March '08 Newsletter
March '08 Newsletter |
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Our post Christmas visit in Sierra Vista with Kym and her family was fun. Her folks welcomed us as part of the family. They were working a Christmas gift jigsaw when we arrived that we all eventually got hooked on. With the extra attention, it was soon finished and we moved on to a second one that was not complete by the time we left for home. We had planned to go to Kartchner Caverns with them but that will have to wait for another time. The Caverns holds out a few tickets for people who show up unaware of the reservation system but there wouldn't have been enough tickets to accommodate our crowd, and none for the newer room of the Cave that we haven't yet seen.
The alternate plan took us to Tombstone for a walk on the wild side in the town "too tough to die". The main street has been closed to all but foot or horse/buggy traffic in recent years and is a pleasant stroll. The Fox-Boyers attended a shootout at the OK Corral while we visited the Court House, walked the back street blocks, and took some photos. We had lunch in Bisbee across from the historic Copper Queen and stopped for a quick look at the now closed Lavendar pit mine. Our visit to Agua Prieta was a dismal bust. We expected a border crossing more like Nogales but found nothing of note within walking distance. It was a full day with a lot of driving and we were happy to relax with pizza and family that night. We hated to leave but what's that saying about company and fish? Home again for a few days, we had a quiet New Years.
A few days later we braved the roads to Flagstaff to pick up the PRO frame for Bob's new 16' NRS raft. All of the old gear (Achilles 16' and Avon 18') that was purchased in the early '80's and that you all became so used to riding is gone. Twenty plus years of service isn't too bad. Most of you do not realize the amount of customizing that goes into outfitting a raft package. We hadn't done one for over ten years (when we outfitted Susan's 14' self-bailer). Working at different times over the past couple of months, we've added some D-rings to the raft, determined the pin stanchions weren't high enough and exchanged them at PRO, and welded up a floor for the foot well. As Bob says, it's the best boat that money can buy and we are set to check that out on its first GC trip in April. The only original items left on the river will be the whaling oars, the pins, boxes, cooler, and us.
In mid-January, Susan posted flyers and collected used serviceable clothing for a very successful High Desert Helpers' clothing drive. The community response was overwhelming and we were able to have a free store open for over a week at the Clubhouse. Susan was re-elected as Secretary for the Club and keeps pretty busy. The past secretary still books all of our RV groups and makes gorgeous flyers for our events. She probably does a host of other things Susan is not yet aware of. Our dear friend Beth from California also visited during this time. We kept a pretty low profile, centered on the hot tub, but did get out for one extended hike. Susan dragged her to a Bunco "Tea Party" at Helen's on one of the days. Helen held "high tea" complete with crumpets, porcelain cups and saucers, and frilly aprons.
Bob has spent considerable time this spring setting up new computers for various neighbors. He doesn't want to become anyone's computer maintenance or repair tech, so he refuses to take money. It's a hobby that allows him to keep current with the latest and greatest home equipment. Our friends keep trying to pay him, so he suggests they just treat us to lunch or dinner. After he set up the Kolbold's computer, we had a wonderful lunch with them at a nice Chinese restaurant in Anthem. Since he just completed installation of the Torgerson's new desktop, our next outing is a steakhouse dinner with them.
The Chair of the BCCWID, Bob, finally completed a long list of things he wanted to accomplish during his first year in the position. He roped Susan - AKA the Grammar Police - into helping a committee clarify and modernize the water district ordinances. She declined to be involved in the upcoming Budget Committee meetings but will likely be the editor again. Our water district faces a challenge this year as a 250 site combination RV and modular home park is slated to be built within the district. The district comprises 800 users at present.
Meals on Wheels refers to Susan as their PR person. With Bob's help she makes up flyers for their fund raisers and notifies our two local free papers about upcoming events. When in town for their monthly soup supper, she is the "mouth" for the raffles, which can be a lot of fun.
