BajaNomad

Taco de Baja, RIP

Mexitron - 3-4-2016 at 11:15 AM

Just to let you all know that my good friend, Brooks Smith, Taco de Baja, lost his valiant struggle on Monday. We'll be bringing some of his ashes to Baja later this spring/summer. Enjoy life everyone, its precious!

[Edited on 3-31-2016 by Mexitron]

woody with a view - 3-4-2016 at 11:38 AM

Hoping he pulls through. What happened?

pappy - 3-4-2016 at 11:56 AM

Wtf? This is shocking to hear....come on brooks!

Ateo - 3-4-2016 at 01:21 PM

We are thinking about you Taco de Baja! We hope for a quick recovery.

David K - 3-4-2016 at 01:31 PM

Oh my... I sure wish Brooks a full recovery!

Udo - 3-4-2016 at 03:23 PM

Prayers are always available, even to those whom we don't know personally!

BajaBlanca - 3-4-2016 at 09:29 PM

prayers sent out for taco de Baja.

Maron - 3-4-2016 at 10:29 PM

May God and the universe be with you.

Good thoughts and healing blessings forwarded to you.

Bajahowodd - 3-5-2016 at 05:55 PM

A fellow OC Nomad. I wish him a complete recovery.

DianaT - 3-6-2016 at 09:27 AM

I hope he is improving and will fully recover.

Skipjack Joe - 3-7-2016 at 08:13 AM

I'm really sorry to be reading this. Hoping for a full and complete recovery.

David K - 3-7-2016 at 09:23 AM

Only met these guys once, at the entrance to Parral Canyon, just north of Matomí Canyon, April 2004. They had just finished backpacking to Mission San Pedro Mártir with Jack Swords and were headed for Matomí when we arrived.


Left to Right: Taco de Baja, Huddo (Hudson), Mexitron, Pappy.

I am praying for Taco de Baja (Brooks) to recover!!!

Some photos they took in Matomí Canyon, later that day and after: http://vivabaja.com/mexitron/page5.html

Ken Cooke - 3-7-2016 at 07:36 PM

Prayers for Taco de Baja.. :saint:

woody with a view - 3-7-2016 at 07:53 PM

how does one rupture a femoral artery?

Mexitron - 3-9-2016 at 11:21 AM

Quote: Originally posted by woody with a view  
how does one rupture a femoral artery?


Its an aneurysm---more common in the brain but occasionally happens in the iliac artery. Brooks is still with us though still extremely critical---the sudden blood loss(and he basically bled all out) really messes with the organ function and can cause necrosis. So they put him in a coma for a few days to stabilize him and do a couple surgeries and are now trying to awaken him back out of it and slowly take him off the respirator and get him breathing on his own again. Hopefully the organs won't be too damaged to start functioning again. Just to give you an idea---the hospital he's at has never had a patient with an iliac rupture survive more than a day, so the fact that its been a week now gives us hope. Will update when I get more info.

Ateo - 3-9-2016 at 11:49 AM

Wow. Thanks for taking the time to update and educate us on the situation. Good luck Taco de Baja!

willardguy - 3-9-2016 at 12:31 PM

Quote: Originally posted by woody with a view  
how does one rupture a femoral artery?


:( remember jimmy stocker from a SCORE event a couple years back?......get well taco, we're pullin for you!

David K - 3-9-2016 at 04:09 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Ateo  
Wow. Thanks for taking the time to update and educate us on the situation. Good luck Taco de Baja!


Same here Steve...
Let's pray for Brooks to recover!

Mexitron - 3-10-2016 at 11:32 AM

Here's Brooks (on the right) a few years ago in Agua Caliente Canyon:



[Edited on 3-10-2016 by Mexitron]

David K - 3-10-2016 at 05:01 PM

Nice photo Steve.
After you guys backpacked up to Mission San Pedro Mártir with Jack Swords, Brooks made some nice 3-D maps for me to show your route up from San Isidoro. Always generous with his knowledge!

woody with a view - 3-10-2016 at 07:05 PM

Get well, TdB!!!

bezzell - 3-13-2016 at 10:06 AM

maybe something USEFUL, like humor, would help this guy ... instead of the ridiculousness of prayer!
get well soon!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5QqEmBi8iw

Sandlefoot - 3-13-2016 at 10:20 AM

Quote: Originally posted by bezzell  
maybe something USEFUL, like humor, would help this guy ... instead of the ridiculousness of prayer!
get well soon!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5QqEmBi8iw


If this is a representation of the extent you understand prayer, God, or anything that requires faith, I will pray for you!

