Monday, February 22, 2016

Lolita

Pilõn Las Paras is the perfect pyramid shaped mountain easily visible from most of Loreto, Some gringos refer to it as Lolita, although I don't know the origin of that reference. The summit is about 3500 feet, the terrain is rugged and there are no trails or maps.

DeeDee and I made our first attempt about 4 years ago, leaving from the small town of Las Paras, which consists of a nice rancho, an oasis and a chapel. After several hours of crawling through relentless underbrush and only gaining several hundred feet in elevation, we gave up.

Earlier this year we gave it another try, this time starting in a gully just east of town. The gully contained less undergrowth, lots of boulders and some tricky scrambles, but was passable. We made it up what we thought about a third of the way. I could see the rest of the way pretty clearly, a long talus slope ending at a high, obvious saddle at the base of the steep summit cone.

With this new information, we enlisted our friends Said and Harry. Our hiking pal Ed was 'out of commission with a busted hand. (That's another story)

The day was good for Baja hiking, about 70, overcast with a nice breeze. The hike up to our previous high point went well. It was just after that we encountered our first obstacle, a 30 foot high wall with no obvious way up. After a bit of poking around, we found a way via three, ten foot scrambles, with some tricky moves to get over much loose rock we moved on.

The gully now becomes a massive talus slope. The footing is tricky and each rock and boulder must be tested for stability, the going is steady but slow. The vegetation has changed dramatically, with large fig trees, giant pitaya and biznaga cacti.

 The cloud cover has departed and the sun beats down on us, luckily the wind is still blowing. We stop for a rest in the shade of a huge fig tree, and are greeted with an incredible sight. A huge boulder, weighing at least 2 tons is wedged between two massive trunks of the tree, suspended four feet in the air. How did it get there? Did the tree lift it? We take a moment and marvel at the wonder of nature.

We continue our slow slog up the endless talus, finally reaching our first goal, the saddle. We are rewarded with incredible views of the Sierra Giganta, the valley below, the plateau to the west and the Sea of Cortez to the east and south.

We gaze up at the summit cone, it's steep walls of loose rock baring any possible ascent. Our only chance is from the north. We start scrapping our way along the base of the walls. The brush here is unrelenting, every piece of vegetation is primed to draw blood. After several hundred yards we reach a small clearing. The slope above us appears less intimidating. The route looks possible by doing several switchbacks rising up through several gullys.

We start up, the going is not as straight forward as we had hoped. The rock is all bad, just waiting to break off. We move cautiously, one at a time. The safest ways involve grappling through the thick brush. To avoid the brush means exposed climbing with questionable footing. The route now doesn't look as promising. Said and I go ahead looking for a way up. We reach what we hope will be a passable ridge, but this ends in a vertical cliff. On the cliff edge we find an abandoned back pack and water bottle. Who would have gotten this far and left their pack behind? Did they fall? We search for other signs of humans and see nothing.



We are about 150 feet from the summit, with no visible route from where we are. Our only alternative is to climb back down. It is getting too late in the day to look for an alternative. We are all tired and we know the way down will not be easy.

3 hours later we stumble to the car, bloody and beat. So close, yet so far. We crack a well deserved beer and gaze up at Lolita....   we tried, she won.     We will be back

Saturday, February 20, 2016

Santoro

One lofty goal we have on our agenda is to climb Cerro La Giganta, a massive 5,500 peak just north of Loreto. There are no trails and no good maps. Our friend Harry Morgan has had this on his "Bucket List" for a while, as has our friend Ed. We have all slowly collected bits of information from various locals, but now with the help of our good friend and local guide Said Orozco, we at least have a good interpreter. Harry's information has us starting the ascent at Rancho San Vicente, somewhere near the base of the mountain. So Wednesday morning, Harry, DeeDee, Said and I hop in Harry's 16 year old Nisson and head north.  We stop at the obligatory Military checkpoint, step out of the car for inspection. We make small talk with several of the young soldiers, they seem to enjoy the conversation. The two somewhat older officers try to act tough, but after a few jokes, they break as well. Not a fun job in 90 degree heat.


Just past the checkpoint we turn west into a large arroyo and follow a fairly good dirt track for several miles. After a wrong turn or two we pass several large water wells, these wells supply most of the water for Loreto. After about an hour, the road ends at Rancho San Vicente. We are greeted by a herd of healthy looking goats, a couple of small dogs and a german shepard. In the yard are peacocks, chickens, a few mules and cages of parakeets, which they raise and sell in town. At the casa we are welcomed by Ramona. Ramona and her husband Guillermo  have been living here, happily married  for 52 years.

