South of Catavina--past the southern limit of cirios

Tuesday 3/16/10

The wind rocked the trailer all night, and was still strong in the morning. Two ravens were checking out the trailer in the morning, then foraging nearby. They were finding lots of small things to eat, perhaps grubs. After breakfast, I went of a walk near where I camped. I walked up a small arroyo with a sandy bottom. I am noticing some new flowers blooming here. In fact, nearly every time I stop along the highway, there’s a new plant or a new flower.

 The cactus here are very dense—and across the highway, there are some immense cordons (photo). There is a great view from this camping spot of a desolate mountain range called La Asamblea. This side of the mountains is a broad plain, densely forested with cactus. This is one of the most scenic parts of Baja I have seen so far. The cirios here are taller, more bushy, and more densely packed than further north.

As I drive south across the plain, something like a Joshua tree begins to appear, and later, elephant trees become common. Eventually, past the side road to Bahia de los Angeles, the cirios start to look yellowish and their arms are more twisted. For a while the road goes along the top of a ridge; I can see the shine of the Pacific far to the west. I stop for a rest at a large cleared area, but it turns out to be a garbage dump. There are lots of very twisted and fat elephant trees among the garbage, and beyond the dump the trees are very nice, without the garbage. Then the road descends, and I’m getting closer to the ocean. Eventually I’m down on a flat, barren plain not far from the ocean, along which I drive for many miles. I’ve gone through a few very desolate and depressed-looking small towns, without even gas stations. Many of the small establishments, little groceries or restaurants, are closed.