BajaNomad - Baja Adventure: Part Four

Baja Adventure: Part Four

Pappy Jon - 3-24-2007 at 03:36 PM

Baja Adventure: March 2007
Part Four, The Final Days

After checking out with Ralph, I head for Coco's Corner. I stop, chat with Sr. Coco about Ensenada Grande again, and despite the risk decide to head back. In hindsight this was probably foolish. I make the drive to the beach. It's high tide. I grab the pole and catch nothing. I decide I'll try later, and go for a walk up the beach to look for more whale bones, finding lots. The wind was blowing here, but not like at Santa Maria. There were also clouds, high and thin, and I was starting to wonder if weather was blowing in.

I have dinner and decide to try fishing again. It was maybe an hour before sunset, and the tide was further out. Just like before the fishing was great. I had a hit just about every cast, though the fish were different. Mostly stripped bass, with one fish I didn't know. It had a bump on it's head, long dorsal fins, and a pair of nasty teeth top and bottom. It was a real fighter too.

The sun starts to set, and a panga heads north ... then suddenly cuts onto the beach north of me. I reach for the binoculars, but by the time I get them out, he has already pushed back away from the beach. OK, now I'm a little concerned. It didn't look like he dropped somebody off, but I wasn't sure. He speeds off, gets to the rocky point, just in view, stops, then speeds off. I'm not camping here tonight. I load up and move up the canyon to camp in the wash.

It was a very calm night, full of stars with the cup of the big dipper just in view over the mountain. I sleep well. This was an excellent camp. The dust of the last two weeks is finally starting to catch up with me and my sinuses are getting cranky. At 2am I wake up and notice the stars are gone, covered up by clouds. It's very warm.

I take my time getting up in the morning. I hit Coco's at 9am PST. He is up, but not open yet. He grabs his keys and starts unlocking. Again, he asks "coke or beer?" It's early, but thinking ... New Mexico is now on Daylight Saving Time. That means it's really 11am in New Mexico. Cerveza I reply, again, feeling justified. We talk and I again inquire about Ensenada Grande. I tell him about the panga yesterday evening. I ask him if the beach is safe. He says no, I was lucky they didn't shoot me (!). I ask him if there have been incidents there before. He asks if I saw the dead car. 'Nuff said, I change the subject.

I leave Coco's for La Turquesa Canyon. I get there about 11am, under partially cloudy skies. The goldfinches are very happy. Two ravens hang around all day. The turkey vultures continue to follow me. They circle in over the spring, land, then take off one at a time, but don't go far. It feels warmer than it is, 88*F and 12% humid, and it feels good when the clouds block the sun. It's calm, for now. Later in the afternoon the wind picks up fierce. Since there is no place to pound stakes I have to use the truck and rocks to hold down the shade.

La Turquesa is a rocky canyon with a spring that flows into a series of pools. I like this canyon because it's very desert, rugged, though it's drier this year than other visits. The shrubs, for the most part, are leafless and brown. The ocotillo are bare but bloom, and the hooded orioles feed on the flowers.

This will be my last night in Baja. A great trip, though the weather was not kind to me the last few days. It howls all night long, very stong winds, and I sleep in the truck. The next morning I'm up early to make my way to Algodones and the crossing. It gets warm. As I pass through San Felipe I see a Nissan truck stuck in the sand. I pull off, realizing I had not earned any Karma Points this trip. This was a young guy with a young lady, very, very stuck. I hook up the strap, and tug them out to the pavement. From there I'm off to the Pemex for my last fuel stop before the border. At the border the wait is about 40 minutes, rather long for Algodones. There was a long line of walk in traffic too, and they said the wait for them was three hours. That's insane as warm as it was.

Observed Birds
I saw more than this, but either didn't write them down, or was unable to ID them.

Pacific Loon
Magnificent Frigatebird
Brown Pelican
Blue-footed Booby
Double-crested Cormorant (?)
Pelagic Cormorant
Cattle Egret
Great-blue Heron
Brant
Merganser (Common?)
California Gull
Ring-billed Gull?
Caspian Tern?
Turkey Vulture
Red-tailed Hawk
Harris' Hawk
Osprey
Prairie Falcon
Gambel's Quail
Ring-neck Pheasant
Mourning Dove
White-winged Dove
Greater Roadrunner
Great Horned Owl
Common Poorwill
Gila Woodpecker
Northern Flicker (Red-shafted)
Ash-throated Flycatcher
Black Phoebe
Say's Phoebe
Violet-green Swallow
Common Raven
Bewick's Wren
Canyon Wren
Rock Wren
Cactus Wren
Black-tailed Gnatcatcher
Logger-head Shrike
Northern Mockingbird
Phainopepla
European Starling
Audubon's Warbler
Savannah Sparrow
White-crowned Sparrow
Brewer's Blackbird
Scott's Oriole
Hooded Oriole
Lesser Goldfinch

[Edited on 3-25-2007 by Pappy Jon]

[Edited on 3-25-2007 by Pappy Jon]

Barry A. - 3-24-2007 at 04:41 PM

Pappy Jon---------

I am blown away at how much ground you covered in just 2 weeks.

I think I read that you were driving a Toyota 4-runner, right???? If so, what year is it, and do you have an after-market ARB locker just in the rear?? or front too?

