31 Jan 2010 Estero el Barril, Bahia Magdalena

Turning of the Tide

Waders all, herons, mangroves, man – long lanky legs – yellow, dark, brown and tan stretch to meet mud. Seeking sustenance in the dark silty sand. Bridging terra-not-so-firma, and cielis, sky, clouds, oxygen. Pulsing exchange of energy and air, food and water, salt and pepper, clams for stew, scallops and garlic and delicious transformations of mud creatures to meal. Clam diggers, long legged, scanning, prodding, siting scooping. The full bucket can take a few more – clickety clack, the scallop snaps back. The heron snaps his own small fry. The mangrove drinks this tasty tea to satiate his thirst and cut the salty brine. The tide swells in, chasing off the hunting gatherers. Birds fly to roost, diggers, paddle home, soon the mangroves will rest their bright green chins on the overfull bay, building roots so they won t float away. Flooded pickle weed will hold it s breath, while the hunted let out theirs. Respite for the mud dwellers, the feasters soon will fast and all will snooze and wake and wait for the return of the low tide.

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26 Jan 2010 Estero ?, Bahia Magdalena
Mudflats Picassa Pictures
Estero? Picassa Pictures
After algebra this morning, we moved the boat south closer to San Carlos. The wind surprised us turning to the south and blowing pretty good in the morning. But by afternoon it was quieter, and we headed for this new estero (not sure the name of this one). We paddled a mile and half in, where on google earth we could see that there was good access to the other side of the dune field we’d explored yesterday. The hike this time took us across to the more protected Bahia Santa Maria. These dunes are just captivating. The sand is incredibly soft between your toes, and the surface is randomly stable then soft, in the soft spots, when you sink down a bit it’s delightfully cool. I wouldn’t want to try it in midsummer – I don’t think we would have been running these dunes barefoot. The shadows and formations across the surface are incredible, and the occasional plants create wild Dr. Zeus-like mounds. Bug and animal tracks tell stories of wild life-or-death battles. And there is no better place to exercise the kids. There is something about a dune, that creates a desire to run and leap. I took way too many pictures. Falling asleep after our last dune adventure, the day passed across my eyelids in short shutter bursts: shell, perfect sand ripple, bird, leaping kid, coyote, bugtrack, sunset, zzzz.

xoxomo

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25 Jan 2010 Estero el Barril, Bahia Magdalena

Kennan and Mo outing Picassa Pictures
Estero El Barril Picassa Pictures

I just realized that yesterday’s entry was dated wrong, should have read Jan. 24. And I think I goofed the quotes around the lat/lon. so that’s probably off too. I think I need an editor to clean up behind me.

Getting my barbershop ready in the cockpit today, a surprise blow took my own breath away – gray whale 30 feet off to starboard. We’re anchored right off the main channel leading north to Lopez Mateo. All through this bay gray whales come to birth their calves every winter then head north in early spring. We’re basically anchored off their 405. I’m not sure if we just saw a lot of them today, or if it was the same whale swimming back and forth. In the past week, we’ve seen quite a few blows off a ways, often in groups of two or more, we’re assuming some are baby blows (they are shorter than the others), but none quite that close.

Cutting Logan’s hair today,

Logan: “Are you done yet?” me: “Almost, why” Logan: “Cause I can feel my 4-year old self about to burst out of me.”

