Jon - We appreciate the commentary! Now more of the pictures make sense, with the story to go along with them.
Baja Adventure 2013
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- Thread starter
- #102
Google Earth file. Let me know if there are any issues.
http://bushrat.hdcruisers.org/baja2013mar.kml
http://bushrat.hdcruisers.org/baja2013mar.kml
- Thread starter
- #103
A Google Earth note. The new version has issues. I thought it was me, but it's not. It won't run on my computer at home or work. The issue is documented on the GE forum. If you can't get it to work properly in DirectX or OpenGL modes, then delete the program, and do a Google Search for version 6.2. That version runs on both my machines. I'm still having a problem with it talking to my GPS, but I found a work-around for that.
- Thread starter
- #104
OK, back at it.
Day Seven
Mike departs for home, his time is done. David and I hang out at the Hotel. They have kayaks available for customers to use, so David suggested we go for a paddle. We put on the PFDs, drag the boats to the water, and head off for La Gringa. The water was dead calm, which was fine with me. I had never paddled before and didn’t feel stable in those skinny boats. It took over an hour of paddling to get to the beach on the other side of the bay. We hung out a bit, then came back, David hugging the coast, me a bit further out. The shallow water was clear and you could see all kinds of stuff down there. Starfish, urchins, bass, stingrays, etc. Along the shore were typical shore birds … gulls, oyster catchers, herons.
After packing up David and I went to Mission San Borja. We were greeted by a women who apparently has government ties. Once upon a time the family at the mission site would do the tours. Not sure what’s going on, but the family is out of the mission business. They will take you to the garden, which we did. As in past years Jerardo, or Henry, gave us a tour. We went down to the old vineyard and looked at the old vines, and the new vineyard Henry was planting. We also saw the HUGE mango tree and the hot springs.
From the mission David and I headed to the Montevido rock art site. This would be camp that night.
Day Eight
As I was breaking camp I had a visitor under my food box. The infamous giant hairy scorpion. Damn those things are huge. We take some pics and it wanders off into the bushes. We break camp and David and I head out for Ensenada Alcatraz. This is a favorite beach I’ve camped at several time, but which has one major flaw. If the wind blows, this beach sucks. We arrive and it’s breezy, but not crazy wind. We make camp and David takes his chair out to the edge of the water, only to come back because the sand fleas were eating his ankles.
By late afternoon the breeze changed and David experience what I was talking about. The beach was moving. It blew so hard we couldn’t make dinner, or pitch my tent. David suggested we move the kitchen and stove a few hundred yards down to the end by the rocks where it was less sandy, and a bit more protected. We were able to make dinner, minus the sand, and I was able to get my tent up … after putting huge rocks on the tent corners to keep it down.
This was the worse night of the trip. David attempted to sleep in his truck, but the wind kept knocking him around. I had sand raining down through the netting on my tent all night.
Day Seven
Mike departs for home, his time is done. David and I hang out at the Hotel. They have kayaks available for customers to use, so David suggested we go for a paddle. We put on the PFDs, drag the boats to the water, and head off for La Gringa. The water was dead calm, which was fine with me. I had never paddled before and didn’t feel stable in those skinny boats. It took over an hour of paddling to get to the beach on the other side of the bay. We hung out a bit, then came back, David hugging the coast, me a bit further out. The shallow water was clear and you could see all kinds of stuff down there. Starfish, urchins, bass, stingrays, etc. Along the shore were typical shore birds … gulls, oyster catchers, herons.
After packing up David and I went to Mission San Borja. We were greeted by a women who apparently has government ties. Once upon a time the family at the mission site would do the tours. Not sure what’s going on, but the family is out of the mission business. They will take you to the garden, which we did. As in past years Jerardo, or Henry, gave us a tour. We went down to the old vineyard and looked at the old vines, and the new vineyard Henry was planting. We also saw the HUGE mango tree and the hot springs.
From the mission David and I headed to the Montevido rock art site. This would be camp that night.
Day Eight
As I was breaking camp I had a visitor under my food box. The infamous giant hairy scorpion. Damn those things are huge. We take some pics and it wanders off into the bushes. We break camp and David and I head out for Ensenada Alcatraz. This is a favorite beach I’ve camped at several time, but which has one major flaw. If the wind blows, this beach sucks. We arrive and it’s breezy, but not crazy wind. We make camp and David takes his chair out to the edge of the water, only to come back because the sand fleas were eating his ankles.
