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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64488
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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The host of this forum (Doug) posted photos from there, he drives a 4WD Tacoma, so passable in the correct Baja vehicle, yes! It was a couple of years
ago and I don't recall any new trip reports about the road in from the dry lake from anyone...?
FYI: No new Spot from Graham all day.
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DosMars
Nomad
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Anyone been back there since the hurricane flooded all of the dry lakebeds? I can only imagine what the canyon leading into the bay was like when all
that water was finding a way to the sea...
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Mark_BC
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Location: Vancouver, BC
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Probably opened up by the dune buggies.
I'm going to order some ESG books but in the meantime does anyone recall reading how passable the Botica cliff is? If they were getting pakjaks down
there it couldn't be too bad. Wondering about coming up with my bike and 100 ft of rope. Any pictures of the whole cliff for perspective?
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David K
Honored Nomad
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Quote: Originally posted by Mark_BC  | Probably opened up by the dune buggies.
I'm going to order some ESG books but in the meantime does anyone recall reading how passable the Botica cliff is? If they were getting pakjaks down
there it couldn't be too bad. Wondering about coming up with my bike and 100 ft of rope. Any pictures of the whole cliff for perspective?
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Someone here found the cliff the PakJaks were lowered down and posted photos. Maybe Larry C?
It was in Hovering Over Baja, and mentioned later in Off the Beaten Track in Baja.
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larryC
Super Nomad
Posts: 1482
Registered: 8-11-2008
Location: BoLA
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I think I posted pictures of the Botica cliff but it was so long ago that I am not sure. Anyway, a Pacjac weighs several hundred pounds and it took
several men to get those up and down the 30 to 40' cliff. A bicycle should not be a problem for one person with a rope and pully, as I remember. My
group had quads and there was no way to get those up and over the cliff with the equipment we had. We ended up walking up Botica wash but ran out of
daylight so we didn't make it to the dry lake at the top of Botica. On the second quad trip a few years later the group found a back way by going up
salsipuedes canyon and got to the dry lake above Botica wash on quads. Wish I had been on that trip. I'll be sure to make the next one.
Off grid, 12-190 watt evergreen solar panels on solar trackers, 2-3648 stacked Outback inverters, 610ah LiFePo4 48v battery bank, FM 60 and MX60
Outback charge controllers, X-240 Outback transformer for 240v from inverters, 6500 watt Kubota diesel generator.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64488
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Thanks Larry! I am glad I recalled correctly... Baja is such a wonderful land for adventure!
Speaking of adventure, two new spots from Graham this morning... He made it into Bahía de los Angeles!
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David K
Honored Nomad
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Graham Sunday 11-8-15, Bahía de los Angeles
He rounded Punta la Gringa, so he is in the bay!
Leaving Ensenada Alcatraz at 4 am this morning...
Passing Punta La Gringa at 9 am this morning...
His possible track this morning (so far)...
New Spot/ Date/ Location*/ Distance estimate (partial/ total)
#1 10-22-15 Playa Grande.................. 0.0 mi / 0.0 mi
#2 10-23-15 Punta Final...................... 8.5 mi / 8.5 mi (2 nights)
#3 10-25-15 Pto. Calamajué .............. 12.1 mi / 20.6 mi (2 nights)
#4 10-27-15 Punta Bluff .................... 15.8 mi / 36.4 mi
#5 10-28-15 Cerro Botica..................... 6.8 mi / 43.2 mi (4 nights)
#6 11-01-15 Puerto Rivada................. 14.4 mi / 57.6 mi
#7 11-02-15 North of Pta. Remedios...... 4.0 mi / 61.6 mi
#8 11-03-15 Punta Remedios................ 4.0 mi / 65.6 mi
#9 11-04-15 Bahía Guadalupe............... 3.2 mi / 68.8 mi
#10 11-5-15 Bahía Guadalupe fish camp. 1.5 mi / 70.3 mi
#11 11-6-16 Ensenada Alcatraz............. 4.8 mi / 75.1 mi (2 nights)
#12 11-8-15 Punta La Gringa............... 12.0 mi / 87.1 mi
*Location is nearest named feature on the Baja Almanac Map Book. Punta Remedios is about 4 miles south of his 11-2-15 location.