This afternoon Logan took off on his own to the dunes. I think he did a 2 mile paddle to get there, got only slightly lost in the dunes, then returned home after sunset, but before it was pitch black (he left the beach at sunset). Kennan and I went paddling through a really neat smaller branch of mangroves just south of El Barril, really pretty little spot, we made it to the very end. Backing out, Kennan squished a spider and I had a giant leaf hopper on my arm. Every time I tried to chase the leaf hopper off, he’d treat my arm like a branch, and sidestep to the back side. Basically I was chasing him into my armpit, and I got a case of the shivery giggles. Finally we backed out to less close quarters, and had a beautiful paddle home as the sky turned redder and the shadows grew longer. At one point we stopped for a quick hike up a dune, and Kennan had an encounter with a Croc hugger, (spiky seed pod that latched onto his Croc). I have no idea what plant it’s from, but what an amazing adaptation, who knows what purpose though? Clinging to donkey hooves to travel?

xoxomo

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Jan. 25 Bahia Magdalena
Estero El Barril Picassa Pictures
Another amazing day in Bahia Magdalena. It was the iron man day – PE for the week – kayak 4 miles, walk across sand dunes 4 miles, kayak 4 miles. We had this great idea (OK, I had it and didn’t actually get full buy-in) to use today’s excursion to do both science and math – survey the variety of wading birds, and then do some ratios and comparisons upon returning. Well, first we forgot the survey instruments (pen and waterproof paper), so we split up the species between the four of us – Kennan chose to count the night heron and the yellow-crowned night heron (easy job for him…we left at 10 A.M.), I picked the green, reddish and little blue herons (not much better on the greens during the day and in today’s wider channel but I counted a respectable 5 reddish and 7 little blues). Frank was supposed to count anything white (white heron, all egrets and juvenile little blues), he can’t remember how many white birds he saw (so he was disqualified), but he did claim to see two white headed birds of the raptor variety – validated by Logan and Kennan…bald eagles in Mag Bay?? I did not witness this siting, but on the Sibley’s map under bald eagles, there is a little purple (year round) dot right at the Baja bend that is Mag Bay. If it’s true, then in less than a month the Reveil males have spotted bald eagles in latitude 59 and latitude 24. That’s 35 degrees of Bald Eagles in a month. I’d say they’re making a return. Logan ended up winning the bird count with only one species to keep track of yet a whopping total of 17 great blue herons (but I’m suspicious that a few just flew around the corner to be counted again).

Looking at the satellite images of this spot, you may be able to pick out our path up one of the longest estuaries in the bay – Esterro el Barril. Not the meandering narrow estuary of Man-o-War Cove, but a broad long sweeping stretch of magnificence. If you manage to stay in the primary branch, and not be diverted by the many secondary veins, the estuary ends in an abrupt collision of green mangroves, rich brown tidal flats, and miles of brilliant white sand dunes. Staying on the right vein is no easy task, it’s not necessarily the widest branch that takes you the furthest. Often the channel runs deeper where the mangroves grow closest. And the wider more inviting stretches, can fool you into an area of very shallow, difficult-to-paddle-in water.

We visited this exact spot 13 years ago, when Logan was a baby. That time we carried him across the dunes. If I’d carried him today, I may have made it 2 steps…ah to be young again;) Well that’s certainly what my muscles will be saying tomorrow.

Jan. 25 Did not manage to send this last night, so before I post, I’ll add a postscript: Huge thanks to Barry for pointing me to the NY Times recipe for no-kneed bread (or is it kneedless bread). We’ve managed two successful loaves, with great structure and that crust is magnificent – even in our !#$#@#$@$# excuse for an oven (Betty’s term for it:). With bread like this, we may manage to make it across the ocean with two ravenous boys. The one thing they’ve been complaining about in the food department, is not having good bread. Every other loaf I’ve tried, has had some issue (texture, crust, density, flavor you name it, they found fault). But these loaves are perfect every time and disappear without complaint. I can even sneak in some whole wheat flour and they don’t seem to notice. If anyone else is interested, just google NY Times no kneed bread. The process is easy, but messy (don’t use a cotton towel as they describe for sure!). The magic is in cooking it in a dutch oven that you place in the oven, and in a dough with low yeast and high water content. It’s truly crackling good crust.

