 |
| navigating through off-cambered arroyo, BCS |
Keeping my eye on the speed-o-meter, I meandered down MEX1 on my way to Ciudad Constitucion. Far from being a tourista destination you can find all the services you might need, it was just the ticket. After a week of remote-camping in Agua Verde (see previous post BCS 2020 Loreto, Agua Verde) its a great place to reload, shower, get on the internet, kick-back with some carnitas tacos and go for a swim if your so-inclined. I did everything but the swim.
I camped just blocks away from the main road at La Pila Balneario RV Park a family owner/operated swim park and campground. For $200p a night hot showers, electricity and great WiFi. I popped the RTT and stayed two nights catching up on world news, my blog and showers. I was determined to post on my blog before heading south. What I did not follow so closely was the news of our current situation, Covid-19. YouTube was streaming as I learned of our present short comings and made note of the stats starting to increase, since crossing the MEX border a month ago February 13th (not really sinking in).
Taking advantage of my location I murdered some carnitas tacos (while the Spanish version of
My 600lbs Life was playing on the huge screen TV) somehow I got full fast. I motored over to the Pemex station gassed-up then loaded my provisions and water from the
Super Ley. Ready to go remote deep into the bush.
Keeping my compass south I turned onto
MEX1 113km to
Los Pocitas. My exit and last fuel fill-up (plus 2x 3.5gal
RotopaX fuel containers) before committing to a 200km+ 4wd primitive dusty offgrid rocky journey, wild camping on the
Golfo de California. Driving through little unassuming dusty remote rancheros, horses, cattle and burros roam as young kids on BMX bikes armed with lassos round-up stray livestock, (I wish I would have got a pic). The rough track continued through homesteads like
San Bartolo, Corral de Piedra and Las Tunitas.
Stopped for relaxing cattle and goats coming to life while they slowly wondered off the track. With daylight burnt I was starting to climb the treacherous mountainous landscape, navigating loose rock, washed-out tracks and off cambered rock steps. Hell Yeah!!
Darkness came fast, I was in a technical decent with my
floods and
spotties illuminating the unstable track. My full attention now peaked on keeping my rig in total control, shifting in 4wd-lo, centered on the track, I white-knuckled my way down from 2900ft to 640ft elevation. Pulling a
Ronny Dahl I made camp in the dark. Emptied some well deserved tinnies of beer, I was able to relax the adrenaline flow. Scanning the night's sky full of stars I reckoned that the morning would be a cracker of a picturesque view of the
Golfo de California and
Isla San Jose.
Emerging from my
RTT the morning view was exceptional, made coffee and heated some tortillas with cheese, I was excited on what the days adventure would bring. Breaking camp I pulled out on the track and crept along wide eyed to the scenery while positioning my rig safely on its path.
I was traveling through a protected wilderness area,
Reserva Natural El Portezuelo, free of rubbish and very primitive. Rounding the crest of a hilltop I dropped elevation into a wide sandy tree grown arroyo to the junction north to
San Evaristo a tiny fishing village.
Located in a natural protected sandy cove, where boats moored for safe harbor. The small fishing village has a school, a
tienda, a dirt soccer field, a salt pan and a osmosis water purifier. I headed through town over the hill to the other side of the cove to a stony secluded stretch of beach and an old time graveyard. Driving on the path leading onto the beach I got out stretched my legs and snap a few pics the wind was steady from the north filling the sails of a boat pointed south miles from shore.
Heading south over the saddle leaving
San Evaristo I took the dirt track back through the sandy arroyo where I had spied on the map a couple of potential remote beach camps. The arroyo was filled with twists and turns rocks and sandy pits, cactus, deadwood, birds and jack rabbits. Seeing no other vehicles I kept a 10-15mph pace on my left passing crystal blue turquoises water shadowed by sand dunes. Ancient colorful layered rock formations rising hundreds of feet to my right thick with desert cactus and scrub.
I took the turn off past the dune to a beach called
Las Dunas. A single fish camp with a light beacon
(Faro) on a long sandy stretch it surely was inviting, however the other potential spot I was interested in was just about 3km south. Back on the track I was climbing once again along a rocky twisted path, descending I was in-search of a narrow unmarked arroyo. Almost passing my mark I stopped backed up then spotted faint tyre tracks.
'Looking Good!!' (in a Freddy Prince voice).
I made a hard left and followed a deep narrow twisting arroyo navigating large rock outcrops pin-stripping cactus with deep off cambered ruts. Navigating rocks for about 2km I found myself perched on what looked like a unmolested sandy beautiful blue beach, and it was.
Flanked by two mountainous rugged desert cliffs. I immediately knew this was the spot. Secluded, kick-ass picture-perfect beautiful with no one else around. Nirvana!! This was my new zip code for the next 5 weeks off-road, off-cambered, off-line, off-grid and off-the-charts, serenity.
