Family Travel Other
KAYAKING
" We'll travel south to the NOLS Mexico headquarters near Mulege. You'll have a chance to do laundry, send letters, eat at a restaurant and maybe even make a phone call."
After leaving Diablo Canyon, we went north to Ensenada. When we stopped briefly at a Smart and Final, Lymon was amazed at the amount of "stuff" that we bought -- soda, chips, candy, pastries. Although a few of us over-indulged on the junk food, no one was seriously incapacitated. We were energized, not only by all the sugar, but also because many of us had been able to speak with friends and family during the short stop.
From Ensenada, we headed south along the coast. It was odd to be sitting in a van all day long. We stopped for the night in Santa Ines. Camping in "civilization" was an adjustment -- lights, traffic, dogs barking, etc.
We were up and back on the road before sun up. We watched the terrain change as we cut back inland and were treated to a magnificent sunrise. Finally, we hit the east coast of the Baja peninsula near Santa Rosalia and continued our way south to the Branch near Mulege in Coyote Bay.
We'd been looking forward to seeing the
Branch for a long time. The staff all came out to welcome us as
we rolled in late in the afternoon. We also got to meet our new
kayaking instructors Jon and Dave before Les gave us a brief tour and
history of the Branch. The next few hours went by quickly unloading and
cleaning equipment. We were just about ready to hit the showers
(our first since the beginning of the trip) when Dee gathered us
together for a difficult announcement. Unfortunately, Dee had
received bad news during her call home and her immediate return to
Canada was required. She left a few minutes later in order to catch a
northbound bus. It was a shock to all of us to lose Dee, but we all
understood and sent her off with our best wishes.
Without Dee, our dinner party in town was muted. We missed her deeply. Still it was a good meal. It was a pleasant change of pace to eat something we hadn't cooked ourselves -- and it was wonderful not to have to clean all the dishes.
We got back to the Branch early and
spent the rest of the evening writing family and friends and catching
up on current events. We really appreciated all the amenities at the
Branch -- running water, showers, electricity, the chance to put on
clean clothes. That night we slept on the beach in front of the Branch
next to the kayaks that would be our constant companions for the next
several weeks.
Section III -- Sea Kayaking
" This section of your semester takes you to the Sea of Cortez where we'll explore the coastline at the interface of two contrasting environments. The land is rugged, dry, and mountainous -- one of the driest parts of the Sonoran Desert ecosystem with its own highly specialized and often unique plants and animals. The sea is rich with an abundance of plant and marine life. Between these two environments lies the miniature animated world of the intertidal zone.
It is a beautifully dramatic environment that the sea kayak makes available to us, but it is not always an easy one through which to travel. rain is infrequent but possible in this part of Baja California. Windstorms are quite common however, and they may make sea conditions too hazardous for safe travel, often for a few days at a time. During these periods, we'll shift our attention landward and explore the coastal desert. Watching the weather, judging wind and wave onditions, and learning about the strength and ability of the group are what seamanship is all about. It is in these challenging conditions that students learn to be safe sea kayakers. "
For more on sea kayaking, choose a segment below