Ouray to Cabo: We don’t need no stinkin’ plan.

And so it began a 3k-mile/21-day adventure across the Sonoran Desert by two middle-aged guys traversing the entire Baja Peninsula on KTM 500 Six Days, appropriately named Pepe and El Gringo. We were packed with minimum payloads and completely unsupported. We had yet to decide what to expect; only we wanted to make it to Cabo San Lucas and back to Yuma, AZ, where we started the adventure.

Jason and I live in Ouray, Colorado, and we are both professionals seeking something to spice up life --Baja looked like just the ticket. So we planned for this ride a year in advance, researching, talking with Baja veterans about what to expect, and dialing in gear and the machines in hopes that everything would pay off.

Here's a sticker our guardian angel, Michael, made for us about five days deep into the trip. More on Michael later when I introduce him when the story gets to San Quintin. As I look back and mentally unpack 21 days in Baja, this damn sticker makes me laugh harder every time I look at it.

Let's say Michael has a great sense of humor and a total inspiration.

We trailered the bikes from Ouray to Yuma, spent the night, and decided to cross the border at Los Algodones after advice from Jason's Uncle who lives in Yuma. Our original plan was to cross at San Louis, Rio Colorado, but we heeded the advice of family, and getting into Baja was uneventful.

The first night's destination was Mike's Sky Ranch. Looking back, I regret that decision. It was a dump and expensive. It would be fun with a big group in the summer, but we were the only ones there, and it was cold; the generators ran for only four hours in the evening, ample time to recharge the Cardos, phones, and GPS communicators. I think what sucked was no hot water and toilets that didn't flush.

Enough of the blah, blah, blah... let's get to the pics.

This is the road to Mike's Sky Ranch. We didn't realize until we turned off Mex 3 that it was also the Baja 1K race course. Bonus. The sand kicked our ass. You can see the footprints where Jason picked up his bike, El Gringo.

I'm a sucker for photographing cool architecture, and this place left a lot to imagine halfway to the final destination for the night.

Snow was rolling in, and the cloud cover reminded me of the monsoon season in Colorado. So, stop, dig out the Sony Alpha (A7), and get a cool shot. Pepe looks good posing. I also love to shoot roads as leading lines. The Upshift hat was props to the boys for hooking me up with a shitload of stickers before the trip. I love the hat, but it was a casualty of the trip.

Pepe and El Gringo parked at Mike's. Honestly, I wouldn't let my dog swim in that pool, but that's okay..I don't own a dog. We got in late, had dinner and a few Pacificos, and slept on the bed. Not in the bed.. It was that bad. Again, I could see how it would be different with a big group in the summer or something.

That's it for day one. I'll keep posting until all the pics are shared, and the story is down in the digital world.

Many will recognize this and guess where we landed at the end of Day 2.

Our original plan for leaving Mike's Sky Ranch was to continue to climb up toward the observatory. Living in Colorado, we recognize low cloud cover and the potential for snow, and that's what we woke up to. We had no choice but to backtrack to Mex 3, which meant riding the race course in reverse. Something we didn't want to do, but we did. Our new plan ( and if you ride Baja, it seems like most days are "new plans") was to ride the 31 miles back to the main road, head over to Trinidad for fuel, and pick up a route I had remembered from planning back in the States. It was brilliant.

Fuel in Trinidad, and we picked up a beautiful route that led us southwest toward Mex One. Being a fan of Sterling Noren I had remembered he stayed at a place called Coyote Cal's somewhere in the area so Jason and I dropped a pin for Erindera and decided to check it out. It was one of the best moves we made.

Let's get on with the pics...

We made it to the Pacific Ocean, a sight I had not witnessed since a kid living in California. I tell ya' something magical about the Pacific. It is just mesmerizing. The stoke was high.

When we landed, the owner, Rick (Cal's son) had a well-versed routine. He poured a beer, gave us the spiel about how the system at Cal's worked and sent us downstairs to the hostel area. Rick had mentioned another crew was due to roll in later in the evening and little did we know how close to home that group would hit us. There was only one other rider there, Chris from Mass., who was wrapping up a huge trip across the TAT and thru Baja on his DR650. Chris was awesome and we ended up staying another day to ride and work off a hangover from running into this guy...(next pic)

Dusty Wessels from West 38 MOTO. He comes to Ouray every year, but we have never met. I've watched all his videos and felt like I kinda knew him. After introducing ourselves and sharing we were from Ouray and we shared a mutual friend, "Whiskey John" , it was game on! Dusty is a total animal. He had the bar for 3 hours, bought our dinner, and was just a total class act. We love ya' Dusty, and thanks for the Margs and Cigars!

Jason and I were in total heaven here. The camaraderie of the riding culture was exceptional. It was quite a night.

The bar at Coyote Cal's. I love a good watering hole. This place is special, and I highly recommend staying with Rick and the crew if in the area. You won't regret it.

Sunset from Cal's over the Pacific.

Sunrise the following day. Out in the distance was Punta Colonet. Rick had suggested to me, Chris, and Jason we ride over there for lunch and come back. About 50 miles each way. We could follow the race course and have a fun day hitting the beach and just fuck off and act like children. Sounded perfect. We had to say goodbye to Dusty and his crew, so we were just three.

