BajaNomad

Mision Santa Maria, May 2007 (Part 4, Oasis & Bighorns)

David K - 6-1-2007 at 07:28 AM

Continued from Part 3: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=24898

The road was built to connect Santa Ynez with Punta Final... It is in a gully heading east and a right turn from it is made to see the mission... up a short steep grade to the little mesa the mission sits on... From the mission the branch road goes east on the mesa and soon turns left and rejoins the bypass road heading east.

In this photo taken Monday, we are heading out and will go down that grade...



[Edited on 6-1-2007 by David K]

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David K - 6-1-2007 at 07:42 AM

East of the mission, is another steep downgrade that will really challenge you getting back up!

1 mile from the mission, the road crosses Arroyo Santa Maria... actually heads down it... It will come to an end in 0.6 mile in a palm grove... Half way to that end (1.3 miles from the mission) a side road turns left that is hidden by vegitation. It is this side road that was the route to Gonzaga Bay... But that ended on the ridge, above the canyon less than a mile from here.

More on that road later, we want to get camp set up!

Back where the road enters the white sand of Arroyo Santa Maria (1.0 mile from the mission), we turn left and head upstream to more palms. However rocks block our way and we start exploring for possible detours in the wide arroyo.

Roy hikes up and finds a beautiful pool oasis with a beach where he has camped before. Our only hope to get there is to move some big rocks and fish our rigs through the palms and over the boulders... but we prevail!

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David K - 6-1-2007 at 07:43 AM

Yes, life is good!

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David K - 6-1-2007 at 07:44 AM

Our camp for two nights...

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David K - 6-1-2007 at 07:45 AM

Here was my view, from my chair!

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David K - 6-1-2007 at 07:46 AM

This dragonfly had markings on its wings that made it look like three dragonflys!

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David K - 6-1-2007 at 07:48 AM

The following four photos from Roy's camera...

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David K - 6-1-2007 at 07:48 AM

camp

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David K - 6-1-2007 at 07:50 AM

Lower water level as seen on rocks

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David K - 6-1-2007 at 07:50 AM

Another shot of my truck and tent...

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BORREGOS!!!!

David K - 6-1-2007 at 07:59 AM

Sunday morning, having finished breakfast and were just relaxing in our camp chairs and Baja Angel (facing the cliff) saw a big horn on the ridge top, then another... "Oh my God, look!" They were totally silent... probably 20 of them as they made there way down the cliff to the oasis for a morning drink!

If Elizabeth was not facing them, it is likely we would have never seen them that morning! This was the icing on the cake of this trip!

I just pointed my camera and started taking photos in the direction of the wild sheep... Notice how they blend in with the granite!

[Edited on 6-1-2007 by David K]

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David K - 6-1-2007 at 08:06 AM

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David K - 6-1-2007 at 08:06 AM

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David K - 6-1-2007 at 08:07 AM

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David K - 6-1-2007 at 08:08 AM

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David K - 6-1-2007 at 08:09 AM

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David K - 6-1-2007 at 08:10 AM

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David K - 6-1-2007 at 08:12 AM

One thing is for sure... THEY knew we were there! Yet, they still came down to the water... But, they drank beyond our sight, behind some boulders...

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David K - 6-1-2007 at 08:13 AM

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David K - 6-1-2007 at 08:14 AM

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David K - 6-1-2007 at 08:15 AM

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David K - 6-1-2007 at 08:16 AM

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David K - 6-1-2007 at 08:17 AM

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David K - 6-1-2007 at 08:18 AM

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Cypress - 6-1-2007 at 08:21 AM

David K. Thanks for the pictures.:biggrin:Tracked Bighorn sheep in Oregon, even with radio collars they were hard to spot.:biggrin:

David K - 6-1-2007 at 08:22 AM

15... I took many more, but it become pretty hard to see them as they hopped through the palms and lower boulders at the far end of the pond from our camp.

I am posting so many, because these animals are so rare to see for most of us that I knew you guys would enjoy as much as we did seeing them...

In the next part, The Squarecircle and I hike down the canyon in search of the Padre's EL CAMINO REAL, stay tuned!

Part 5 at: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=24915

[Edited on 6-2-2007 by David K]

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Cypress - 6-1-2007 at 08:33 AM

David K. Thanks for sharing the pictures. Tracked Bighorn sheep in Oregon, they were wearing radio collars. Hard to spot even when you know were they are.:yes:

DianaT - 6-1-2007 at 08:52 AM

Thanks---love the photos. Hiked down a canyon in the San Gabriel Mountains once and the sides of the canyon were covered with big horn sheep---just beautiful creatures.

Thank for sharing what was a very good trip!

Diane

Bob H - 6-1-2007 at 09:18 AM

David, as usual, a fantastic set up trip reports and photos. You just have to get back in touch with Huel Howser to get him to extend his reporting range to south of the border. It's still part of the Californias. This would make for a great series of shows for you and him. I can just hear him saying over and over again...."Well, this is truely AMAZING!"
Looks like you guys had very good weather throughout this advendure.
Bob H

[Edited on 6-1-2007 by Bob H]

windsurfeddy - 6-1-2007 at 02:45 PM

Amazing, that many big horn sheep, and so close; you are very fortunate. In over 20+ years in Baja, we only saw two once while biking in the copper mine area north of La Gringa, BOLA; and these were very nervous, always a ridge away. We have started going to the Bahia Guadalupe area, and hope to site some there.
Is this oasis area north of El Marmol??

Wingnut - 6-1-2007 at 03:21 PM

Awesome photos! Very rare to get pictures of Big Horns unless with a monster telephoto. You were extremely lucky. Thanks for sharing.

David K - 6-1-2007 at 05:42 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by windsurfeddy
Amazing, that many big horn sheep, and so close; you are very fortunate. In over 20+ years in Baja, we only saw two once while biking in the copper mine area north of La Gringa, BOLA; and these were very nervous, always a ridge away. We have started going to the Bahia Guadalupe area, and hope to site some there.
Is this oasis area north of El Marmol??


It is about 20-25 miles south of El Marmol... east of Cataviņa, west of Bahia San Luis Gonzaga. The 2003-2004 AAA map shows the mission, but they have it on the wrong arroyo, about 5 miles north of its correct location, on Arroyo Santa Maria.

cpg - 6-2-2007 at 02:37 AM

b-tchin!

David K - 6-3-2007 at 10:23 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by cpg
b-tchin!


Yep, that pretty well sums it up in one word!!!:light::lol::biggrin:

TMW - 6-4-2007 at 06:23 PM

wow great photos.

Sorry we didn't join you guys.

David K - 6-4-2007 at 07:15 PM

TW, we kept our ears open for you... There was no other humans within 10 miles of us!

David K - 6-14-2007 at 11:24 AM

The next part (#5): Roy and I search for the padre's El Camino Real, where it enters the mission valley: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=24915

David K - 12-4-2018 at 03:05 AM

Part 4 of 6 bump