reviews, features & interviews
Baja cave paintings
By guest writer
January 7, 2011 · 3 Comments
I got an email from my brother, Barry Rosof, about some cave paintings he hiked to in Baja. He’s a guy who knows how to retire in style. Here’s his report.
Over New Years I took a trip into the San Francisco de la Sierra, a mountain range in central Baja. …Prehistoric paintings are found all over Baja and at least as far north as San Diego county. The paintings in central Baja are particularly noteworthy for their larger than life size, number per site and complexity. Figures are painted over figures, for example. They are tentatively dated to be 7,500 years old.
cave paintings, Baja
The particular caves I visited are in rather rough country. A plateau of over 3500 feet is cut by narrow steep sided canyons that drop down over 2,000 feet from the rim. The caves are situated a few hundred feet above the canyon bottom.
a cave in the cliffs
The existence of prehistoric cave paintings was known to natives, missionaries, local ranchers, and others. Erle Stanley Gardner was guided to a few of the sites in the early 1960’s. His efforts resulted in greater awareness of the art culminating in publication of pictures in Life. It was not until the 1970’s, however, that Harry Crosby undertook the systematic exploration of the area, placing many more sites on the map.
My understanding is that new sites are still being discovered today. This is not surprising given the roughness of the terrain and the almost complete absence of humans.
Tags: baja, barry rosof, cave paintings, caves
I asked a follow-up question about how the trip happened and here’s what Barry answered–a post in and of itself:
Louise helped me arrange the trip and gave me cash to help pay for it. She called a B&B in San Ignacio where we had stayed several times on our trips to and from Loreto from the North. IT is about 4 hours from Loreto. They were asked to arrange the trip as well as house me before and after I went to the canyon. The trip was for over New Years on my way back from San Diego.
I had a guide, that is mandatory to go into the canyon. That is the arrangement. The B&B called their favorite guide. They gave me some info as to what I needed to do and what I needed to bring.
I hired a guide, two mules and two burrows. The humans rode the mules. The burrows carried the food, water, cooking gear, dishes, tents, sleeping bags….
I knew that I had to feed the guide as well as myself. I knew that I needed a sleeping bag and if I wanted a tent. In the end I borrowed a sleeping bag before I left Loreto, bought a small cooking stove in San Diego, bought cans of stew, etc. in San Diego and other food on my way down. Borrowed pots and pans from the B&B and plates and silverware from friends in Mulege on my trip North to San Diego (Mulege is 2 hours north of Loreto). Picked up gallons of purified water, far more than needed, in San Ignacio.
I had planned for hot lunches, those Styrofoam cups of noodles as a start. Nope, we did not do it that way. Cold lunches only. So the menu had to be adjusted. My guide understood some English. My Spanish is limited. The guide made menu adjustments.
The weather was miserable, it had just stopped raining, I do not think I would have gone if it rained, but it was cold. I stayed the night in the B&B in San Ignacio. When I left in the morning it was about 48F. I said to myself it will get warmer as I drive to the jumping off point in the mountains (the drive was an adventure in itself), but I was wrong. The temperature dropped to 37F. Fortunately I had my leather jacket and the gloves I had worn when I left Alberta. Borrowed a tent from the guide. Five layers of clothes, two with some warmth, my gloves and I was on my way.
IT was crazy, poorly organized at the start, but in the end I pulled it together. My obsession with always having warm clothes with me when I go to the mountains paid off. Spent two nights in the canyon. First night was particularly cold, but I had the sleeping bag, and a “blanket” (metalized plastic film) to keep me warm and had the luxury of a tent.
Have no mule riding ability. Last time I was on one was when we went into the grand canyon. Riding, I kept on trying to hold myself steady with my legs. My legs got tired. Should have just sat on the dammed thing. Did hike to the caves from the camp site with tired legs.
In the end it all worked out and I had a great adventure. Really four great adventures, making the arrangements, including provisions, driving into the mountains on a particularly challenging road, taking a trip into the canyon where one had to make adjustments, and visiting the caves.
I am sitting here in the comfort of my home. I feel depressed. The weather is great, I have many things to do, socialize, etc. I have diagnosed it as post adventure letdown
met u guys at the La mission hotel – Loreto – thx for the photos – ‘I’d love to try the trip but my balance, due to brain surgery, is not good – awesome pics – any others would be appreciated – Thx Dave
Great read. Good article.