On the family front, son Scott and his wife Tennille will be visiting Arizona this week and we intend to meet up with them in Phoenix for lunch. They will also be joining us on a Middle Fork and Main Salmon raft trip in June. Since Tennille is back in school, she is free to have fun with us during the summer. Susan's dad finally got the okay to have a shock to his heart and is feeling much stronger now that his heartbeat is regular once again. He will turn 84 later this month and is doing quite well adjusting to being alone. We plan to visit Minnesota for a couple of weeks in late July.
High Desert Helpers holds a card bingo once a month, except in the summer. We finally made it to one right before Susan's birthday. She brought a ¼ sheet carrot cake that was scrumptious. Bob won one round of bingo, so we about broke about even for the night. Susan tied on another round but lost the three-way draw for the pot. A good time was had by all and the most one can lose is $2. Eve and Connie hosted a dinner party on Susan's birthday. Connie's birthday is two days later and Eve's sister was in town from Vegas. Any excuse for a BCC party!
Len and UnSun Roughgarden arrived mid-month for a short visit. They were touring around the southwest with a travel trailer and have been up in the Verde Valley hiking and camping. After hiking with us on our every other day loop hike, they realized we have gorgeous wildflowers in the low deserts this year and they the higher elevations snowscapes were not what they were craving. After staying with us for a day they headed for the Superstition Wilderness just east of Phoenix to enjoy springtime in the Sonoran Desert. With the temperatures in the '80's and desert flowers everywhere we're certain they had a great time.
So on that note - gotta go! Have a nice spring!
Baja Travels Trip Report (2/22/08-3/1/08):
Arriving in Santa Rosalía early on a Sunday morning, we drove to the top of the hill to catch views of the harbor, hoping to have breakfast at a historic hotel. It was not to be as they were closed on Sundays. Back along the Malecón, we cracked out our Peak One stove and had breakfast with the gulls. Since it was pretty quiet in Santa Rosalía, we started our journey south to Mulegé, where we planned to spend a couple of nights. Mulegé is a pretty little palm-studded town on the banks of a tidal bore. It was hit hard by a hurricane a couple of years ago and is struggling to recover. We stayed at the Villa Maria Isabel RV Park, where Susan delivered oxygen supplies to Maria for the Mulegé clinic and a care center in Santa Rosalia. Bob was pleased that the Park had a reliable free WiFi connection. Maria was hosting an auction the first of March to raise money for people who lost everything in the storm. Keep her in mind if you are heading down that way. The care center can use sheets of any color or size (preferably twin but they will sew anything into what they need). Adult diapers are also much appreciated.
Susan has always wanted to see the cave paintings in central Baja, so we arranged a tour with a local guide. For those of us spoiled by the Southwest's magnificent petros & pictos, the paintings of San Patricio were somewhat mediocre. But our guide Salvador Castro Drew was a wealth of information about the desert plants and local healing customs. After miles of rough road he found what must be the only source of running water inland, took us hiking for an hour or so, and then out of the back of his van he prepared a traditional hot lunch for us, with icy cervezas of course.
2008 Trip Reports:
Our original plan to head south immediately after Bob's water board meeting changed drastically when we learned you can get reservations for the Guaymas Ferry to Santa Rosalía. There had been negative press online about making contact and reservations. Initially we doubted it would work out for us, although we really wanted to start our vacation north of La Paz. Less than a week before the leave date, Bob made reservations online. The Guaymas Ferry is considerably more expensive for the vehicle than the Topolobampo option but it saved us hours of driving and backtracking, in additional to the numerous road tolls from Guaymas to Los Mochis.
