BajaNomad - Photos - September storm trips - to Mulege/Conception Bay

Photos - September storm trips - to Mulege/Conception Bay

Pompano - 9-23-2009 at 06:03 PM

Hurricane Jimena. Recently we took a vacation from our vacation (Oregon Coast fishing)... and made some cargo trips to Mulege just after the disaster. After unloading I had time to photograph some storm subjects.
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This first series are from Conception Bay.
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Burros Beach. The waterfront has changed and is a wee bit closer to the front doors of these palapas.
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Bertha's Restaurant is up and running under new management. You're gonna like the new scenery. Believe me....

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Santispac has a gift for campers..courtesy of Jimena. Lots of firewood. FREE LENA! Get it while you can.
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Ana's Restaurant took a few hits, but is going strong agian. Salud Russ!
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..to be continued, after all, the salmon are running.

[Edited on 9-24-2009 by Pompano]

Cypress - 9-23-2009 at 06:31 PM

Pompano, Thanks for the pictures and good luck with the salmon.

Crusoe - 9-23-2009 at 07:01 PM

Pomp......Gracias.....Good luck to you in Oregon. ++C++ :yes:

Iflyfish - 9-23-2009 at 07:10 PM

Thanks for the pics, we are in Beaverton, OR and would love to take you out to dinner.

Iflyfish

More Storm Photos - Conception Bay & Mulege

Pompano - 9-24-2009 at 07:23 AM

Shrine of the Bay spared by Hurricane Jimena.
Sporting a nice new color for the fall season. Salud to the local parish.
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MULEGE SCENES AFTER JIMENA
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Views from the puente/bridge over the rio.
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The Mission Road Lots of downed palms bordering the rio.
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JORGE'S PARK AND LA MISION water company is devastated again. Poor guy, que lastima..

Quote:

Originally posted by Iflyfish
Thanks for the pics, we are in Beaverton, OR and would love to take you out to dinner.

Iflyfish

Thanks for the dinner invite, Iflyfish. I'll take you up on that if I get close to Beaverton when done pulling in kings from the Umpqua River near Reedsport. Thanks for the good luck wishes, Cypress and Crusoe. We're having a ball with these fine salmon! Here's a couple of Baja amigos with a nice 25lber caught yesterday. The dinner event last night featured the best salmon I've ever had..and I've had a few!
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COMING SOON.....MULEGE CLEANUP SCENES Life slowly returns with a community effort.
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David K - 9-24-2009 at 07:31 AM

Thanks Roger! If you have time to visit, give me a call again when you pass through Oceanside!

Phil S - 9-24-2009 at 08:08 AM

Roger. You've caught MY FISH!!!! That guy was heading east, and he was going to be passing my brothers dock at Winchester just above the I-5 dam. I've been expecting him for quite some time. First & last time I saw him, he was heading west past my bro's dock at 3 pm Wasn't very big. Maybe three inches then. Earlier, he had passed through the best steelhead fishing water (Steamboat) God ever made. Was Zane Greys favorite fishing area, after he learned the hard way about his earlier fishing on the Rogue River in southern Oregon, by writing articles about it. He never wrote anything about the North Umpqua River (at Steamboat Springs) out of Roseburg Oregon and he fished it for many years. My dad met him one time when dad was late arriving at his most "favorite rock" to find a stranger standing on it, and fly fishing. found out it was Zane Grey. They became friends over the years, sharing the rock!!! It's nice growing up in an area that has so much to offer such as the North Umpqua River with it's HUGE steelhead and salmon!!!!
Great photos.

Phil...

Pompano - 9-24-2009 at 08:41 AM

I almost hate to tell you this...but I caught his big brother on the afternoon tide.
I could save a couple of steaks for you? That fry sure grew into a tasty monster!
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I envy that experience your dad had with meeting such a unique character as Zane Grey...one of my favorite reads. This truly is a great outdoor area and has become a haunt of mine.

..Now back to Scenes of Mulege after Jimena.

tripledigitken - 9-24-2009 at 08:48 AM

Looks like a great time fishing up there.

How did your house in Baja holdup with the hurricane? I hope you didn't get hurt too bad.

Ken

It is my pleasure to report that the Jungle is intact.

Pompano - 9-24-2009 at 08:55 AM

A diamond in the rough..so to speak. The Jungle lives on.
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As I drove into town to deliver some more cargo, I noticed that The Jungle is OPEN!

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Bart is back behind the bar. Life returns.