Guillermo, she calls him Willy, is out pruning grape vines, but joins us shortly. He tells us of an old road that circles around some smaller hills and eventually leads to a large mesa, where it would be possible to camp. From there a days journey up to the summit and back to camp.

We agree to check out the road, we have no intention of climbing to the summit this day, but hopefully can find the route. As we pack up for our hike, the German Shepard, Santoro knows what we are up to and gets excited. He will be our guide today!

We follow the old track for about a mile, then turn left onto another road. This road has seen some use recently. We eventually drop down into a small arroyo with water, Santoro takes advantage and drinks up and plays in the cool stream. Soon the shallow stream deepens and our new friend pounces in and out of the pools. His favorite pastime, apparently, is diving down head first and bringing up rocks. We are amazed at the size of the rocks he can bring up from 3 or 4 feet of water.

A few miles later, we reach a clearing with an abandoned old rancho. There is gear neatly stashed under some Mesquite trees, possibly used for seasonal goat herding. The arroyo now turns into a steep walled canyon. The going from here on would be very difficult. We have lunch and conclude that this may not be the best approach, especially carrying large packs.

Back at Rancho San Vicente we tell Guillermo of our findings, he is pretty sure we were on the right track. We have a nice conversation and bid :Hasta Luego" to our hosts. Santoro is sound asleep on the cool shaded floor.

While we didn't exactly accomplish what we had hoped, it was still a great day in an awesome place, with fantastic people.

Tuesday, February 16, 2016

Beach Combing

Cabo and Cancun have beautiful white sandy beaches, Loreto does not.
Cabo and Cancun have Lots of high-rise hotels, condos and time shares, Loreto does not.
Cabo has McDonalds, KFC, Pizza Hut and Wal-Mart, Loreto does not,
Cabo and Cancun have street vendors selling trinkets at every corner, and barkers plying for your business, Loreto does not....

Loreto may not have the pristine beaches of other areas, but the beaches are endless and beautiful just the same. Miles and miles of beach without footprints, and the Islands are even more secluded. This is paradise for beach combers. Driftwood lines the high tide line, countless shells, star fish, sea glass and skeletons of unknown creatures litter the vast waterfront. Diligent beach combers can find countless treasures, like sea horses, rare shells, and artifacts from unlucky vessels.

The rewards are endless and each day's new tides brings new trophies.

Saturday, February 13, 2016

Comida Mexicana

Most of us New Englanders think of Mexican food as fajitas, chimichungas and crispy tacos with ground beef. In Baja, those foods hardly exist, except in the few places that cater to gringos.
Here in Loreto there are lots of restaurants and Taco Stands, all owned and operated by the owners, usually, just one family. In the smaller ones, the father will greet and seat you while mom does the cooking, the kids will bus the tables and wash the dishes. While many menus may seem similar, each is different. I've had chile renenos in ten different places and each is unique.

With fish, shrimp and the local chocolate clams plentiful, there is always fresh seafood dishes on the menu.

Twenty miles to the north is a fertile valley with much agriculture as it is 50 miles to the west on the Pacific side. As a result, fresh seasonal fruits and vegetables are regularly available, which is great as trucking in fresh produce from any further away is impractical here on the Baja. So while you cannot always get what you may want, what you do get is fresh and inexpensive.

Local beef is free range, and while a bit on the tough side, tasty. Excellent beef from Sonora is also readily available.

Locals don't really seem to  eat breakfast, but more of an early lunch. With the influx of Americans and Canadians, several restaurants offer  usual breakfast fare with some tasty Mexican additions, and always a nice fresh fruit plate and fresh squeezed OJ. Lunch for the locals is usually tacos, made with soft corn or wheat tortillas. chopped beef steak, fish, shrimp or birria, which is stewed goat meat or mutton or beef, quite good!

The options for dinner are numerous, from wood fired pizza, home made pasta, bar-b-que, and a few gourmet spots to many traditional Mexican eateries. Enchiladas, empanadas, chili rellenos and seafood. Chicken is also plentiful, and especially delicious is the pollo with mole sauce, a mildly spicy chocolaty sauce made with over 30 ingredients. Queso Burros, which are large flour tortillas filled  with beef or chicken, cheese, peppers and onions are outstanding. Tostados, and Volcans, crispy corn tortillas topped with piles of meat and fresh vegetables. One favorite of mine  is the Papa Relleno, a huge potato, baked over a wood fire, then stuffed with chopped aranchera beef, onions, corn and cheese and wrapped in foil and baked over the fire again.

