It's only the desert

Often when I tell people how beautiful the drive to Baja Sur is they question my judgement. They will acknowledge that the Sea of Cortez is beautiful, as is the Pacific Coast.

But I say yes that is true, but what I truly love is the drive from El Rosario to Catavina.

Then they will ask, but that is only the desert in the middle of Baja isn't it? Yes it is!


[Edited on 2-12-2007 by tripledigitken]

2 years ago

but that is a magical area, none the less.....

Nice picture, Ken. The drive through the desert is always new, and never looks the same as the trip before. In fact I like it so much that I don't mind staying in the La Pinta in Catavina to see it in morning and evening light!

Beautiful photo ken. For many years my Baja trips were all by air. Until a few years ago I had never driven south of Ensenada. But now, after I stopped flying, I have made several driving trips down the full length of the peninsula, and I can't believe how much I am enjoying seeing it from ground level. The desert is magnificent, the giant cardons, the cirios, and particularly the rock garden around Catavina. Just magical, like Paula says, in the golden morning and evening light:

Agree with all of the above---Catavina is just amazing, and I don't understand how anyone can drive through an area with such beautiful and unique flora and not stop and admire such wonderful natural gardens. And they always look different. The sight of our first cardon on the way down just puts smiles on our faces.

Right after the big rains in December of 2004, the elephant trees were greener than we had ever seen them.


We also think it is special around Vizcanio to know that there are only three (if I remember correctly) fog deserts in the world----when it is covered with a blanket of fog, it feels like somewhere out in space.

Ah well, some people just don't like deserts. I know some who also think Joshua Tree in California is "just another desert."

And as with all of Baja, I love the photos that other Nomads share.

Baja soon
Diane

[Edited on 2-12-2007 by jdtrotter]

Morning in the desert...

hot coffee and quiet time...(and probably a little headache)

Getting inspired now. What's not to like?

A rock in the Desert

And there it goes off to somewhere else

Thanks for all the desert pictures.

Deserts------

I almost got shot getting this picture.
A couple of friends and I were leaving the ranch buildings at Canyon Cajon early one morning after a light rain overnight. As I was getting further from the mouth of the canyon I saw there was a rainbow. I stepped on the gas to get a little further away so I could frame the shot better. I glanced in the rear view mirror to see a military truck trying to catch me, but wasn't about to stop until I was where I wanted to be for the shot. Rainbows don't last forever.
When I got to where I wanted to be I grabbed my camera, flung open the door, and ran a few feet away from my truck to get it out of the shot. The P-nche military truck pulled right into the picture so I had to move another 20 feet away to get my shot. For some reason they thought I was trying to run away from them and they sent their dog after me. I was ignoring them as best I could. The soldado with the machine gun was aiming at me and their perro was running at me hard as he could. Only problem was that my little wolf was with us. She caught their dog about 5 feet from me and even though he was about twice her size she had him on the run in seconds. When they saw my dog going after theirs they unleashed the "mutt in training". He got there just as his big buddy headed back to the truck with his tail between his legs. The pup did a real good Scooby-Do impression trying to turn around and get the hell out of there.
By this time the officer in charge saw that I was trying to get a picture and the other soldados were trying to grab their dogs to keep them from being eaten by mine. The guy with the machine gun was bent over laughing his head off.
The office came over and asked if they could search my truck and would I please grab my dog. No problem I had my shot and Avalanche came when I called. While his soldiers were searching the truck he came over and asked to see my camera, asking a couple of questions, was it digital, how many shots , stuff like that. Never a word about my killer wolf. When they were satisfied we were clean they let us go on home. I always wonder if they drummed those poor dogs out of the service for their cowardice.
burro bob

burro bob

Diane, I spent this weekend poking around Joshua TNM. It's a far shorter drive than Catavina. Some of these may look a little bit too arty/farty but maybe you guys will like it.

Any road in Baja is a good road!

Shipjack Joe, ---nice picture and it is another great desert.

The same year we saw the ever so green elephant tree, I just fell in love with this happy plant----most of these are tall and thin, and gracefully reach for the sky. But this one, full of the recent rain, is fat, sassy, and content---just like me.



Look forward to the next desert photos posted----

Diane

The Hannasseys will have no peace until the bones of Henry Terrill is bleaching in Blanco Canyon. Now he started this blood-spilling, and I aim to finish it.

Nah, never heard of "la famosa tacos de perro?"

All very nice photos

I love the desert

I can even think where to start,I ENJOY driving those 100+ miles on the central desert it's so rellaxing.

CATAVINA

Elephant trees along the road to El Volcan

Boojum (Cirio) Trees along the road near Ranchos Martires & San Antonio

Blue Palms near El Cipres, east of El Socorro

Thanks for all of the wonderful desert pictures. Coming to the desert from the Seattle area each year we always stop just north of Catavina in the "Standing Rocks" area to camp and stretch our legs for a day or two and take in all the beautiful sights, smells and bird life and a true feeling of the color and atmosphere of the real Baja. It seems you can hike in almost any direction all day long and keep yourself entertained and really soak up where you are. Many amazing expierieces in that area. From high rocks you can see the most amazing sunsets.

More boulders in Catavina...

Thanks Nomads! Great pictures!

Sorry, had to down size the photo by .1 bit. Here's the road to San Borja coming from BdlA.

Here's a reason for why it's good only desert lovers understand the beauty of it. This calls up back again and again.

Catavina rock

Morning shot.

What beautiful pictures. I love the desert too.
This one was taken a little over a month ago. I thought that the light was nice.
It was taken just outside of Guerrero Negro headed south.

[Edited on 2-28-2007 by bajajudy]

Here's one taken during that wet 04-05 winter.



[Edited on 2-28-2007 by turtleandtoad]

closeup of Cardon in the Montevideo area west of BOLA

[Edited on 2-28-2007 by tripledigitken]

South of El Barril

A little further south

And the Vizcaino with all its unique desert beauty

Just the boring old Baja desert:

my 2 cents

finally got a decent photo resizer

Hey DK--did you see this Boojum out there in the R. Martires area?

Oasis in the "just a desert"

Desert view looking into the large arroyo south of El Rosario on a february day.

Sunset somewhere in the Central Desert

Remember: Vote for your favorite succulent (cactus)!

Nobody mentioned the candelabra cactus. One of my favorites:

Quote:

Originally posted by Skipjack Joe Desert view looking into the large arroyo south of El Rosario on a february day.

Great great image Joe, I can't stop looking at it . ++Ken++

Thanks Ken.

I actually took several like that one that day. It you let your eye follow into the distance the highway winds far below. The highway leaves El Rosario, crosses that large arroyo with a bridge and soon starts to parallel a huge arroyo to it's left.

I just started wandering around, feeling really good, but without an idea of what to shoot. I hiked up into the hills shooting pictures here and there but not sure what I wanted. But with each shot it became clearer.

Here is another idea I worked with but later decided it wasn't as good as the one I posted.

I knew when I started this post that we would see some fine photo's. Keep them coming.

Here one of a trip we just got back from. Candelabras at Tres Virgins.


Ken

Near El Rosario are some "Baja cactus"!!























[Edited on 3-15-2007 by David K]

I love the desert so much

... that even the ordinary seems special to me.

Well said Skipjack. This shot was just a pull off the side of the road.........of course it was of Tres Virgins. A vista I never tire of looking at.

Here is one taken by San Roque in November of last year

I know that spot well, Ken, and I like it as well.

Here's how it looks with light going down.

My favorite Cardon Forest

uno mas

one more

Looks like this guy is listening, too!
[img][/img]

Looking out onto the desert