Dec. 14,15, 2014

We left early in the morning and were able to cross the bay to the other side. It is about a 2 hour crossing. By the time we got across the wind had picked up and waves were forming. We were able to stay close to the shore and for the most part take advantage of the points as we worked our way north to Santo Domingo.  We stopped at a fishing camp, that only an older man lived. He was repairing his casa due to the hurricane that had damaged quite a bit of his house. It was fun talking to him and practicing our Spanish.  We asked him about buying some fish in Feb. when we would paddle by his house with our NOLS Baja course. He would be glad to if he was there. Finally we saw our camping destination, it was a beach that we had camped many years before. It was easy to recognize by the rock formation. Rumor has it that Santo Domingo has been soldand may one day have a resort built on it. In fact there is a map that shows the whole coast line from Punta Conception to Loreto being surveyed and divided up into plots to be sold.  Several years ago white cement blocks were placed at the lot corners. They are still obvious, but are not being maintained. Took a short walk after we arrived. The 15th was devoted to a longer walk in the morning reacquainting ourselves with desert plants, many of which had blooms. Afternoon was time spent in the water practicing rescues. A good day to be in Baja.

Dec. 13, 2014

Off we went to Loreto and the dentist.  While I was having my tooth filled Don walked around the square checking out the colorful Christmas decorations, visiting the mission built by the Jesuits in the 1600's and walking thru a museum. A mural in the museum was a representation of the women that had inhabited Baja.  At least that was the story that was passed down. I soon had my filling replaced and we were back to Coyote Bay early afternoon.  We decided to stay at the branch tonight and will leave early in the morning to cross over to the other side.

Dec. 12, 2014

It was a great night of sleeping on our little beach.  The rock wall blocked the noise of the traffic. Then when we were eating breakfast, I felt what I thought was a small pebble in my mouth that had gotten into my cereal. That was not to be, it was actually a filling in my tooth that had opted to not be a part of that tooth. As my tongue felt the now gigantic hole (not really) in my tooth, I had Don check it out. It indeed was a lost filling that I would need to have fixed in the near future. As luck would have it we could be back to NOLS, where our car was parked early afternoon, if we focused on paddling. So off we went, only stopping to take some photos of birds that were posing quite nicely. When we got to our car, we loaded up and headed to Loreto, a 60 mile 2hour drive. We arrived shortly after siesta and I waited for the dentist.  She confirmed my diagnosis and said perhaps they could fill it in a couple of days,  When I explained by situation in my best Spanish, she said, if I could return tomorrow she could replace the filling. So back the 60 mile drive to Coyote Bay only to return tomorrow.  Glad to have a dentist that could fill it and be in a place where we could paddle out.  The dentist was going to fix my tooth in the morning so perhaps if the weather was good we could continue our paddle of the bay tomorrow afternoon.

Dec. 11, 2014

The winds are generally calmest in the mornings. That means that breakfast is often eaten in the dark and loading of the kayaks is also done with headlamps. Great time to be on the water as the sun rises. We were blessed today as the winds remained calm all day. Fisherman were out with their nets in the water at the southern part of the bay. Not sure what they were trying to net, but we did see several schools of fish that were jumping.  Bay of Conception was originally known as a location with great fishing and shellfish gathering , due to over fishing that is not the case today. The beauty above the water has not changed and with the water being so calm we do not have to focus on paddling, but can soak in the views.  When we take a break, a yellow butterfly takes a liking to my kayak.  As we round the southern part of the bay and head north, the main road is close above us.  We are hoping to find a small space that we can put our tent, not seen from the highway.  As we round a point we see such a location, it reminds us of places we have camped in Alaska. It was quite rocky, but with a little effort we were able to carve out enough space for our tent.

Dec. 10, 2014

The winds are calm today, we could have continued to kayak around the bay. Instead we are planning a hike up the arroyo to visit cave paintings.  A hurricane moved thru the area in Sept. and dropped a fair amount of moisture. It is evident in the plants and wildlife that we see. Several birds are sitting in trees as we start out.  I make a plan to later in this Baja blog just have several blogs devoted to birds, plants and seashells that we see on this trip. Otherwise I would probably have a hard time limiting our photos for the daily blog.  One critter that we probably will not see again is a small frog.  It is a frog that hangs out in the mud along a potential water source. If the rain falls and there is enough moisture out they come to breed and lay their eggs. This is also true about plants and how they survive by processes to conserve water. As we continue up the arroyo we can see where water has been recently in a small stream bed.  Then we see the water and it is running quite nicely.  We start to notice the red paintings on the walls,  Ones that have been protected from the sun are still quite red. There is a debate about who were the artists and what they represent. One theory is that they were done many years before the arrival of the Spaniards. The were known as the Giants, but little can be found of their civilization. As we continue up the arroyo we are eventually stopped by a running waterfall.  We are excited about being here in Baja after the rains and look forward to seeing the plants in bloom.

Dec. 9, 2014

It has been a busy 4 days since arriving at Coyote Bay. Our main focus other than spending time with friends was to prepare for circumnavigating the Bay of Conception.  Hard to believe that all the trips that we had done here in previous years was mostly done out of the bay. 30 years ago development on the bay was minimal. Only a few primative  campgrounds existed between Coyote Bay and Mulege.  Now there are major housing developments.  We are going to avoid these and head due west across the bay. We leave before sunrise and cross before the wind picks up. When it does it is from the North and since we are moving south it pushes us along. We make camp in the arroyo of the cave paintings. It feels to be good to be camping in the desert. The vegetation looks quite healthy due to the rain.  A group of butterflies flitter near our camp. 

Dec. 5, 2014

Yesterday we crossed the border and headed South to San Quintin. We are ready to go explore the Sea of Cortez. After several unsuccessful attempts to find a place to spend the night, there is a sign noting a Rest Area.  This is a first for us, it looks fine and will do.  It has been 35 years since our first trip to Baja.  The road is in great shape compared to our first trip.  It is still narrow in places and the black cows still like to blend in with the scenery at night. Night driving is still not highly recommended. After a restful night we are soon driving in to the magical area of the Boojum trees.  We stop and breathe in the Baja air. Our car and kayaks are caked with mud. With all the rain that Baja has been having the flowers should be plentiful this winter. We continue southward and then it is time to descend from the high plateaus to the Sea of Cortez. This was the descent that always caused me pause 30 years ago. Steep and marrow with a lack of guard rails. The road has been recently paved and it seems to be wider, although the improvements help, we are still cautious descending.  The tres Virgenes loom on the horizon. Years ago we climbed to the top of the highest.  Now you need a guide to lead the way. We find a spot to park for the night on the road to the Volcanoes and go to sleep.