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One can endure many hardships if let alone in one's favorite watering hole with a cold Pacifico. Laugh and the world laughs with you...cry and you cry alone.
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Pompano - 9-24-2009 at 09:39 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by tripledigitken
Looks like a great time fishing up there.

How did your house in Baja holdup with the hurricane? I hope you didn't get hurt too bad.

Ken

Thanks for your concern, Ken. My house and others in Coyote Bay had a fair amount of wind and water damage, but NOTHING compared to Mulege's disaster. Hardly worth mentioning..except for the loss of my boat barn..an old friend.

We have had many wind events over 80-90mph here over the years..and thank Dios the roof is still there. There was quite a bit of storm surge over the seawall, but hey, we live on the beach by choice, so what can you expect?

(Note: for anyone wanting a great salmon fishing trip next fall, I highly recommend the Umpqua River near Reedsport, Oregon Coast..and the Coho RV Resort. We have a slip within easy walking distance of the motorhome..and truly great fishing. Cut bait and spinner lures work very well.)

Now back to Mulege storm recovery scenes.

Mulege - Jimena Aftermath

Pompano - 9-24-2009 at 10:29 AM

Coming from the south over the bridge you can see the high-water levels on the buildings downtown Mulege.

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A friend, Pancho Anaya, begins the cleanup on his highway grocery store. A job shared by all Mulege tiendas. There has been a severe loss of inventory. Mulege needs all of our patronage to recover.
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Along with most other lodgings, the Motel Mulege is jam packed..full up with storm workers and recovery efforts. A GOOD thing.
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Yet another friend, Pepe Yee, tells me that the firebrick I need is available at his building supply store..and anything else he could order from up north. Lots of work to do for all of us.

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The Mulege post office is up and delivering mail as usual. Thanks to our postmaster, Mario.

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The Hacienda and it's offices are back in business. Pay your parking tickets and taxes here!

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Still plenty of dirt and dust around, and wearing a mask is recommended..especially when sweeping up the debris.

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There will be some new water and sewer lines.
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The downtown water store was operational very quickly. Water was 'almost' an ugly word for a while.

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Xavier's Las Casitas took a major hit, but work progresses on restoring to it's original beauty. This will again be one of Muleges' central lodging places.
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Amigo Francisco's Equipales Cafe was open immediately to serve dinner to flood recovery workers and displaced residents. It's a second floor restaurant...

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...Got to get back in the boat ...will post more later...

capt. mike - 9-24-2009 at 12:55 PM

nice pix of Bart and Tom H., Pompano. did his and Patty's home flood badly? i would think so. but he is smiling. please tell him i said hello.

rpleger - 9-24-2009 at 12:57 PM

Thanks Roger....

I'm up north and missed everything....Did you see Patsy on the hill?

Pompano - 9-24-2009 at 02:39 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by capt. mike
nice pix of Bart and Tom H., Pompano. did his and Patty's home flood badly? i would think so. but he is smiling. please tell him i said hello.

Hi Mike...yup, Tom's riverside place flooded to the brim again. But all is okay after mucking it out. He built a sturdy home and it held strong.

Quote:

Originally posted by rpleger
Thanks Roger....

I'm up north and missed everything....Did you see Patsy on the hill?

Hi Richard...sorry, never saw Patsy, but I was super busy with the pickup loads and cargo trailer deliveries, so may have just missed her in town. No news is good news, amigo. 'Sides, internet communication was/is all screwed up.

MORE MULEGE STORM RECOVERY SCENES
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BANCOMER is open..as is the ATM cubicle.

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The old Hacienda Hotel is still being mucked out.

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Mi compadre, Manuel, has opened his tienda.
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And shows how high the water was inside. Hoo-boy.
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Up the street from Manuel's, Victor is seen cleaning up his Casa Yee tienda. The village is breathing again.
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There are so many downed palm trees that burning them takes forever..and the smoke is heavy over the north river road.
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The lighthouse is now an island...due to the heavy storm surges creating new sand bars..and erasing existing ones.

Cypress - 9-24-2009 at 02:48 PM

Pompano, Thanks for the pictures. The mouth of the Rio sure looks different.

David K - 9-24-2009 at 03:13 PM

Is El Patron Restaurant okay?

Pompano - 9-24-2009 at 03:29 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
Is El Patron Restaurant okay?

Take a look, David. It's there, but not quite the same...I do think it will be BETTER. The fish are a lot closer to your table nowadays...an easy cast.

Tim is busy at work, along with Yolanda and the crew..

