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JOURNAL OF THE GOLD MINE RIDE, MAY 12-16, 2010

WEDNESDAY, MAY 12TH

The air is filled with anticipation as we prepare for an early start tomorrow. The estimated time of departure is 6am. The riders arrived today and we spent the day adjusting saddles and stirrups, packing the trailer with sleeping bags and camping equipment, kitchen supplies and any other necessary items we will need on the trip. I plan on getting up tomorrow at 4:30am so I can have coffee ready bright and early. Good thing I made plenty of scones ahead of time. That should hold everyone until we get to Rancho Agua Caliente, just two hours away where Don Federico Garcia and his wife will have a hearty breakfast waiting for us.

THURSDAY, MAY 13TH

The alarm catapulted me from my warm bed at exactly 4:30am. I quickly dressed and hurried down stairs. Although I had been volunteered to ring the wake up bell, everyone was already up and raring to go. The horses had been fed and watered somewhere around 3am and by 5:30 they were saddled and ready to hit the trail. We left La Bellota by 7am, not exactly the time we planned on but when is Mexican time every accurate?
We had a pleasant morning ride as we crossed the western side of the property and to the gate that connected us to Don Federico’s ranch. One we passed the fence line we were riding on Rancho Agua Caliente, headed due west towards the Guadalupe Valley. I looked across the mountains towards the highest peak in the distance which was part of the Necua Indian Reservation. Raul pointed out to everyone that we were going to climb all the way up and once on top we would be able to see all four points of La Bellota!
We arrived at the home of Don Federico and his wife around 9am. Don Federico, his wife and son, Federico Jr. welcomed us with warm smiles and vigorous hand shakes. Don Federico’s wife had a glorious breakfast waiting for us of tamales, beans, eggs, coffee and juice, along with her specialty which she is widely known for: strawberry, crème and chocolate empanadas. An empanada is a type of turnover filled with anything you want to put inside. She makes wonderful sweet empanadas that were delicious with coffee or a cold glass of milk!
Fairly soon after eating we decided to push on. We still had eight hours to ride before we reached Real Del Castillo. Federico Jr. was to be our guide while riding on his ranch, Agua Caliente and then on the Necua Indian Reservation.
We took the opportunity to water the horses in the Guadalupe River and thanked our gracious hosts for the delicious breakfast. We mounted up and promptly headed out with Raul and Federico Jr. in the lead.
Within half an hour we had crossed onto reservation lands. It was mountainous terrain and the steep ascent was quickly upon us. I was third in line from the front and as we zigzagged up the hillside I looked back at the others to see how they were doing. All had looks of determined concentration but they also seemed content and were enjoying the first day of their adventure. I turned back to my horse, just in time to grab hold of his mane as he hoisted himself up and over a large rock that was blocking the trail. When going up hill it is very important to help the horse by positioning your body weight forward. My horse soon realized when I grabbed his mane it was okay to speed up and get his momentum going. It is amazing to see and feel how strong and agile they are. Aside from being excellent ranch horses they can also shape shift into mountain goats and deer when the occasion arises!
The scenery from up on top was spectacular. We could see for miles and miles all around us. It was such a pleasure not to have seen a building in sight and only the beautiful mountains surrounding us. The land was completely covered with large boulders thick Manzanita, Juniper, Sage and Buckwheat.
We passed a giant boulder known as the Dolphin Head and made our way down into Canyon Corral de Cota. Here we found small meadows covered in green grass, oak groves, leafy Sycamores and clear mountain streams. I think it was one of the most beautiful areas of the whole trip.
By 3pm we were eating lunch under the trees. I made bean and cheese burritos the night before and Don Federico’s wife had loaded us up with empanadas for the trail. Raul made coffee over an open fire while we rested, ate and napped a bit. We were there for about an hour when Raul reminded us we still had 4 hours to go. He didn’t see much enthusiasm to leave right away, we were all so comfortable, so he went on to inform us that if we stayed there longer, we would be setting up camp in Real Del Castillo in the dark. If we left in 10 minutes, 4pm, we would make it in plenty of time to set up camp and relax before night fall. We all looked at each other rather passively, each person probably contemplating the thought of getting back into the saddle. I for one, did not want to get there after dark. I jumped up and started gathering up the coffee cups. “Let’s go.” I said, and go we did.
We were making excellent time! By 5pm we were at the top of the Sierras of Real Del Castillo . This is where we met our second guide, Erick Lencioni. Erick spoke very good English and with his talkative, easy going personality he quickly made us all feel right at home.
At this point we were at 2,400 ft. and the only way down to the campsite and to Real Del Castillo was to descend 2,400 ft., down the mountain into Canyon Hondo, The Deep Canyon. When I realized we were going down, the butterflies in my stomach started to do nose dives as I looked out from the hillside, trying to see the bottom. All I could see was air and more mountains. Darn it, where was the bottom? Erick said it would take 45 minutes to get down and that the trail was well marked. Just then someone asked, “What trail? Where is the trail?” Erick reassured us it was there although no one moved closer to the edge to see. We looked like a flock of geese as we strained our necks from where we were to catch a glimpse of the mysterious trail. On that note, someone whipped out the tequila flask and passed it around in case someone needed a little liquid courage!
I looked over at Raul and saw him relaxing comfortably on his horse. If Raul is relaxed, then I’m relaxed. He was smiling and laughing with the rest of us but I could see from the expression in his eyes he had decided it was time to get moving. He signaled his horse closer and his face grew stern. We saw he meant business and stood at attention. The tequila vanished from sight, hidden away inside a saddle bag, and all eyes were on Raul.
He then proceeded to give instructions on the “What ifs”. What if you need to bail was the one that stuck out in my mind. He reminded us to leave our left foot on the edge of the stirrup, not all the way out but just enough so if we had to jump off it wouldn’t get stuck and lean back in the saddle as we went down to help the horse balance our body weight. Also to be sure and have the reins ready to pull the horse’s head up, just in case. Raul gave me a signal that I was to fall in behind him and I quickly took my place in line. My horse Galleta and I have traveled many, many miles over all sorts of rough terrain and the rest of our horses too. Aside from the butterflies which now seemed like Kamikaze pilots, I was confident Galleta would get down with no problem and the other horses too. I was also glad I was right behind Raul.
As Erick had said, the trail was well marked. I leaned back in my saddle, heels down with a firm hold on the reins as we carefully inched our way down the steep hillside. A couple of times we came to some rocks that looked like large steps on the trail. Galleta stopped, surveyed the situation and cautiously placed his feet in the best spot to maneuver over them. I sat perfectly still, watching him and waiting to help him if I could but I could see he had a handle on the situation. There were just a few rough parts aside from the smaller rocks that littered the trail. I heard Erick tell Raul in Spanish that we had passed the worst of it. Good news indeed!
It was then that I saw a flash of cinnamon brown run past to my right on the hillside and Candy shouted “Hey, a rat!”
I got a better look as the fuzzy, creature shot between my horse and the horse in front of me, dashing across the trail and disappearing into the bushes. The fuzz was actually a tiny dog, about the size of a Chihuahua! I found out she belonged to Erick and her name was Garapata or “Tick” in English. He said she traveled everywhere with him and always ran alongside his horse just like any other trail dog. It was amazing to watch her tiny legs pump as hard as they could go and surely she took 10 times as many steps as the other dogs, if not more. Obviously she was not concerned about her size. As far as she knew she was just as big as any other trail dog and she sure proved it too.
We had reached a semi level area where we could stop and rest the horses. I heard Erick and Raul talking again in Spanish about an Indian head, with Raul pointing at the mountains in the distance off to the left. I quickly followed their gaze and that was when I saw it. There, at the top of a huge mountain was a rock formation that looked exactly like the profile of a proud Indian chief. Every detail of his face was visible. It was as if the Indian was looking up into the sky, directly into the sun which shined down on this noble face. Because of the time of day, the only part of the mountain that was illuminated with light was the Indian’s face. The rest of the mountain was covered with shade. The mountain and the Indian head seemed so far away yet so close to the bright sun. I’ll bet if the Indian had an arm, he could have reached out and touch it.
Once down on flat terrain at the bottom of Canyon Hondo we all relaxed and released quite a bit of nervous laughter. One participant said she couldn’t possibly remember all of the fifty promises she made to God if only he would get us down safely. Of course the tequila flask immediately saw the light of day again too.

