Re: [Paddlewise] PaddleWise Baja Transportation Question?? La Paz to Loreto & Back Again

Hi, I'm assuming you are paddling LTO to LaPaz. Some Notes on that
stretch of coast and Baja paddling in general: First, head South, keep
the coast on your right-as Ed Gillet would say. 
I paddled this  section of coast last Feb/01, with a friend in a
double.  Of all the Baja paddling I've done, between San Felipe to
LaPaz, I think this stretch is my favorite.  We put in  just South of
Loreto _at_ Puerto Escondito.    Turn E off Hwy 1 toward Tripui RV Park,
then turn R into the boondocks  at some water valves just before Tripui
RV Park and go around the big hill to the SE, where you can camp and
launch.  The RV park will allow you to leave a car  for $3/day??. 
Otherwise you could get a taxi ride from LTO and just camp and start
paddling.  

There's a nice hot spring at low tide S of Punta el Carizalito.  It is
just W of a tall rock outcrop that is an island _at_ high tide.  You can
find lots of good camping ~ 4 mi N around Pta la Aguilla before the road
access to Agua Verde.  Agua Verde is supposedly the site of Gene Kira's
book _King of the Moon_.  

There are lots of pretty beaches on this stretch, eg Pta el Gato.  If Wx
is calm, consider a trip around the E side of I San Jose. I would
suggest camping N of San Juan, which is a mining town.    Our supply of
Tecate and lime was low at this point, so we hiked into town from camp 6
miles North for more supplies. 

A few thoughts on safety:
Outfitters don't run this stretch as much in winter, as in fall and
spring, due to Wx.    Last year had an unusual # of Pacific fronts;
pattern seemed to be: offshore west winds/clouds/maybe precip, then 2-4
days of El Norte with growing seas.  We often had 6-8 ft seas by 10AM,
sometimes with sets of 2-3 10-12 ft
waves at ~3 minutes.  Not a pretty picture if the big ones catch you at
Pts., shallows, or long stretches of N. facing beach(Pt Tarabillas N. of
San Juan can be tricky).   Best to be paddling before dawn if
crossing or making for a point.  Use tide tables to be  aware of
currents, which will steepen seas if running against wind waves.  Paddle
leash is vital for wind or in rescue IMHO.  Practice rescues/rolls  with
loaded
boats.  Be able to handle boats with braces/correction strokes for beam
seas,
rear quarter seas, or when surfing in on waves when you can't find a
protected landing.  (You can test all those theories about hulls,
strokes, etc, vs sitting at a computer in a cold place debating them.)

Dress for water. Always have a Plan, A, B, and C. Don't count on 
getting help from the Coasties while swimming, with a  Mayday call on
your VHF.  (Auxilio!Auxilio!Auxilio!) You should climb to a high spot to
contact a boat in visual distance, for best results.  Houses and
settlements on shore may have a VHF.  

On arriving Lapaz, we paddled to the Aquamarina RV Park  in LaPaz and
camped.  Then I hopped on a bus back to LTO to pick up  the truck, while
my friend hung out in La Paz.  The driver will drop you off someplace
enroute-a small tip is considerate.  The buses are fast, safe and pretty
reliable.  Sometimes the relief driver will sleep  in the front baggage
compartment.  Don't be worried if you see a pair of dice hanging from
the rearview mirror of the bus.  The bus left LAPAz at 9am and I was
back with the truck by late afternoon.  One bus line serves this route,
the station is right in LAPaz, on the maps.

I rented a VW beetle in LTO once for an interior trip.  I was not
supposed to have to pay the extra insurance per reservation, but was
charged it anyway.  My travel agent leaned on the Avis rep and got it
refunded.

If you are doing mainly paddling, I think you could get by  without a
car, especially if you have folding boats.  Lots of small trucks are
hauling goods, fish, etc up and down the coast.  Transport is
non-structured and flexible.  Likewise, I've stopped to pick up a Baja
cowboy hitching with a gas can, and ended up visiting their rancho for a
few days.  Don't get too hung up on a plan or itinery-just let things
unfold.


A bit of Spanish goes a _long_ way towards getting around and  learning
about how people live.  I especially enjoy hanging out with the
pangeros, who live on the water.  They may not have NOAA-grade WX info,
but they usually can tell you what will happen in the days ahead.  The
ones who didn't understand the WX are probably no longer around.  You
will welcome extra days for WX and hiking from beaches.

Water is scarce in the Sonoran desert. We usually carry 7-10 gals/person
on longer trips. A little water and food reserve will let you sit out
unfavorable WX-usually wind. Bigger towns have agua purifacado plants.
Put water in hard kayak hatches at night, as coyotes will get into the
bags if unprotected.  MSR 10 ltr bags are the best, with spigots, vs the
std. medicine dropper spouts.  

For maps I used both the Baja Almanac (Topo Atlas)-land features, and
FishnMap co Baja South map-water/bottom contours. Baja Almanac
Publishers, POBOX 94318 Las Vegas NV89193  fishnmap.com 

Have a great trip.

Regards,
Jay Ginrich
Alma, CO
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