BajaNomad - More Choral Pepper photos added

More Choral Pepper photos added

David K - 10-27-2023 at 08:49 PM

So sorry that I have taken so many years to add, but maybe I am on a roll?
I will try to add more in the next days... I have been dealing with really bad sciatica pain caused by a cyst on my spine, which pushes on the nerve running down my right leg. The pain is from my hip to my foot, not where the cyst is (L4/L5). I am so behind on my gardening, too... The plumerias and the fruit trees need attending to!

Choral Pepper, best known as the editor of Desert Magazine in the 1960s, and one who was photographed and mentioned often in Erle Stanley Gardner's two Baja adventure books (shown below), had a file of photos intended for her revised Baja history book. They were passed on to me, by her children.

The photo is added to here webpage: https://vivabaja.com/choralpepper/
Note that I also enlarged the photos for nicer viewing. The new photo shows Capt. Muñoz walking with Mexico's national archeologist, Dr. Margain.
Gardner new his discoveries (as well as the local mountain Arce's discoveries) should be acknowledged, officially.

Russ - 10-28-2023 at 07:55 AM

I always enjoy your older photos.
Hope your back issues recover faster than mine. I had an infection at L 4-5 and they put me on an IV for 5 weeks in a care center. My pain is still at L3 where the operation was. After 2 procedures after I'm still on percote. But with a little less pain. It's been a year now and I want to be able to stand and fish again. Sorry for the rant. I'm really home sick!

[Edited on 10-28-2023 by Russ]

David K - 10-28-2023 at 10:16 AM

Quote: Originally posted by Russ

I always enjoy your older photos.
Hope your back issues recover faster than mine. I had an infection at L 4-5 and they put me on an IV for 5 weeks in a care center. My pain is still at L3 where the operation was. After 2 procedures after I'm still on percote. But with a little less pain. It's been a year now and I want to be able to stand and fish again. Sorry for the rant. I'm really home sick!

[Edited on 10-28-2023 by Russ]

So sorry you are having those issues... I am so tired of this and I know you are, too!
I know I have more Baja trips in my future, but sure can't go anywhere as it is now. So much Baja, running out of time!

David K - 10-28-2023 at 06:18 PM

I added two more just now.

geoffff - 10-28-2023 at 09:31 PM

Nice photos! I thought I recognized this photo below from the 1960s Automobile Club images, but it seems to be a separate photo of almost the exact same spot:

Choral Pepper Collection

1962 Automobile Club photo

David K - 10-28-2023 at 10:12 PM

Yes, I see!
Where the pickup is in Choral's photo is where that bend is in the bottom of the AAA photo.
Howard Gulick also has one or more photos taken there.
I bet you could even-up the scale and match them up through the years??
My folks and I drove here in 1966 on our way to the tip.

geoffff - 10-28-2023 at 10:18 PM

Looks to me like the above photos are from 26.7357, -111.9033 heading south towards Bahia Coyote. Here is the same view today from Google Street View -- after they blasted that hill away to make the current road:

Russ - 10-29-2023 at 08:44 AM

I love those photos: Reminds me of my '68 trip down with some old Baja travelers that really knew the old road. We had to wait for the tide change to get out of Coyote. The memories of that trip brought me back in '92 and moved in Chivato soon after I quit work in Washington.

David K - 10-29-2023 at 09:04 AM

Two things I noticed right away:
Highway One is right on top of the old road here.
Sea level pretty unchanged from 60 years ago (rocks are not underwater... yet).

From April 1957, 66+ years ago. Thank you, Howard Gulick:

[Edited on 10-29-2023 by David K]

Choral Pepper photo from 1966

David K - 10-29-2023 at 09:25 AM

A higher resolution scan than the previous one, that I gave geoffff.

All together now, 1957-1962-1966-2023:

David K - 10-29-2023 at 09:44 AM

1957:

1962:

1966:

2023:

Erle Stanley Gardner Camp set up

David K - 10-29-2023 at 11:53 AM

Another Choral Pepper photo she had planned for her future book...

Erle is third from the left.