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Jan. 14 Bahia Magdalena

Estero El Barril Picassa Pictures

Another amazing day in Bahia Magdalena. It was the iron man day – PE for the week – kayak 4 miles, walk across sand dunes 4 miles, kayak 4 miles. We had this great idea (OK, I had it and didn’t actually get full buy-in) to use today’s excursion to do both science and math – survey the variety of wading birds, and then do some ratios and comparisons upon returning. Well, first we forgot the survey instruments (pen and waterproof paper), so we split up the species between the four of us – Kennan chose to count the night heron and the yellow-crowned night heron (easy job for him…we left at 10 A.M.), I picked the green, reddish and little blue herons (not much better on the greens during the day and in today’s wider channel but I counted a respectable 5 reddish and 7 little blues). Frank was supposed to count anything white (white heron, all egrets and juvenile little blues), he can’t remember how many white birds he saw (so he was disqualified), but he did claim to see two white headed birds of the raptor variety – validated by Logan and Kennan…bald eagles in Mag Bay?? I did not witness this siting, but on the Sibley’s map under bald eagles, there is a little purple (year round) dot right at the Baja bend that is Mag Bay. If it’s true, then in less than a month the Reveil males have spotted bald eagles in latitude 59 and latitude 24. That’s 35 degrees of Bald Eagles in a month. I’d say they’re making a return. Logan ended up winning the bird count with only one species to keep track of yet a whopping total of 17 great blue herons (but I’m suspicious that a few just flew around the corner to be counted again).

Looking at the satellite images of this spot, you may be able to pick out our path up one of the longest estuaries in the bay – Esterro el Barril. Not the meandering narrow estuary of Man-o-War Cove, but a broad long sweeping stretch of magnificence. If you manage to stay in the primary branch, and not be diverted by the many secondary veins, the estuary ends in an abrupt collision of green mangroves, rich brown tidal flats, and miles of brilliant white sand dunes. Staying on the right vein is no easy task, it’s not necessarily the widest branch that takes you the furthest. Often the channel runs deeper where the mangroves grow closest. And the wider more inviting stretches, can fool you into an area of very shallow, difficult-to-paddle-in water.

We visited this exact spot 13 years ago, when Logan was a baby. That time we carried him across the dunes. If I’d carried him today, I may have made it 2 steps…ah to be young again;) and to have Cameron with us again to help carry him:)

xoxomo

Jan. 25 Did not manage to send this last night, so before I post, I’ll add a postscript: Huge thanks to Barry for pointing me to the NY Times recipe for no-kneed bread (or is it kneedless bread). We’ve managed two successful loaves, with great structure and that crust is magnificent – even in our !#$#@#$@$# excuse for an oven (Betty’s term for it:). With bread like this, we may manage to make it across the ocean with two ravenous boys. The one thing they’ve been complaining about in the food department, is not having good bread. Every other loaf I’ve tried, has had some issue (texture, crust, density, flavor you name it, they found fault). But these loaves are perfect every time and disappear without complaint. I can even sneak in some whole wheat flour and they don’t seem to notice. If anyone else is interested, just google NY Times no kneed bread. The process is easy, but messy (don’t use a cotton towel as they describe for sure!). The magic is in cooking it in a dutch oven that you place in the oven, and in a dough with low yeast and high water content. It’s truly crackling good crust.

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Man of War Cove – Bahia Magdalena

Yes I know, my slippery fingers (or brain) typed cretaceous when I meant cetaceous as many of you have so eloquently corrected me. Most eloquently by the ever detailed paleontolgist Karin:

“It was an absolutely Cretaceous day in what was shaping up to be a cliche Mesozoic month. Plesiosaurs were lolling around belly up in a warm lagoon in mid-central Montana like plump fall apples in a shallow tub waiting to be bobbed.

Oh wait, did you mean Cetaceous?

It was an absolutely Cetaceous day in what was shaping up to be a cliche Cenozoic month. Giant blue rorquals lolled back and forth with the tide in a sleepy warm Baja bay like plump kielbasa in a soup of sauerkraut waiting to be forked…”

Correction noted!