[Edited on 11-8-2015 by David K]
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David K
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HE MADE IT !!!
New Spot/ Date/ Location*/ Distance estimate (partial/ total)
#1 10-22-15 Playa Grande.................. 0.0 mi / 0.0 mi
#2 10-23-15 Punta Final...................... 8.5 mi / 8.5 mi (2 nights)
#3 10-25-15 Pto. Calamajué .............. 12.1 mi / 20.6 mi (2 nights)
#4 10-27-15 Punta Bluff .................... 15.8 mi / 36.4 mi
#5 10-28-15 Cerro Botica..................... 6.8 mi / 43.2 mi (4 nights)
#6 11-01-15 Puerto Rivada................. 14.4 mi / 57.6 mi
#7 11-02-15 North of Pta. Remedios...... 4.0 mi / 61.6 mi
#8 11-03-15 Punta Remedios................ 4.0 mi / 65.6 mi
#9 11-04-15 Bahía Guadalupe............... 3.2 mi / 68.8 mi
#10 11-5-15 Bahía Guadalupe fish camp. 1.5 mi / 70.3 mi
#11 11-6-16 Ensenada Alcatraz............. 4.8 mi / 75.1 mi (2 nights)
#12 11-8-15 Bahía de los Angeles........ 20.6 mi / 95.7 mi
*Location is nearest named feature on the Baja Almanac Map Book. Punta Remedios is about 4 miles south of his 11-2-15 location.
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bkbend
Senior Nomad
Posts: 693
Registered: 11-27-2003
Location: central OR or central baja
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A long haul today, he may have had a nice N wind pushing him along. his kayak is not built for speed but the trade-off is pretty good stability with
a tail wind. Congratulations on the trip, Graham!
On edit: I checked the weather station and winds were light SW until a bit after sunrise swinging to 5-10MPH NNE. Very manageable for a nice
downwind cruise.
http://www.wunderground.com/personal-weather-station/dashboa...
[Edited on 11-8-2015 by bkbend]
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larryC
Super Nomad
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Today was the first nice day we have had in a week. He picked the right day to travel. Looks like he made it to Mike's house and is probably having a
cold beer right now.
Off grid, 12-190 watt evergreen solar panels on solar trackers, 2-3648 stacked Outback inverters, 610ah LiFePo4 48v battery bank, FM 60 and MX60
Outback charge controllers, X-240 Outback transformer for 240v from inverters, 6500 watt Kubota diesel generator.
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64488
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Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Who met Graham with some cold beer or took him to Guillermo's???
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BornFisher
Super Nomad
Posts: 2103
Registered: 1-11-2005
Location: K-38 Santa Martha/Encinitas
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Congrats Graham!! For an old mountain goat, you sure can paddle!!!
PS to Graham--- I`m heading down to my shack for several days starting tomorrow. If it`s in your line of travel----------- come on by and sit a
spell!!! Mi casa es tu casa, just bring some stories!!!
"When you catch a fish, you open the door of happiness."
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Graham
Senior Nomad
Posts: 558
Registered: 6-16-2006
Location: San Diego and DeTour, MI
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Sure is nice to have made it to LA Bay and be in the shade and out of the wind and to have access to all the water I want. Appreciating the simple
things at that moment... just like 32 years ago when I limped into LA Bay after the hardest day of my walk around the coast of Baja.
And the way the wind and tide Gods played out, I covered exactly the same distance yesterday as I did back then. Left almost exactly the same camp
location in the dark, dropped down to the rocks beneath the cliffs and with my cup of water and a few sad limes walked hopefully on to Bahia not quite
realizing it was 20 miles away.
