Kayak Sailing on the Sea of Cortez

I was blown away by our first official kayak-sailing trip, in a wonderful way. A custom group came from Washington state, organized by Jim & Mary who’ve paddled with us almost annually since our very first trip in 2007.  The wind actually cooperated often, for a gentle introduction to kayak sailing for the first-timers, and then gave us some exciting action later in the week.

Stars punctuated our nights.  Fresh fish flavored our dinners, thanks to Ramon’s dedicated efforts. Music inspired our spirits.  Harmonica and flute duets were often heard on local, very low wattage “stations” of KARM Carmen and KDNZ Danzante.  Morning and evening “broadcasts” included weather forecasts and wildlife reports, messages from sponsors, and of course a fine blend of music and humor.

The weather began to cool off, and snorkeling was followed by lounging around on warm rocks. Our route took us around Carmen Island, a little more quickly than planned, inspired by the forecast of strong wind. When the wind hit, we were in a prime location to enjoy a relaxed basecamp experience for a few days, with playtime in the waves in unloaded kayaks.

On Danzante Island we were treated to the show of a rattlesnake eating an improbably large rat. After a couple of hours, the hind feet and tail were yet to be ingested.

A windy forecast greets the next trip, which will give us some fine opportunities for skill-building, as well as hiking in the mountains.  Tune in next week for a report!

Loreto Islands 21-day Challenge - part one

The biggest challenge of the Loreto Islands Challenge, Part 1, was keeping cool.

We snorkeled a lot! Seargent Majors are everywhere, but this is the first I've seen a cormorant under water.

Calm weather also gave us opportunity to explore Coronados, Carmen, and Danzante Islands in intimate detail including caves, arches, and graceful rockhopping.

Dynamic geology reminded us that we ride on a living planet. In this case, the dynamic was primarily erosion, but the colorful and unique formations tell a tale of volcanoes past, and of ancient sea floors raised up. Personally, I'm happy to be a close witness to the occasional erosion instead of the other options. In Ballandra, a cove, this used to be a beach backed by a sandy dry arroyo. The rains blasted out a channel that we could paddle for half a kilometer.

Where the dark water line stops, a section of this wall has fallen into the sea.

For the final segment of our 21-day Loreto Islands Challenge, we're heading out to the more remote islands of Monserrate and Santa Catalina, weather permitting. Looking forward to the simple camp life for another 10 days!

Carmen Island Circumnavigation

Our season kicked off this year with an intense 5-day BCU 4 Star Sea Leader Training in Loreto & San Carlos with a diverse group of 9 Mexican & American paddlers.  Just two days later Santiago Berrueta departed, in the pouring rain, for a 10-day Carmen Island Expedition.  Once the rain stopped and the sun came back out, they had a great trip with pictures to prove it.

está lloviendo en Baja

"It never rains in Baja."  That's what Santiago told his clients months ago when they booked their Carmen Island trip.  Sure enough, the morning they launch it's raining harder than ever.  Harder than many of the locals have seen before.  Hidalgo, the main street heading to the beach, has literally transformed into a river, flowing to the sea.  Right now it's reached 4 inches deep and is close to breaking over it's banks - I mean the curb.  We've been watching the standing waves & the current and dreaming of paddling this beauty.  If only it were a few feet deeper...

Ramon stands ankle deep in rain outside the Sea Kayak Baja Mexico retail store in Loreto, BCS

The Hidalgo river outside SKBM