Hoov's Travel Adventures: November 2015

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.

When it rains more and gets colder in the Pacific Northwest, I head to our place in Loreto, BCS, Mexico where I find myself leading and going on some amazing hikes up the many arroyos that pour out of the Sierra de la Gigante mountains and into the Sea of Cortez.

Future hike up Ligui Canyon. This was our turnaround spot.

This year, I began posting my hikes on the Villages of Loreto Bay Facebook site as well as the Loreto Bay Owners site which has increased the number of experienced and first-time hikers from just me on the first hike to 52 hikers recently.

Ligui Canyon Group

Tabor Canyon Group

Pinturas Canyon Group

2nd Pinturas Canyon Group

Del Borracho Canyon Group

Pinturas Canyon with Hollidays and Clarks

The week before the hike, I tell people what hike I am doing and whether we need 4 wheel drive cars to go up some of the dirt roads and riverbeds. We meet up and carpool to the hike site, which is almost always an up and back hike so that those who decide to stop along the way at one of the many pools or waterfalls can rejoin us for the hike back to the cars. These are not normal hikes with trails, but rather boulder hopping up the river beds that change from season to season.

After the hikes, we stop for food and beverages at a couple of our popular restaurants---the Clam Shack right on the Sea of Cortez that serves delicious stuffed clams, fish, ceviche among other entrees, and Del Borracho's that serve Del Borracho burgers with all the fixins' including cooked onions and bacon or enormous taco salads washed down with Negro Modelo beer in pitchers on tap.

Clam Shack

Del Borracho's

Both during the hikes and afterward while waiting and eating our lunches we have an opportunity to meet and talk with others who we have seen from season to season or get to know new people whose common interest is hiking and exploring this beautiful place in the Baja.

I really enjoy hearing from people who have lived down in Loreto for up to 10 years, but it was the first time they experienced hiking up these water-filled arroyos. The scenery just took their breath away as well as for some, a quick plunge into one of the cool and refreshing deep pools.

Here are some pictures of our Loreto Bay Hikers along with the places we experienced. My first hike upon returning to Loreto was just me on the Pinturas Canyon hike. After that those that joined me increased from 18 to 22 to a record of 52 hikers that ventured to the Ligui Canyon hike that involved a convoy of eight 4 wheel drive cars and 52 hikers about 3.5 miles up the river bed to near the entrance to the canyon. 22 of those hikers scaled the "scary wall" to continue up the narrowing river-filled canyon. After about an hour, we turned back with more of Ligui Canyon to explore on another trip.

2nd Pinturas Group