Massive Dunes South of the Border

Post by **Vincent J Brunasso** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 11:56 am

Scroll down to the satellite pic.

http://www.billcaid.com/2004/AltarDeser ... eport.html

The whole article is interesting and worth the read.

RobC · Post by **RobC** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 1:05 pm

WOW

Now that sounds like a great trip to try. Some awesome dunes down there it sounds like.

travis624 · Post by **travis624** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 1:16 pm

WOW!!! As big as Glamis is, The dunes in Altar Desert make the ISDRA look like a small sand box.
I could only imagine the vast fields of PMV down there.
Of course danny boy would say their different and name them the AMV - Altar Milkvetich and equally endangered........................

Post by **LoBuck** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 2:11 pm

There is an album of those dunes here in our Photo Gallery.

Altar Dunes in Mexico

Post by **jhitesma** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 3:27 pm

I actually talked to some of those guys on the radio when they came through Yuma returning from their last trip. Been following their adventures on that site for a couple of years now

We go to El Golfo at least once a year and can see those dunes on the way down...but never had the guts to go try them out yet. Someting about getting broke down in the middle of a Mexican desert just dosn't sound like a lot of fun to me

Looking at the Satellite images you can see that they're basically a continuation of our dunes - just sliced off by the Colorado and the civilization that water brings to the desert

snewbank · Post by **snewbank** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 4:31 pm

Hmmmm.

Has anybody tried crossing the dunes in a sandrail?

That would be an interesting trip with a group of sandrails. You would have to pack your rail with camping equip, food, gas, spare parts. One rail could carry a generator and another could carry a welder another tools, another spare tires, another beer (Ok, two sandrails could be committed to carrying beer), etc.

I wonder how long it would take to get to El Gulfo with sandrails.

Hmmmm.

Post by **jhitesma** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 5:49 pm

Problem is to cross back into the US your rail has to be street legal. If you don't cross at a checkpoint the BP can confiscate your ride and make your life miserable

But that's the plan for my Manx

Just before T-day I added an extra 15 gallon gas tank so I should have around 26 gallons total. Next step is to add a roof rack.

Last memorial day I towed the Manx down to El Golfo for the weekend. This year I'm hoping I can drive it down...then again the A/C in the truck is nice coming back

But one of these days I do plan on doing an extended camping trip in just the manx.

desertsteve · Post by **desertsteve** » Tue Jan 18, 2005 10:06 pm

Way-Cool !, That place makes G & G look tiny!!! . The faces are driven by a different wind direction too !. I have a friend that goes to El Golfo and he has been trying to get me to go there for some time now (years). Only prob is that he rides a ktm and I dont feel comfortable doing deep dune rides solo in my buggy with bikes, especially in MEX !. Sounds like this could be a good alternative to G

Is this place Wide Open ?. I've heard talk / rumors about closures down their also Guess who ?

.

I'm game !, any other hard-core duners out there interested ?

YumaDune · Post by **YumaDune** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 6:06 am

I did a post on this a while back and "most" of the info looks correct. I've been going South of the border for 40 + years and it can be daunting for those who are unprepared. A couple things I noticed don't seem to apply.. one, in the state of Sonora a tourist visa is not required with in 100 kilometers of the border. This is as the crow flys. I guess if you want to purchase one they'll sell it to you but why?? Secondly, the East end of the dunes coming from Sonoyta is closed to all vehicle traffic. You can drive in about 17 miles North of Puerto Penasco but there are signs specifically addressing what is allowed. At the top of the list is no OHV's. If they catch you with one on your trailer or in your pickup bed, it will be confiscated. This area is a wilderness area. We used to go in from this end 15 years ago but my advice is stay out.
The San Luis - El Golfo end is accessible form either end or in the middle along the highway, and yes the dunes are huge!!! We usually play on them at the oceans edge from the beach but do plan a trip. El Golfo is primitive but much better than when ADRA used to race from San Luis to El Golfo in the 80's.
A couple things need to be re-inforced from the article... NO GUNS!!! and always have Mexican Insurance!! If you want the name of a reputable - inexpensive email me. Just a thought....

Sandsledge · Post by **Sandsledge** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 10:15 am

You can get a map of the whole area along with how to get where info
at:

http://www.SidekickOffRoad.com

Rob

snewbank · Post by **snewbank** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 11:25 am

So, you can trailer in an off-road vehicle, right?

You can tow it to that dirt road by Cesar's, unload and ride the dunes to El Gulfo.

Could you drive into El Gulfo with a sandrail to spend the night at a hotel?

The next day, drive back.

How many hours would it take to get to El Gulfo in a mid-travel rail?

Hmmm. Thinking early next January would be a good time to shoot for.

Sandsledge · Post by **Sandsledge** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 12:00 pm

I don't think there are any hotels in El Golfo.

Post by **jhitesma** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 12:50 pm

There is at least one "hotel" in El Golfo but it's not quite what you probably expect if you're used to real hotels. Plus they've been known to sell the same room to more than one person at the same time (we had friends get a room so they would have a shower a year or two ago - when they got out of the shower there was someone else asleep in the bed who was given a key to the room by the front office and told it was his!)

Camping in El Golfo is your best bet. They have nice spots for rent at El Capitain (plus they're friendly and speak the best english in town) if you don't want to just leave your stuff on the beach. The locals are almost all friendly and like having tourists visit - but they also get a lot of out of town fishermen and they'll rob you blind as soon as you turn your back. We always camp on the beach about 7 miles down away from the crowds - but we also have enough people in camp that there's always someone there to watch our stuff.

snewbank · Post by **snewbank** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 3:45 pm

RV Beach Camping in El Gulfo. Hmmmm.

