Up Some Road

Up Some Road

Jack Kerouac would have been proud. It wasn't long after the Baja California map was folded and placed in it's case that the decision was made to scout out a new beach landing for this winter's up coming Baja Trek.

The next day the backpacks were packed, loaded and away we went. Without a plan and limited supplies we carried mostly a general idea of where we wanted to end up. The best places aren't on the road map. They never are. So we thought we would explore an area that the map left off. Baja California maps are notoriously bad to begin with so we eased our scout vehicle to an interesting area and started exploring every dirt path that could possibly lead to the beach. In three hours we managed to get our scout vehicle stuck in the sand three different times. In Baja California getting your ride stuck to the axles requires more than just a shovel. It calls for special assistance. Thanks goes to the kind local rancher and his family dressed in their Sunday best that pulled us out with their pickup.

By the end of the day though, the reward would be ours. A road! Not a real road, but a hard packed dirt track that seemed to lead to the warm ocean. We slowly meandered through a small canyon to the waters edge on the beach of the Sea of Cortez. The hill crested to the sight of sandy beaches for miles in either direction. There wasn't a human soul in sight. Three coyotes walked the water line undisturbed by our presence. A warm breeze slid across the bay and our tents found their home in the beuach's deep sand that still held its warmth from the day's sun. We set up camp, started a glowing fire and marveled at the mountains across the bay that seemed to jut from the ocean herself. Home, Heaven and the ol' Kerouac spirit.

“To travel is to discover that everyone is wrong about other countries.” - Aldous Huxley