And ended up on the same beach where I met and stayed with Mountain Man Mike.
So many memories and parallels... and similar times of tension, like leaving Calamajue and Punta Final.
A huge thank you David for following and sharing my route... that was awesome the way you charted and recorded the whole thing. I owe you a lot of
cold ones.
It made so much difference knowing those Spot signals were going out... thanks everyone. It was a very personal trip... just an old mountain goat, and
maybe a little bit of a sea slug, enjoying reliving some of the most vivid memories of his life.
I took lots of pictures of the coast I walked. When I rounded Punta Final by moonlight in some scary waves I saw the black outline of the coast and
heard the roaring surf and it seemed impossible anyone could walk under those cliffs. But daylight revealed nearly all of it was walkable/climbable
even at high tide.
Will post pics as I can. I took three Canon cameras. One died on the rocks after a fall, another around my neck after I was swamped by a breaking
wave, but my old trusty A630 made it to the end.
Last water I was able to pick up was from a gringo couple camped at Calamajue, otherwise the place is totally abandoned apart from a profusion of both
mice and coyotes. So much left behind including several old pangas. Suspect the authorities went in and cleaned out a drug op.
A couple of days after leaving the camp I was dependent on my desalinator... every day spending a couple of hours pumping three liters or so.
Didn't expect 3 days of strong headwinds around Bahia Guadalupe. Tried to ride the winds and tides as much as I could but sometimes just had to paddle
and keep on... never worked so hard since Into a Desert Place days.
When conditions were right, like yesterday, I just kept on, even when the tide turned strongly against me as when entering LA Bay. The N. wind was
nullified by the tide but still made progress.
I thought of camping at Tony's but was concerned I'd be there a week if the wind became contrary or didn't work with the more extreme tides exposing
the rocky shore.
Don't think I'll be back north to enjoy your company Mr. Fisher. I'm sure I'll be in Bahia at least a few days and then I need to head back to San
Diego. But thanks for the offer.
After surf landing in Ensenada Alcatraz
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Graham
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Location: San Diego and DeTour, MI
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Climbed a few times to scan the coast ahead, and look for landing spots....
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Graham
Senior Nomad
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Registered: 6-16-2006
Location: San Diego and DeTour, MI
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And about to step ashore in the shelter of La Gringa point... still wearing my headlight after my 4 AM launch.
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BigBearRider
Super Nomad
Posts: 1299
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Location: Big Bear, Punta Chivato, and Cabo
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Awesome! Congratulations!
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desertcpl
Super Nomad
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Location: yuma,az
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great,,, must say your a tough one for sure
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David K
Honored Nomad
Posts: 64488
Registered: 8-30-2002
Location: San Diego County
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Mood: Have Baja Fever
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Good to see you back on Nomad from your own typing and not just a dart on a Satellite image!
Looking forward to the full story (or future book?) when you have rested and are ready!
Enjoy a few days on the Bay of Angels! Will share that beer when you are back home. Safe travels amigo!
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wilderone
Ultra Nomad
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Registered: 2-9-2004
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So glad you made it safely - was fun for us armchair adventurers to follow your trip.
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Mark_BC
Nomad
Posts: 137
Registered: 12-1-2013
Location: Vancouver, BC
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Good trip, paddling into wind can be brutal, I remember just wishing I was on the worst road in comparison to paddling into the wind. But paddling
against the tide can sometimes be an advantage if you hug the shoreline because you get the back eddies between points that actually go your way. If
you want to go with the tide go offshore a ways, and if you want to go against it go beside the shore, and then hoof it around the points where the
tide is ripping by against you.
What desalinator did you use? I had the 06 model which was very slow. I since got a 30 model for $300 off ebay which is much larger. Military surplus,
never been used but the membrane may be old and expired, I guess I'll just have to try it.
How did you hike the beach with the kayak?
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