We arrived in Guaymas in the late afternoon, confirmed our reservation for the following evening, and settled in to await the boat. It was quite different from the luxury liner California Star that serves the lower area. The vehicle transport area had enough space for 15-20 vehicles dependant on the size. We picked up our tickets the next morning and a friendly guard gave us a tour of the ship. When we realized that it was only $20 per person to upgrade to a cabin, we quickly put up the money in exchange for a better night's rest. Most of the people who went across were locals and were in the second class salon, which was noisy. The first class salon was not even open and we think we may have been the only people in a cabin. Due to the smaller size of the ship, the rocking was rather pronounced but it lulled us to sleep. We were elated to have perfectly clear weather for the voyage.
We were considering a future sea kayak trip out of Loreto, so we spent one night there to explore the possibilities. Loreto has a beautiful, open sea coast (Malecón) like that of La Paz but its streets are narrow and more difficult to navigate. Last year we passed through on our way north and found their local bread store. We were delighted to locate it again almost by rote. Most of the Loreto parks have free WiFi connection. From Loreto we drove south to Constitución to stay at Misiónes RV Park - formerly Manfred's. We drove to the two whale watching areas on Magdalena Bay and made arrangements for our group. Another night at Misiones and we were off for La Paz to check in with our outfitter Baja Outdoor Activities (BOA).
| Participants: | Susan & Bob Marley. |
Sea Kayaking & Whale Watching in Baja (3/2/08-3/9/08):
Our base at the Casa Blanca RV Park was a pleasant place to catch up on email and laundry while waiting for our friends to trickle into town. It was rumored that this would be Casa Blanca's last season, as the owner is in the process of constructing a larger medical center on site. His wife assured us that it would be open at least a couple of years longer. We spent our last free day checking on the van rentals, hotel reservations, and sea kayaking plans, in addition to purchasing groceries and our return tickets on the ferry to Topolobampo. By late that evening we had touched base with most of the group at the Los Arcos Hotel, where we would all be staying mid-trip. Los Arcos had pluses and minuses over last year's hotel. It was more centrally located, so easier to walk in the down town area and closer to services and restaurants. It was also a much larger facility but fairly quiet and well cared for.
After picking up the second rental van in the morning, we met at the Los Arcos to load the gear and passengers for the drive to Constitución. We stopped at the local supermarket for last minute purchases and headed on down the road. Halfway there, we stopped for a pit stop and to make lunch at a pretty little adobe church at Kilometer Cien. It was a rather warm day and the group really enjoyed sitting around the pool at Misiónes that afternoon. A few swam but enjoying the shade and foot dangling seemed more popular. In the year between trips, Misiónes had built an open air palapa restaurant up near their office. Paty's cooking was fabulous as usual and other than being annoyed by the rude American bartender, we had quite a pleasant evening. Unfortunately someone was celebrating something or other a few blocks away until 2:30 AM or so. At which point, they went to bed and the roosters took over. The two of us were insulated by the camper shell but our tenters were digging out their ear plugs and cursing the loud speakers.
A bit less bleary-eyed after breakfast and coffee, we set out for the port of López Mateos on Magdalena Bay for our first day of whale watching. We used Aquendi, the same outfitter as we had last year and were pleased with the job they did for us. The mother gray whales were not as forward about bringing their babies over to frolic with us as they were last year, so no one in our group got to touch one. However, we saw many of them. A highlight of that adventure was an adult whale repeatedly spy hopping to get a look at us. We had seen one do this last year a couple of times but this year we counted seven times in less than a couple of minutes. It is not a full breach but rather about half of their body pops straight up out of the water. Aquendi gives a good showing at a decent price but it is customary to tip the pangueros (panga boat drivers).
