BajaNomad

Baja Adventure April 2016

Pappy Jon - 5-7-2016 at 10:53 AM

Another adventure done. Not as epic as some I've done. Played tour guide to a Baja newbie so I just went to familiar places. Temperatures were in the 80's during the day, and 50's at night for most of the trip. We had three days of crazy, stupid wind in the 20+ range. Two nights we had 46* (Catavina), and 47* (Pacific side).

So, on with the pics.


Hiking to a blue palm oasis near Matomi.


Obligatory camp pic.


Photobombed by a mule.


Playa sunrise at San Felipe.


Turkey vultures.

What do they call a dead fish on the beach?
A TV dinner.


Beach sunrise.


Cardon flower and moon.


Senita spines.


Boulder, Cataviña.


Cardon and Cataviña rocks.


Cardon trunk.


Pacific beach rocks at low tide.


Tarantula hawk wasp on milkweed flowers.


Cholla flower.


Moon set.


Matomi palms.

TMW - 5-7-2016 at 11:10 AM

Beautiful pictures. The two guys at the water trough look like a couple of friends of mine.

4x4abc - 5-7-2016 at 12:03 PM

great pictures!
about 10 days trip?

Pappy Jon - 5-7-2016 at 12:22 PM

Quote: Originally posted by 4x4abc  
great pictures!
about 10 days trip?


Twelve nights camping in Mexico. Last night in San Felipe so it really doesn't count.

[Edited on 5-7-2016 by Pappy Jon]

ehall - 5-7-2016 at 12:34 PM

Great pictures. Thanks for posting.

Maron - 5-7-2016 at 01:18 PM

Super shots, makes me want to pack.

David K - 5-7-2016 at 01:27 PM

What talent with a camera! Thank you.

BooJumMan - 5-7-2016 at 07:18 PM

Awesome pics!

Guess what? I'm the guy you talked to in the 80 series on the coast route on the Pacific :) Cool to you see you're on here! That was awesome running into you and checking out your rig.

elgatoloco - 5-7-2016 at 09:17 PM

Great pics!

The tarantula hawk (wasp) is my favorite bug. They have an interesting way of 'feeding' their offspring -

"The female tarantula hawk wasp stings and paralyzes a tarantula, then drags the specimen to a specially prepared brooding nest, where a single egg is laid on the spider’s abdomen, ..........When the wasp larva hatches, it creates a small hole in the spider's abdomen, then enters and feeds voraciously, avoiding vital organs for as long as possible to keep the spider alive."

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tarantula_hawk

David K - 5-7-2016 at 09:34 PM

Jon, did you walk down to the waterfall from the ranch house at Matomí?

4x4abc - 5-8-2016 at 04:36 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Pappy Jon  


Twelve nights camping in Mexico. Last night in San Felipe so it really doesn't count.

[Edited on 5-7-2016 by Pappy Jon]


the moon images made me guess at least 10 days
a shot after full moon and a shot a couple of days before new moon
14 days between full moon and new moon

Pappy Jon - 5-8-2016 at 06:17 AM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Jon, did you walk down to the waterfall from the ranch house at Matomí?


Yes, I did "wash" at the ranch house pool. Thanks for the directions.

Pappy Jon - 5-8-2016 at 06:20 AM

Quote: Originally posted by BooJumMan  
Awesome pics!

Guess what? I'm the guy you talked to in the 80 series on the coast route on the Pacific :) Cool to you see you're on here! That was awesome running into you and checking out your rig.


Dang, small world. I was going to ask if you were on iH8MUD, but never thought you might be a Nomad.

You were the only vehicle we saw off pavement the entire two weeks ... except for the 5 motos outside Mission San Borja. Hope you also had a great time down there.

David K - 5-8-2016 at 07:33 AM

I hope you have more photos to add... because they are so good!

BooJumMan - 5-8-2016 at 08:57 AM

Ya Jon, we had a blast. We went about 5 miles further and camped.

We drove the entire south route as well and didn't see another soul as well...