EL PATRON
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You will need to park a little further away- temporarily.
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PANCHO VILLAS ROADSIDE CAFE
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Again, hit hard, but not down for the count. Resilience is everything.

jahImpala3 - 9-24-2009 at 03:36 PM

Thanks for the current photos. I wish the best to all of Mulege and to all other residents of Baja that were impacted by Jimena.

El Patron earlier this year

tripledigitken - 9-24-2009 at 03:37 PM

Will visit them next time down, as it is one of our favorite restaurants. It looks like 50'-100' of beach is gone!

mulegemichael - 9-24-2009 at 09:36 PM

richard, we talked to patty in town a couple of days ago...she was happy you werent here so she wouldnt have to listen to your b-tching...just kidding...everything is fixable, amigo...we are still alive

Pompano - 9-25-2009 at 05:05 AM

Hi Mike y Roz,

Glad to hear you are making progress in the house cleaning department. When I stopped by your Oasis casa the other day, you two were working way too hard ...along with the guys you hired. We are all done mucking out at Coyote, but then, we were fortunate in missing the impact of a flooded river. Just have a little rebuilding to do, thanks to the high winds.

Mulege is showing good signs of recovery already...through relief supplies, but also employment and patronage of local tiendas. This is what is needed most and will directly contribute to the community we all love..by putting money/growth back into the economy.

Sorry to hear of Roz's illness and that food poisoning business. I stayed at the Caracol on the first trip down and found the room so-so, then stayed the next trip at Malarrimo's, which was much more to my liking. I always eat at Malarrimo's too...got into a good rut a very long time ago.

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Baja Road note:

Fellow travelers, please be cautious.
Lots of construction zones and the cattle on the roadsides makes for a much slower trip down the Baja Road.

These calves will be the ones who suddenly bolt in front of your grill. The older ones amble into the grill.

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!BEWARE!

That torn-up stretch of road south of Ensenada broke every wineglass in my motorhome..and my mother-in-law still can't find her teeth..
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mulegemichael - 9-25-2009 at 06:32 AM

weve stayed at malarrimos for years but tried caracole on the recommendation of a now "ex" friend,(just kidding gene)...never again..we'll be in our own bed by tonight and are really looking forward to it...at seven feathers casino in oregon right now.

Mulege - south river road after Jimena

Pompano - 9-25-2009 at 07:05 AM

This is indeed a sad sight. Much destruction along the waterfront. Our sympathies to all concerned and a firm hope that your life will return to normal soon.
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Those are all of the storm photos I care to post in this thread...and will now look to the future for more upbeat events. Like Sharks footnote..Mulege will indeed rise from it's ashes.
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shari - 9-25-2009 at 07:20 AM

gracias amigo for your in depth reporting...
but sheesh...I'm drooling over my keyboard at those salmon...gawd how I miss that fish!!!! save me a steak will ya?

Pompano - 9-26-2009 at 06:48 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by shari
gracias amigo for your in depth reporting...
but sheesh...I'm drooling over my keyboard at those salmon...gawd how I miss that fish!!!! save me a steak will ya?

No problemo, Asuncion girl...I have a few salmon rounds and will be glad to share with shari. I am about to post a thread in Non-Baja Trip Reports describing that fishing trip on the Umpqua River, Oregon Coast. Don't want to further highjack this thread about Mulege's storm aftermath.

Anyone interested in fishing and great scenery....check it out! We had great fun and caught some fine chinooks and silvers.

Thanks to some U2U messages, I was told I had a slight problem with this thread's photos being deleted..by my own error. :rolleyes:

I have now corrected this mistake.

mulegemichael - 9-26-2009 at 07:53 PM

hey roger, we both made it back north but will head back down soon with more goodies...both of us got sick on the way up and i'm sure it's cause we let our immune systems disappear...will be better soon...see ya in mulege in a couple of weeks.

David K - 9-27-2009 at 07:17 AM

I lived in Darwin, Australia for half a year back in 1970... All the newer houses were built 10' above ground on 'stilts'... for flood and termite (white ant) protection. The area under the homes was used for parking, washing machine, etc. After two floods, 2 years apart, perhaps a change in the style of construction would be wise for those who still insist on living in the flood zone?