We made it to Bahia Santa Maria day before yesterday, got rolled in the breakers attempting entrance to the estuary at the north end of the bay (exact repeat of an incident 13 years ago, when Logan was 1). This lead to the pleasant discovery that the water has actually gotten quite warm compared to SoCal, at least a degree farenheit warmer for every degree we’ve moved south – at this rate by the time we get to the Marqueses, it should be nearing jacuzzi temperature (OK a coldish jacuzzi for those of you detail oriented enough to check your charts, compare to NOAA and do the math).

Day before yesterday we made our way down and around into Mag Bay. After a night at Punta Belcher, we worked our way a little deeper into the Bay for protection (California’s tremendous rains were predicted to start making waves down here). Yesterday before the storm, we kayaked in to an estuary north of the little village at Man-o-War Cove. My goal was to attempt finding the end of the estuary. If you look on the google images you’ll get a good sense of these mangrove swamps. As you snake around each bend in the tidal flow area, a new view appears, and the mangroves slowly close in on you till you just can’t paddle any further. Breaking the kayak paddles down and continuing canoe style, only gets you a couple hundred yards further. We were stopped by a portcullis of mangrove roots – barred from our pursuit of some cormorants who happily escaped into their keep. We were forced to navigate backwards till we could turn around and follow the tide back out. Hidden in the mangrove roots and fishing off the sand banks on either side are an amazing variety of wading birds and shore birds: Herons (Great Blue, Reddish, Yellow-Crowned Night, Black-Crowned Night, Green, Tricolored, AND Little Blue) Egrets, Ibis, Curlews, Plovers, Godwits and Sandpipers galore. If you wanted to check that section of your bird book off in a day this is the place (well you’d still have to find some flamingos, storks and spoonbills).

We also took a hike at the entrance to the estuary, across the dunes to the pacific side, where Kennan would have ended up if he’d taken Frank up on his offer to leave him ashore at the Bahia Santa Maria anchorage, and meet him on the other side. It would have been an 11 mile hike along the longest flattest beach Kennan’s seen yet. I think the kids favorite part of the day was playing hide and seek in the dunes. I prefer playing hide and seek with the green herons. But the dunes have an amazing variety of plants growing, many in flower right now. I expect new blossoms after the rain that is now keeping us cabin bound. Zebulon is working overtime, algebra is over, recess is on, and I am typing this as nerph darts fly past my ears. Frank is fiddling with the water maker priming pumps and cursing like any good mechanic would. Chaos reigns aboard Silver Lining. All is well.

xoxomo

P.S. A curse just turned into a eureka, pressure coming, fresh water may soon be coming directly from the ocean to our tap. P.S.S. Frank just handed me a cup of freshly made water. Technology is amazing. Magellan would have been green with envy.

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January 18, 2010
Ensenada to Bahia Santa Maria Picassa Pictures
It was an absolutely Cretaceous day, even Algebra had to be put on hold for awhile. The morning was almost glassy calm, the excitement started as we were assembling in the cockpit for a morning of math, Kennan said he heard a “poof” right next to us (I was getting pencils, and was sure he was looking for diversions). But sure enough, on inspection, there was a marked flukeprint in the water very close to the boat. Not long after a large blue whale made his lumbering appearance on our aft quarter, and he followed along for awhile. Then as we were attempting to settle to task again Frank hollered, “to starboard!” and raced from the nav station to the helm turning us on a dime – lines in the water bedamned (OK I’m exaggerating with the bedamned) – and heads for…a green sea turtle with large barnacles on his back snoozing. Just as we were getting back on course, I spotted something off in the distance that looked like a pod of something larger than dolphins. In the interest of science we had to verify if they were orca or? Nope pilot whales, perhaps 20-30, but they stayed too far away to get any good pictures, until we turned our back on them, then emboldened by our retreat, they decide to investigate us, at one point they were probably 10′ astern. “I could have spit in his vent.” says Frank. The Pilot whales kept with us and made it totally impossible to start Algebra. After about an hour we spotted bigger blows on the opposite side of the boat. A sperm whale! No wait 2 blows, no make that 4, wait is that the same whale? We never got an accurate count, but it turned out to be at least 10 sperm whales. I didn’t know they traveled in pods. So we had the pilot whales to starboard, the sperm whales to port, both angling slowly towards our track. When the two came together there was an explosion of activity almost in front of us. We didn’t see any blood, but the water absolutely boiled about 250 yards away big blows, little blows, flukes, tails of all sizes circling in a giant “Big Dog Party” At one point some dolphins (spinners?) that had been swimming with the pilot whales popped out of the water in giant leaps of ecstasy (maybe fear?) 20-30 feet out of the middle of the boil. I don’t think I’m exaggerating on the lengths and dimensions. I got a few good shots, but the party was a little far to get much detail (would have needed a lens with a tripod…not much good on a boat).