By late afternoon the breeze changed and David experience what I was talking about. The beach was moving. It blew so hard we couldn’t make dinner, or pitch my tent. David suggested we move the kitchen and stove a few hundred yards down to the end by the rocks where it was less sandy, and a bit more protected. We were able to make dinner, minus the sand, and I was able to get my tent up … after putting huge rocks on the tent corners to keep it down.
This was the worse night of the trip. David attempted to sleep in his truck, but the wind kept knocking him around. I had sand raining down through the netting on my tent all night.
- Thread starter
- #105
Day Nine
By morning it was calmer so I got up early and head out with the camera. For years I’ve been trying to catch the feeling of this bay. This year I came close, but still not quite what I want, so I’ll just have to come back. By mid morning the wind was starting to pick up and it was clear we needed to move. So, we packed up, mostly just tossing stuff in the truck and on the rack to get us the heck out of there. We will deal with the details later at the next camp.
We head north to Candelero which unlike Alcatraz is a gravel and rock beach. No sandy beach, so it wasn’t as nice. When we get there it looked like somebody had tried to make it home. There were several “structures” built out of ocotillo trunks and old bed sheets. We also found a buried refrigerator and a buried 50 gallon barrel. Why? Because we had just camped on a narco beach used for drop-offs. That evening we had a visit from the Mexican Navy wanting to know what we were doing there. It actually made me comfortable knowing the beach was being watched.
Day Ten
Time for Mission Santa Maria. As David and I were packing up a guy in a sea kayak cruises by coming from the north. He too had a visit from the Navy. He was paddling all the way to La Paz on a 54 day journey. Amazing how we use Baja for our adventures. David and I still want to know how he was getting the kayak back home to San Diego.
We make a quick detour to LA Bay for fuel, then it’s off to Catavina and the mission. The road to the mission continues to deteriorate. It’s very eroded in places and rocky. It’s only 14 miles to the mission, but that 14 miles takes about two and a half hours. Before arriving at the mission there is an oasis that has become a swamp and difficult to cross. In 2011 Mike and I did get through it. David waded most of it, and decided that crossing it by ourselves, without a winch or backup vehicle, was not a good idea. So we camped there.
That afternoon we went for a hike to the mission site, then I took David further down the canyon, over a ridge, and into a palm canyon. I had been there a few years before and was looking for a particular pool. It took some déjà vu navigation to get there, but I did find it. It was too inviting, and David dove in. I waded in, but it felt a bit chilly for me.
We then hiked back to the truck for dinner.
By morning it was calmer so I got up early and head out with the camera. For years I’ve been trying to catch the feeling of this bay. This year I came close, but still not quite what I want, so I’ll just have to come back. By mid morning the wind was starting to pick up and it was clear we needed to move. So, we packed up, mostly just tossing stuff in the truck and on the rack to get us the heck out of there. We will deal with the details later at the next camp.
We head north to Candelero which unlike Alcatraz is a gravel and rock beach. No sandy beach, so it wasn’t as nice. When we get there it looked like somebody had tried to make it home. There were several “structures” built out of ocotillo trunks and old bed sheets. We also found a buried refrigerator and a buried 50 gallon barrel. Why? Because we had just camped on a narco beach used for drop-offs. That evening we had a visit from the Mexican Navy wanting to know what we were doing there. It actually made me comfortable knowing the beach was being watched.
Day Ten
Time for Mission Santa Maria. As David and I were packing up a guy in a sea kayak cruises by coming from the north. He too had a visit from the Navy. He was paddling all the way to La Paz on a 54 day journey. Amazing how we use Baja for our adventures. David and I still want to know how he was getting the kayak back home to San Diego.
We make a quick detour to LA Bay for fuel, then it’s off to Catavina and the mission. The road to the mission continues to deteriorate. It’s very eroded in places and rocky. It’s only 14 miles to the mission, but that 14 miles takes about two and a half hours. Before arriving at the mission there is an oasis that has become a swamp and difficult to cross. In 2011 Mike and I did get through it. David waded most of it, and decided that crossing it by ourselves, without a winch or backup vehicle, was not a good idea. So we camped there.
That afternoon we went for a hike to the mission site, then I took David further down the canyon, over a ridge, and into a palm canyon. I had been there a few years before and was looking for a particular pool. It took some déjà vu navigation to get there, but I did find it. It was too inviting, and David dove in. I waded in, but it felt a bit chilly for me.
