Cycle News - Archive Issues - 1960's

Boys Conquer Baja en ~ ~ lo) ..::J U ~ U By Bill Harmer It was a cbilly and drizzly morning in March as the two bIgb school buddies ~ tbeir heavilY laden YamabaDT-1 EDduros a_y from their La Jolla, Calif. homes al an adventure that would take them over 1000 miles of the most torturoas terrain on the North American cont1Dent. They bad received permiss101l from La Jolla High School, where they _re stooents, to start their Easter ncat101l a few days early to allow them sutnclent time for the adventure for wblcb they bad been plannlng and prepartng for more than four years. Tom Markel, 17 and Scott Fitch, 16 were goIDg to attempt to make the Baja Run. 1be leisurely ride from San Diego to Calexico where they crossed the border into Mexico was Wleventful, as was the 130 mile breeze down the San Felipe, a popular resort fisbing village on the Gulf r1 Baja California. It was at San Felipe that the boys had "trained" for their triP, as over the years they bad gone there with Tom'S parents and then taken their little 80cc and 100cc Yamabas on cross country jaunts, using the village as their base. On one occasion they bad ventured about 100 miles to Bahia de Los Angeles. They learned how to ride the treacherous countryside and wbat to carry and bow. They alsofouDd that their little bikes were not strong enough nor powerful enough to give the performance that they thought they should have for dependabWty and the speed that they wanted to maintain. After cbecldng several Idnds r1 motorcycles, they dec1ded al Yamaha 250cc 0'1'-1 Enduros and oever bad reason to regret tbeir cboice. The ooly vartatiOll that they deemed oecesAry was to change the standard gearing for one a lltUe b1g!ler so they could maintain "Freeway" speeds. After a seven bour run from San Diego, they arrived in San Felipe about 4 p.m. al Friday, March 21st, where they made their camp 01\ the beach. The boys carried no food with the exception r1 a few pieces of candy. They decided to trust their luck at being able to buy "Tortillas and beans" along the route. '!bey carried three extra gallons of gas0line, some spare oil and gallon of water OIl each bike. They also carried a bottle r1 halazone tablets to treat any water that they might get along the route. Among other things, they carried sleeping bags, tools, extra pistons, a complete set of spare cables, tnner tubes and spark plugs. They were to travel 1700 miles before they needed any of their emergency supplies. Thus, with what Spanish they bad learned in bigh scbool, the young adventurers left San Felipe early Saturday morning on an adventure that bas stopPed grown men and sophisticated macbinery. They covered about 180 miles OIl their first day and noted in their log that nothing unusual or eventful bad haPpened. 1beir stopping place was a primitive Lelt, Scott Fitch and Tom Markel, rlcht with their trusty Baja mounts. village called PWlta Prieta. They were able to buy gasoline for their macbines and some food for themselves wbich they carried outside of the village and cooked over a campfire. They departed Punta Prieta about 7 0' clock on the morntng of the 23rd with plans to reach San Ignacio. South of El Arco on a long deeply rutted sandy road, the boys were speeding along about 50 or 60 mph when upon rounding a blind curve, they met face to face with a pick-up truck. The ruts were a couple of feet deep and It was all they could do to get tbeir mounts up and out after a lot of slipping and sliding. The Mexican lady who was driving the truck was frozen with fright to see the two macb1nes hurUing at her. When It was all over, they exchanged smiles and waves and cootinued along their separate ways. Evening found them at San Lino which the boys described as a suburb of San Ignacio w!lere they bedded down for the night. A mUe south of San Lino, the road 'divides. One route goes by way of the Pacific Ocean and the other skirts the Gulf of Baja California. The boys made a mistake bere and chose the wrong road which turned out to be the better way as they rode their machines for more than 40 miles over tidal flats on the Pacific side where they were able to skim along at speeds of 60 to 65 mph. They logged 166 miles and arrived at La Purlslma about 3: 45 on the afternoon of March 24th. After a good night's rest they broke camp and headed south again. About 25 miles out of La Pur1slma in a stretch of the road that could only be described as "Polvo", the Spanlsb word for powder dust, Tom fell off his motorcycle three times In less than a mUe. Needless to say, he was somewbat discouraged and was all for turning back, but Scott prevailed upon biro to continue, and thus saved the expedition. Tuesday morning, four days out of San Felipe, Tom and Scott thought they should just about make It to their destination, La Paz, Baja California. Tho;ly checked their supplies and decided that they were adequate to get them into La Paz, so about 7 a.m. they started their last leg. The day was uneventful, and as the last 130 miles were paved, they considered themselves already there. However, 25 mUes out of La Paz, Tom'S Yamaha sputtered to a stop. Investigation proved that it was no more than an empty gasotine tank, but there wasn't enough In the reserve supply to get both bikes Into La Paz. They put every drop r1 gas into Scott's macbine and he set out for town In order to bring some gas back for Tom. Waiting by bis stalled steed Tom was approached by a farmer, who, when be learned of the trouble, gave bim a gallon of gas and refused payment for It. He also explatned that be bad a well r1 good water If Tom would like a drink. Tom thanked bim for the fuel but dectlned the water and headed for town - reasonlng that as there was ooly one road, be would meet Scott on bis way back. His reasoning was good and he and Scott rode Into La Paz on the early afternoon of Tuesday, March 25th. After spending all day Wednesday In La Paz, they left about 4 0' clock Thursday afternoon on their return trip back up the Baja California pentnsual. The 130 mUes of pavement on the first leg out of La Paz was the most boring of the entire trip, the boys agreed. TIley camPed at the end of the pavement the first night on their return trip and It was here that Tom lost bis pen and was unable to keep a log from then on. The journey north was by the Gulf route and took them through the villages of Loreto, Mulege and Santa Rosalia. 10 Santa Rosalia which Is a m1n1ng town, the boys were trying to find their way through town and were confused bY the many auxiliary roads which were made bY the trucks from the mines and show more travel than the main blgbway. After an hour or so of ending up at dead-end A WINNING TEAMI Sandblasters European Scr

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