Del Borracho Arroyo Hike--April 2014

I was recently made aware that to access the hikes I have shown on my blog and described in the “Hiking Loreto” guide book, requires permission from the ranch owners of the land.  

You can contact the president of Loreto Guide Association, Rodolfo Palacios Castro, for a guide to take you on these hikes because they have permission from the owners and are aware of the need to protect these fragile places.  His Facebook site is:  

https://www.facebook.com/groups/2215309472057445/user/100000173233748

Currently, the owner of the Las Parras Ranch along the road to San Javier Church sells passes to their property at the Pescador Grocery Store or Hacienda Suites.  As time goes by, there may be more owners who do this.

Although I scheduled this hike, I left Loreto on the Horizon Air flight back to LAX and SEA that day. However, thanks to one of our regular hikers, Gary Barnes, I got lots of great photos of the hike and hikers. The pictures of the Del Borracho Arroyo make me put this on the top of the hiking list for when I return to Loreto this fall.

About 3 1/2 miles up the paved road to San Javier was the rough road cut off to the right where the Loreto Bay hikers began. Here is a group shot that was taken by our new hiker, Mona.

Hikers from left to right: Ron, Allan, Werner, Gary, John, Randy, Lesley, Diane, Art, and Rosie with Caley waiting to romp about and Mona behind the camera. This was the largest number of Loreto Bay Hikers we have had this season.

Here is the first water we came to in the Del Borracho Arroyo. With Gary's good eye, it looks like some abstract artwork.

Mona and Lesley are in the lead early on with the others trailing behind in the arroyo hike as it becomes narrower.

Mona is the first one up the slithering waterfall with others to follow.

After clearing the waterfall, Caley stops for a drink, and the others pause for a rest and enjoy this everchanging landscape. The group is now feeling more comfortable after scaling the waterfall and being on level ground again.

The group passed several fault lines along the hike and this was the most noticeable--an offshoot of the San Andreas Fault that runs through San Francisco Bay and down through the Baja as well. Good thing our homes are built of the preform, concrete, and rebar, but we will still have to worry about liquefaction.

We have now come to the end of the normal hike as we came up to the headwall of the Del Borracho Arroyo that forms a box canyon. The timing is good for our return, and for many a stop at the Del Borracho's bar and restaurant for pitchers of Modelo Negro Cerveza and the best burgers in the Baja.

And we thought the way up the waterfall was difficult!! We are using a proven mountaineering technique that I call bum friction to safely make our way down the waterfall area.

More bum friction at work as John assists Diane in descending the waterfall area as others look on---some who have already made the descent and others waiting their turn to descend this challenging place.

We pass by this man-made dam on our way back.

Safely back at Del Borracho's bar and restaurant, some enjoy a couple pitchers of Modelo Negro Cerveza while waiting for their food. I remember the last juicy hamburger I had there that was loaded with fried onions, lettuce, tomatoes, bacon, cheese, dressing, and a hand-formed hamburger in between two toasted buns with a choice of sides of green salad, coleslaw, or fries. Yummy!! The folks around the table include: Gary----- who took the great pictures I have used-----, Mona, John, Werner, Ron, Allan, and Diane.

I have not heard whether they plan to hike this coming Thursday, the 9th, or not, but if they do the normal meeting place is in front of the Agua Viva Management Office at 9 AM.

Again, my thanks to Gary who took the great pictures you see and told me a bit about the hike.