Back to Misiónes for an assortment of cold Mexican salads that were so popular with last year's group. No party went on at the neighbors' place and most everyone retired early to catch up on much needed sleep. Paty made breakfast for us the next morning so we could get an early start on our busy day. We drove out to San Carlos, another port on Magdalena Bay and hooked up with Mag Bay Tours, the same panga operation we used last year. If San Carlos was disappointing last year, it made up for it this year. Our two pangas shared the bay with just one other boat. On the way out to the mouth, a school of dolphins danced and jumped in the waves around us, putting on quite a show. Shortly afterwards we began seeing adult whales rolling and cavorting together. We suspect they were mating, but didn't actually witness that event. Upon reaching the mouth, what looked like sticks or fishing birds turned out to be groups of intertwined sea lions "rafting up". It was quite comical. They stick one flipper up in the air like a sail to warm it up and get the circulation going. Myriad whales surfaced all around us at the mouth, rolling and flipping their enormous tails. It was extremely entertaining and our pangueros did a great job of tracking and spotting the enormous beasts.
Returning to the RV Park, we threw all of the gear into the three vehicles and were off for La Paz. Running a bit behind schedule, we ate our trail lunches from Ziplocs as we traveled along. We checked in at the Los Arcos, picked up the group's personal dry bags from BOA, returned one of the vans and were back at the hotel for an 8:00 PM briefing with our guides. We were thrilled to have the same two guides Manuelito (little Manuel) and Aracely from last year's adventure. They discussed the plan for reaching the island and answered our questions. One of the older members of our group had almost decided to cut his trip short and fly home, thinking he might not quite be up to the activity level. After encouragement from Aracely and a good night's sleep, he decided to continue on.
While Susan and a few other early risers set up a simple breakfast at BOA's yard, Bob shuttled the rest of the folks over and returned the second rental van. Our guides fitted those of us who needed it with snorkels, fins, and wet suits. We loaded our gear into the super panga and hopped in the BOA van headed for Pichilingue where we would launch. Manuelote (big Manuel) took us to the north end of the island to our first camp at Ensenada Grande, where we unloaded our gear before leaving to snorkel at the Los Islotes sea lion colony. The pups were playful and touched several of us as we snorkeled. They also flipped in the air repeatedly around Carolyn and Casey, even jumping over them. Blue footed boobies and brown boobies joined the hordes of pelicans and gulls on the rocks. Back at camp for a late lunch, we sorted the food and packed it into the kayaks, set up our tents, practiced the wet exit and re-entry drill, met Paco for a toilet briefing, and socialized over Margaritas.
With a north wind at our backs, we made great time down to our next camp Mesteño where we stayed for two nights. The swells were big enough that we were happy to have had the previous day's drill. The wind blew half of our tents down in no time flat. We were able to keep the wing fly up for most of the afternoon but it eventually dove south. We ended up moving the kitchen into the shelter of some bushes. A late evening visit by a babisuri, Baja's version of our ringtail cat was an exciting event. Susan discovered one on the kitchen tarp enjoying a ripe peach. He slipped away into the bushes but returned later to reclaim the peach and investigate the kayaks more fully. Casey got a picture of him rummaging and Aracely reported that one or more of them walked over her during the night in search of a chocolate she had in her tent.
Many of us took a hike up the dry canyon bottom, which was littered with wildflowers. The only one we recognized was one we call the Velcro plant, having encountered it in Grand Canyon and worn it home on our socks and boots. Others went snorkeling. Gary and Jim hunted blue-clawed crab in a pool in the mouth of the Canyon but didn't get enough big ones to make boiling them worthwhile. Gary liberated his small ones into the sea to give them a chance at survival. We sang Manuelito a birthday song at lunch, which he appreciated. It is the second time he has spent his birthday with us and away from his family. He made delectable Piña Coladas for happy hour and told us an entertaining story of Manuelote's exciting adventure snorkeling with an amorous elephant seal at the sea lion colony. The group got together during the day and wrote a poem, which Susan read at dinner.