All is well in La Paz

Happy Trails

Mexitron - 3-13-2016 at 11:12 AM

If I was at his bedside you can be sure I would be cracking as many jokes as possible! Humor is definitely good medicine...but, I'm 1,200 miles away, wah.

bezzell - 3-13-2016 at 07:22 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Quote: Originally posted by Ateo  
Good luck Taco de Baja!


Same here Steve...
Let's pray for Brooks to recover!


you obviously have not been paying attention!! :lol:
gee, shockeer :D

David K - 3-14-2016 at 04:58 PM

Quote: Originally posted by bezzell  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Quote: Originally posted by Ateo  
Good luck Taco de Baja!


Same here Steve...
Let's pray for Brooks to recover!


you obviously have not been paying attention!! :lol:
gee, shockeer :D


Try reading the subject name of this thread (Prayers), and have some respect for a fellow Baja Nomad... and a very nice person at that.

bezzell - 3-14-2016 at 05:19 PM

Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Quote: Originally posted by bezzell  
Quote: Originally posted by David K  
Quote: Originally posted by Ateo  
Good luck Taco de Baja!


Same here Steve...
Let's pray for Brooks to recover!


you obviously have not been paying attention!! :lol:
gee, shockeer :D


Try reading the subject name of this thread (Prayers), and have some respect for a fellow Baja Nomad... and a very nice person at that.


wt_ are you talking about?
you were asking a nonprayer to pray with you! (capice?)
some would label that 'TROLLING'

Hope Taco man recovers!

bezzell - 3-17-2016 at 08:02 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Sandlefoot  
Quote: Originally posted by bezzell  
maybe something USEFUL, like humor, would help this guy ... instead of the ridiculousness of prayer!
get well soon!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=m5QqEmBi8iw


If this is a representation of the extent you understand prayer, God, or anything that requires faith, I will pray for you!


"One of the saddest lessons of history is this: If we’ve been bamboozled long enough, we tend to reject any evidence of the bamboozle. We’re no longer interested in finding out the truth. The bamboozle has captured us. It’s simply too painful to acknowledge, even to ourselves, that we’ve been taken. Once you give a charlatan power over you, you almost never get it back." Carl Sagan

wilderone - 3-18-2016 at 08:37 AM

Carl Sagan was an atheist and is dead. You hold this mortal's words close while the universe is speaking to you otherwise? The ignorance of mankind - a speck in the universe - requires faith.

Taco, my prayers have been sent your way.

bezzell - 3-18-2016 at 02:02 PM

Quote: Originally posted by wilderone  
You hold this mortal's words close while the universe is speaking to you otherwise?


whoa! sounds like new-age wu-wu nonsense (but maybe I'm reading it wrong?)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/entry/atheists-genocide-incest...

get better Taco man!

pappy - 3-19-2016 at 10:49 AM

bezzell- this is about our friend taco de Baja, not about you and your faith-or lack of it.

if you want to share, maybe do so on the question and answers thread-or whatever.

meanwhile I will continue to pray for TdB and send good thoughts his way...

David K - 3-31-2016 at 01:03 PM

So sad to die too soon in life. Sorry very sorry.

DianaT - 3-31-2016 at 01:06 PM

Quote: Originally posted by Mexitron  
Just to let you all know that my good friend, Brooks Smith, Taco de Baja, lost his valiant struggle on Monday. We'll be bringing some of his ashes to Baja later this spring/summer. Enjoy life everyone, its precious!

[Edited on 3-31-2016 by Mexitron]


So very sorry to hear this. :no::no:

So sad to hear this.

Don Jorge - 3-31-2016 at 04:24 PM

Seems like only yesterday Myron passed on and now this. Sorry Mexitron for your loss of a good friend.

woody with a view - 3-31-2016 at 04:51 PM

Wow, seems like he put up a decent fight. RIP:saint:

fdt - 3-31-2016 at 06:41 PM

Was praying for a different result, pretty sad. Descanse en Paz.

BajaBlanca - 3-31-2016 at 07:27 PM

RIP Taco de Baja

He sure did put up a good fight.

Sorry for your loss Mexitron.

BajaGringo - 3-31-2016 at 07:42 PM

I enjoyed reading his point of view and experiences and I am so very, very sorry to hear of his passing. he joins a list of others who have passed recently that many of us knew. I pray for comfort and healing for his loved ones. RIP amigo...

woody with a view - 3-31-2016 at 08:19 PM

This is a rather long explanation of what it means to be a warrior. We should all strive to be warriors. I'm sure Taco de Baja is one......

Journey to Ixtlan:

A soft wind was blowing from the west and swept over my body without I making me cold. I felt it on my face and around my ears like a gentle wave of warm water that bathed me and then receded and bathed me again. It was a strange state of being that had no parallel in my busy and dislocated life. I began to weep, not out of sadness or self-pity, but out of some ineffable, inexplicable joy.