I guess my brother Gartly was sadly right in an email just Saturday “I’ve heard that the surge in squid population is one of the signs of an unhealthy balance (imbalance) in the predator fish ratios. Might be nice for some of the cetaceans though.” Prescient of our day today?

We did manage to slog through Algebra by 4:00 helped along by increasing winds that set an urgency to the pace. But we’re now behind in Latin and grammar. I know every day will not be this thrilling, and I’m exhausted from the erratic sleep schedule, but a day like today just makes this all worthwhile.

xoxomo

From Kennan’s journal: “It was a marine mammal all you can eat squid party”

From Logan’s journal: “…It was going to be either the greatest marine battle to be seen or the most awesome party on the face of the planet. When the dolphins started jumping 30 feet into the air, my worries evaporated.”

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Ensenada to Bahia Santa Maria Picassa Pictures
We took off late this morning (after Algebra…our new master…second only to the weather). The seas are flat with a steady wind of 10-15 knots at our hind quarter – so we’re making a steady 5-6 knots, perfect point of sail for Silver Lining, quintessential day. Our plan is to head straight for Bahia Santa Maria we’re getting very excited to explore the mangroves of Mag Bay with the kids. I really think they’ll love that place.

The coast here is amazing – reminiscent in shape and color of the inland mountains and deserts of Nevada and California. It seemed out of place last night to see Pelicans and Frigate birds riding the up-wellings where one expected vultures. And all this water in a desert! None to drink! I guess that’s why the coast is not cluttered with development. The sunset view properties on land are certainly abundant.

xoxomo

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Ensenada to Bahia Santa Maria Picassa Pictures

A fast (for us) 400 miles in 2 days down to Bahia de Tortugas – a small fishing village, in the Baja desert. Zebulon (our wind generator) is happy with the 20-30 knot winds, flat waters despite the winds in the bay though. Frank and I have heavy eyelids tonight. Good speed makes for little shut-eye. We’ll stay a day or two to catch up in Algebra. We saw many happy albatross soaring, a jumping marlin, a dead swordfish and numerous sheerwaters. We were squided last night (found 14 little dead ones all over the deck), crime scene ink spot photos will be sent when we have internet. Didn’t think to bring squid spot remover…maybe baking soda will work? Wind has blown up enough sand in the sky to make some spectacular glowie pink sunsets.

xoxomo

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Ensenada to Bahia Santa Maria Picassa Pictures

Check-in yesterday in Ensenada was boring and stressful, but after 4 hours and a green light at the random customs check, we passed, and celebrated with a nice piece of fresh Opah for dinner from the fish market, and a Margarita a la Frank (tangerine!). The surge at the dock was pretty annoying by this morning. We left after a nice breakfast. We now ride the long swell pushed by a distant breeze. Another halleluja sunset is in the making. The bread is rising. Boys are reading or staring off into space. And we are making way south.

xoxomo

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