In retrospect, it was one of the best days in Baja. Just a stunning ride.

Jason on the left, Chris in the middle, and yours truly.

We spent two nights total at Cal's and can't wait to visit again. Chris and I text back in the States and hope to ride with him again someday. The people you meet in the moto community are pretty damn special. It's like you have known them all your life. This brings me to the next character in the story- Michael changed the entire dynamic of the trip...for the better.

Off to San Quintin, where this guy joins the story line. I'm not sure Jason and I will ever be the same.

Okay, let's carry on to San Quintin. This is where the story starts to get interesting. We left Coyote Cals following the same route as the previous day, passed Puente Colonet, and then picked up the coast route again after fuel. It was a fantastic route, stopping a few times to soak it all in and watch dolphins play in the surf right off the coast. San Quintin was on the route, and to borrow a term from rally racing, it was meant to be a liaison stage in the route south. It was way more than that after we landed at the Old Mill. A place Dusty from West38Moto suggested we stay, and it was spot on.

I had heard about this "Hawaii Style" coast, but it's hard to appreciate until you see it for yourself. The encampments in the distance are impromptu fishing outfits. Many people who fish like this come from bigger places like Ensenada and Tiajuana to earn coin. The route, which also happens to,
stretches on like this to Camalu. To get here, look for a road just south of Colonet that heads to the coast and look for a small village called Punta San Telmo.

Here's a crude map... the next image. Just follow the coast.

If you travel this and find my Upshift hat and Giant Loop Armadillo Bag lying out there, grab them for me. Sum Bitch do I miss them.

Ironically it was at this point yours truly forgot to button down the closure of my Giant Loop Bag. Yup, like a dumbass slapped my helmet on grabbed the gloves, and headed out. At least all the shit in my bag didn't get lost. Velcro closure did its job.

This dog paid us a visit, as did about a thousand other dogs on the trip. He was smart enough not to try and chase us and bite my boots. It became almost comical to watch dogs try and bite my MX boots. Sometimes I would even slow down to fuck with them. Not a tooth stuck in the Garne Boots tho...tuff little bastards, those dogs in Baja.

We made it to San Quintin and the Old Mill for the night. This pose became a regular for me, I'm surprised I didn't get the nickname " Ol' One Hand" from almost always holding a Tecate when not on the bike....and the good stuff. The red Tecate, not that blue "Light" shit. This is making me thirsty...be right back...Here's something for the thread update-intermission..

The digs at the Old Mill were spot on. We found that getting an excellent room in places we called "Gringo Land" was between 60-100 bucks a night. They were safe, the Motos didn't need to be locked or covered, and we never had to leave the grounds. That building behind Jason was our place for the night. Right on the water.

Late evening on the bay right by our Motos. Stunning place.

I will start a new post for the next part of the San Quintin story. Not sure how many pics are allowed in a single post so.....

When we landed at the Old Mill and got unpacked and changed into street clothes it wasn't long before a Husky 450 and a classic dune buggy rolled up. Does anyone remember Speed Buggy from back in the day? That's what it reminded me of. Anyways, we walked over to chat with them, you don't see many KTMs or Husky bikes in Baja so we were curious. They introduced themselves; Michael on the 450 and Robert in the buggy from San Diego. We chatted for a few minutes telling them we were headed to Cabo and back on KTM 500 Six Days and they immediately suggested we head to the bar for shots of Tequila and I bring my Baja Almanac so they could help us with the routes.

Hell yeah!

It turns out Michael has raced the Baja 1,000 15 times and was ranked #2 in Pro Moto and #54th overall from 2017 to the present. He has spent more time in Baja than most and offered to help us with the routes, where to stay, what to avoid etc. He was headed back to San Diego but vowed to keep in touch with us daily with check-ins etc via text and phone calls. He had respect for what we were attempting to do unsupported and loved Baja so much he wanted to share. You just don't find that kinda stuff in the States too often. But damn, was he spot on. At the time, we were like "yeah okay" but he really delivered and became a friend who is coming to Ouray this summer with his crew, and Jason and I get to return the favor.

Michael is raw, unfiltered and one of the most hardcore guys I've ever met. Very refreshing in this "woke" politically correct bullshit world with live in now. It's not like that in Mexico tho'.

A few pics to share and you will know who we are referring to as this story moves forward. He's one of the main characters even tho' he's not riding with us...he is "present" daily.

I wonder how big the stator is on that damn bike?

Impressive and committed rider.

Later in the story, I have a flat 12 miles out of Bahia Los Angeles and my Acerbis fuel tank warped in the sun heat spewing fuel all over the desert floor. Jason had to tow me back to BLA. When I checked in with Michael that evening his comment was " It's called the full Baja experience. You haven't slept in the desert yet, but I'm working on that". He then texted me this pic of him sleeping in the desert in 1995 with a broken Moto.

Okay, that's enough of San Quintin. The next update is on to Catavina to lay over at the Mission Hotel for the night and on to Bahia Los Angeles.

