Baja Bucko
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Another Empty Saddle
On Saturday, August 20, 2011, a real Baja legend of a man rode on in to his next life.
If you have seen Corazon Vaquero you will recognize him. If you have ridden the mountains of Baja California from the Sierra San Pedro Martir to the
Sierra Giganta, you may have traveled with him and heard his beautiful voice as he sang songs of Antigua California or listened to his stories around
the fire. If you never had the chance to spend time with him on the trails you've missed out on one very special old vaquero.
Miguel Angel Ojeda, friend, father, grandfather, husband, cousin, vaquero, singer, story teller and damn fine caballero passed away yesterday from a
heart attack while working on what was to be his "new" casita in Vizcaino. A few years back he moved south from his home of the San Franciscos to La
Paz to be near his daughter. He never wanted to leave his beloved mountains where he was born and raised but he was getting up in years and diabetic
and the family thought he should be closer. He wanted to be closer to his beloved mountains so he was preparing to move to Vizcaino. He hated the
city-he belonged to the mountains.
He returned to the Sierra San Francisco many many times and I first met him over 10 years ago. Of course, I had known of him for even longer, he,
famous up and down el camino real for his tales and songs. EVERYONE knew or was related to Miguel Angel and since I am a genealogist I was always
glad to visit and document who he was related to who and all the stories that go along with that.
He and I had much in common with our childhoods and he loved discussing family-the older the better. There was much pain early on in his life and he
did not have a loving nurturing childhood but he did not let that stop him and he grew into the kind, gentle soul and good father (that he did not
have) that we knew.
His skills at being an arrierro were legend-he started very young-working on the ranch for the uncle who kept him after his parents abandoned him.
One story tells of him (as a young boy) taking a packstring from the Sierra de San Franciscos to Santa Rosalia with firewood and avoiding law
enforcement....it seems he was not only carrying firewood but also mescal to sell. Just a young boy and to work so hard.
At 12 he broke his ankle and it was never set and by the time the years had rolled by he had bone on bone walking. As long he was muleback, there was
no pain.
He spent several years eeking out an existence with his wife in arroyo San Pablo at what we call Cerro Colorado. I camped with him there at the site
of what was his roadless ranch and now nothing but red dirt and rocks and he spoke of the daily realities of trying to survive with very little food
and no money in a harsh hot dry country where there was little rain and few opportunities.
Another time I was honored to share the trail with him on the trail known as El Brinco on the way to Cerro Colorade-a rough rocky cuesta in a
beautiful part of the sierra San Francisco. Oh, Miguel, you and your stories about El Brinco......
He and Eve Ewing were close for over 40 years-he being guide and arrierro on so many of her trips with Arturo Villavicencio--what a team to travel
with! They traveled the Sierra San Pedro Martir range, the San Borjas, the San Franciscos and so many of the ranges that cattle called home
throughout north and central Baja California.
Eve and he were like kids-on our last muletrip together in 2009 we were camped at Cacarizo. We hiked way down stream to a great swimming hole where
the two oldest folks on the trip-Eve at over 72 and Miguel Angel just a little behind her, were the center of attraction, the two oldtimers frolicing
in the water and laughing like little kids. At one point, Miguel Angel stepped off into a hole way over his head and Eve had to save him-he didn't
know how to swim...of course, he had done the same for her many many times in the course of their friendship.
Miguel Angel could remember everything and he could talk about the people and places and events of the mountains that went back over 60 years. He was
a walking family historian for the San Franciscos which added to his expertise as storyteller. When it was known that Miguel Angel was going to be on
a trip even just as an "invitado" word got out and late at night around the campfire a vaquero or two would ride in to camp from a ranch many hours
away. They would come to enjoy the presence of this oldtimer-listening and laughing as the stories were woven in to incredible bouts of laughter with
tears resulting (from the laughter!!!). It was a special moment to be shared by all-young and old and leaving memories and oral history for the
upcoming younger vaqueros who sometimes have ipods and cell phones....and I 'll never forget seeing the tears in his eyes from laughing so hard!
As his ankle made walking more difficult, Miguel Angel would still rope and pack the animals but he also realized that pain was taking its toll so
after dinner meals I'd find him sitting, washing dishes...he always said to me-"Don't tell my wife I'm washing dishes....she'll make me do this at
home!!"
He and I had many private jokes-one in particular regarding "Bonifacio" who, in the night, was known 40 years ago to steal in to camp looking for a
wife....those in the know and the older cowboys always knew who we were joking about when "Donde esta Bonifacio?" was heard late a night.
He became a "movie star" when Eve made Corazon Vaquero--he is the guy telling the story about sitting with the rifle and the mountain lion behind him.
