Two sea kayaking companions and myself departed Phoenix, Arizona Tuesday, October 24, 2000 headed for Bahia de Los Angeles in Baja California Norte, Mexico. The drive from Phoenix is approximately 780 miles. My companions and I had traveled to LA Bay in April 1999 with the intention of doing this trip then. At that time we were unable to set up the considerable logistics to accomplish the trip. We ended up exploring the area South to Punta Las Animas and North around Isla Coronado. We gained valuable insight to paddling this area as well as making contacts for future trip planning.
The evening of October 24 we camped in Campo, California just a few miles from the border crossing at Tecate, Mexico. Crossing the border the next morning was a breeze. The Mexican guards conducted a cursory search of our vehicle and the sport utility/kayak trailer we were towing. We were delayed less than five minutes. All three of us had previously obtained our FM-T Mexican tourist permits prior to departing on this trip. Two of us one Monday before the trip drove down to Nogales and obtained our permits there, a very simple transaction. We did this in advance to save time during our Baja adventure. The drive along Mexico Highway 3 was very good. We were amazed at how light the traffic was compared to our previous trip in 1999. Halfway between Tecate and Ensenada on Hwy 3 we encountered a military checkpoint, new since our last trip. They inquired where we were going then waved us through.
Upon reaching Highway 1 in Ensenada we joined up and smoothly drove through town. Again we were amazed at the light nature of traffic. Making an early morning crossing of the border was paying dividends. Just past San Quintin we encountered the established checkpoint. Another cursory look at our vehicle and trailer and we were on our way. I had filled a cooler with ice and soda pop before departing. The guards were most grateful when I offered them cold soda pop during our checkpoint stops. We were stopped at a roving military checkpoint somewhere between El Rosario and Cataviña, again cursory in nature. Overall road conditions on Hwy 1 were very good. There is much new paving and some sections with centerline stripes, shoulder stripes, plus reflectors.
We arrived in LA Bay around four PM Wednesday, October 25. The put in point for our sea kayaks was at Guillermo's camp ground/RV Park/general store/restaurant. Guillermo has a nice white sand beach to camp on. His restaurant fair is very good also. The next day, Thursday, October 25 was to be our shuttle day. I had arranged with Guillermo's son, Egor, to follow me to Mulege with my 4Runner and trailer. Egor is a charter sport-fishing guide. We were lucky that he did not have any clients booked for the next couple of days. He was happy to make a few extra bucks shuttling us back to the put in from Mulege. I had made arrangements with Roberto at the Orchard RV Park in Mulege to secure our vehicle and trailer there. This park is on the Rio Mulege, which lets out into the Gulf of California. At the end of our trip we would be able to paddle up the river from the ocean right to where we parked my 4Runner. The shuttle was 584 miles round trip. It took us 12 hours including lunch in Mulege and checkpoint stops. On the way down the checkpoint at Guerrero Negro went smoothly. Another cursory look, insect spray the tires (20 pesos), and no one asked to see our passports or FM-T's. The five AM departure from LA Bay was paying more dividends. There was one other military checkpoint between Santa Rosalia and San Ignacio. They inquired where we were going and waved us through. After securing my 4Runner and trailer at the Orchard RV Park we had a quick lunch in town and headed straight back to LA Bay. Our shuttle driver, speaking fluent Spanish, expedited us through all the checkpoints. Still no requests to see our passports or FM-T's. The shuttle was a long 12-hour day. It went smoothly though.
A word about auto fuel. Basically we had no problems on the way up or down the Baja. The pump at Cataviña was dry on our return trip home. However there was a roadside vendor selling from 55-gallon drums. There also was a vendor selling from drums at the LA Bay turn off. We refueled at the two pumps Pemex at Villa Jesus Maria during our shuttle and our return trip home. This worked out great as we avoided the notorious Pemex at Guerrero Negro. I also filled a five-gallon fuel can after we crossed the border and kept it in the utility trailer. It was a good reserve but we ended up not needing it. We used up the extra fuel on the way home to extend our range. Magna Sin (unleaded regular) is running well over two dollars US per gallon. Bring plenty of Pesos. We had to revert to US dollars on the way home as we had used up most all of our Pesos on the way down plus buying fuel for our shuttle drivers vehicle.
Part Two
Sea Kayaking LA Bay to Mulege
Friday morning, November 27, 2000 dawned clear and calm. We had spent the previous evening organizing our gear after returning from the shuttle. Don had stayed with the gear all day while Sam and I shuttled my 4runner to Mulege. That evening we enjoyed a fine dinner of Guillermo's broiled scallops with tortilla, rice, vegetables, chips, sauce, and ice-cold Corona! We dinned with a young couple who had traveled from Maine to Sea kayak in a double to Loreto. Mish was a young woman from Australia who has been teaching in Maine. We delighted in listening to her Australian accent telling us about here homeland far away on the Indian Ocean.
