Sierra de la Laguna

The Sierra de la Laguna mountain range provides a jagged mountain backdrop to the town of Todos Santos, but most visitors and residents never explore this region due to its ruggedness and inaccessibility.  The natural history of this range is fascinating, separated from mainland Mexico millions of years ago as the San Andreas fault began shifting, many creatures were stranded on a veritable ecological island.  The mountains have a wetter, cooler climate than the surrounding desert, adding to the diversity and unusualness of the plants and animals living there.

Here our hosts Cuco and Pilar get directions from Felix before we set out.  Felix told us the trail was easy to follow (maybe for him).  Cuco and Pilar both hiked in sandals made from old tires that Cuco makes.

The Sierra de la Laguna range extends south almost to Cabo San Lucas (50 miles?), we hiked into the northern region, which at 6500 feet forms a plateau 2 miles wide and 6 miles long and contains the 2 mile long meadow (laguna) for which the whole region is named.  The meadow is surrounded by forests of pine, oaks (one species with only 20 trees), palms, palmitas, cacti, madrone (firewood of choice), and many other trees we didn't know. It is also home to many interesting birds, many of which do not migrate and though not officially considered separate species, have evolved significant differences.  These include a Yellow Eyed Junco (Bairds), Acorn Woodpecker (with dark eyes), Oak TItmouse, Nuthatch (didn't see), San Lucas Robin (like ours but light buffy breast), Band Tailed Pigeon.  Other birds are wintering there including many warblers (Black Throated Gray, Hermit, Townsends,Wilson's...), Vireos.  There are also some birds whose status I don't know, they may go up and down the mountain depending on available resources: Xantus Hummingbird, Scotts Oriole, Western Tanager, Black Headed Grosbeak, Prairie Falcon, Blue-Gray Gnatcatcher, Spotted and California Towhee.

A view of the variety of vegetation on top of the plateau.

The terrain up the mountain is rugged, steep, and thick with thorny vegetation.  A guide is necessary for such an expedition, for trails are unmarked and criss-crossed with cow paths, causing utter confusion.  Our guide was Cuco Moiron, a local artist, knowledgeable about flora and fauna and all things pertaining to the Sierra de la Laguna, speaker of English.  He and his wife, Pilar Ojeda, speaker of a little English, planned the trip, supplied all the camping gear, and saw to the hundreds of tiny details that go into such an expedition.  Horses (two) were needed to carry the gear and supplies, and naturally a horseman was necessary to pack and lead the horses.

Felix with his two horses, Bouganvillo, and Manchato.

Our ranchero horseman, Felix Salvatierra, was a tall elegant man, both rustic and suave.  Though he spoke no English, he delivered his Spanish with a big smile, and I perceived an ironic sense of humor (when asked whether he does much cooking at home he said "Oh, yes, guests leave my table licking their fingers").  With a rifle slung over his shoulder and the horse rope coiled loosely in his hand, he walked up the steepest mountain trail like he was strolling through a garden.  We never once saw him perspire or take a drink of water, even when everyone else was huffing and puffing to catch up.  It was decided after we set out (for several reasons) that Felix would spend the whole time with us, rather than bringing the horses back down and coming back a few days later.  His camping gear consisted of a neatly folded bandana in his back pocket, and his rifle.  He borrowed a sleeping bag from Cuco (Pilar and Cuco shared one) and stretched out next to the fire.  

On the hike up we stopped at a stream crossing to swim in some deep pools.  It was here that Cuco suddenly motioned to Felix to come quickly with his gun: two wild pigs (feral) were taking a drink below us.  Felix came excitedly over and took aim and fired, but missed.  The pigs quickly trotted off, no pork tonight!

Even with a guide, many times we had to bushwack and backtrack, searching for the right trail.  Felix had no such trouble, but was too rapido for anyone to follow closely.  He also had an uncanny ability to know (good ears) when we had stopped to take a break.  "Get up you lazy __ __, I'm hungry!!" he would shout from the trail high above us as soon as we sat down under a tree.  Cuco would shout back some equally friendly obscenities.

Pilar provided delicious and interesting meals for the trip, all of which were expertly cooked over a fire.  The way she reached into the fire to toast tortillas, and balanced pots and pans on rocks was amazing to us.  Many things were cooked by placing them directly in coals: heads of garlic, onions, potatoes.  Breakfasts were large and surprising for their variety.  One morning oatmeal was served but also dried (reconstituted) Manta Ray burritos with tomatillo salsa.  When Pilar was cooking you never knew what would happen next!

Five star cowboy camping!

One evening Felix brought a branch of some tree into camp and we made a delicious cherry flavored tea by boiling the leaves.

Climbing up to the mountain meadow took a day and a half of hiking, we spent two full days up there exploring, and one full day to walk all the way back down.  The entire trip was four nights and four and a half days.  One day on the mountain we climbed the high peak there, Picacho (peak). From that point we could see forever in every direction and watched ravens circling around the steep cliffs, Xantus Hummingbirds were also there.  Our other day at La Laguna was spent exploring a creek which wound its way through high granite boulders.  Hanging ferns and cacti, madrones, and palm trees made a picturesque and unusual combination of colors and textures.  We saw many birds in this canyon including Canyon Wren, Broad Winged Hawk, warblers...

Cuco with the endemic Sotol.  Pilar roasted the flowers over the fire and we ate them for breakfast.

Even with three people and two horses helping us, the trip was not without challenges.  The trail was mostly steep ups and downs, exposed to hot sun, and the nights up there were a little cold for our thin sleeping bags. The lack of camping pads was a mite too cowboy for us soft gringos (me anyway).  All in all it was a fantastic trip with interesting people to a beautiful part of the Cape Region of Baja. 

We made it back!  See Picacho in the distance.