Super stoked I took stock in finding the best spot to put down roots, just off to the left on a rise tucked in to the landscape I saw what was a past camp with rocked paths fire pit and some cleared brush someone was definitely camped here for a while and I moved right in. The first week configuring base camp I combed my living space with my trusty collapsible rake clearing thorns and restoring kicked around rock paths and rock lined curbs.
My recovery
shovel to dig a latrine and level my rigs tyres also I pulled out my razor sharp
13" Samurai ichiban pruning saw (this is not a toy) cutting fire wood and unruly limbs. Life's good!
For two weeks not a sole joined me on that beach. I was in a groove weather was great, walking the beach exploring the area on foot finding treasures.
I spotted a path to the top of the north hill there was the sweetest little alter trimmed in rock, shells and made with purpose.
The view from there was epic I knew then, why that alter was constructed on that particular spot. In a flash I saw something out of the corner of my eye. To my surprise when I was able to focus on the blur standing a foot of a 12ft ledge a Big Horn sheep jumped up on the rock without a flinch, dressed in deer colored fur a white butt with a sheep's head and horns. Amazing!!
Osprey, swallowtail kites, hawks, ravens, great herons, dive bombing pelicans in formation, cardinals, oriels, woodpeckers, bats, hummingbirds, large seagulls it was Mutual of Omaha's 'Wild Kingdom' for real.
Spotting bait fish I would
cast my line and get lucky catching dinner, from sea to fork. Walking the beach looking for interesting shells while taking a refreshing dip in the chilly sea. Since I did not have a wet suit or skin I snorkeled for just a short time hoping the waters would turn warmer for exploring. One day doing my thing I happen to look up and noticed 3 kayaks appear. A group of young research scientists were exploring and camping along their 12 day float plan heading south from
Loreto (100km to the north). We were talking making introductions when we heard a vehicle, a gold 4x4 Westie emerges from the arroyo and two overlanders jump out its like old home week on the beach. After more introductions and more chatting everyone found a spot to call their home plenty of real estate to go around. Just when everyone gets settled we hear yet another vehicle come down the arroyo a couple from
Canada who live in
Todo Santos out for a couple days camping. That night we all gather around a campfire hosted by Brad & Dona from
California (on the road for 6yrs) in their Subaru powered 4wd Westie Syncro (kombi). Eight of us talking story a very interesting mix of travelers from different places engaged in different types of adventure it could have been a
TEDx Talk.
After a couple nights the Kayaks departed then the couple from
Todo Santos. Hiking the beach at low tide with B&D on our return a red jeep cherokee was parked and unpacking. A small group of locals, two professors and a retired
Mexican Air Force mechanic made roots camping and spear fishing for a few nights. We all went through intros with some sign language. It's all good!!
I decide to make a run to
San Evaristo for supplies beer and water B&D also needed some stuff but the local dudes were flush. I set out for a run about 20 miles round trip. I was able to find some stuff but the
tienda supplies were coming in the next day so I ordered some veggies, fruit, tequila, meat and cheese. The water guy closed on me and I was only able to get a limited supply from the
tienda. B&D were able to make a run back to the
tienda in a couple of days.
Most all supplies came in except the water guy never showed so they purchased the limited water the
tienda had, it would do we both had back ups. In the mean time our new fishing buddies had caught plenty and shared their catch with us. Great bunch of gentleman the
Mexican people have been so accommodating and giving. Experiencing it first hand you will be humbled by their generosity.
With scattered bits of info on
Covid-19 I got from my visitors and my Garmin
InReach SatCom. (family and friends). I was hearing that borders, roads, beaches, hotels, campgrounds and cities were locking down, so it was in my best interest to stay put before pushing on. B&D felt the same way we both shared that beach for another two weeks until push came to shove and we both needed to get back in touch, reload and decide whats next.
With the Westie packed and heading south to
La Paz, I was planning on following in a couple of days. The next day both of the professors returned,
Rodolfo and
Juan Thomas with their wives camping and fishing. Knowing I was there the entire time
Rodolfo came over to my camp with his cooler filled with food and offered me any of its contents, solid people. I thanked him for his kindness and respectfully declined. I let him know I was leaving in a couple days he broke off a small bunch of bananas and insisted. Totally cool!! I had a large pineapple I was cutting up and shared half with them. As a parting gesture he handed me a piece of smoked fish he smoked from the fish he caught last week. Respect!!
With all my gear packed, feeling kinda sad leaving this magical spot, I headed for
La Paz 100km south, not knowing what is really in-store once and if, I make it there!!
Hope to see you on the Trail!!..
🚙.......