I was always hoping we could get him to ride with us for just one more trip. Sometimes you think that yea, he can do it...
This past April I was killing time in San Ignacio between muletrips. I was alerted that Miguel Angel would be on the 11pm bus from La Paz going to
Vizcaino and that I should go and see him. I had just learned how to sing and play the song he is so remembered for-El Borrachito-so I thought about
waiting at the bus station, hoping the stop would be more that 5 minutes, meet him and surprise him by serenading him with his song on guitar...but
alas, the bus came and left w less than a 5 minute stop (it was LATE!) and that never happened. I said that I'll get another chance.....
Yesterday morning coincidently I was thinking about him, just reading through notes of our conversations and the 2009 trip. At the same time my very
good friend, Trudy, was doing the same thing-thinking about Miguel Angel. Who was to know that possibly we were being sent some message that those
memories in our hearts are all that we have when we lose a good friend. Hours after I received the tearful phone call from Trudy to tell me he was
gone.
There are many heavy hearts today as the word gets around that the mountains he so loved have called him home. He was buried this morning at Rancho
Tablon.
Vaya con dios, Miguel Angel, one of the last of the true Californios, it has been a real honor to ride the trails with you. You will always be
remembered as a mountain of a man......
My other 4WD is a Baja Mule!
La Mula Mil Survivor 2013-2014!
1000 miles by mule from the tip to Tecate!
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DENNIS
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A wonderful, touching tribute. DEP Miguel Angel.
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shari
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Mood: there is no reality except the one contained within us "Herman Hesse"
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what a lovely lovely tribute..muchas gracias...I share your sorrow and pain amiga....Miguel Angel is a legend and he will be dearly missed. I have
goosebumps reading your eulogy and somehow feel that he is happy where he is now...instead of suffering in Vizcaino.
I shared his tears of laughter in the film...he made me laugh so very hard and now shed tears of sorrow for his family and amigos who will miss him
so...DEP quierido Miguel Angel.
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woody with a view
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we should all be so lucky to live a full life and have complete strangers lift a glass in our honor!
Via con Dios Don Miguel!!!!
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Eli
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Bucko, How fortunate you are to have known such a Man, may you carry his memory as you ride your trails for many more years to come. How fortunate
for Miguel Angel that he got to be who he was, I am sure his life was as rich and full as anyone could ever hope for.
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sancho
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I truly appreciate the History of the Peninsula, the Legends, and Pioneers, this man certainly belongs in that category.
A few of them have passed on in the last few months,
as another poster said, what a full life
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BajaBlanca
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D.E.P. what a lovely tribute. you managed to bring the man to life, in my mind - since I never had the pleasure of meeting him. I haven't seen the
movie, but I sure have heard about it from many. Sorry to hear that he died away from his beloved montanas .....
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TMW
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May God bless him. Thanks for sharing.
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Paula
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Bucko, thank you for sharing this sad news, and for writing so beautifully about Miguel Angel's life.
I am one of the lucky ones who has ridden with him, and shared a campfire, songs and stories. And I danced many dances with him at Trudi's first
Valentine's Day dance in Loreto. I never knew that his ankle hurt so, as he put pleasure above pain I guess, and he was the perfect dance partner.
Tears are flowing all the way up north in Montana, joining yours and Trudi's and those shed in the Sierra in a river of memory of this beautiful soul.
Yes, he was truly a mountain of a man. We've lost a good one.
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David K
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Thank you Teddi for such a wonderful tribute to a good man of the mountains... Time to watch Corazon Vaquero, again!
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Neal Johns
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Am so sorry, Teddi, that you lost such a friend. Your memories of him will never fade away, and that may help.
On a related subject, if you don't get that pen or keyboard moving, I'm gonna get your sorry burro. You are a great writer and you have a lot to
share.
Love, Neal
My motto:
Never let a Dragon pass by without pulling its tail!
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David K
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| Quote: | Originally posted by Neal Johns
Am so sorry, Teddi, that you lost such a friend. Your memories of him will never fade away, and that may help.
On a related subject, if you don't get that pen or keyboard moving, I'm gonna get your sorry burro. You are a great writer and you have a lot to
share.
Love, Neal |
DITTO !!
Start writing Teddy! It has been almost 40 years since Harry Crosby documented a mule trip on El Camino Real ('The King's Highway in Baja California'
c1974)... A new documentation of the mission road in in order!
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jureal
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Thanks. Compelled me to buy the dvd on Amazon. Sorry for your loss of a great friend. RIP
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UnoMas
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Sad news,
Have watched that video many times and would have enjoyed a night around he campfire with this man listening to his stories and maybe a sip of tequila
or two. Those who have had the pleasure must feel richer in life for the opportunity.
Rest in peace Miguel.....
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