Mulege high tides

Burro in Concepcion this week posted by a local friend.

Quote: Originally posted by David K

The Gonzaga Lovers Facebook group has photos at Alfonsina's showing the extreme high tide covering the runway and at the edge of homes. This extra-high tide is not a new phenomenon. I saw it on my first August trip south of San Felipe in 1974.

Silly goat, I said "extra-high tide" and "extreme high tide" not the daily, normal high tide.

In 1974, when I was 16, two friends and I camped at Nuevo Mazatlan. The high tide came up and over the top of the beach berm and flowed onto the camping area and up along the trees.

It does this at least one or two times a year and has for ages. It was no higher this week than other times the moon in new or full with maximum pull of gravity. In just hours, the tide is then the lowest for the year.

Why no alarm at how low the sea is, which is for the same duration as when it is the highest?

Here is the August 1974 photo looking west from the normally high dry sand back towards the Nuevo Mazatlan campground trees. My two friends wading through the water.

Quote: Originally posted by lencho

Quote: Originally posted by pauldavidmena   ...research from my erstwhile employer. "Erstwhile"? Did you manage to retire while I wasn't looking?! Congratulations!!

I officially retired on June 2nd, but agreed to keep some accounts active in the event that someone needs to reach me. They call this "casual employment," which basically means payment by the hour with no benefits. I gave notice last October, so the knowledge transfer was fairly thorough, and no one has reached out to me except to go out to lunch or have a beer.

The road out to Coyote on Sunday.

That was Highway One before 1970! Just as deep then and before when my folks drove there in 1966.

Here that spot is in 2007, after the tide has gone down (note the wet sand):

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

World wide, sea level has risen over 6.5 inches in past 70 years, and over over 3 inches in just the past 20 years. [Edited on 8-4-2023 by mtgoat666]

Mulege High Tides

Quote: Originally posted by DouglasP

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666   World wide, sea level has risen over 6.5 inches in past 70 years, and over over 3 inches in just the past 20 years. [Edited on 8-4-2023 by mtgoat666] Please cite where you have gotten your data for your (mis)information......this should be fun.

In the 1960s, same location as newer photos above

Mike McMahan's La Burrita 4x4 camper nearing El Coyote on the original Mexico Highway #1. Excuse the watermark.

EDIT: replaced the watermarked image from Photobucket with this new scan.

[Edited on 8-10-2023 by David K]

Quote: Originally posted by Tioloco

That is a cool picture David.

The last one? From Mike McMahan's books... let me do a new scan... page 97 of 'There it is: Baja!' (1973)



[Edited on 8-10-2023 by David K]

Quote: Originally posted by SFandH

That road suffers from erosion almost every year. It is constantly rebuilt so people can drive to the south part of the beach. If it wasn't rebuilt almost yearly, it would be long gone.

Quote: Originally posted by Vince

Love that photo of the pickup on the wet road, David. I remember seeing that in 1962 from my brother's boat. We came over from San Carlos for some diving and were anchored off Coyote Beach for 3-4 days. Since it was the main hiway, we timed the few trucks passing by, it took 2 hours from Coyote Beach to where they climbed up the hill, north of Rancho Coyote, on the way to Mulege and out of sight. Some trucks waited for the tide to go out before they would cross the flooded road. There were no other boats anchored in the bay. Some nights we would sleep on the beach near the palm tree which is in the same place now as it was then, relative to the water. One night Manuel Diaz barbecued a huge turtle for us for his birthday around the campfire. He made a point of drinking the fresh blood from his cupped hand after he cut the carotids. He said it made him "muy Macho".

Such wonderful memories of pre-pavement Baja!
Thank you for sharing, Vince!

PS, we ate at Casa Diaz, L.A. Bay, in 1967... I was not quite 10, so I am not sure if we all ate turtle then (which was Señora Diaz' specialty) ... Pilots would change course to drop in for turtle if word got out it was being served. I do recall my folks saying something later on about it to friends: "we couldn't tell David what was the meat served" LOL. Of course, we didn't fly in, we came by Jeep Wagoneer!
It would be grand if the turtle population returned to those numbers to allow their consumption again. They are a traditional Baja delicacy.

Quote: Originally posted by David K

It would be grand if the turtle population returned to those numbers to allow their consumption again.

Quote: Originally posted by RFClark

goat, You don’t eat the little ones! No meat! You eat the great big ones. They’re yummy and have lots of meat. BTW, cows are cute too. They are also yummy, pigs not so much but still very yummy. Being a Right wing Redneck has it’s advantages. Great BBQ is one of them!

Right, these things (animals) are killed and cleaned to be called MEAT because they are FOOD to EAT.

Goat, we love baby turtles...


Antonio hands Baja Angel (my future wife) a baby turtle

Antonio's turtle research station, L.A. Bay 2005

When they grow up big, turtles are rumored to be delicious. Once legal, I would at least try them. In Baja California they were an important meal during a celebration. I think they sometimes still are. Kind of like when you smoked dope before it was legal, eh?

In 1966, on our trip to the tip by Jeep, we drove into San Miguel Comondú where an event of some kind was happening. As vehicles (and Gringo turistas) were not very common, my family was invited to engage. A fire pit with the (upside down) shell of a large turtle was over the fire. Inside was chucks of meat and lots of vegetables, etc. I think the food looked a bit too exotic for my mom and dad, who politely declined, and we drove on.

From the historic photos at VivaBaja.com:


L.A. Bay, 1980s


Shirt sold at Casa Diaz [English is a tuff language, lol]
"Bight [Bite] into juicy turtle steaks with Papa and Mama Diaz"
Bahía de los Angeles


Cruz (Mama) Diaz in her kitchen


Antero (Papa) Diaz in his office


Before paved roads, guests were trusted to make their own bill showing how many cervezas, snacks, or sodas they consumed.

Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666

Quote: Originally posted by DouglasP   Quote: Originally posted by mtgoat666   World wide, sea level has risen over 6.5 inches in past 70 years, and over over 3 inches in just the past 20 years. [Edited on 8-4-2023 by mtgoat666] Please cite where you have gotten your data for your (mis)information......this should be fun. So many articles have been written on sea level change. I won’t share a citation. It think this is a good opportunity for you to learn how to Google up some info on the web, and learn how to discern reliable information from unreliable information and partisan lies. Good luck! Hope you learn something!

David K,

👍👍👍!

Here’s something a goat might eat. Does it remind you of an old SF movie with a very famous name?

Quote: Originally posted by RFClark

David K, 👍👍👍! Here’s something a goat might eat. Does it remind you of an old SF movie with a very famous name?