Botany Club trip to Baja during Winter Break 2002

All photos were taken by me Ernesto Sandoval except the ones with only me in them. All photo's copywrited by Ernesto Sandoval 2002.

We left footsepts and a few reorganized rocks Recent repaving made the roads more manageable It's hard to kick the cactus habit... A big Cardon (Pacyhycereus pringlei) left and Boojum at sunset A humanistic Baja silouette December 2002 proved to be somewhat cool A Meghan salute to a magnificent morning Not another picture, you punk! Seth senses the surrealness of the Sonoran's Visacaino desert subsection. Enjoying the scenery "Morning has broken, like the first morning" -Cat Stevens We want to capture the essence of the event In preparation for essence capture The essence has been captured a cloud backed cardon Do you think I'm a poser? Sarah and a Cardon E A T I N G. "Can you wait for a picture after I've finished my mouthful of lunch?" Sour Pitaya (Stenocereus gummosus) in fruit An old cardon stem showing some age and lack of spines. A young stem flanked by a more aged portion Wet winter growth flanked by dry summer growth? One of the 6 or more Chollas (Opuntia sp) from this site New and old stems of the senita (Lophocereus schotii) reach for the light. A well camoflauged Coryphantha A small Dudleya (live-forever) eeks out its existence A larger Dudleya of the same species Ye another even larger Dudleya that has lived closer to forever than other 2. Asclepias subulata Ernesto's favorite boojum. Note the 2 very large downward hanging arms. on A local entrepeneur in Cataviña fills a void left behind by a failed PeMex and.. The Cataviña Boulder field. A batholith like no other. A post sunset pinkish perspective The album cover of the non-existent Baja Boulders Band Seth serenly sizes up the scenery the non-famous and un-named Cataviña Anteater Rock Yet another litholithic creature. Imagine a granitic turtle... If Fred Flintstone were around he would think this was normal. An elephant tree complimented by Mona & Anton. An old man cactus (Lophocereus schotii) aka senita with backlit spines. Just another winter day in Baja The many stems of Pachycereus pringlei (aka the cardon). With fronds like these, who needs other palms? Meghan loves lupines Brittlebush (Encelia farinosa) complimented by Meghan So many rocks so many shapes pardon the geologic intrusion Animated Anton The Cataviña wash approaches the road What is it? Animal, vegetable or mineral? Hoofin it through the wash a mile or so upstream in the Cataviña wash with a cattail (Typha) pond Unwashed In the wash, Peter poses for a picture. The club mascot (Ernesto) and a Mexican blue fan palm. Photo by Meghan. A Mammilaria protected by a post-flowered Agave The same Agave as the last only this one is still living! A close-up of the last Yet another agave Pachycormus discolor with fresh foliage Note the various types of rock Caught in the act...of Botanizing A plethora of Pachycereus in the panorama of a posse picture A permutation of the previous picture overlooking Montevideo Canyon. Boojums and Cardons fill Montevideo canyon close and personal up on the van with the Cardons The sun's first rays touch Montevideo canyon The winter 2002 participans & a rare example of a pictograph of a plant at top. Up close and personal with a fan palm frond. A sea of sun-lit succulents Crazy Krameria fruits A mexican blue fan palm at left and a Mexican fan palm near center Poetry in notion A serene and simple sunset several pointy things of interest The inflorescence of Aesculus paryii Anton, Peter, and Seth pose with a large Agave shawii approaching flowering It's got the will to reproduce. A large Agave shawii showing sun stress from post reproductive dieback This sour pitaya (Stenocereus gummosus) was in active sun stress. Peter poses for a picture An Ocotillo with a gall! an elephant tree with ball moss (Tillandsia recurvata) awaiting Pacific moisture Gringos on top of Punta La Gringa at the north end of Bahia de Los Angeles A cross & a Gringo atop Punta La Gringa Krumholtzed plants on the east slopes of Punta La Gringa Dylan keeping cool with his back to the Sea of Cortez Sorry, no Lithops in Baja. Dylan's foot with a sting-ray bite. Placing the foot in hot water saved him. Meghan & Mangroves (Rhizophora mangle) at the South end of Bajia de Los Angeles It was New Years Day (12:01am) and some time-lapse fireworks resulted. Jeremy dwarfs the mangroves. Anton, Mona & Sarah sensing some shells Never a dull moment. Porter, you forgot the bags! Like the days of our lives this was the sand at the beach A lone mangrove sits short The salt marsh shares the scenery with the mountains at Bahia de Los Angeles Doin' the salt marsh stroll Pondering the parasite Phrygillanthus sonorae parasitizing a Bursera Cradling the cardon Dylan does the cardon climb. Peter poses with a Pachycereus Another happy camper.