Baja 2018: 1,200 miles on Dirt Bikes: Coast to coast in the rock garden

Today was another high-mile day - 220 miles. We rode from San Ignacio all the way to the Pacific coast - and then back to the Sea of Cortez, to the town of Loreto for the night. But I'm getting ahead of myself a bit here.

After a hearty breakfast at our hotel this morning, we lit off into cool overcast weather. Those of us who chose to wear our enduro jackets were warm and comfy. The other guys? Not so much. We rode a combination of pavement and two-track trails through sandy washes and past huge stands of giant cardon (saguaro) cactus. We finally crested a hill and dropped down into the sleepy little fishing village of El Datil on the Pacific coast for fuel. We also had some soft drinks and fresh, fresh, fresh scallop ceviche at a little store on the beach. The town kids were loving our bikes and Chris was making friends with all of them (I think he was giving out pesos - since we forgot the stickers that they crave.)

Afterwards, we headed south down the beach for a few miles before jumping up onto the huge, dry lake beds (salt pans). Some of these salt pans are over a mile wide and they are connected by short sand dune trails. We rode one after another for miles and miles. Absolutely dead flat and smooth, we could really cook along at 75-80 mph. The only danger is that the crust is less than an inch thick. Below that is muddy salt that is as slick as snot on a doorknob. Hit the brakes or throttle too hard and you can wind up sliding sideways. Not something I care to do at 80!

Anyway, during this part of the ride we came out from under the dewy overcast and rode into the warm sun as we progressed inland from the Pacific Coast. The guys without jackets were finally comfortable. After the salt pans, we rode 20 miles or so of sand dune trails. Very smooth - as long as you kept the speed up and stayed on top of the sand.

We arrived in the town of San Juanico right on the Pacific for lunch. This town is more popularly know as "Scorpion Bay". It purportedly boasts the second-longest surf break in the world. There were quite a few surfers camped there at any rate - including three of the crustiest old surfer dudes ever, hanging in their wetsuits, waiting on the tide. We had lunch in a great little open air restaurant and then set out to cross the peninsula to the Sea of Cortez.

We rode a LOT of rocks over the next three hours. Rocky streams, rocky roads, pebbly roads, boulder-y roads, steep, rocky climbs with precipitous drops off the edge. It was fun, but required 100% concentration to stay on two wheels. We rode through the oasis town of San Isidro, which uses the local oasis stream to fill the town aqueduct system. Very cool old stone troughs running everywhere in town and filled with cool spring water. Wish I had stopped to take pictures. Anyway, like everywhere we go, all the townspeople waved at us and the kids want a high five as you go by. Quite different from the U.S.!

After several long stretches of still more rocks, and climbs up and over small mountains, we ended up on the highway for the short ride into Loreto and our hotel for the night.

We had dinner at a cool little restaurant where Chris finally was able to buy the big sombrero for me that he has been threatening all week. He really wants everyone to sing me happy birthday each night. Could be worse. We also got a sharpie marker so I could write the word "Me" all over the hat. So I now own a sombrero that has me written all over it...

Tomorrow we will be heading for La Paz - historical finish line of the Baja 1000 off road race.. We're getting closer to Cabo!