Feliz Navi Bronco - Baja HID Excursion 2011

Baja is arguably the best place in the world to hit the dirt. Its harsh landscape makes for some of the most grueling off-road action in the world. If you haven’t experienced Baja for yourself, it’s definitely one of those things to add to the bucket list.

When a few of the guys from GoFastBroncos.com told us about a charity trip they were organizing in that region, we knew we had to be a part of it. The idea was to convoy from El Cajon, California, to the U.S.-Mexico border in Tecate, Mexico, where we would hit the dirt all the way to Ensenada, Mexico. Although this was mainly a Bronco event, there were a few non-Broncos in the group.

After crossing the border at Tecate, we headed south through town to Highway 3 where we made our way to the trailhead of El Compadre trail, which would take us all the way to Ensenada through the dirt. We all aired down at the trail head and got our last glimpse of clean trucks for the weekend.

After crossing the border at Tecate, we headed south through town to Highway 3 where we ma

There were 16 trucks in all, and everyone was packed with bags of clothes that were to be donated to El Oasis Orphanage in Valle De Trinidad. On top of that, Bill Varnes donated his Baja 1000 commemorative edition bottle of Añejo Azuñia Tequila to the Baja HID Excursion; it was raffled off and brought in more than $500 that was also donated to El Oasis. The organization takes care of 54 kids, and thanks to the 2011 Baja HID Excursion, they were able to buy all the kids science calculators, USB flash drives to print their homework at El Oasis, as well as new shirts, pants, and shoes. We later learned that for two of the kids, these were the first pair of new shoes they had ever owned—and they’re teenagers.

Rodney Pearce flew out all the way from Australia and purchased this stock ’94 Bronco and drove the heck out of it until the E4OD decided it had taken enough abuse and failed. Even though Rod had to be towed to the Horspower Ranch via a tow strap through narrow winding roads (don’t try that at home—try it in Baja!), his battered Bronco made the rest of the journey home to the United States under its own power.

Rodney Pearce flew out all the way from Australia and purchased this stock ’94 Bronco and

It goes without saying that giving back to the community is something all off roaders should take part in, and the GoFastBronco guys did just that. The fact that we were down in Baja with the nicest group of people who were willing to get out in 100-degree heat to help a broken rig get back on the road really created a sense of comradery amongst the group. The action we witnessed in Baja was unbelievably awesome to say the least—at one point we were flying down a dirt road at well over 50 mph and had to make a sudden stop to let two cows cross the trail. Even driving down the highways was an adventure in and of itself. The fact that you have to stay on top of your game and watch out for fast-moving vehicles that may pass on the wrong side of the road through blind curves really gets your blood pumping.

Baja is like nothing else and we’re glad we came along with the guys from GoFastBroncos.com on the annual 2011 Baja HID Excursion. Needless to say, we’re in for the next run!

Editor’s Note: We’d like to thank Chris Puente, Tom Webber, and Tony Rojo for organizing this outstanding trip with the greatest group of people!

We’d also like to thank Autofab, Mirage Racing Products, BajaHID, RacerX, Fox Racing Shox, Johnny Lightning, MasterCraft Safety, BajaScott, CP Documents, Ollie Penchansky, Four Wheeler, and the Horsepower Ranch for sponsoring the 2011 Baja HID Excursion.