BajaNomad

Sea of Cortez Beach Escape Oct. 3-6, 2009: DAY 3 & 4

David K - 10-8-2009 at 05:16 PM

Continued from DAYS 1 & 2 here: http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=41813

Monday morning... very nice! I will let my photos do most of the talking...







Every low tide exposes new treasures...



We took a drive the length of the island. This is from the south end, looking north:











Sunset Monday Night:













[Edited on 10-9-2009 by David K]

dtbushpilot - 10-9-2009 at 06:45 AM

Great pics. DK......dt

David K - 10-9-2009 at 08:40 AM

Thanks David, I will be adding the remaining trip photos and details (Day 4) this morning... stand by!

Sallysouth - 10-9-2009 at 09:39 AM

Nice pics David! What kind of bird is that with the red eyes??Awesome shot!!

DAY 4 The trip home:

David K - 10-9-2009 at 09:49 AM

We really hated to have to go home today. The long weekend was just what the doctor ordered for an complete unwinding of civilization's stresses!

We were in no big hurry to go, and my muy rapido camp set up/ take down system always makes camping easy. Our easy up shade was taken down for the last time... it had begun falling apart two trips ago and a gust of wind Sunday night was more than the duct tape and bailing wire repairs could handle. We will be shopping for a heavy duty shade. Otherwise, I will go back to my PVC pipe shade system!

Here's a final photo of the beach in front of our camp:



When we got to the mud flats that seperate the island from the Baja peninsula, the high lunar tides of the previous 3 days had added more sea water than we crossed on Saturday. Not a problem, but the added mud will need to be washed off before going back to the USA (we were warned once that excessive dirt on/ under our truck could be reason to turn us back into Mexico).

Here is Shell Island on the new Nat'l. Geo. Baja maps:



Here it is on Capt. Mike's giant Baja map:



Here it is on Google Earth:



We were off the island, through the mud and sea water and on dry land to pump up the tires and off to San Felipe by 11 am Tuesday. In town, we had the truck washed and enjoyed some tacos while waiting.

On the way north, we stopped at the El Dorado Ranch Pemex station to top off the tank. Magna was 7.41 pesos per liter and the exchange offered was 12.90 pesos per dollar making fuel cost US $2.17/ gallon. Premium was 9.18/ liter ($2.69/ gal).

The 4 lane highway runs for 11.8 miles north from the El Dorado Pemex to Km. 160. Then the new wide 2 lane road with fences along both sides runs for 10.4 more miles. The military checkpoint is 1.4 miles further north and the new Hwy. 3 interchange construction is 0.1 mi. beyond. New road construction ended 6.9 miles north of the Hwy. 3 junction (Km. 130).

New wider 2 lane road north of San Felipe for 10.4 miles:



New Hwy 3 interchange with Hwy 5 (U.C.):







We decided to cross north at Tecate, and use the excellent Libramiento de Mexicali toll road (82.9 miles north of Hwy. 3 jcn.) for 52 pesos to short cut to Hwy. 2 and avoid any city traffic.

The toll at La Rumorosa was 15 pesos ($1.30) and was 54 pesos at El Hongo. When we arrived at the border line, there were only about 5 cars ahead of us (4 pm) and we were across at 4:05 pm Tuesday.

Just an interesting note... The only produce we had left were a few limes (brought from US) and we declared them because they ask if you have 'any' fruits or vegetables... and we know green/ sour limes are permitted. Well, the officers at Tecate don't know the list and we were sent to secondary and waited there for 10 minutes until an agent needed to search his computer to learn for himself that limes are permitted... and sent us on our way!

Now, it isn't that big of a list and you would think the people working the border would learn it or at least have a copy on hand!??

Here is the list I was given in Tecate a few years ago... (when I asked for a new one Tuesday, they didn't have any):



Anyway... we were home at 6 pm and soon thinking of when we could go back... back to Baja!



[Edited on 10-10-2009 by David K]

dtbushpilot - 10-9-2009 at 10:00 AM

Great trip report DK. If you have a picture of your camp please post it....dt

David K - 10-9-2009 at 10:07 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by dtbushpilot
Great trip report DK. If you have a picture of your camp please post it....dt


I did... it is in the Day 2 photos on this thread (Day 1 & 2): http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=41813

dtbushpilot - 10-9-2009 at 10:11 AM

Guess I should have looked a little closer, thanks....dt

David K - 10-9-2009 at 10:24 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Sallysouth
Nice pics David! What kind of bird is that with the red eyes??Awesome shot!!


I think that is a 'Western Grebe'...

Here's some more photos of it:





dtbushpilot - 10-9-2009 at 10:58 AM

They taste like chicken only fishy:bounce::bounce:....dt

Cypress - 10-9-2009 at 01:45 PM

David K., Appreciate the information and thanks for the pictures.

