Eight people, eight mules, two horses, and one dog made the trip up the mountain. Israel (a bighorn sheep biologist), Javier (an Argentinian photographer), and I walked. Franco (our guide), his wife Narda, Don Chito (who owned the mules), Don Chito’s assistant, Aurora (my Mexican adviser), and one of Aurora’s students rode the mules and horses. The rest of the mules packed all the gear and food. Pobrecitas!!! It was a hell of a trip- about 8 miles straight up, a 1900 meter or almost 6000 foot gain. The trail ascended at at least a 45-degree angle the entire time. It was insane! I thought I was going to die. I had to ride the mules a few times for sure. We had also left fairly late in the morning so the sun was beating down something ferocious.

Cali had a hard time of it, with the hot soil and sun, and I think that the next time I’ll leave her at home for this trip. Or leave way earlier in the day. She was also scared to death of the mules and wouldn’t go near them, so when I was riding she sort of took off into the brush. Scared the hell out of me! I had to get down off my mule and call for her for awhile but she showed up eventually, a little panicked but unhurt, and then I had to walk with her. Poor girl. Everyone called her fresa, which translates as ‘strawberry’ and basically means ‘city girl’.

The camp was very rustic, as expected. There a handful of men who stay up at the camp to clear fire breaks and keep the trails clean. They live in a wood and stone structure with a palapa roof, and sleep inside like sardines, with their sleeping bags lined up next to each other. Many of these laborers are young guys just working a job, and a few are ranchers who are working for extra income (nobody gets rich off of ranching around here, it seems).

There was also a large open-air kitchen structure with a shingled roof and wood-fed stoves. Meals were cooked here and at a fire pit off to the side. Luis, our camp cook, made some hearty meals! Eggs and ham and beans for breakfast, quesadillas or machaca (dried beef) burritos for lunch, and dinner varied. The first night Aurora cooked up some top sirloin! We were spoiled with that one, but I gotta tell you it hit the spot after that climb.

We slept in tents in an open area near the kitchen. It was cold up there but not as cold as I expected. My zero-degree bag was actually a little warm, especially with Cali sleeping right. on. top. of me.

The higher altitudes of the Reserve are made of pine-oak forests, which are so strange to see in this part of Mexico. Stranger still are the palms and cactus between the pines and oaks! It’s beautiful up there, and reminds me quite a bit of where I grew up.

The first night I helped Israel set up some cameras to catch those nasty feral pigs in the act of scavenging and destruction. We talked about setting up some cameras for puma as well, and got some tips from the ranchers on a place where they think some pumas travel. The rest of the time I spent just showing my face and talking to the workers, and trying to get into the habit of constantly writing field notes. A couple of the ranchers were telling stories about puma attacking pet dogs and mules (some of these stories I’d heard before in other areas), but all agreed that there weren’t very many puma left in the Reserve. It will be an interesting place to collect data, which I’m guessing I’ll be able to do next month.

The walk down was much easier but just as hot. Whereas the trip up took about eight hours, the trip down took about four and a half. My toenails hurt like I can’t even tell you, and I actually got a blister UNDER my big toenail. It wasn’t that fun to drain it, let me tell you, and I still think it’s going to fall off. Gross!

So now we’re back at El Terreno. It always feels like getting back to reality when I come home from the field. The goddamn truck needed a new fuel pump, I need to deal with the financial aid office and a bunch of other beaurocratic stuff at the school, groceries must be bought, and trash must be emptied. The cats finally started hunting and left me a rotting mouse, which was real nice to come home to. Ah, yes, this is the life!! J

I’m going to Carnavale this weekend so I should have some great photos to share with you. The next couple of weeks or so I’ll just be writing and getting ready to do my first interviews and surveys on a trip north. I’m excited to actually start data collection, and a little nervous too. Mostly I’m feeling the pressure of not having enough time or money to do everything I’d like to do! I’m very grateful though to have some good friends here and a great place to live. Tonight we’re going to watch movies with carne asada takeout from the best place in La Paz (says me). Hope you’re all enjoying the rain/snow/sun of your respective homes!!

fox poop haha

Well, I’m here! After a number of delays (as usual), some car problems (as expected), and some technical difficulties, I finally made it down to La Paz. The drive down wasn’t very eventful. The cats and the dog were all pretty well-behaved and surprisingly quiet. Of course, I may only think that because their kennels were buried in my clothes and books and other stuff and I couldn’t hear them! The guys at the military check points didn’t quite know what to make of my little traveling zoo and I got waved through at every post. I would love to have three or four days to do this trip without rushing and enjoy all the stops along the way. One day…J

I hit Guerrero Negro (about halfway down the peninsula) just as the sun was setting. We found a hotel and hit the hay pretty early. I still overslept the next morning and we got out of town a little later than I would have hoped. That meant two hours of driving in the dark before getting in to La Paz. Not ideal!! But I didn’t hit any cows so that worked out. I was greeted with hugs and kisses by Alba and her mom and dad, and taken out to my new home, El Terreno.

I love El Terreno!! It’s about a ten minute drive from the nearest Pemex gas station (and civilization in general). It’s in a neighborhood that’s slated for development, although that hasn’t really happened yet. Way more empty lots than houses out here. Lots of dust and dirt roads and goat herds. Alba’s dad, Eleazar, is cultivating a shady fruit orchard on the lot, with oranges, pomegranates, and other big leafy trees just hitting maturity. That makes for lots of shade and a pretty view. Eleazar and the nearest neighbor both come out two or three times a week to water the plants, so for as isolated as it is out here, it seems like there’s always someone around.

It’s a lovely little house, you can see from the photos. There’s no hot water, which is mostly fine, but I forgot that it’s actually quite a bit cooler this time of year! I have to time my showers so that the water in the holding tank on top of the house is somewhat warm. In the summer it really doesn’t matter- it’s so damn hot here all you want is a cold shower, but right now it’s a little different. I’m living in the downstairs area right now. The upstairs has a bedroom and a bathroom but it’s not finished yet. I’m going to help Alba and her family tile the floors and bathroom and get it ready for living in.

The cats are in heaven! Aside from all the mice and gophers they can hunt, there are trees to climb and a roof for sunbathing. Cali has plenty of space to run around and of course has charmed Eleazar and the neighbors into throwing the ball for her. I’m so grateful I’m able to live in a place where I can have all the animals!

Cali and I took an afternoon to go swim in the bay....

Since I arrived I’ve been settling in and trying to get this project up and running.I finally met up with my official Mexican faculty sponsor, and she’s been a great help. She already has some projects going near my field sites, so I’ll be able to tag along on some of those trips. In fact, this last week I accompanied her team up to the Sierra La Laguna Biosphere Reserve. They were doing some plant surveys as well as placing some camera traps for a project on the feral pigs there. More on that in the next post….