We pushed off the beach just before six AM. The day was dawning beautifully. The anticipation of adventure was high as we made our first strokes toward Bahia de las Animas. We chalked up the miles, approx. 18 nautical miles, under almost ideal conditions. As we began our crossing of Bahia de las Animas the wind freshened from the Northwest, blowing on shore. In 1999 we had been trashed by a vicious North wind while making this same crossing in the opposite direction. Needless to say we were a bit anxious. The seas were quartering on our left side. A beam sea, in my view, is the most uncomfortable to paddle. The water temperature was in the seventies; the air was about the same. With the wind on shore I was confident. I had removed my Sequel Desert Rat ball cap and placed it under my forward deck bungee's as I always tend to dress to warm. I looked down sometime later and a large wave had scooped it off my boat. I figured it was my sacrifice to Neptune for a safe crossing to the Animas Slot. The slot is an ideal protected cove, excellent for our first nights camp. We had camped there in 1999. Beyond there we would be in unfamiliar waters.
For this trip I had added a new piece of gear to my collection, a GPS. This turned out to be a most valuable instrument. During trip planning I had entered in coordinates of our intended route. The GPS calculations where amazingly accurate. Our total distance traveled during the trip where exactly as the GPS had calculated! The real time speed and time information was most helpful in determining the positive or negative effects of tide current and wind on our progress. With tide charts and the GPS we were able to optimize the use of the tidal currents to help us along. All miles I will refer to during this trip are nautical miles. A nautical mile is 1.15-statute miles. The charts we were using are nautical. They are produced and published by a gentleman named Gerry Cunningham from Patagonia, Arizona. Gerry has sailed in the Baja for many years. His charts and GPS coordinates of key landmarks were very useful. My GPS is a Garmin Etrex. It's waterproof, simple to operate, small, and jammed with useful features. It's also inexpensive, around 119 dollars. I recommend it for both sea kayaking and river kayaks as well.
Day two took us to Playa San Rafael, approx. 17 nautical miles South of Animas Slot. The weather was ideal, calm seas, warm air and water. The beach at Playa San Rafael was beautiful for camping. It was here where we had a slight misfortune. Do to the need for fresh water and food for many days in the boats we had tried to economize on select pieces of gear. We brought one Tfal, nonstick, nesting, cook set which we had borrowed from our good friend Justin Pitcarin who had been unable to join us for this trip. The large skillet in this set is ideal for one of our favorite camp dinners, Boboli pizza! After dinner Don had stored the cook set in his cockpit with his cockpit cover installed. During the night coyotes managed to get into Don's cockpit, apparently attracted to some homemade jerky he had stashed in a sliding storage bag under his cockpit forward deck. When I asked for the pots to get breakfast ready we discovered they were gone! The coyotes had walked off with the whole set! Two days into the trip and nothing to cook in, OH NO! After a few minutes I remembered I had brought my Bakepacker. A Bakepacker is a small aluminum pot with a grid in the bottom for steam baking prepared dough among other things. We were able to use this pot for the entire remainder of the trip for preparing all our meals. Needless to say I secured it tightly in my forward hatch nightly.
Day three took us to Caletas Mujeres approx. 17 nautical miles further south. There are two ideal coves for camping just north of the large anchorage at Bahia San Francisquito. We shared the protected beach with a local fisherman. So far the weather had been ideal. We felt the pressure to make big miles everyday since the wind in Baja is notorious for seemingly coming out of no where and pinning you to the beach for hours if not days. The winds we had encountered had been fair, mostly coming from the Southwest, unusual for Baja.
After three days of big miles all three of us were tired. We had hit the water early for three days in a row before six AM. We decided to have a short day, only 11 nautical miles to Rancho El Barrill. We paddled along a long, sandy, beach for hours. We camped just South of a large mansion built right on the beach complete with tennis court and an ornate rotunda tiled with cobalt blue Mexican tiles. There were large floodlights aimed out at the ocean, apparently so the owner can see the ocean at night! This home and several smaller ones down the beach are totally off grid. Another words, they have to generate all there own electrical power. The sophistication in such a remote location was a stark contrast.
Beyond Rancho El Barrill lied several miles of cliffs to paddle along. This ups the consequences as our bail out options are nil if the wind suddenly comes up. We hit the water early in a moderate wind. We made it past the cliffs to our camp for day five just North of the 28-degree parallel which divides Baja California Norte and Baja California Sur. We camped on another fine beach.
