Family Travel Other
Hiking
Section I - Backpacking
"After spending a day and a half in the US, we cross the border and head south to the most rugged mountain range in Northern Baja, the Sierra San Pedro Martir. This is a remote and challenging area, and you can expect the hiking to be difficult. The terrain will be steep and thorny, the packs will be heavy, and the map reading will require careful attention. During this first section you will learn outdoor living skills and backcountry travel techniques. Emphasized are safety awareness and hazard evaluation, minimum impact camping practices, group relations and leadership, geology, identification of flora and fauna, and a host of other outdoor pursuits."
After a quick poolside intro and
a brief stop to pick up last minute equipment from A16 in San Diego, we
headed into Mexico to begin our adventure. We made good time through
the border checkpoint and piled out of the van at the Ensenada Twig in
Punta Banda. Paco, Alisha, and Chris helped us adjust to our temporary
home and showed us the ropes at the Twig. We spent the next couple days
sorting out equipment, bagging rations, and learning to pack our bags.
As we worked, we started to get to
know
each other, and it wasn't long before we knew everyone's name-- more or
less. Every now and then folks confused Nick and Ben. And somehow
Rob thought Paul looked more like a John, so he was temporarily renamed
John Paul.
Soon we were off on the 5 hour drive to the droppoff point in the remote Sierra San Pedro Martir mountain range. As we headed away from "civilization," we had plenty of time to reflect on the warnings Dee had given us about the coyotes that lick salt off people in the middle of the night while they are sleeping and the herds of vicious wild chihuahuas that bring down the weak and unwary in the desert.
For More on Hiking, Choose a Segment Below
Making Tracks to the Re-ration