[Edited on 9-27-2009 by David K]

captain4tuna - 9-27-2009 at 09:45 AM

These photos are so gutwrenching. We were going to come down soon after Jimena but had and still have some health issues to be resolved.
Can someone take photos of the palapa house in Jorge's park by the water store? Inside photos would be greatly appreciated.
We saw the photo of the roof.
Thank you so much.

toneart - 9-27-2009 at 10:05 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by David K
I lived in Darwin, Australia for half a year back in 1970... All the newer houses were built 10' above ground on 'stilts'... for flood and termite (white ant) protection. The area under the homes was used for parking, washing machine, etc. After two floods, 2 years apart, perhaps a change in the style of construction would be wise for those who still insist on living in the flood zone?

[Edited on 9-27-2009 by David K]

David,

What you are saying about houses on stilts might make sense for a different location but it is inappropriate in this string. You are (perhaps unintentionally) throwing mud on people who are still reeling from the devastation from this (the worst in history) hurricane to hit Mulege. If you remember, that was Palmeto99's attitude, and his purpose was definitely malevolent. I don't think that is your purpose. I think it is just insensitive.

The last house to be built in The Orchard (this year) right on the river, was elevated to a 2nd floor level, the first being a garage. It survived. I doubt whether anything that was upstairs survived the ruin that this flood brought. Ironically, the only stilt houses were upriver, opposite town, and they were wiped out by a Palm forest fire two years ago.

Regarding your accusation the we "insist on living in a flood zone" that would also include those living in town too. Your word, "insist" is the charged word which does not apply. The locals don't have a choice. It is their home for many generations, but this hurricane did not discriminate. We gringos, many who live along the river, do have a choices: rebuilding is not one of them...it never has been. That is a concept that has been put on us by ignorant outsiders, over and over again.

We are not whining! We are not soliciting sympathy! Empathy would be nice, but not required. I am just trying (again) to explain our unique circumstance.

Obviously, choosing to build there was a mistake in hindsight. Oh sure, there have been other floods through the years. Tropical Storm John, three years ago was the worst since 1957. But you clean up and continue on. You can't walk away, unless your house has been destroyed. This time, many were destroyed and many have to walk away. Very few can be or will be restored to their original condition. It would cost too much money.

For those of us who have been left with houses that are partially damaged, you clean up as best as you can and then use them as basically an interior camping spot; maybe electricity and water will be restored; maybe not. Nobody I have talked to will ever consider their river house as a permanent, or primary home again.

For the first time ever, everything we had moved upstairs to the 2nd story was ruined. Until now, this was always a safe storage space; never before in history had this 2nd story level been breached. So, David K., that would pretty much blow a huge wet hole in your stilt house theory.

As for me, I will clean it up again without putting much money into it. Preventing mold is the critical task, and it is doable. It seems obvious that this will keep happening year after year. I will continue to tow my boat down and use the space as headquarters for enjoyment and fishing, and get away from the snow. Why not? Wouldn't you?

Bob H - 9-27-2009 at 10:31 AM

Roger, thanks so much for the "after" images. It really shows you the level of devastation that took place along the river for so many homeowners. My heart goes out to them and many others who experienced so much damage.
Bob H

toneart - 9-27-2009 at 11:40 AM

As always, Pompano, your photos and trip reports are exceptional and much appreciated! Hope to see you soon.

David K - 9-27-2009 at 03:32 PM

I didn't mean to insult anyone toneart, so sorry about that. This is a place where we should be able to express ideas and thoughts meant to be well intentioned.

In a flood zone (along a river), elevated houses (such as those in tropical climates, like Darwin) seems like a better idea, that's all.

However, if the flood level was 30 feet above normal, a house built 10 feet up wouldn't fair any better, right?

Have a nice day and sorry about my earlier idea bothering you.

toneart - 9-27-2009 at 05:53 PM

Thank you, David K.

It allowed me to do some 'splainin' of our unique situation.

Your understanding is sincerely accepted.

:yes:

Orchard Tropical Cottages...

Pompano - 9-27-2009 at 06:12 PM

A little explanation might be in order here. The Orchard in Mulege has several 'tropical cottages' and is partially the subject matter between David K and toneart. The river bottom Tarzan tree homes were wiped out in a flood, but were quite nice while they lasted. Another 'Roberto' inspiration.

I did not want to post a personal photo, Tony, but this photo is typical of the rest of the cottages..and your cottage still stands. A lot of mucking out, though, as you know.

Good luck and see you in Mulege around Turkey Time. We are planning a rather large party to recover spirits..and drink some....will let you know.

