Bajaboy - 1-6-2004 at 11:44 AM
Trip Report Cont.: Agua Verde
Tracy and I packed up camp eager to get to Agua Verde. We spent Christmas there three years ago and couldn?t wait to return for another. We picked
up about four blocks of ice and five gallons of water in Mulege for about 80 pesos. We left Mulege about 8:15am. We stocked up on supplies in
Loreto, gassed up, and were on our way.
The turn-off to Agua Verde is about 36 miles south of Loreto. The loncheria is open for business as there is a road crew working on the road. We
handed out some lollipops to the kids there and then I aired down the tires. At first, the road was in okay condition. I was a bit concerned with
all the hurricanes and rain the area has seen. We stopped about halfway in near a small group of houses as the creek bed was full of water. It was
incredible to see so much water. We snapped a few pictures and then were on the road again.
If you have not been to Agua Verde, the road crosses the high mountains and then makes a long and steep decent to the ocean below. It?s an absolutely
incredible site as you approach the ocean! As we started the decent, Tracy said that a truck and trailer were coming up the road. I said that this
was impossible. Sure enough, I pulled over to let a couple from Canada pass us. We were hoping they?d stop to talk but they continued on their way.
I had Tracy take a picture as evidence. We continued on, trying to figure out how a full-size truck with a large trailer managed the road. As we
approached about the half-way mark down the hill we realized what had happened.
The road got extremely narrow, rocky and rough. The truck and trailer were forced to turn-around in a small and challenging turnout. I?m sure the
man and his wife were aware of the challenges this road posed but certainly are now. It must have been very disheartening to go that far and have to
turnaround.
The road below was in bad condition as well. There were lots of washouts causing for slow travel. I smiled at each wash thinking a little of Baja
would be saved a little longer. We camped at the south end of the bay just north of the village. The road was washed out but we found a set of
overgrown tracks, requiring 4wd, and followed them to the beach.
The weather was perfect with no wind and temps in the upper 70s. I went for a long swim in the bay while Tracy made her holiday sandman complete with
shells and some feathers.
Christmas morning I woke early and encouraged Tracy to join me by the fire. This is where I proposed to her and she accepted. We were in one of our
favorite places and couldn?t have asked for a better setting.
We spent a couple of days there without seeing very many people. We approached some pescaderos to purchase some fish for ceviche. They promised to
return the following day with some for us.
That night the wind really picked up and we decided to head out, a day early, to the Pacific. We headed back to Hwy 1 where I bought some coffee at
the Loncheria and aired up my tires.
The road between Contitucion and Insurgentes is being widened to four lanes making a huge improvement. (Be warned there are some noticeable pot holes
around Km136 and Km 100 in the southbound lane.) We turned west at the Punta Conejo road which is approximately at Km 86 just south of El Cien. The
road out to Conejo was better than in years past with more sand and less washboard. We camped about five miles south of the Conejo on a lovely sandy
beach. While I love the Sea of Cortez, there is something comforting about the Pacific Ocean, too. We enjoyed a wonderful fire, enjoyed some wine,
and had great night?s sleep.
Anonymous - 1-7-2004 at 01:31 AM
CONGRAD-U FREAKIN- LATIONS!!!!!!!!!
Now you will have to Honeymoon in Baja like we did!!!!!!!
Matthew & Barbara Pebley
4baja - 1-7-2004 at 06:46 AM
wanted to meet you in playa rafael and meet your friend but went to punta diablo to surf a few days. i havent stayed at rafael in about 13 years just
passed by on my way exploreing south. we used to launch a boat at the first small arroyo when you get there and fish the islands straight out for good
sized grouper. back then all the fish camps were abandoned and we would see nobody for weeks, did alot of exploreing some old ranchos around there on
my old atc. hopefully well share a few beers around a camp fire some day.