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November 17th, 2003 Click here to go to a printable version of this page
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Time "Rarely do we take the time to open the door that leads to our soul." Phill Michael
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Sunrise in Northern Alberta |
Notes from the editor...
Loves lost and loves gained. The only direction to move IS forward. As long as we don't completely forget about our past...and learn from our mistakes...we might not be doomed to repeat them? What does one call that…the ‘Law of Uniformity’?!
It’s hard to put a value on facilitated experience and so easy to put a value on earthly goods. Selfish people are always miserable...which is why I always try my best to evenly distribute the lifeblood that flows through my generous, adventurous, bionic heart.
As Trevor K. and I prepare for the Alberta Meat Harvest of 2003, I continue to take a great deal of pleasure from editing and posting the secretspotbaja newsletters. It is always good to reminisce about the expeditions of yesterday, think about the people we gently collide with- and look forward to new experiences. I dream of the day when the folks who are good enough to submit these articles can (once again?) wiggle their toes in the sands at the Rancho Secret Spot Baja.
The Beach at the Rancho Secret Spot
This fall’s publication includes a ‘blast from the past' where my old friend Glenn recounts our adventures on my first trip to that mysterious Mexican peninsula that I have grown to love. It is amusing to look back at the images from yesteryear and wonder if the immature minds behind our young faces could have predicted such a dynamic and beautiful future. In hindsight, I say ‘yes!’…but what else can I say…being the penultimate positivist. =^)
Recent activities, primarily in urban areas, have allowed me to witness some very stressed out people. A loyal and trusted friend recently informed me that it is a ‘dog eat dog’ world. Well... I just slipped my rose coloured glasses on Trev's golden retriever puppy ‘Hunter’ and he informed me, in his limited vocabulary, that it is a ‘dog eat food’ world. How interesting it is to ponder that everything just might be a matter of perspective. =^)
So many of us find ourselves ‘working’ so hard that we forget why we are toiling away. Remember…it’s not the destination…it’s the trip!
As
always, thanks go out to those who were good enough to retell tales from their
various Secret Spot Adventures. In a few more weeks, the images and sentiments
from 2003 will be organized and compressed into the 2004 Secret Spot calendar.
Please email me at calendar@secretspotbaja.com
if you would like me to send a calendar to you...or someone you know.
I hope you enjoy reading the third of many of our newsletters to come. They will continue be published quarterly. That’s ‘quarterly’ in Mexican time. %^>
If
you ever have the desire to add to these writings, join us for some enlightening
activity, or just feel like communicating...don’t even hesitate for a
nanosecond, and email me at phill@secretspotbaja.com.
Spammers need not apply. %^>
Hasta
Muy Pronto
Phill =^)
Phill Michael
Founder of Secret Spot Adventures
Baja Migrations by Michael Fishbach
Now is the time of the year that both humans and the great whales are
planning and departing on their winter migrations to the Baja Peninsula
and the Sea of Cortez. Perhaps the reasons are more similar than we
might yet know for this dual migration. In the desert the late summer
rains have already begun to bring forth a greener than usual landscape
and the hope for a spectacular early spring wildflower season are very
promising. On the sea the water is rapidly cooling and the winter el
Norte winds occasionally blow. |
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Memories of Baja by Glenn M.
It was the spring of 1990 when I pulled up to the “Casa del Grumbo” to see Phill shoveling the snow from a late spring snowstorm. I can’t recall whether I was serious or joking when I asked Phill if he wanted to drive south – way south – the next winter. All I really remember is that I knew when a trip was planned, Phill rarely said no. So, after a few months, and some radical modifications to the Land Cruiser, we were on our way.
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The First Baja Rig One of the first interesting meetings we had was on
the Blackball ferry from Victoria
, British Columbia
to Port Angeles, Seattle
. A couple that Phill had met in a mountain hut months earlier were on
the ferry. They were on a bicycle trip en route to the tip of the Baja
peninsula. The next time we saw them, was in Todos Santos at Pilar’s
Taco Stand, some 50 kilometres from the tip of the Baja! Needless to
say, they had some interesting stories to tell. There were many things that Phill and I did and saw. I’ll relate a few, which to me, really stood out. I wanted to go to Baja to learn how to surf. One of the first “spots” we went to is called Shipwrecks (it’s a point break extended by a grounded ship); however, the surf was not happening, so we moved on.
