Steinbeck Canyon Hike

Oh, man! This is one of our favorite hikes on the Baja, and we were so looking forward to sharing it with Cathie and Terry.

And then a big-horn sheep just walked right into our path and elevated the hike beyond anything we could have ever planned or imagined! It was stunning!

She smelled us before she saw us (the wind was to our back), but she had no where to go but up...which she tried to do several times, finding footholds on the edge of sheer walls, sending scree shattering below, and scaring us all that she would tumble down herself...it seems as if there was no place to go! We backed down the trail, giving her the space to traverse the wall above us and skirt over the slight dip at the top.

After a couple of hot hours of some serious bouldering, we were rewarded with the cool spring at the top.

Next time, Marv vows to climb further and explore what is higher in the canyon! But we were all satisfied with the hike, and it was a fitting finish to Terry and Cathie's visit. We already miss them!

Monseratte Hike

Take Dave Wallace, add an island with a high point, give him a morning of free time, and you can be assured of a good hike!

Dave took this photo of Cathie, Terry, Marv and me at the top of the trail on Isla Monserrate.

If you could call it a trail.

Striking features of the hike were the desert flowers in bloom...this is the flower of a cardon cactus...ants busily pollinating it as they harvest its nectar.

This island probably gave us the most evidence that snakes abound in the Baja. We didn't see the real thing, but they had passed this way not too long before we did, and Terry found the dessicated skin of two molted serpents.

Ah...did you notice in that first photo that we are all wearing sandals? ...hmmmm...

Isla Monseratte

Continuing north from Los Gatos, we bypassed Agua Verde and stopped briefly at the hot springs north of Isla Cosme. Someone (foolishly) suggested we swim into shore from the boat, making it "easier" since we wouldn't have to lower (and raise) the dinghy. Ah...somehow, at 65+ years, swimming against waves and a tidal current, however slight, and even if only for a half mile, is not as easy as it was when we were 40!

But we made it, carrying trash back to the boat from the small island that harbors the hot springs pool, and reviving quickly as we hoisted the anchor and headed across the channel to Isla Monserrate. Terry was really enjoying the sail. It was some of the best wind we had, 15 to 20 knots on our beam, so we just whizzed along to the anchorage.

Where we found many old friends! And they were having a party! To which we were promptly invited!

Mark Schneider (Wendaway) enjoying the potluck dinner...a cruising tradition to which we were pleased to introduce Cathie and Terry.

As is so typical of the Sea of Cortez, the sunset was beautiful...easing us into a good night's rest after a busy day.

Los Gatos

Our next anchorage was in Bahia Los Gatos (the Cats), where we snorkeled the southern reef and hiked up onto the sandstone formations on the north end of the bay. Sculpted by wind and weather, these rocks are creations beyond belief!

Timbabiche

We have anchored every season at Timbabiche, sometimes several times, but never gone ashore. With Cathie and Terry along, we took the plunge: the first night, they kayaked over to the mangrove lagoon on the northeast side of the anchorage, portaged the kayaks across a sand bar and spent a couple of hours enjoying the exercise and the diversity of bird life.

The next morning we dinghied into the beach and walked back into the brush where we visited a small village, distinguished by its brand new school, its evidence that residents respect Semana Santa and Pascua (Easter), its rustic cattle ranch flavor, and its curious children.

There is a story behind this settlement...apparently a fisherman/diver in a local family discovered a pearl of great value and built a house worthy of a rich man. After he died, the story goes, his children fell to quarreling and the house was left to fall to ruin...a vestige of what once was...and a lesson for the future.
(If you haven't already done so, read John Steinbeck's The Pearl. If you read it when you were young, read it again)

We have a policy of not taking shells from the beach...instead, we admire them, compare, remark on how unique they are, (maybe) photograph them, leave them for others to enjoy, and for the earth to incorporate as nature requires.

Kayaking anyone?

Our trip took us north, from La Paz to Puerto Escondido, a 6 day outing, where we anchored in small bays along the way. We stopped at Nopolo Sur, to visit our friends, the Leon family. But they were not at home...this is Semana Santa, or Holy Week, and families take vacation, visiting relatives in other places, going to camp on a beach, finding a hotel in a different city. Mexicans make for great tourists, traveling far and wide across the country! The Leons had gone to La Paz!

Cathie and I kayaked into shore, explored a bit, and left a message for the family.

Bahia Los Lobos

Our next guests didn't arrive until April 19th, and they proceeded to keep us on our toes. Terry Dolan and Cathie Blosser took a bus from Cabo San Jose, via Todos Santos and arrived at our boat just as we were finishing cleaning. :)

We still had some provisioning to do, so hopped in the car and went downtown to the market, bought some fresh bread, veggies and fruit, and were back at the boat by 3:00 PM. The sun doesn't set until nearly 8:00 PM, so we left the dock and headed to a nearby anchorage in Bahia Los Lobos, bay of the sea lions.

Yep, that's Terry and Ardy running up the hill...he challenged her, she took him up on it...but, energetic as they are, they were both walking by the time they got to the top! Marv and Cathie followed at a more sedate pace.

The ridge-top gave a stunning view of Balandra Bay. We've been there often on day trips (Dave and Suzanne snorkeled and kayaked there), but this was the first time we've seen it with water covering the sand. The tide was definitely in!

As an indicator of just how exercise-filled their visit was going to be, Terry led us back to the bay where we had tied our dinghy to a mangrove bush just after the sun set...getting dark! And we were pleasantly tired by the adventure.