We then hiked back to the truck for dinner.
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- Thread starter
- #106
Day Eleven
We decided to spend another night at Santa Maria instead of moving on to the next spot. The canyon was too nice and the road out was difficult. After breakfast we go for another hike, only further down canyon from the mission. In three miles or so we get to a large pool surrounded by cliffs. Jumping in was temping, but getting out would be problematic. David goes for it with his shoes on just in case, jumping in from the second highest ledge, then the highest. Fortunately, he was able to climb up the waterfall, which made additional jumps easy. I just watched and took video so I could explain his corpse to the Mexican authorities.
On the hike back we detoured to the pool from the day before. By then it was warm, and even I couldn’t resist jumping in. I wish I did the day before. It wasn’t that bad once in the water.
Day Twelve
Now to get the truck back out of the canyon. Right away there are three difficult climbs out. The first is the worst. David starts up, rear axle locked, and spins out in front. He then locks the front axle, and pulls out. The next two climbs are steep and rocky, but David gets up them without using the lockers. Back at Catavina we air up the tires and head south on Mex 1, to Chapala, then Gonzaga Bay. At Gonzaga we stop at Alfonsina’s for lunch. Of course we just, must, have tacos de pescado y Pacifico. Last chance.
From there our goal is the blue palms in Berrundo Canyon. We drive towards San Felipe, and turn up Matomi wash. We get about 14 miles up the wash and the narrows is blown out. One giant bolder field. We attempt to get over some of the obstacles, manage the first, but come to one that would require a whole lot of gardening to get over. I suggest we camp since we wouldn’t make Berrundo until late with no time to enjoy it. We can save it for another day.
Day Thirteen
We drove out to the highway in the morning arriving in Algodones around 1:00, and crossing after an hour in line. From there, Flagstaff to rescue my 4Runner and spend the night. The next day, home.
Links
Bahia de los Angeles: http://www.bahiadelosangeles.info/
Kuyima Eco-Tours: http://www.kuyima.com/eindex.html
Villa Bahia: http://www.villabahia.com/
We decided to spend another night at Santa Maria instead of moving on to the next spot. The canyon was too nice and the road out was difficult. After breakfast we go for another hike, only further down canyon from the mission. In three miles or so we get to a large pool surrounded by cliffs. Jumping in was temping, but getting out would be problematic. David goes for it with his shoes on just in case, jumping in from the second highest ledge, then the highest. Fortunately, he was able to climb up the waterfall, which made additional jumps easy. I just watched and took video so I could explain his corpse to the Mexican authorities.
On the hike back we detoured to the pool from the day before. By then it was warm, and even I couldn’t resist jumping in. I wish I did the day before. It wasn’t that bad once in the water.
Day Twelve
Now to get the truck back out of the canyon. Right away there are three difficult climbs out. The first is the worst. David starts up, rear axle locked, and spins out in front. He then locks the front axle, and pulls out. The next two climbs are steep and rocky, but David gets up them without using the lockers. Back at Catavina we air up the tires and head south on Mex 1, to Chapala, then Gonzaga Bay. At Gonzaga we stop at Alfonsina’s for lunch. Of course we just, must, have tacos de pescado y Pacifico. Last chance.
From there our goal is the blue palms in Berrundo Canyon. We drive towards San Felipe, and turn up Matomi wash. We get about 14 miles up the wash and the narrows is blown out. One giant bolder field. We attempt to get over some of the obstacles, manage the first, but come to one that would require a whole lot of gardening to get over. I suggest we camp since we wouldn’t make Berrundo until late with no time to enjoy it. We can save it for another day.
Day Thirteen
We drove out to the highway in the morning arriving in Algodones around 1:00, and crossing after an hour in line. From there, Flagstaff to rescue my 4Runner and spend the night. The next day, home.
Links
Bahia de los Angeles: http://www.bahiadelosangeles.info/
Kuyima Eco-Tours: http://www.kuyima.com/eindex.html
Villa Bahia: http://www.villabahia.com/
Thanks for finishing the story, Jon. I thought I might finish it for you, but I've been slammed and heading to TN tomorrow for spring break. I'll go through it with my notes eventually. 
- Thread starter
- #109
Thanks for finishing the story, Jon. I thought I might finish it for you, but I've been slammed and heading to TN tomorrow for spring break. I'll go through it with my notes eventually.
Ya, I've been slammed trying to dig out of work and life. It took me awhile to finish it off.