Mexicans love their sweets, flan, of course, and many pastries and the local home made ice cream is particularly excellent!

As you may imagine, it's a bit tricky to watch your diet down here on the Baja!

Sunday, February 7, 2016

Just another day on the Baja..

Our destination is the cave paintings at Santa Domingo, about 30 miles west of Loreto. 
We first head up the mountains from Loreto about 20 miles to the Mission San Javier.
 The road, which was just recently paved, snakes it's way up through the rugged Sierra Giganta. Along with the paved road came electricity to the town which had survived for over 300 years without it, until 2011. 
The mission and the town were built by the Jesuits in the early 1700's. Along with the mission, they built an elaborate water system with dams and aqueducts and irrigation for date palms, fruit trees, olive trees and vegetables. The ordeal of building the road and bringing supplies over the unrelenting terrain is almost unimaginable. But seeing this breathtaking oasis, one can understand the choice to build the town here. 
The trip to San Javier before the paved road would take between 2 and 3 hours, bouncing along the rocks and dirt, weaving in and around arroyos and river beds. Now the trip is an easy 30 minutes. 
Just past the mission, the road returns to it's natural state of hard packed dirt and rock. We pass small ranchos with neatly harrowed rows of onions, corn and stands of olive trees and orange groves. The road now meanders in and out of the arroyo, the clear water glowing with green hues of angel hair algae. Ducks paddle through the reeds as egrets stalk their prey and road runners scurry in front of our vehicle. All around us the mammoth peaks guard the way.

Ten more miles brings us to Rancho Santa Domingo, the home of our guide Humberto and his family. We are welcomed by Humberto's wife Christina and his two cute daughters, about 6 and 8. The greet us shyly with smiles and outstretched hands as they introduce themselves to us. We know Humberto from previous visits, he has a kind and weathered face, he clearly enjoys seeing visitors. 
A couple on a motorcycle join us, they are Canadians now living on mainland Mexico and this is their first trip to the Baja. 
We follow Humberto down the road, park the vehicles and head up a steep talus slope made up of red and brown volcanic rock. After about 20 minutes we crawl behind some cactus and scrub to a large cave. The cave is strategically placed, very hard to see and has a good view of the valley below. The entrance walls are covered with paintings of fish, whales, octopus and snakes. Rows of cups, animal skeletons and more adorn the rock. Inside the cave, which is about 40 feet by 60 feet are artifacts, stones hollowed out by years of grinding grains, cutting tools and more. The 8 foot ceiling is layered with soot from years of fires for warmth and cooking. Off to one side is a platform, which we assume was for sleeping. Humberto tells us this was a winter home, as the west facing slope would be too hot in summer with temperatures reaching over 110 F. We sit and gaze about the valley, contemplating what life was like 7,000 years ago, and what happened to these people, where did they go? We try our best to disturb this unique place as little as possible in hopes it will remain for future generations to enjoy and wonder.  

Monday, February 1, 2016

Living in an RV Park

RV Parks in Mexico are unique. There is no pre-planned layout with cookie cutter spaces. They all seemed to have just evolved in whatever space was available. but it works just fine. I am constantly amazed to see a caravan of fifteen or so 40-45 RV's and trailers all fit into the park here at Rivera Del Mar, Like a big jig saw puzzle.

One of the more interesting aspects of these parks is, that not unlike RV parks in the states, you can rent a space for a year or more. The difference here is that you can make pretty much any improvements you want to the space. People down here will do everything from building a simple palapa roof, to building a full on home. The space we lucked into here has a 40x40 Palapa roof, large raised patio, private bathroom, and what once was an outdoor kitchen, we use as a workshop and for storage. We have a small yard full of plants and are located in the back corner of the park. There are 4 more 'permanentes' here in the park as well, and a few empty 'improved' spaces waiting.

But the really interesting thing about living in the park is, we have new neighbors every day. And down on the Baja, they come from every corner of the world in every type of vehicle imaginable.
From the Japaneses kid riding his bicycle around the world, to the German couple in the $500,000 miltary grade MAN camper. I think we've seen them all, VW campers from the 60's, super tricked out school buses, 1950 Triumph motorcycle to the latest greatest adventure touring bike. People with amazing stories, who for one reason or another decided to toss everything they own aside and see the world.