San Diego County residents were kidnapped and held for ransom in Tijuana, Rosarito Beach or Ensenada, local FBI agents overseeing the cases said yesterday. In 2006, at least 11 county residents had been kidnapped in the three communities.
“Some of the 26 were recovered, some were hurt and some were killed,” said agent Alex Horan, who directs the FBI's violent-crime squad in San Diego.
“It's not a pleasant experience. Victims have reported beatings, torture and there have been rapes. . . . Handcuffs and hoods over the head are common,” he said.
When contrasted to the 40 million border crossings made every year at the San Ysidro Port of Entry, the kidnapping numbers are small. Most of the victims have business interests or family members in Mexico.
But authorities said anyone planning to visit Mexico should be cautious.
Kidnapped
The number of San Diego County residents kidnapped in Tijuana, Rosarito Beach and Ensenada rose sharply last year:
2008: 2

2007: 26

2006: 11

2005: 10

Source: FBI San Diego office



“I would certainly be concerned,” Horan said.

The U.S. Consulate in Tijuana issued a travel advisory last week that said U.S. citizens living and traveling in Mexico should be extra vigilant.

Gunfights and other violence linked to drug cartels have increased in Baja California, and more Mexican citizens have been kidnapped lately.

While some of the groups suspected of kidnapping Americans are connected to drug trafficking, most aren't, Horan said.

He described the kidnapping groups as sophisticated operations similar to terrorist cells, each with a boss and clear divisions of labor. Usually, one group is involved in scouting, another carries out the kidnapping, a third holds the victim and a fourth handles the ransom.

“They know who they're going after. I think they have a list,” Horan said. “These are kidnapping cells. . . . That's what they do. They do kidnappings all year long.”

While the FBI wouldn't say what the ransom demands are, or how often they're paid, agents said money is driving the increase.

“This is not about terrorizing people or retaliating. This is about making money, and obviously this is good business for them,” Horan said.

The scenario that fits about 90 percent of the FBI's kidnapping cases starts with a middle-class family with no criminal ties, who live in communities such as Chula Vista, San Diego and National City.

The family typically owns a business in Mexico and has relatives there. At least one family member, usually a man in his 40s, makes several personal and professional trips across the border.

While driving in Mexico, this person is pulled over by as many as 10 people posing as police.

They're carrying weapons, wearing vests and using police jargon. Within a minute or two, someone is shoving a hood over the victim's head and dragging him into a vehicle. His car is left on the side of the road.

“We've had victims held for days to months,” Horan said.

Not every victim is Hispanic, but there have been “very few cases where a tourist is targeted at random,” said Eric Drickersen, who supervises the FBI's border liaison office in San Diego.

Some of the kidnappings go unreported because people fear retribution, Drickersen said.

Ransom demands are almost always made over the phone. The cross-border communication gives the FBI its jurisdiction. But the agents need authorization from Mexican authorities before they can carry out an operation across the border.

Mexican authorities have been helpful, their U.S. counterparts said.

“They're cooperating, but we would like them to do even more,” Drickersen said.

A week ago, Mexican authorities rescued two female real estate agents who were being held in a Tijuana neighborhood. The women were kidnapped Jan. 19 by three men after showing a property in southern Tijuana, the Baja California Attorney General's Office said in a statement.

The men called in a ransom demand of $350,000, the statement said. Family members negotiated a payment of $27,000 and dropped off the cash, but the women weren't released.

Baja California state agents tracked down the vehicle used to pick up the cash. The driver led authorities to the women, and three men were arrested.

Both women are Mexican citizens, although one is married to a U.S. resident. She and her husband live in Chula Vista
 
Not every victim is Hispanic, but there have been “very few cases where a tourist is targeted at random,” said Eric Drickersen, who supervises the FBI's border liaison office in San Diego.

I'm not saying it is safe.. but it seems this article was suggesting that most of these where well planned, targeted kidnappings, rather than random kidnapping.

Be safe, and if anything looks suspicious, pack up and leave. Remember, no where is safe.
 

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