Back to the story.. Now that you have met Michael, we leave San Quintin after fixing a rear flat for Bahia Los Angeles via Catavina. We booked our reservation for Hotel Mission Catavina and hit the road. In all my prep and planning for Baja, Catavina was probably the lowest on the list of things to get excited about. Simply a layover in the middle of nowhere and taking gas from a can.

Let's get on with the pics,

I've never taken gas out of a can by the side of a road, but it was a pretty cool experience. This guy seemed shady as fuck, but the 500 pesos for the fill-up felt pretty steep-at least his dog didn't try to eat my Moto boots as I rolled in. I think he and his buddy across the road had a fix going on. I put a tank sock in before leaving the States, and damn glad I did. After returning from Baja noticed lots of black flakes in the sock....assuming from canned gas.

The mission was cool, and the only legitimate option in Catavina was to stay. Someday I'll do more research on the Spanish Mission effort in Baja, but I can visualize 150 years ago what this place looked like.

One of the things we enjoyed the most about traveling the entire length of Baja was seeing the fauna and landscape change. Kept expecting the Road Runner or Wile E. Coyote to come blowing by any minute. The Cacti are fascinating to say the least.

Catavina has good parking for the Motos. The landscaping around the mission was immaculate, and the place really didn't fit Catavina's vibe at all—very nice digs.

Bay of LA was on my must-see list. Maybe it was the romance of the place being a quiet fishing village on the Sea of Cortez, or maybe it was the allure of water sports that was intriguing, but it was a place I wanted to check out, and the trail to the south towards San Francisquito was on my radar so off we go.

We had heard quite a bit about Hurricane Kay, and the further south we would travel, the more impact we would witness. I can't imagine what it must have been like for the locals to ride that one out after seeing the damage. Ironically, BLA was where our trip took a turn. More on that in a minute.

Pics..

First view of the Bay. The fresh tarmac is deceiving as the entire road from Mex 1-the bay is not in good shape. We wanted to hit Mission San Borja but the drop off the road was 4 feet in places. The tidal surge had pushed so much sand around and eroded the asphalt we didn't push it with loaded bikes.

Just beautiful. Our destination for the night was Los Vientos Hotel. Highly recommend it if in the area. It's Gringo Land but it's damn nice and secure.

El Gringo and Pepe parked for the night. We had the honeymoon suite up on the left. Made Jason sleep on the couch! There were a ton of Baja 1K prerunners staying here. Not sure why they were so far south other than to explore and chill.

Beach Cantina Nights. Looking back on the trip, the evenings we spent at the local beach dives were my favorite. They all felt the same, but different and special.

Amazing Fish Tacos here. Highly recommend.

Damnit, now I'm hungry again. They fish is Marlin.

Pepe NOT getting fuel out of a can. I just like this pic, the lady makes the Moto look huge.

We stuck around BLA for another day to ride unloaded and headed of towards the Bay of Animas to explore. I quickly got my second rear flat tire and had my Acerbis tank warp in the heat (and a kink in my breather tube) spewing gas all over the desert floor. I didn't have enough time to really research the gas tank option for the 500 in the 6 weeks I had to get it ready or would have known to replace the screws on the gas sensor unit on the right-hand side of the bike. But, as I mentioned in the first post, I sold the 701 LR in the 11th hour for the 500 to ride Baja leaving little time to deep dive. Jason ended up towing me back to BLA to start repairs.

Okay, so we are back at the hotel in BLA starting to swap out the second rear flat. This is significant in we are officially out of rear tubes with nowhere to source more.

My shitstorm.

Paying hommage to my second screw in the rear tire. Something about these Desert H/T tires picks up everything and sucks it into the tread. Jason thought you could see the dust trail they leave from the Space Station. No wonder he fell so far back on the trails.

Beefier screws would have probably held better, but the tank warped in the heat. Not having a kink in my breather tube would have helped too! Jason's warped also later in the trip (no kink) and we had a total cluster fuck in downtown Cabo. I won't get ahead of myself...



We get the bike sorted, add some plumbers tape so we can at least continue the journey the next day. Michael ( who is back in San Diego) calls his buddy who owns KTM Tijuana and has them box up a set of D606s and "enough tubes to build a raft" and have them shipped by bus to our next destination...San Ignacio Oasis. At this point, I'm noided out by the rear tire and ready for new rubber. At this point, we have ZERO rear tubes. We kept the punctured tubes for a repair ( we had a kit ) but both screws had torn the rubber bad, making them almost unworkable.

Michael felt if we found the right tire shop, they could fix the badly torn tubes as "They have the good stuff, the stuff that's illegal in the U.S. and causes cancer" to repair tubes. I giggled and trusted him. Having a guy like Michael a phone call or text away was huge for us. He knew everyone down in Baja and would simply make a phone call and voila!

Next stop..San Ignacio. Holy Shit that place was amazing.

** This is where I stopped telling the story. As I look back at 22 days in Baja, the pages would quickly run out piecing this all together. But, what you have read so far, should give you an idea of what the trip was like. Amazing.

Until Next Time,

Markus