No surf at Shipwrecks We were at a gas station that seemed to be in the middle of nowhere, and we met these two guys, Sam and Dan, who were from the San Diego area, and looking to surf.
Surfing with Sam and Dan We
headed west to the ocean to a spot we came to refer to as “The Secret
Spot!” It was a pretty unique place – one south bay and one
The Original Secret Spot
Very Stuck Another great experience was the hike up Picacho. During our eight-hour slog up the hill, Phill was chased by a horse, saw a very large snake, spotted numerous hummingbirds, lost a sentimental walking stick, prayed for water at the top, and got to the elevation where the pine trees grow. Ahhh…the scents of home! Yes! There was a meadow near the top with a fresh water stream – a beautiful alpine oasis!
Resting on the way to the summit of the Picacho We met a honeymooning Mexican couple using the
cabin that was there – they were very nice people. We chatted, and
then decided to summit as a group. At the top, we took in the view, and
admired the shrine with offerings left by past pilgrimages. There are so many stories from our trip that I
could go on and on. Suffice it to say, it changed both our lives. I
realized that I was in love, and wanted to get married and have kids
(which I eventually did to my lovely wife, Celine, with whom we have two
beautiful children, Lauren, 5, and Jacob, 2). Phill (who initially didn’t want to miss a Canadian winter), however, found another love, the Baja. And, the rest, as they say, is history…
Glenn and Family
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The Blue Hole by Tom H
During the holiday season between 2001 and 2002 I had the pleasure of embarking on one of the most memorable adventures of my life. My family, Phill and myself took it upon ourselves to personally explore the wonders of the Mayan ruins of Belize and Guatemala, as well as the dark depths of the infamous Blue Hole off the coast of Belize.
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New Years Day in Belize What will forever stick out in my mind is our diving in Belize. As an apprentice spear fisherman to Phill I was always on the prowl for the tasty fish that would soon be our lunch. While fining my way through the depths, I experienced some of the most amazing sights the underwater world can offer. On one particular dive I remember looking back behind me to see Phill doing long, slow back flips in unison with a manta ray with a wingspan no less then eight feet. The fluid nature of the movements and the utter ease in which such a magnificent creature flew through the water literally took my breath away. A short minute with us and the manta flew away into the depths. It is these dives that make me stop and think about the connections that are made between people and the natural environment- a connection that so many people have removed themselves from. To witness the pure, simple beauty of the marine life at depth is an event the novelty of which will never cease to inspire.
Tom returns from the Blue Hole In
the dives I have experienced in my six years of diving, none will remain
more clearly in my memory more then our descent into the Blue Hole. An
underground cave system collapsed leaving a sink hold, almost perfectly
round, and over 600 feet deep. When viewed from the air it looks like a
crater in the earth. Beautiful turquoise tropical water borders the hole
which is a deep blue due to the depth: an amazing sight. Our day started
bright and early, or should I say dark and early, at In our small dive groups we make our way down to the forty foot sand bottom before we swim over to the edge of the cliff that descends the hole. As we approach the cliff’s edge you sort of forget you are in water for a split second. As we swam over the edge and began to let air out of our BCD's we began to fall. I went in the X position that sky divers do and rotated inverted as we descended. Imagine the feeling of a free fall in extreme slow motion. This is a feeling I cannot give justice to with words. All I can say is that everyone must feel this at some point in their life. The ability to let your muscles fully relax and just let go of any thought of the outside world, and just fall. We fell for 100 feet straight down. Light and life slowly became less frequent as we went down until there was nothing but darkness, silence and us. I felt like I was in the Abyss. Large stalactites of the underwater cave system flanked us as we swam at on our plain of 140 feet. The only sounds that were heard were the dry inhale and bubbling exhales of my fellow explorers. There was nothing but another 500 feet of water and darkness under us. Occasionally on our short time at that depth I would look down at the darkness and it would appear to move. Something below us that I could only half see, something big. As if the darkness would ripple. As we made our ascent I looked up to see the light of the sun in a beautiful blue circle outlined by the side of the hole, as well as the outlines of about a dozen sharks circling above us. That is what was moving in the darkness. Quickly following was another shot of adrenalin to my system. So as it stood the only thing that was lying between us and the safety of the surface was a fifteen to twenty minute safety stop right in the middle of a school of black tip reef sharks, all of which were a lot bigger then all of us. As we sat on the sand bottom outside the hold we observed these amazing creatures feed on the local fish. Never before have I seen an animal so perfectly evolved to its environment. I gained a phenomenal respect for the pure hunting power of a fellow predator. At no time did I ever feel in any real danger from them, I was able to just sit back at watch the beauty of their movements. Once my air gauge was informing it was time to leave I felt a strong pull to stay as long as I could and soak up all that I had seen and felt through the duration of the dive.
