Driving to Baguio at Midnight

[yebo]

ok sir hanren, thanks. via marcos hiway na pala ako bukas.

[IMm29]

Prepping for a Baguio trip later this month. My last time to Baguio was back in 1989, before the earthquake, and I was a kid then, so this will effectively be my first time up.

Will be taking the GS (back to stock wheels muna, hehe) in convoy with the brother-in-law's Optra or Revo. Was planning to take NLEX, then SCTEX to Luisita, then MacArthur all the way to Marcos Highway. And then I read that the Magilas Trail could cut travel time by about an hour, so this got me interested.

Here are some constants:
- We've got 4 kids (ages 10-8-4-2) in our group of 13.
- We are leaving Manila on a Friday morning, though exact time is not yet set. I doubt we can leave by 4 am though.
- Hotel check-in in Baguio is about 12 onwards.

Some questions:
1) How is the the Magilas Trail nowadays - Road conditions still ok? Not many stopovers, still? Are there enough signages so that some dumbschmuck from the city, like me, won't get lost?
- I'm thinking about taking it if it's still ok, since we'll be traveling in the morning with the sun up on a Friday, at that. So I think MacArthur would be heavy.
- We're 2 in the convoy, so I won't feel alone.
- But with kids around, I'm thinking about rest-stops.

2) How's Kennon at this time of the year? Any construction still on-going? Is it safe to take?
- I only recall Kennon having 1 really steep climb, though the roads weren't particularly very wide. No big deal, I think, since it'll be daytime.
- Would like the kids to see the big Lion's head.
- 30 mins less on the road would be welcome.

3) Kennon vs. Marcos
- From what I understood, you could travel faster on Marcos since the roads are wider.
- But Marcos is steeper? Would it be that much steeper to be a bother?

[vinj]

Magilas Trail is longer but has no traffic. The lowdown here is there's also no real place to stopover (large gas station) along this route so when you're on NLEX and plan to take SCTEX then Magilas Trail, stop over at the Petron in Lakeshore after San Fernando for a bathroom break. If you're travelling during a peak travel time (holiday or Saturday) then it's good to take Magilas Trail. If not then sticking to McArthur Highway from Tarlac City onwards is bearable and already has a lot of wide portions. There are still constructions along the way though (between Moncada, Tarlac and Pangasinan).

Take Marcos Highway. Kennon still has a lot of construction going on (with one way areas). The climb up Kennon is actually harder as the steep portions come in right after the hairpins unlike in Marcos Highway where the steepest portion is in a straight line (if your car has the power, you can easily overtake the slow vehicles).

[yourman_2nd]

just came from a baguio trip this long weekend. took kennon road (dec 30 around 1pm) going up specifically for the lion's head for pictures. there are a lot of road works going on with only one way allowed so you'll be stopped a lot of times with the longest being about 10 mins (this was peak time going to baguio due to the long weekend). travel time from toll to baguio proper was about an hour (with 10 mins kodakan time at the lions head). but at the end of the month, i guess some portions of the road works will be done and not a peak travel time so the delay would be leass than 30 mins or so. your GS would be able to handle the zigzag at kennon. but i would suggest that you go up via marcos highway and take kennon for the lions head pictures going down since you wont be in a hurry and easier for the GS.

as to the magilas trail, it is about 20 kms longer but the drive is faster. for my past two trips to baguio, i figured that the traffic along pangasinan is bearable so i havent taken the magilas route. also the roads in tarlac have vastly improved (nice pavement with 4 lanes). also, you wont be able to make a stop over at Isdaan Resto or Matutina's Resto when you take the magilas trail. Isdaan is a must stop over specially when travelling with kids.

[Hanren]

This photo was taken December 29 2012 as we were going down to Pangasinan via Kennon road. Note that the queue extended beyond the bridge and there's another long queue at our back and this is just one of the many "stopovers" along the way. There was also long queue on the opposite lane because some stupid drivers counterflowed thereby blocking the other lane..

[CoDer]

Di pa pala tapos mga road works dyan sa Kenon, tagal na nyan ah.

[yourman_2nd]

paanong matatapos agad eh when we passed kennon last dec 30, walang gumagawa. pati mga workers naka bakasyon. hahaha

mabuti na lang di gaanong traffic when we travelled. we got stopped in one area for 10 mins and the rest of the drive was fast moving naman.

[fireblade]

left for Baguio dec 28 at 430am and via NLEX / SCTEX/ Mc Arthur and Marcos hiway all in 5 hours. going down, took the Magilas route leaving Baguio at 130 pm and reaching Paranaque at 7pm. first and only stop coming back was Chowking in Rosario. zero traffic for Magilas route but even GPS was so confused. good thing i was in a convoy and lead knew the route. heard too many horror stories during this time about Kennons traffic. Marcos hiway has always been my preference.