Vince - 9-28-2009 at 05:33 PM

Good photos, Roger. I flew down 2 weeks ago with a load of supplies for the airlift in my 182 and saw all of that. Looking forward to Oct. 8th when we will be down for a vacation and spread a few pesos around. Hope the mosquitos aren't too bad. See you then.

Beachgirl - 9-29-2009 at 08:05 AM

There are countless people all over this world who live on rivers. Some have no choice, others just want to be there no matter what. Could be in Florida, could be in Sacramento, just about anywhere. Rising rivers and subsequent flooding is pretty common, even without a hurricane. Sometimes we get hit, sometimes we don't. Now with computer programs we can pretty much move electronics and boats and other expensive stuff to high ground. So, getting that out of the way, we diehards should get our places back in order, if that is even possible, then focus on helping others, our friends, neighbors, and particularly the Mexican people who likely have absolutely nothing. Shouldn't that be our mindset? Really?...and yes, thank you Roger for your amazing photos. There will be a cold one waiting for you when we get back shortly with more "stuff"...provided we can even find our patio chairs!

k-rico - 9-29-2009 at 09:09 AM

Deciding whether or not to live someplace that is prone to natural disasters is a risk / reward calculation. Even after hurricanes John and Jimena, I'm still considering a second home along the Mulege river. For me, the rewards of living there balance out the risk. It's a beautiful place and the town of Mulege is an authentic Mexican village. I'll be there next month looking around.

On the otherhand, driving 100 miles on a dirt desert road into a waterless no-man's land to see a crumbling Catholic church is, for me, far too risky for the reward. 10 miles is even too far.

Different strokes.........

[Edited on 9-29-2009 by k-rico]

David K - 9-29-2009 at 09:14 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by k-rico
Deciding whether or not to live someplace that is prone to natural disasters is a risk / reward calculation. Even after hurricanes John and Jimena, I'm still considering a second home along the Mulege river. For me, the rewards of living there balance out the risk. It's a beautiful place and the town of Mulege is an authentic Mexican village. I'll be there next month looking around.

On the otherhand, driving 100 miles on a dirt desert road into a waterless no-man's land to see a crumbling Catholic church is, fo me, far too risky for the reward. 10 miles is even too far.

Different strokes.........

[Edited on 9-29-2009 by k-rico]

SERIOUSLY??? THIS doesn't look like FUN, to you??? :lol:

Have a nice day!

Beachgirl - 9-29-2009 at 09:19 AM

Hey, I know that uh-road?

David K - 9-29-2009 at 09:22 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Beachgirl
Hey, I know that uh-road?

Great... then you know this is near the end of it:

A very magic place!

Pompano - 9-29-2009 at 11:33 AM

Quote:

Originally posted by Vince
Good photos, Roger. I flew down 2 weeks ago with a load of supplies for the airlift in my 182 and saw all of that. Looking forward to Oct. 8th when we will be down for a vacation and spread a few pesos around. Hope the mosquitos aren't too bad. See you then.

Hi Vince,

Sorry I missed you when you were in Mulege. And yes, tough Mulege scenes for sure. For sure, everyone's pesos are helping. Business as usual with 2 new employees for mi casa & buying supplies, materials in town. Thank God, some never change.

Best bring lots of Deet, as this is the worst I have ever seen our Bay for mosquitos, which were almost non-existent years ago. Way, way too much stagnant water. Plus..the bird islands will be off-limits for a while, I expect! I can see the Dance of the bo-bos on my fishing cap now.

Hasta pronto en la bahia y safe travels, amigo.

rpleger - 9-29-2009 at 12:24 PM

Quote:

Originally posted by mulegemichael
richard, we talked to patty in town a couple of days ago...she was happy you werent here so she wouldnt have to listen to your b-tching...just kidding...everything is fixable, amigo...we are still alive

Thanks Mike...Got an e-mail from Patsy this morning...things are going along good and I expect to return soon...

leighton - 10-2-2009 at 05:30 AM

Really nice photos. Thanks for sharing them! I hope to be able to go there soon.

Regards,
Leighton
prêts travaux

More Mulege info

bajarhino - 10-5-2009 at 08:32 AM

We drove through Mulege on September 30th... people all over town repairing roofs, and still shoveling out the mud that came in six feet high into their homes. Everything along the banks of the river is gone, and dozens of forty foot high palms just snapped over east of the bridge....
However, we spoke to "Pollito" the director of Centro de Salud (the hospital) and he said the people are resiliant and will bounce back quickly. Everyone seems upbeat and some restaurants were open. Let's hope nature gives them time to recoup and plan.