Von - 10-9-2009 at 02:53 PM

Cool trip report David~~Thank you~~

Skipjack Joe - 10-9-2009 at 03:49 PM

Western grebe's are cool.

I had seen their red eyes, but didn't know about their green legs.

Go Dodgers!

Bajahowodd - 10-9-2009 at 04:05 PM

"Go Dodgers" from Half Moon Bay, already. Sounds like maybe a former LA resident. On that note, anyone who may care, the Lakers are playing their second exhibition game against the Warriors tonight at the Fabulous Forum!Last game they played there was in 1999.

Sorry, David. Just a tiny hijack. I really did enjoy your photos. Keep up the great work. I get the feeling that you prefer the 'warmer' side of Baja, as you have frequented the San Felipe-South area quite often in the recent past. With the obvious exception of your trip down to the Loreto area.

David K - 10-9-2009 at 05:06 PM

Yes... we love warm... even hot if their is a warm sea to jump into!

May-Oct. for Baja beach trips with July-Sept. prefered!

Other months for inland explorations... Surfers can have the Pacific all to themselves... I enjoy it in small doses, but fog and cold water don't do it like blue skys, and bathtub warm sea water!

Ken Bondy - 10-9-2009 at 09:41 PM

Fabulous fabulous report and photos David. A masterpiece!! Gracias,
++Ken++

David K - 10-9-2009 at 10:07 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Ken Bondy
Fabulous fabulous report and photos David. A masterpiece!! Gracias,
++Ken++


That means a lot coming from you Ken... Thank YOU, sir!

David K - 10-9-2009 at 10:09 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by Von
Cool trip report David~~Thank you~~


Quote:
Originally posted by Cypress
David K., Appreciate the information and thanks for the pictures.


de nada amigos Von y Cypress, de nada!

[Edited on 10-10-2009 by David K]

Iflyfish - 10-10-2009 at 06:51 AM

Some of your pictures capture the solitude of those great expanses of beach that haunt my memories....stars from horizon to horizon and miles of sand unbroken by footprints. This is one of the Bajas of my memory and I am grateful that it is still there. Thanks for sharing this great travel log with us.

I have watched the Greebs chase each other on western lakes during their courtship rituals. They create a great rushing sound as they race their tandem love dance across the surface of a lake. They seem to be coordinating the timing of their launch and pace of their running as they rise out of the water and then run on top of it. They are a fascinating diving bird.

Iflyfish

David K - 10-10-2009 at 11:06 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Iflyfish
Some of your pictures capture the solitude of those great expanses of beach that haunt my memories....stars from horizon to horizon and miles of sand unbroken by footprints. This is one of the Bajas of my memory and I am grateful that it is still there. Thanks for sharing this great travel log with us.

I have watched the Greebs chase each other on western lakes during their courtship rituals. They create a great rushing sound as they race their tandem love dance across the surface of a lake. They seem to be coordinating the timing of their launch and pace of their running as they rise out of the water and then run on top of it. They are a fascinating diving bird.

Iflyfish


Thank you for that... sounds beautiful!

Bob H - 10-10-2009 at 11:18 AM

David... WOW... that was GREAT! A fantastic trip report, indeed! Your images took me there with you.

We need a President's day weekend Nomad event at Shell Beach...errr, Island... in 2010!!!!!!!! What-da-ya think?
Would my cabover camper make it out there?
Bob H

David K - 10-10-2009 at 12:25 PM

Bob, I have seen 2WD full size motorhomes out there... (really big tires)...

See the Mision Santa Maria thread... BajaCat is talking about a Nomad Mision Santa Maria run, Prez Day 2010... ?

viabaja - 10-12-2009 at 08:08 PM

Dave,

Must have missed you over the weekend!! We were down fishing at the south end both days. Didn't make it up the beach (north). How did you like the rain on Friday nite? A little muddy going in! C

David K - 10-13-2009 at 08:00 AM

Hi Chris... We arrived Saturday about 1:30pm... Noticed water puddles ON TOP of the elevated road and knew the tide wasn't THAT high!!

Pretty wild the changes to the south end of the island? We saw that on our previous trip of May or July... that the back bay entrance faces south into Bahia Santa Maria instead of east into the Sea of Cortez.

How was the fishing... any corbina?

viabaja - 10-13-2009 at 03:14 PM

Dave, yes, the fishing was good. As you know the water was warm & the beer ice cold!

David K - 12-29-2009 at 08:17 AM

Water will be too cold for swimming over New Years, but the outdoors are just great to get 'into'!

monoloco - 12-30-2009 at 12:49 PM

Nice photos David. For a shade, check out the Coleman Event 14. We have had one up for 2 months in winds up to 25mph and it's holding up well. We really like this shade, it's 14' square and takes about 15-20minutes to set up. We picked it up last summer on costco.com for 69.95.