The BDT: The Sea of Cortez!

I finally made it to the Bay of Los Angeles on the east side of the Baja peninsula. This last stretch was a long one but it mostly followed the Pacific Coast which was not only beautiful but provided nice, cool weather. 

The Sea of Cortez has a different vibe all together. Much calmer and warmer; Full of islands big and small. The trail has me follow this coast for a few days before cutting back inland. Next stop: Vizcaino!

In the meantime, pics from the trail!

Lots of gear to be mended including this mouse hole in my food bag. 

If something only has one use then it’s USELESS. Dental floss doubles as suture. I fixed the hole in pants AND they smell minty fresh!

On the map, this was a giant blue lake. Hmmm..... Not so much. 

Every plant down here want to hurt me! Especially this species of cactus that drops golf ball - sized nuggets with some of the toughest needles anywhere. I don’t care what kind of shoe or boot you’re wearing, these things will jab right through the sole and into your foot. Nalgene bottle for scale (and shameless promotion). 

Ten miles to town and you’re out of water. Do you drink this? Sure, it has a little algae and some cow poop in it but it’s still water. 

Purple flowers everywhere. 

And lastly, the obligatory sunrise/sunset shots:

Please leave a comment below!

My Three Favorite Pieces of Gear

Lots of hikers have written about the ‘big three’: Backpack, tent and sleeping bag (I’m currently carrying this tent, this pack, and this quilt instead of a sleeping bag). Those  items are certainly important but, for me, they change from hike to hike depending on where and how far I’m hiking.  I want to tell you about three pieces of gear that not everyone uses but I’ve carried them with me on every hike I’ve ever done. 

First is my handy piece of Tyvek. 

I use it mostly as a ground cloth - especially if I’m ‘cowboy camping’ (that is, sleeping under the stars with no tent) but it’s super versatile. During heavy snow, I’m more likely to put it over my tent rather than under. Or even, between the tent and the rain fly for extra protection and warmth. During my thru-hike of the PCT in ‘12, my sister sewed a huge piece of Tyvek into kind of a pocket. Perfect as a makeshift bivvy.  The piece I have now is about 8’X 4’ and it has about 2,500 miles on it. Super durable.  

Next, is my Thermarest Z-Lite pad. 

I’ve been through about three or four of these over the years. Not that they’re not durable but it gets used a lot - I sleep on one every single night. I sit on it when the ground is wet or I even use it like a picnic blanket to stop and cook up a meal. When it’s really cold, I combine it with an inflatable mattress to keep me warm at night. 

Finally, I always bring bug netting.

Bug, sun and bullet proof!

Especially handy when the black flies and mosquitoes are swarming, I use this even if the gnats are getting in my eyes. Or on the Appalachian Trail, early in the morning when your face is breaking every spider web strung across the trail. Or even in the winter when the blowing snow is stinging your face and getting in your eyes. Put on your bug net for temporary relief.  

So, what say you? What do you bring that other hikers might not? Leave me a comment below!

The BDT: Deep Sand!

“Piscado por tacos!” he exclaimed. 

Damn. This sand is so deep I can barely push this stupid cart through it (I knew I should have sprung for the 3” tire). The sun is dropping like a rock and there is absolutely no where to camp. People who have hiked with me know that I’m willing to stealth camp in some pretty risky places but this whole area is just flat with no trees and just enough fences and houses to make even the stealthiest camping impossible. I’m so tired. Sweat is pouring off my face and stinging my eyes. I keep pushing the cart through the deep sand. Still no where to camp...

But suddenly, I spy a little used trail that heads down to the water. I find the quiet shoreline to a bay off the Pacific. Nice and flat. No one around. Small waves gently lapping at the shoreline and perhaps a dozen species of shore birds. Perfect! Sometimes, I just get lucky. 

I spent a peaceful evening on the shore of the Bay of San Quitin and even met some local fishermen the next morning (as in the picture above). 

Since that night on the bay, the trail took me inland. WAY inland. A long (116 miles) of nothing: No roads, no other people, no water...  Just me and my cart and a rough Jeep track. I was OUT THERE like I’ve never been ‘out there’ before. I’ve got lots to write but I need to get it all sorted out in my head. Until then, more pics from the trail!

That was a baby nurse shark above. Think about that next time you get a ‘fish taco’ from a roadside stand. You could be eating a baby nurse shark. It’s okay with me, of course. 

Can’t help taking pictures of sunrises (as above) and sunsets. Each one seems to be more spectacular than the last!

With the recent rains, the desert seems like it’s just about ready to burst into bloom. 

I’ve named my cart ‘El Fuego’ because I hate this thing with the burning heat of a thousand suns. It’s all the problems of a mountain bike without the speed! A necessary evil, I guess. 

Fishing troller on the coast. 

Sunset on the Pacific. 

Most pics and posts coming soon. In the meantime, leave me a comment!

The Baja Divide Trail: Pinned Down By Rain and Snow!

Despite the security warnings (and the concerns of friends and family), I made it out of Tecate with no trouble. In fact, I found Tecate to be a very friendly town with lots to see and do. All the same, I was eager to make big miles and get as far south of town as possible. 

By about 2pm, I found myself safely in the middle of nowhere and really enjoying the trail. By 4pm, I started to keep an eye out for a good place to camp. For both security reasons and out of habit, I wanted to be far enough off the trail so as not to be seen. This was easier said than done because of that stupid cart; I had to ‘park’ it on the trail while I went cross country looking for a spot. Then, I had to come back for the cart and push it through the thick scrub to get back to the spot. Bike riders, I suspect, deal with this all the time. 

I finally found a great spot to camp, enjoyed a good meal and another beautiful sunset but soon the temp started to drop and it got pretty cold. I slept under my quilt that night with every stitch of clothing that I brought with me. Then came the rain...

Only my sixth day on the trail and I found myself pinned down by wave after wave of heavy rain, sleet and snow. I had plenty of food and water so I just sat tight and let it pass. It turned out to be a good decision. 

The next couple of days I put in some big miles to make it to Ojos Negros.

 

It’s a cool little town with a campground, a decent store for resupply and several restaurants where you can get an authentic Mexican breakfast. 

That’s a bowl full of shredded lamb with gravy, beans, tortillas and coffee. Fantastic!

Next was a quick stop into Santo Thomas to load up the 24 liters of water (that’s almost 53 pounds of water!) that I would need to get me to Colonet. 

It was a steep climb out of Santo Thomas but I was rewarded with a beautiful view of the town from above. 

After a couple of days of dusty dirt roads, I finally made to the beautiful and rugged coast of the Pacific Ocean. 

Found a great place to camp with my own private beach. 

Enjoyed an amazing sunset and a good night’s sleep. 

I’ll post more soon but, for now, I’d love to see some comments below!