Our day five paddle would prove to be the most sporting! We launched in a moderate wind early as usual. The tidal current and wind were behind us so we were making better than three nautical miles per hour, which is smoking in a sea kayak. As the morning progressed we began to notice a gradual change in the wind as it intensified in strength and swung around more to the North. I suddenly realized the following seas we were in had grown very large with breaking white caps. Even though these conditions had creeped up on us I still felt in control. Barreling down the face of the following seas was actually fun. We finally decided that getting off the water was the smart play. As we crossed over a reef close to the beach the waves really began to stand up. Suddenly a large comber picked my boat up and sent me rocketing forward. I nailed a quick right low brace and enjoyed an exciting ride, better than anything at Disneyland! Shortly later we made an exciting surf landing on this wide, long and lonely beach about 12 nautical miles South of our previous camp. It was a bit before noon. We were nailed to the beach by big wind and surf for the rest of the day and night. It was nice to lounge around in the warm sun, explore, and solve all the world's problems.
Just before landing I noticed a most interesting grove of palm trees at the far end of the beach. Sam and I took a walk to go check it out and recon the area for landmarks to compare to our chart. Under the palms and brush we made a grim discovery. We found 13 large sea turtle shells. These shells were huge, as much as three feet across or slightly more. Obviously they had been poached. The long, flat beach we were camped on was ideal nesting habitat for sea turtles. A very sad discovery to find the remains of these benevolent creatures plundered from exsistance.
Day seven brought moderating winds and surf. We launched off the turtle beach and headed for Cabo Tres Virgenes. This day we paddled 24.2 nautical miles to make up for our lost miles from the previous day. We enjoyed another fine camp just North of the Cape. The next morning we rounded this large Cape in good conditions. The Tres Virgenes are large volcanoes that are clearly visible for many miles. When we sighted them we knew we were making good progress toward our destination.
Day eight we were off for Santa Rosalia. This large community was our intermediate bail out point. We could have taken a cab from here to Mulege if necessary to pick up our vehicle. We all felt good though. Our supply of food and water was ample plus the weather was holding nicely. We logged 24.1 nautical miles this day. The camping opportunities in the Santa Rosalia were slim. We ended up settling on a small cobble beach a few miles South of town where we managed to camp for the night. The local fishermen in their pangas with bright Coleman lanterns were our companions through the night. In the distance I could hear two fishermen singing in Spanish harmony as I drifted off to sleep.
The anticipation of the end of our trip was now upon us. We launched early in calm conditions and paddled 22.2 nautical miles to Punta Chivato. Along the way we enjoyed lunch on a beautiful beach with shimmering aquamarine water. At Punta Chivato we camped at the very tip on a narrow short beach. We climbed to the top of the hill overlooking our camp and in the distance could see our objective, Mulege.
Our last day would be a half-day paddle. We launched in a moderate wind and confused waves. Once we rounded the point the seas and winds calmed. We paddled along the beaches of Bahia de Santa Ines. There are many exclusive private homes located along the beaches. A beautiful hotel that was recently renovated looks gorgeous from our point of view. A few early morning risers wave as we paddle by. We see the private airstrip that services this exclusive enclave. Parked there we observe two Beechcraft King Air executive class turbo prop aircraft. The privileges of wealth are a wonder unto themselves. We say good morning to two sailboats that are anchored near by. They are cruising the Baja before heading for the Caribbean via the Panama Canal. Ah, to lead a life of adventure, the ultimate luxury. Sam, Don and I continue along the final miles of our trip. We chat briefly with a sailing group from the National Outdoor Leadership School. They had spent a quiet night anchored off of and camped in the low sand dunes North of Mulege. We envy them as they have just started their adventure. Close to noon we enter the Rio Mulege. This is a wonderful shallow water harbor. We paddle up river taking in the sights of mangroves, birds, and the village homes. Finally the small boat ramp at the Orchard RV campground comes into view. We calmly beach, step out of our boats and grant each other high fives.
After packing all the gear and hot showers we go into Mulege for a fine Mexican seafood dinner. The cold Coronas slide down better than after a good day skiing the back bowls at Vail! We spend our final night at the Orchard campground. At 4:30AM Monday, November 6, we make our run for the border. We've paddled 178.1 nautical miles or 204.8 statute miles in nine and one half days. Our shuttle was 584 miles. For the trip I logged 1998.0 statute miles on my 4Runner. We make the drive all the way to Tecate and cross the border back home on Monday. We crossed at 7:30 PM. We did encounter heavy truck traffic on the way home from Ensenada all the way to Tecate. Also we blew a tire on the trailer two hours South of Tecate. Fortunately we had a spare and were on our way with a minimum of delay. If there is anything I've learned about driving in Baja it's BE PREPARED!
Driving back into Phoenix on Election Day 2000 I feel like I've never seen this city before. I believe this is a sign of how complete an adventure we have enjoyed. One that I know will remain with my companions and I forever.