I had to laugh when you made reference to being stuck in BOCA GRANDE once upon a time. I too got horribly stuck there at BOCA GRANDE in the mud, and in fact that experience caused me to buy a winch, a pull-pal, and a really good air compressor------just as insurance against future "stucks" way out in the boonies. :lol:

That Boca Grande experience scared the ba-jeeeeezous out of me.

I tried to get to Los Corrales several years ago, but had to give up as the sand was really bad, and I was still smarting from my stuck at BOCA GRANDE, and chickened out just southeast of the ranch about 3 miles. We took the road that leaves the Rancho and heads NE to the beach, camping there for several nights. Really nice country!!!

Barry

Cypress - 3-24-2007 at 04:56 PM

Thanks. :tumble:

Pappy Jon - 3-24-2007 at 05:01 PM

Actually, compared to previous trips, this was very relaxing. Last year I went all the way down and back in two weeks. That was too much and I'll never do that again.

4Runner is a 1985 that I've owned since 1988. ARB in the rear axle, Detroit TrueTrac (limited slip) in the front. 4.7:1 gears in the transfer case.

I posted my experience on Boca Grande last year. I think you were one of the folks that responded. Ya, it scared the crap out of me too. I had a winch, but it didn't do me any good.

Quote:

Originally posted by Barry A.
Pappy Jon---------

I am blown away at how much ground you covered in just 2 weeks.

I think I read that you were driving a Toyota 4-runner, right???? If so, what year is it, and do you have an after-market ARB locker just in the rear?? or front too?

I had to laugh when you made reference to being stuck in BOCA GRANDE once upon a time. I too got horribly stuck there at BOCA GRANDE in the mud, and in fact that experience caused me to buy a winch, a pull-pal, and a really good air compressor------just as insurance against future "stucks" way out in the boonies. :lol:

Paulina - 3-24-2007 at 05:11 PM

I want to go to Los Corrales now. If we make it, what are we going to find? Solitude?
Sounds like a plan to me...
Thank you for such a great report. We're envious.

P y D

Neal Johns - 3-24-2007 at 07:44 PM

Great pictures too!

Pappy Jon - 3-25-2007 at 12:51 PM

All images now in one PDF:
http://bushrat.home.comcast.net/baja200703.pdf (13mb)

Barry A. - 3-25-2007 at 01:05 PM

OUTSTANDING PHOTOS!!!!!

Many thanks for posting these truly great shots of places seldom visited.

Barry

David K - 3-25-2007 at 09:49 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by Pappy Jon
All images now in one PDF:
http://bushrat.home.comcast.net/baja200703.pdf (13mb)

Thanks so much Jon for the great photos of what I would call some of the Best that Baja has to offer!

tripledigitken - 3-26-2007 at 08:13 AM

Pappy Jon,

Cudo's for that report. I've added a few more places on my to do list, and I thank you for that.

Beautiful pictures as well. I have heard boats at night also and it is unsettling. You'd thank if it was known to Coco that smuggling was going on there that the federalies would be all over that area? :lol:

The route you took to Santa Maria, is it the only one you have tried? I looked in the Almanac and it seems there maybe some options into there?

Amazing list of birds as well. We are amazed at the diversity of birds in baja. One trip into San Fransisquito we saw what looked to be a Cardinal, I mean bright red. What a sight. I think we shall start keeping a record also.

Thanks for sharing your 2 week adventure with us.

Ken

Mexitron - 3-26-2007 at 08:48 AM

Wow...spectacular! What a great trip report and photos.

tripledigitken--I've seen cardinals in the mid-peninsula area too--they over winter there according to the bird books...strange to see, huh?

David K - 3-26-2007 at 08:56 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by tripledigitken
Pappy Jon,

Cudo's for that report. I've added a few more places on my to do list, and I thank you for that.

Beautiful pictures as well. I have heard boats at night also and it is unsettling. You'd thank if it was known to Coco that smuggling was going on there that the federalies would be all over that area? :lol:

Hi Ken... The Almanac shows two routes into Santa Maria, but only the one from Santa Ynez (Ines) is passable to (high clearance) 4WDs. The other is a foot trail... The other routes to the mission are also foot trails (the El Camino Real and canyon trail) coming up from the Gonzaga Bay side. One motorcycle racer I know did make it using the ECR, however... Kevin Ward (the location producer for Dust to Glory)... not without damage to his XR!

The foot trail route is documented in an article by Norm Christie, on Baja Life... I have a link to it in my web site.

Ken Bondy - 3-26-2007 at 09:09 AM

Great report Pappy, very enjoyable reading. The fish with the long dorsal fins, bump on its head, and nasty uppers and lowers sounds like a Spanish hogfish.
++Ken++

Tomas Tierra - 3-26-2007 at 09:45 AM

Thanx Pappy!! Great reading and photos. I traded my Newspaper time for your report this morning, good decision on my part. I would rather read of your (or anybodys!) Baja adventures than the BS going on in the other world.

Every Baja bush person should own a three poled Kelty shade! versatility.

Crusoe - 3-27-2007 at 07:47 AM

Pappy Jon.....Thank You so much for such a great trip report. Narrative is top notch and nice to read. The pictures are awesome!!!! Its a whole different dimension when you are soloing it. It is very brave. Good bird descriptions. Lucky You. Thankx