May 18, 2016 (Day 4)
The Bahia de Los Angeles Natural History Museum is curated by Carolina, a lovely and charismatic woman that has put her soul into the museum and the natural history of the area. We were pleased when she agreed to an on-camera interview. We met her at nine this morning in the museum and she was great on camera.
The Bahie de Los Angeles Natural History Musem. Whale bones in foreground.
After leaving Bahia de Los Angeles, we headed to Guerrero Negro to get the T-top welded. We were delayed a bit by a few stops to film along the way. First, we stopped to film a Goldman’s agave plant in full bloom. Next we captured some horses and a donkey wandering through the desert before coming upon a dead donkey on the side of the road, several turkey vultures feeding on its carcass. As we slowed to pull over, we noticed a large bird in the road that had been hit—another vulture. As we got closer, we realized that, astoundingly, he was still alive. JT took a moment to get a few shots of him as he rest there, most likely paralyzed or stunned, blinking and looking at the camera.
Goldman’s Agave (Agave shawii ssp. goldmaniana) in bloom pictured here with Greg Meyer, scientific director of The Devil's Road (left) and JT Bruce, director of The Devil's Road (right).
JT, director, making friends with the locals...
Turkey vulture in road. Most likely stunned or paralyzed from being hit by a passing motorist.
We decided to move on to Loreto to get the T-top welded. I knew where the welding shop was and it was getting late, so we kept driving. A short stop in Vizcaino found no sign of Taco Kenny, or rather Kenny Martinez, who runs a taco cart called Baja Tacos with his wife. I met Kenny during a trip earlier this year, and quickly struck up a friendship. We checked in with him about our return trip and our plans to climb Goldman Peak.
Camping in the desert is always a treat. We found a side road, just south of San Bruno, that lead to a small pueblo and came to a shallow bowl-like basin to camp away from the roadway. We cooked our dinner and settled down with a cocktail around a fire.
Camp at sunset, near San Bruno.
Camp at night.