It sounds like a Super-sized-free-of-environmentalist-restrictions-Pismo trip with pre-80's glamis crowds (lots of virgin sand) with a Mexican Vacation all rolled into one.

Beach, Margarita's and Duning. I think they would go good together

Post by **jhitesma** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 4:08 pm

There is NOTHING like being able to literally drive all day down the beach in one direction without anyone hassling you or doing anything wrong

Espically in my Manx with the wind in my hair and the salt water occasionally slashing against me when I need to cool down

You do have to watch out for tides though - the whole beach can dissapear at high tide down there so we camp on top of the bluffs and you have to plan your excursions down the beach so you can be high and dry when the water comes up. There is always hardpack you can explore on the high ground when the sand is underwater.

And if you use the tides it makes getting heavier vehicles down the beach easier - the tide leaves some nice "pavement" behind so even RV's and heavy trailers can easily get far down the beach...you just have to be carefull not to go too close to the water or you'll get bogged instead and then no one will help save you when the water comes up

Post by **LoBuck** » Wed Jan 19, 2005 6:59 pm

The Bogs are not only down by the water when the tides out either. There are some that are right at the high tide marks and aren't visible. They will swallow a 4x4 truck easily. I've seen vehcles that couldn't be pulled out with 4 trucks tied to them. And I've seen the tide cover them up too. Not a pretty sight.

I believe El Golfo has one of, if not the, highest tides in the world. 24 feet.

El Golfo is a very good place to have fun though.

snewbank · Post by **snewbank** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 12:11 pm

El Gulfo tide is 24 feet!!!

Wow, that I did not know.

Post by **jhitesma** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 12:18 pm

Yeah, it's a HUGE tide. This was taken after the tide started coming in already and we were starting to get ready to retreat to higher ground. but you can see the high water mark at the base of the bluff on the left and where the shore currently is off on the left:

Click it for a BIG version.

snewbank · Post by **snewbank** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 12:24 pm

That's insane.

I'm glad you told me. I could see myself going down there, seeing the tide go out and go running through town screaming TSUNAMI!!! like an idiot.

speedtrap · Post by **speedtrap** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 4:53 pm

This sounds like some great TV.. I think with a little help from everyone we could plan a huge excursion with who ever wants to go and include it in our TV show Speedtrap... Is it possible to set up a large scale RV/Camping site? Oh by the way I have some great portable Keg coolers that I can plug into the Motorcoach and keep it cold for days!!!

Hunter/ Host/ Speedtrap

snewbank · Post by **snewbank** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 5:02 pm

Yea, "SpeedTrap". I saw the Ad in the new Sand Sports Mag. When is the show coming on? Will it be on Dish Network? What Channel?

I can't wait

An Altar Dunes trip would make for a great show.

Even better, it seems I remember a group of duners talking about a trip to the dunes in the Sahara desert in Africa a couple years ago on this site. They were going to have their sandrails shipped to Africa. Were working on permits at the time.

Can anybody confirm that? Did they ever do it?

..or am I just confusing a day dream with reality.

speedtrap · Post by **speedtrap** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 5:21 pm

I can easily put the Sahara trip together!!! I have spent alot of time in Africa over the last 10 years or so guiding people on Safaris all over the continent... The show is going to air on Directv , Dish, and Comcast Cable nation wide on multiple networks.. Lets start small and work our way to Africa... If we get the ball rolling I will make the Mexico thing happen!!!! Put it this way.. Its amazing what a phone call from a Media company to the Mexican Tourism Board

will get you in a hurry....

snewbank · Post by **snewbank** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 5:33 pm

Well, I'm down for it. We just need to get some Yuma duners who know the area south of the boarder.

Come on fellow duners, Let's load-up the Moho's and dune the Altar!

snewbank · Post by **snewbank** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 5:35 pm

P.S. - Did I mention the Altar is full of Virgin sand!

speedtrap · Post by **speedtrap** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 5:53 pm

Lets Do It!!!!!!!!

Ill start trying to track down the Director of tourism in that area and work on getting some dates firmed up

!!!

Lets start making a list of people that are up for the trip!!

Post by **jhitesma** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 6:34 pm

I know some people who would probably be up for it. Matt may want to wait until he finished the 4WD on his RV though

Heck, I just heard some friends may be heading down there this weekend for a quick trip.

your basic sandrail · Post by **your basic sandrail** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 8:49 pm

Hey Jason... What the heck is this?

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Post by **jhitesma** » Thu Jan 20, 2005 9:48 pm

That would be Matt's old rail

This is what it looked like when Matt owned it:

After he got his new car he sold it to a friend who cut the top off and made a lot of other changes.

That person recently sold it and I'm not sure who has it now or what they're doing with it.

f-BOB · Post by **f-BOB** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 2:18 pm

I flew over these dunes on the way home from LaPaz by way of Guaymas a couple years ago. They looked massive even from 30000 feet. The surrounding countryside to the east is fairly flat and agricultural in appearnce from the air, then wham! solid wall of sand as far as you can see. Good luck and great fun to all who make the Speedtrap trip . I'm not quite that pioneering, but can't wait to see/hear all about it.

sbheg · Post by **sbheg** » Mon Jan 31, 2005 3:32 pm

Bill is a great guy! We've been friends for about 15 years now. It was awesome when he would park his Unimog in the office parking lot and dwarf all the other cars by its side.

sbheg

American Sand Association