Page 5: Mexico
Sierra La laguna Mountains:
OK, the Moon Baja handbook talks about some great mountain hiking that takes the hiker through 7 different ecological zones, and the trail head is less then 15 miles away from Todos Santos.
I’ve tried to look for this trailhead several times but never found it. It has to be up this road with the “No entrance, private land, you need permission from the authorities” sign posted at the entrance. The next day while out looking for the trail again, the sign’s “No entrance, private land” section is scratched off. This seems weird, but it’s seems like my invitation to continue on, OK.
Good and rugged trail.
When passing the ‘no firearms’ sign it came to me, the no trespassing sign could be from a poacher issue.
Going through the eco zones
cactus and trees
Passing an official sign ‘Sierra La Laguna’ --> http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sierra_de_la_Laguna
It’s getting late and a wrong turn ends at the wrong ranch. This is some type of trailhead but not the correct one, all good though, tomorrow is another day.
Starting out early the next day it is easy to find the trailhead, La laguna.
I park the jeep to check out the trail and out pops a hiker, Shelly. Shelly has been out hiking for 5 days in the mountains and asks if for a ride to town. Without a ride, it would have added five more hours to her hike. Shelly knows a ton about backpacking and she also knows a lot about the trails and terrain around the area. She gives me tons of good info. Heidi and I see her a couple days later and she draws us a map of some trails with water falls and swimming holes.
The next day Heidi and I are off early prepared for some hiking. It’s over an hour drive, but only 15 miles. The goal is to make it up to the mountain summit and back in one day. Yesterday when I found the trail I drove right to it. Today a gate is closed and locked, we have to hike an extra 2 miles. This adds over 40 minute to the hike, this could impact the mission.
An effort was made to mark this trail, but what is the no trespassing and locked gates all about. Maybe a rancher issue.
Steep trail for three hours. The hiking is great, steep and scenic.
What a score
We’re sucking air, burning calories and sweating big time, this is a heaven on earth. We constantly re-hydrate and re-supply our electrolytes, tortillas, beans, water and some sweets.
We play it safe and turn around at the 3 hour mark, the extra 40 minute hike past the locked gate cost us the summit, no biggie, still an A1 hike.
Goofing off:
Playing out in the desert with 4-wheel drive.
While driving around the Mexico Baja in a jacked up Jeep, it is hard to not see the thousands of opportunities to go off road, and go off for as far as you want to go. Often I see huge wash outs that must have been formed during monsoons rains. It is not always obvious how to get to them but with persistence, I usually find a way. A great wash is near Todos Santos, it becomes my secrete off-road Jeep paradise. I do jeep maintenance here, wash it, photograph it and just see how far I dare to go without getting stuck. No one has been down wash in years, or at least since the last big storm.
I park it, open the hood and look at all the vacuum hoses. It’s easyt toi think about this being a great spot to camp, it’s just outside of Todos Santos, has perfect sand and no one would ever know you were here. I will camp here some day in the future, without a doubt.
Another bad vacuum tube, sweet, better to find it now. The wash starts a mile from Puente Lobos, it’s the routine to check out the scene here. There are some guys trying to catch bait fish in the Laguna. They offer me some bait, how nice.
Later I see them near some cars and they are starting a grill.
While chillen’ I explain how this is like tailgating in the US. I say we are alike in many ways, and ask if I can take a photo.
They offer me beer and make me feel welcome.
He caught this shrimp right in the Laguna. He asked someone for a lime, tore the head off, squeezed lime on it and downed it.
Puente Lobos
At Puente Lobos some fishing boats are coming in. The boats have to time it just right so they make up onto the beach.
Cool!
.We like it here a lot and have been trying to do everything we love, catching sunsets, long beach hikes, walks with our dog friends, hanging out at the beach and exploring the mountains.
A long hike on the beach we find a turtle nursery. Heidi is a Turtle.
This has been great here but we are anxious to hit the road again. We’ve used up over a third of our 6 month Mexican Visa here in the Baja but have barely begun our adventure. The excitement has been increasing every day. We’re looking at guide books and discussing routes and scenarios. This is so great having my best friend along with me on this open-ended adventure and planning our route together.
I hit our neighborhood taqueria, tacos to go (para llevar por favor).
Looking across the street, I see a bunch of adventure looking motorcycles pulling in. I ask “are you adventure riders! ?” meaning advRider.com inmates. I get a thumbs-up. I say “I’m cavebiker!” Wow, we all explode in conversation. The internet can be so great for adventure travelers. This is Brad, Tim, Mark, Burt and Lee from NM. Some of them did the Mexico mainland west coast last year and I am getting some great info and just having a blast with them. They say they read my “Las Vegas Baby” ride report on advRider.com last year. How cool it that…
Continued: -> Page 6 :Mexico <-