[Edited on 5-8-2016 by BooJumMan]

woody with a view - 5-8-2016 at 09:02 AM

awesome pics.

Pappy Jon - 5-8-2016 at 09:20 AM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
I hope you have more photos to add... because they are so good!


I wish, David. I have a hard time pulling out the camera when I'm playing tour guide.

BigBearRider - 5-8-2016 at 09:23 AM

¡Awesome pics! The close-ups are really interesting. I tend to forget the close-ups, focusing too much on the landscape, when I shoot.

Pappy Jon - 5-8-2016 at 10:07 AM

Quote: Originally posted by BigBearRider  
¡Awesome pics! The close-ups are really interesting. I tend to forget the close-ups, focusing too much on the landscape, when I shoot.


I'm the exact opposite. If I could focus on nature's details all day long I would. I have to force myself to do landscapes.

surfhat - 5-8-2016 at 10:25 AM

Pappy Jon, I remember that tarantula wasp well, so thanks for the reminder. Years ago while wintering in Pescadero, I was riding my Honda 250 moto that I used as my shopping commute vehicle, I was heading back into Todos Santos and one of those monster bugs landed on my inner thigh. I ended up with a softball size bite that required me to go to the local medical clinic for some pain relief. It took a few days that kept me out of water. Having a pair tight fitting shorts to keep those buggers further down my thigh became a priority. Tequila also helped, once I was back at camp with a million dollar view recovery room from my camp. It is good to see such a great close up view of this monster bug. Thanks to all here.

BajaBlanca - 5-8-2016 at 11:55 AM

really beautiful shots!

David K - 5-8-2016 at 12:43 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Pappy Jon  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  
I hope you have more photos to add... because they are so good!


I wish, David. I have a hard time pulling out the camera when I'm playing tour guide.


I was hoping to see Tinaja de Yubay since you camped at the trailhead. How was the water level?

[Edited on 5-8-2016 by David K]

Pappy Jon - 5-8-2016 at 05:25 PM

I didn't even take a camera up Yubay. There was black, ugly water in the tinaja, but not much.

durrelllrobert - 5-9-2016 at 09:46 AM

Looks like someone tried to hang that cardon before it bloomed. Wish I could have been your Baja newbie.

N2Baja - 5-9-2016 at 02:12 PM

Breathtaking

Fatboy - 5-19-2016 at 10:12 PM

Almost went up Matomi wash this last trip....maybe some other time. Awesome Pictures and Thank You for sharing!

[/rquote]

I was hoping to see Tinaja de Yubay since you camped at the trailhead. How was the water level?

[Edited on 5-8-2016 by David K][/rquote]

Was there a couple days ago,,, not much water in the 'first' hole but there are at least 2 other small ones up the wash.

Does anyone know about the cave paintings there? Many? far up the wash? I only found 1. Might have been some in with the 'spinning rock' but not sure

What about the 'rock wall' or the 'spinning rock'? Any history, who, or why? Date scratched in the wall looks like 1971.

David K - 5-20-2016 at 07:03 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Fatboy  
Almost went up Matomi wash this last trip....maybe some other time. Awesome Pictures and Thank You for sharing!

Quote:


I was hoping to see Tinaja de Yubay since you camped at the trailhead. How was the water level?

[Edited on 5-8-2016 by David K]


Was there a couple days ago,,, not much water in the 'first' hole but there are at least 2 other small ones up the wash.

Does anyone know about the cave paintings there? Many? far up the wash? I only found 1. Might have been some in with the 'spinning rock' but not sure

What about the 'rock wall' or the 'spinning rock'? Any history, who, or why? Date scratched in the wall looks like 1971.



The "true" Yubay has a fig tree growing in the cliff next to the water hole.
Jack Swords took photos of the Y pictograph there and there is an arrastra too (hand powered grinding mill for gold). I was there with a few other Nomads (Amigos de Baja) in 2001 on a very hot July day. We didn't go beyond the tinaja and see the pictos.

Yubay pictographs: