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Title
by Greg Joder
(Click on Images in the article to expand)
Paddling 1700 miles of remote desert coastline is not a typical summer vacation, but I suspect it will offer an experience unparalleled in my life. Undoubtedly I'll be challenged in ways I can't yet dream of, but I hope I find that challenge inspiring to me and others who will be following the Sea of Cortez Circumnavigation expedition.
Circumnavigating the Sea of Cortez (Sea) in a sea kayak is a dream that has gone through several iterations over the last decade. It began as a dream to simply escape from life's responsibilities and spend a couple months paddling the length of the Baja peninsula.
Working towards a degree in ecology - and getting older and wiser as the years passed - that dream slowly morphed into the realization that I not only wanted to have an amazing adventure, but that I wanted to somehow share my love of the Baja peninsula and Sea of Cortez with others. Given the many conservation issues facing this region I decided that I would try and draw more attention to them via my sea kayak expedition.
In mid May I will begin paddling south from San Felipe, headed to Cabo San Lucas. From there I will portage (hitch a ride!) to La Paz and take the ferry to Topolobambo and begin paddling north to El Golfo de Santa Clara, across the Colorado River delta, and finish at San Felipe. I expect the expedition to take three to four months.
During the expedition I hope to explore solutions to the many conservation issues through conversations and interactions with everyone I meet along the way. The most pressing issues I hope to explore are over fishing in the Sea of Cortez, tourism and development, sea turtle conservation, and island conservation among others.
Updates will be posted twice weekly in a special forum at www.BajaCaliforniaConservation.org so that everyone can follow the expedition and participate in the forums.
The web site offers several public forums dedicated to discussing and sharing information related the conservation and ecology of Baja and the Sea.
www.BajaCaliforniaConservation.org
www.BajaBirding.org
Following is a short interview by www.BajaInsider.com and Greg Joder about his trip;
BI: Tell us about yourself. Who are you? Where do you come from? How old are you?
GJ: I grew up in AZ and moved to CO after finishing
high school. I raced road bicycles for about 9 years then after that just
sort of worked and traveled.
I worked in Antarctica for two summer seasons (as a baker) and for seven months on Johnston Atoll (as a baker) where the US was incinerating chemical weapons. Working these jobs lead me to realize that I wanted to study ecology (being such amazingly beautiful places with such diverse wildlife) and so at age 36 I enrolled at Colorado University at Boulder. I still have 3 semesters left but plan on continuing when I finish this trip. I'm 41 years old now.
BI: Why or what do you love about Baja?
GJ: I love Baja for many reasons: The people, the desert, and the sea. Since my first trip there I was amazed at the friendliness of everyone we met, and that combined with the isolation of the coastal communities and the diversity of the desert and sea really left a lasting impression. It's still hard for me to describe. I feel a sense of wonder, fascination, and comfort every time I visit.
BI:
What do you hope to accomplish with your expedition?
GJ: To complete the trip safely and to bring attention to the conservation issues that many of the local communities are struggling with. I hope that my expedition will capture the attention of people that would not otherwise take notice and there for draw them in to wanting to learn more about the region and what they can do to help.
That is also the focus of my web site and its forums: a place for people to learn more and share ideas.
BI: Are there any parts of your planned expedition that you have more concerns over or see as more difficult?
GJ: There are a couple that come to mind:
Crossing the Colorado River delta will be difficult with the extreme tides and mud flats. Also, the stretch from Punta Final to Bahia de los Angeles is a bit intimidating. Having been by there before I know the 'beaches' are steep and rocky along with lots of sections with cliffs and if I am on the water and the sea conditions change rapidly landing the loaded sea kayak will be a challenge in itself.
BI: Are you able to carry enough water and provisioning or are you carrying a way to desalinate?
GJ: I plan on carrying enough water for each leg between towns in strong water bags - 2.5 gallons carrying capacity, plus a few extra gallon jugs when needed. For the longer stretches I'll probably carry at least 15-20 gallons. Better to have extra than be wishing for more! I will not be carrying a desalinater.
BI: How long have you been a sea kayaker? How much
experience do you have in making expeditions like this? And how long have
you wanted to make this trip? I have wanted to make a shorter version of
this trip for over 10 years.
GJ: I first suggested it when my brother and I were planning our Hobie cat trip around 2/3's of the Baja Peninsula. (see map ). When I was in high school I walked about 400 miles through Utah on a trip planned by my older brother Dan, then there was the Hobie cat trip my brother Brian and I did. So, I don't have extensive experience doing this kind of thing, but I do have some experience.
I have been sea kayaking for about 5 years now, but still consider myself and intermediate paddler. Due to the Hobie cat trip, regattas afterwards, and a summer tracking sea turtles on the water in Baja, I feel very comfortable on the water and also knowing that I need to be aware of how fast the sea conditions can change on the Sea of Cortez.
BI: Do you have any special concerns in making this solo trip?
GJ: Well, I know that I will get lonely and will be missing important people in my life. Safety wise, I'm concerned about always making the right choice as to be on the water or not and if I make the wrong choice, will I be able to deal with that circumstance? Thanks to my friend Harv and my brother Brian I feel very well prepared in terms of safety gear, so really I just need to play it safe and make smart choices about what kind of conditions I choose to paddle in.
Greg has already begun his trip and you can find weekly updates here:
Updates will be posted twice weekly in a special forum at www.BajaCaliforniaConservation.org so that everyone can follow the expedition and participate in the forums. The web site offers several public forums dedicated to discussing and sharing information related the conservation and ecology of Baja and the Sea.