Egress from the Water
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My first of many trips to the Baja by Carol J
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celebrated my son Dane's graduation from high school and the selling of
his last two 4-H sheep at the county fair, he and I got our scuba class
under our belts and headed for Baja for scuba certification and a
wonderful adventure. |
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After
spending one day in
Our next stop was Todos Santos where we tested our really amateur rock climbing skills. With Phill's support and guidance we all managed to climb and hike this beautiful canyon with its several secret spot waterfalls. (Click here to see the movie 'Little Rock Climbers') We even came upon several wild horses! The beautiful pink sunset from the Pacific side of Baja was most enjoyed after our afternoon of exploring. (Click here to see the movie 'Like an Oasis') After a good night’s sleep we continued our journey through the cactus filled countryside, which is more beautiful and serene than imagined. In a small village, we spent a wonderful evening with a local family while preparing for our boat trip and over night stay at the Rancho Secret Spot Baja. (Click here to see the movie 'On the Way to the Rancho Secret Spot')
Looking to the Sea
To be continued... |
The Big Picture by Rody J.
I was rummaging around in the 'fridge
today and decided to have an apple. Of the two apples in the
crisper, one was the last of the apples from our own trees here, the
other is store bought. While eating our own apple I reflected on the
differences between the two apples and how those differences relate to
and translate into the bigger world picture. The apple in my hand
had a few blemishes from the whimsy of nature the colors and shape maybe
a bit different than the store bought version; not so refined you could
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Taking big, inappropriate,
gushing, chomping bites of the homegrown apple I thought about how this
nice little ball of fructose and pectin came to be. It's all pretty
simple really. The sun shines down and through a little miracle
called photosynthesis and utilization of water and carbon etc. Voila!
The 'energy' then, that brought this sweet little package to me, came
from the sun and, of course, me walking over and picking it off of the
tree. My thoughts then turned, in turn, from apple juice on my chin to
the other apple in the crisper drawer and how it got to be there.
I realized the story was a bit more complicated. Of course the
fundamentals are there such as the sun, photosynthesis, water, carbon
and maybe even someone picking it. It might be that it was mechanically
harvested by some big machine. Maybe that apple is organic, if not
somewhere along the line somebody turned petrochemical products into
such fantastical things as fertilizer and pesticides and doused the
general area around this developing apple with these things. It's
possible that the oil that produced the petro based products had to be
pumped out of the ground over in the Middle East somewhere then shipped
to a refinery before becoming chemically appropriate to apply to
foodstuffs.
Rody contemplates the Big Picture at the Rancho Rody |
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Tic Toc by Mark W.
Over
a year has passed since my last Secret Spot excursion, and even more
time from my last trip to Baja. Time has progressed as if I were
watching the grass grow. Engrossed in the hectic world of health care
and management, I have yearned to return to the glorious
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Mr. October Perhaps the only thing predictable about Phil is that you most certainly will experience some sort of adventure. It’s wonderful to see someone who has experienced so much look like and emanate the energy of a child in a toy store.
Life is simpler, more gratifying and enjoyable with Phil. His ambition and desire to simply enjoy is contagious, and is certainly worth catching. I am constantly looking forward to my next Secret Spot getaway!
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