Sky and water Photo by Heather Nelson Click on pic to view the Nelson's photogallery

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Editor's Note: In 2000, Heather and Brandon Nelson completed a 4,300 mile / 162 day journey, mountain biking from the border of Canada and Montana to Baja, Mexico. From there, they paddled 800 miles on the Sea of Cortez, finishing at the beach in Cabo San Lucas. The following is an excerpt from their online journal, Chargelife.com, of the sea kayaking portion of their trip. Not all entries have been included - to see all entries, check out their site.

Friday, November 03, 2000 - Day 91 (Editor: Beginning of the kayak leg)

Tuesday went like clockwork. I woke at 4:30am to a crisp, calm morning. There was a definite vibe in the air - this was our day. I gave Brandon a nudge and we went to work. We carried our gear & boats back to the water, threw on our paddling attire & were ready. All our gear slid easily into place - odds & ends hastily thrown on top of our boats on Monday seemed to fit nicely inside today. Eight gallons of water, 5 days of food, clothes, tent, tarp, sleeping bags, cook kits, stove, books, med kit, fishing gear, desalinator, frisbees, yahtzee - it was all there. 5:45am, the sky was turning a beautiful orange & purple - the sun minutes from appearing. A few people from camp appeared, this was the moment we'd been dreaming of & everything was perfect.

In the early morning silence we pushed off & took our first strokes towards Cabo San Lucas. In my mind I see 2 silhouettes against a colorful Baja sunrise - the sea calm - our kayaks & paddles leaving a faint trail in the still water. We turned & waved a farewell to San Felipe. The final leg has begun.

-- Heather

Sunday, November 05, 2000 - Day 93

Last night was crystal clear, stars flooding the sky, & on the dark sea I counted 21 shrimp trawlers working the waters. Heather & I were both passed out by 8:00. The next thing I knew I woke disoriented, & looked up to see 2 flashlights in my face, & 2 blanketed men holding them. My first thought was that they were somehow fishermen and I aggressively barked "Hola!" still half asleep. I hopped up into a low crouch.

"Do you speak Spanish?" they asked.

"I try to speak it," I shot back, entirely believing they were up to no good: banditos, perhaps.

As they walked around us I clocked with them, wound like a spring in my uncertainty of the scene. My only thoughts were "How's this about to go down?" and "What do I have at hand?" Heather was so still & silent, I didn't even look to see if she was awake.

Holed up on the beach Photo by Heather Nelson Click on pic to view the Nelson's photogallery

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"Where are you guys from?" "California," I answered, & told them about our trip & the boats, both buying time & trying to make a connection. With the sea now behind them, as they had come from inland, I could presently see both men carried rifles. I'm sure at that point I stopped scheming on how to gain the upper hand.

"We're Mexican Military," the one in charge finally offered, "Relax!" Needless to say, I didn't. The conversation turned to drugs, "drogas." Did we have any? Had anyone come by trying to sell us some? Are we sure we didn't have any? I told them about an hombre in San Felipe who tried to sell us shrimp & weed. Actually, I kind of re-enacted the scenario, which got them laughing. Finally convinced we were clean, they wandered back inland, telling me once more to relax. They camped a few hundred yards from us, & in the morning one of them, rifle in hand, said "Try to relax!"

-- Brandon

Friday, November 10, 2000 - Day 100

WOW! This place is intense! After our 20-minute paddle the other morning, we waited out the wind for the next 36 hours. Our beach, San Juan del Mar, could've been nicknamed "Hospitality Beach." What few people lived there came out to offer us shelter, dinner, & good company. As we ate chicken, potatoes & beans in the 1 room home of Jim Prato, it sounded like there was a freight train just outside. Jim said in his 35 years of Baja living, he'd not seen such consistent wild weather. Usually there was a break between north & west winds, he said, but this year they overlapped on and on.