Manuelito's 29th birthday:
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There once was a guide Manuelito But he didn't come from Quito He leaves wife and his son Bringing adventure and fun For that we will always be grateful
A Mexican was he
The gringos they come |
He teaches us to paddle And escape from the boats While watching the waves Always keeping us afloat
He is Paco's friend and mover
You must follow the rules
He guides trips for BOA |
But Manuelito can't compete With Addie's dancing feet She makes noises like sea lions And helpful, always tryin'
Saying thank you seems small
You have given us pleasure |
It was time to move on to another beach and we were glad that the wind had died down and the whitecaps were gone. Our last night's camp at Playa Coralito was a quiet beach with great snorkeling possibilities. Most of the group hiked up the cliff on the southern side and were rewarded with fabulous views of the lagoon to the south and Isla Gallina and Gallo to the north. Manuel's cell phone reached out from the ridgeline and he confirmed arrangements for our next day departure. After dinner, we played a competitive hand tapping game in the sand that was silly and enjoyed by all.Our last few hours of sea kayaking went smoothly even though we had a southerly wind blowing against us. It was a short run and we had enough time to slide into the mangroves for a look and short explanation of their importance. Thankfully, Isla Espiritú Santo and its many smaller neighbors are protected from development. In addition to being breathtakingly beautiful, they play an important part in the ecosystem and the preservation of wildlife. We were sad to leave the mangroves for Dispensa, the site of our last lunch together and our launch point for the trip back to La Paz. We arrived to find the next group with their guides on the beach awaiting our gear. We unpacked the boats, cleaned out the cockpits, separated the camp gear, packed up the leftovers, and prepared for departure. While we ate a welcome deli lunch that Manuelote had brought in for us, we watched the other group performing their wet exit drills. A few of us were perhaps envious and wondering if we could sneak in with them and start again.
The super panga ride back was uneventful. With no swells, we had no green passengers. At Pichilingue we separated the personal gear into one vehicle and the BOA gear into another. The guides brought us back to the BOA office so we could complete evaluation forms and pick up any last minute souvenirs of the trip. Then Manuelito took them back to Los Arcos while the two of us took a quick shower. We hustled back to the Los Arcos to pick up the 11 emptied personal dry bags that BOA had provided for us and left our friends to clean up and find dinner. Returning to BOA headquarters, we found them still open and the trip cleanup nearly complete. The gear had all been hung on racks to dry and Aracely immediately dumped the personal bags into a huge clorox bath.
That evening we rearranged our totally fragged truck and hypered-down. Our salt saturated clothing was able to stand on its own in our camp spot to dry. We took showers again the next morning after a casual wakeup, made some purchases in town and headed back to BOA to say goodbye to Ben and Alejandra. On the way we accidentally ran into Jim Laskowski who was thoroughly enjoying himself with a walking tour of the town. We were a bit early at the loading dock for our afternoon departure to Topolobampo (Los Mochis), which turned out to be a good thing since the clocks had changed (daylight savings time). Had we arrived on time, we would have been an hour late but still would have made it onto the boat. The boat was pretty empty but they packed our truck on really tightly at the front. For some reason they required the passengers to get on separately, so the two of us had to locate each other on the large ship. We watched the departure, had a very early complimentary dinner at 2:00 PM, and read all of the way to Topo. Bob finished a Tom Clancy novel during the approximate 8 hour voyage. Sailing time is only about 6 hours but the loading and unloading takes time even though they have it down to a science.
We slept at the secure yard of the Topo port and at first light headed for the border and home. 14 hours later, after a short stop in north Phoenix for supplies and dinner, we arrived in BCC. The weather was great and the highways relatively good all of the way home, so the trip was pretty uneventful, even bordering on boring since we've now done it several times.
It was another fabulous trip. We especially enjoyed meeting Harold's new wife Angela and traveling with Casey Martin who was a little boy the last time we traveled with him.
| Participants: | Jim Amos, Carolyn Balliet, Jim Laskowski, Bob & Susan Marley; Lou, Debbie, & Casey Martin; Gary & Trudy Patterson, Harold Shuck & Angela Chong, and Jon Trahan. |
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Updated on Wednesday, March 19, 2008 @ 7:30 MST © 1995-2008 by Robert R. Marley |
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