The Search for Laguna Hanson, Baja California

In May 2000, Tom, Misue, and I decided to take a weekend trip to Baja to find Laguna Hanson. We had heard about a beautiful lake located in the Sierra de Juarez, the jagged mountain range running north and south down the middle of the Baja Norte (northern Baja California) peninsula. Parque Nacional Constitucion de 1857, is the Mexican national park known for its cool mountain air, tall pine forests and unusual rock formations. The photo of the placid lake in the AAA travel guide looked really appealing. This was very different than the desert or ocean areas of Baja that we had explored before.

Misue had never kayaked or camped before so we figured this was a great beginner trip to get her feet wet (literally). And since it is so close to San Diego, we determine that we could easily get there in a few hours and have plenty of time to explore in one weekend.

So we met at my house on Saturday morning, loaded up three kayaks, firewood, and camping gear in Tom's pickup, and headed south. It was sunny and warm and we were ready for an adventure.

The plan was to drive south on the toll road to Ensenada (approx. two hours), then head east on Highway 3 for 25 miles to the turn-off at Ojos Negros. From there an unpaved road heads into the mountains to Laguna Hanson (27 miles).

The ride down the coast was stunning and we were in festive moods. When we saw a gentleman hitchhiking, we stopped to give him a ride. His name was Guillermo (Bill) and he was on his way to Ensenada to visit his family. He hopped in the back of the pick-up and we were on our way again.

When we reached the third toll booth at San Miguel we saw Ed Gillet and his trailer full of kayaks parked on the right-hand-side taking a break. We pulled over in the right hand lane and stopped to chat. Unfortunately, the local policia did not appreciate this and came over to give us a ticket. Tom argued with him for a while in his broken Spanish, refusing to pay the $50 fine, and finally Guillermo came to the rescue and we got away with just a warning.

When we reached Ensenada, Guillermo treated us to a lunch of fish tacos and sodas at his friend's cafe in the fish market. For some reason, the fish tacos in Mexico taste ten times better than those in the States. And the fruit sodas really hit the spot. We said "adios" to Guillermo as he went off to phone his relatives and we headed through town to Highway 3.

As we headed east on Highway 3, we kept our eyes peeled for the sign to Ojos Negros. When we saw a small sign pointing left we took a dirt road into a neighborhood. We drove around a bit and couldn't find the main road. We finally asked at one of the local houses and the woman's teenage son offered to show us the way. He got in his car and led us back to Highway 3 and further east to the proper exit. The trick is to drive 25 miles from Ensenada to the paved junction leading 1.2 miles to Ojos Negros. Take a left and as soon as the pavement ends in Ojos Negros take a right onto the dirt road and head east into the hills.

For the first few miles we passed through prosperous farms and ranches until we came to brush- covered foothills. The dirt road was well maintained but we drove fairly slowly as there were lots of rabbits, squirrels and snakes in the road along the way. Whenever Tom would see a snake he would put on the brakes and we would get out to inspect it. Of course we kept our distance from the rattlers but Tom was quick to grab a gopher snake for a closer look. He even coerced Misue into holding it behind the head and giving it a kiss.

After about 15 miles we entered a forest of Ponderosa pines and they were beautiful. The air was fresh and a slight breeze kept us cool. We came upon a community of wooden buildings that looked like they were quite old. There were ponds and a creek running through.

Further on we found what looked like an abandoned ranger station and we got out to investigate. It was a stone structure with separate rooms and a fireplace. It appeared that birds had taken over and built their mud houses in the eaves.

A mile further on we finally saw the lake. It was small (approximately a mile across) but surrounded by pines and large boulder formations. There were a few other campers already there on the west side of the lake but we drove around until we found a spot on the east side, away from the others. There are no designated spots, you just pull off the road that surrounds the lake and stake your claim. There is no running water but there are clean outhouses placed in the woods and plenty of room to spread out.

We quickly set up camp and then drove the kayaks down to the lake to launch. The breeze had picked up a bit by now and we had a short, windy paddle exploring along the shoreline. Misue was a trooper in her first kayak outing and, considering the wind, did a great job of maneuvering her sit-on-top around the rocks. We had noticed lots of birds swooping around as we paddled and finally found a large rock where they had built their mud houses. As we paddled closer we could see little heads peering out of the round mud openings.

It didn't take long to explore the lake and work up an appetite. We enjoyed a magnificent sunset during dinner. The pinks and oranges reflected off the distant clouds as well as the nearby water. The campfire was welcome that night as the air cooled quickly under a clear night sky.

I got up the next morning to see the sun rise and took an early morning paddle across the lake before the wind picked up. The campground was quiet and all seemed peaceful in the world. There were horses grazing along the western bank and I paddled over to say "hello." I did a little more exploring and then headed back to camp for breakfast.

After breakfast, we packed up and retraced our route back to Ensenada. Tom knew of a great French restaurant there, Café del Sol, where we had lunch out on the front patio. After lunch we searched for La Esquina de Bodegas (The Corner of the Winery). I had been given a newspaper article about this place and wanted to see what it was about. We found the converted brandy distillery on the corner of Avenida Miramar and Seventh Street. The bottom floor holds an art gallery where a new exhibit opens on the first Thursday of each month. If you climb the spiral staircase there is a catwalk above with an eclectic boutique of jewelry, pottery, wine, and artwork. The building next door is also a great place to pick up unusual food and liquor items.

Tom also showed us the Centro Artesenal (hand crafts center) where there is a fabulous display of hand- made Kumeyaay Indian baskets and Pai Pai Indian pottery. I had seen a recent article in the Reader about a woman named Gloria who made homemade baskets and traveled to San Diego County to sell them. The article stated that she lived in a community called San Jose de la Zarra on the outskirts of Ensenada. I found it on the map and we decided to see if we could find Gloria at home.

We took Highway 1 north out of Ensenada and then took the Highway 3 turnoff to Tecate. Within 10 miles we reached the community of El Porvenir where we turned left and visited the historical museum of the Guadalupe Valley. There were many examples of the native handmade baskets and pottery as well as stories and photos of when Russian families inhabited the area. We entered huts made of willow branches and I bought a clay water carrier at the museum.

From there we took off on back roads in search of San Jose de la Zarra. We spent a lot of time backtracking but finally found the community and asked for the home of Gloria. A young boy showed us the house but Gloria was not home. We were introduced to her daughters and other assorted relatives who did not have any of her large willow baskets to sell. They had some very small baskets but their prices seemed too high.

We left the village and continued north through the Guadalupe Valley on Highway 3. We passed by many expansive vineyards and apparently successful wineries. We stopped at two along the way but they had closed at 4:00 p.m. so we were not able to do any wine tasting. (This was probably a good thing, since we had an hour of driving left to do.) We crossed back into the States at Tecate with only a 5-minute wait at the border.

What fun adventures and variety of sights live just south of us across the border.