I wanted to stay in that spot forever; and I may have had don Juan not come and yanked me out of the place.

"You've had enough rest," he said as he pulled me up.

He led me very calmly on a walk around the periphery of the hilltop. We walked slowly and in complete silence. He seemed to be interested in making me observe the scenery all around us. He pointed to clouds and mountains with a movement of his eyes or with a movement of his chin.

The scenery in the late afternoon was superb. It evoked sensations of awe and despair in me. It reminded me of sights in my childhood.

We climbed to the highest point of the hilltop, a peak of igneous rock, and sat down comfortably facing the south with our backs against the rock. The endless expanse of land towards the south was truly majestic.

"Fix all this in your memory," don Juan whispered in my ear. "This spot is yours. This morning you saw, and that was the omen. You found this spot by seeing. The omen was unexpected, but it happened. You are going to hunt power whether you like it or not. It is not a human decision; not yours or mine.

"Now, properly speaking, this hilltop is your place; your beloved place. All that is around you is under your care. You must look after everything here, and everything will in turn look after you."

He stood up and pointed with his extended hand, turning his body around to cover a complete circle.

"All this land, as far as you can see, is yours," he went on, still smiling. "Not to use but to remember. This hilltop, however, is yours to use for the rest of your life. I am giving it to you because you have found it yourself. It is yours. Accept it."

"Every rock and pebble and bush on this hill, especially on the top, is under your care," he said. "Every worm that lives here is your friend. You can use them and they can use you."

"Fix every feature of it in your memory. This is the place where you will come in dreaming. This is the place where you will meet with powers; where secrets will someday be revealed to you. You are hunting power and this is your place; the place where you will store your resources.

The light of the setting sun had a rich, almost copperish, glow; and everything in the surroundings seemed to be dabbed with a golden hue. I was given totally to observing the scenery. I did not even want to think.

The last minutes of light, right before the sun hit a blanket of low clouds or fog, were, in a total sense, magnificent. It was as if the sun were inflaming the earth, kindling it like a bonfire. I felt a sensation of redness in my face.

"But now you must focus your attention on everything that exists on this hilltop because this is the most important place of your life." "This is the place where you will die," he said in a soft voice. This hilltop, as it is now, will then be the place of your last dance."

"What do you mean by my last dance, don Juan?"

"This is the site of your last stand," he said. "You will die here no matter where you are. Every warrior has a place to die. A place of his predilection which is soaked with unforgettable memories; where powerful events left their mark; a place where he has witnessed marvels; where secrets have been revealed to him; a place where he has stored his personal power.

"A warrior has the obligation to go back to that place of his predilection every time he taps power in order to store it there. He either goes there by means of walking, or by means of dreaming.

"And finally, one day when his time on earth is up and he feels the tap of his death on his left shoulder, his spirit which is always ready flies to the place of his predilection, and there the warrior dances to his death.

"Every warrior has a specific form; a specific posture of power which he develops throughout his life. It is a sort of dance; a movement that he does under the influence of his personal power.

"If a dying warrior has limited power, his dance is short. If his power is grandiose, his dance is magnificent. But regardless of whether his power is small or magnificent, death must stop to witness his last stand on earth. Death cannot overtake the warrior who is recounting the toil of his life for the last time until he has finished his dance."

"Does death really stop to see a warrior dance?"

"A warrior is only a man. A humble man. He cannot change the designs of his death. But his impeccable spirit which has stored power after stupendous hardships can certainly hold his death for a moment; a moment long enough to let him rejoice for the last time in recalling his power. We may say that that is a gesture which death has with those who have an impeccable spirit."

"And thus you will dance to your death here, on this hilltop, at the end of the day. And in your last dance, you will tell of your struggle; of the battles you have won, and of those you have lost. You will tell of your joys and bewilderments upon encountering personal power. Your dance will tell about the secrets and about the marvels you have stored. And your death will sit here, and watch you.

"The dying sun will glow on you without burning as it has done today. The wind will be soft and mellow, and your hilltop will tremble. As you reach the end of your dance, you will look at the sun, for you will never see it again in waking or in dreaming. And then your death will point to the south. To the vastness."



I hope death waited a good, long time for Taco de Baja's dance! Farewell, amigo......

fdt - 3-31-2016 at 10:39 PM

Thanks Woody

Ken Cooke - 4-1-2016 at 06:47 AM

I am real sorry to hear this about TdB. My condolences to his family. Sorry Mexitron for your loss.:(

Martyman - 4-1-2016 at 11:30 AM

Always enjoyed his posts.