[CoDer]

Yah stay clear from kenon as of now ang tagal na nyan road works dyan di pa tapos. Marcos highway din ang preference ko.

[labayds]

left for Baguio dec 28 at 430am and via NLEX / SCTEX/ Mc Arthur and Marcos hiway all in 5 hours. going down, took the Magilas route leaving Baguio at 130 pm and reaching Paranaque at 7pm. first and only stop coming back was Chowking in Rosario. zero traffic for Magilas route but even GPS was so confused. good thing i was in a convoy and lead knew the route. heard too many horror stories during this time about Kennons traffic. Marcos hiway has always been my preference.

I'm curious, can anyone point out magilas trail in google map? All I can find is a road near Carmen which is apparently a 'dead end' that does not lead to Baguio:

Magilas Trail, Balungao, Region I, Philippines - Google Maps

It seems to be an alternate route worth considering so if you can point it out in the maps it would be great!

[yourman_2nd]

I'm curious, can anyone point out magilas trail in google map? All I can find is a road near Carmen which is apparently a 'dead end' that does not lead to Baguio:

Magilas Trail, Balungao, Region I, Philippines - Google Maps

It seems to be an alternate route worth considering so if you can point it out in the maps it would be great!

search mo lang sir dito sa tsikot. i remember meron thread with detailed instructions regarding this route. meron din Yellow pages signages along the route pero for first timers, better to finad and check the thread para di ka maligaw. even with the printed instruction on hand, hirap pa din ako on my first and even second try.

[yebo]

note on magilas trail. yung left turn along la paz road na "church with a green roof" e blue roof na ngayon, they repainted the church.

[labayds]

Nice, I will do. thanks!

[yebo]

magilas has some bumpy stretches after the right turn at pura to guimba, but other than that ok pa naman ang daan.

remember to follow the yellow pages sign. disregard the green signages saying "alternate route to baguio" as those will bring you to macarthur hiway. if you do not see the DPC-Yellow Pages sign that says "to Baguio" then don't make any turns. also the only confusing part is when you are already at the end, at Binalonan cause there are no dpc-yellow pages signs anymore. but if you have the magilas trail guide for turn-by-turn land marks and distances then you will not get lost. besides you can always ask the locals.

[confused shoes]

Not recommended ang Magilas trail pag mag-isa ka sa daan at first time na dadaan dyan. Napakalayo. Mabilis na rin ang McArthur so magkikita rin kayo sa Chow King sa Rosario.

Dumaan ako last Dec 29 may mga parts na ginagawa pa sa McArthur pero hindi na major. Ang medyo mabagal as usual is between Villasis and Urdaneta. The rest, mabilis except may makasabay ka na mga tricycle.

Ang Marcos Hi-way naman, malinis. Kennon, di ako dumadaan dyan kasi mas feel mag drive sa Marcos Hi-way. Mahahaba ang akyatan.

[IMm29]

Guys,

Curious, would you consider a Friday in January to be "peak", necessitating the Magilas Trail route?

Also, with the direction of Marcos Highway in mind, in Rosario where the road splits (Kennon to the right, Marcos to the left), it's left first then right to Pugo-Rosario road diba? Tapos right to Aspiras highway which becomes Ben Palispis nga ba? There seems to be a gap along Palispis near Green Valley. Tama ba to?

[yebo]

nope, sa february pa ang peak during panagbenga. but i suggest to take at least part of the journey via magilas. instead of turning right at pura, go straight towards ramos and all the way to moncada, then enter mac arthur at santo tomas. that way you skip the traffic at gerona and paniqui.

tagal ko na di dumaan ng marcos e, but... at rosario-kennon junction, left to santo tomas, then right at the T-junction where there are the traffic lights going to pugo, then right turn at the T-junction at pugo to baguio along palispis. left turn will take you to agoo.

[IMm29]

Right! To the right! Thanks yebo.

Apparently the reason why it's not a straight road on the map is because it's a tunnel pala, done for the portion with the biggest likelihood of landslides.

[IMm29]

Hi Guys,

Still haven't gone to Baguio, though by this time next week I should be there in the cold. Hehehe!

Anyways, a new development popped up. I now have to fly out on a business trip right after the Baguio trip on Sunday. My flight is 725 pm. So I was thinking of leaving Baguio after breakfast, by 10 am at the latest so that I'll be in Ortigas by about 4 pm. How many hours is the return trip from Baguio? Do you think this is doable? Should we leave much earlier? Since flight is 725pm, I should be at NAIA 2 by 525 at the latest. Bad trip, would have been nice to take my time on the Sunday morning driving down.

Watchutink?

[vinj]

Better to leave between 8-9am so you're not pressured to rush and have time to adjust to any delays.