We were now in Real Del Castillo. Raul and Erick led us along scenic, river banks and soon we began to see ruins of stone houses the miners built which dated back to the 1850’s. He took us along the roads that had been used by wagons to haul gold out of Real Del Castillo. I have never seen these roads before but they ran along the sides of the mountains, now overgrown with vegetation but clearly visible once we were riding on it. Along the edge rocks had been placed by hand as a sort of barrier which held the mountainside together and the road intact.
I wondered to myself who had traveled these roads before us within the last 200 years? Who were the people that had worked in this area and what were their stories? If only I could travel back in time and see for myself!
We followed the narrow, winding road along the hillside and down into another canyon which was going to be our campsite. Erick told us there was a mine nearby which we could visit on foot tomorrow. There was also an old adobe house that was built in the 1920’s by a American man and his Mexican wife. The couple lived there for many years and made food everyday for the miners working in the area. We camped near this house and I was able to walk inside. Again, my imagination took over as I stood in the middle of what was probably the kitchen some 100 years ago.
We quickly set up camp and took care of the horses. There was still plenty of day light to get everything organized and start dinner. Raul and I made beef stew and corn bread in the Dutch oven. It was so good and we were all so hungry too!
After dinner I crawled into my cozy, tent and fell asleep. I surrendered to the quiet, darkness of the night as it seeped inside my tent and peacefully lulled me to sleep.

FRIDAY,MAY 14TH

Much to the delight of everyone, we were able to wake up calmly without any rush or schedule. Today Erick and Raul were going to take the group on a tour of the gold mines and of Real Del Castillo.
We had the campfire going early, coffee made and soon everyone was up and talking excitedly about their plans for the day. It was decided since we had a late break fast, the group would head out on horseback and come back to camp around 4pm for an early dinner. I made eggs, chorizo, beans and potatoes for breakfast. We also made another cornbread and it was so good with my strawberry jam on top. Excellent with our morning coffee!
After the dishes were done Jim said he was going to walk over to the mine. I’m always ready for a walk so I thought I’d head over there myself. Lisa offered to go with me. What I thought was going to be a short walk turned into quite a hike up the side of a mountain, not too far but on loose dirt and gravel so it was hard going. Soon we reached a small plateau and there was the opening to the mine. There were tree branches covering the entrance but I could see from where I was, it was very dark inside! My first thought was snakes. I heard that snakes liked to hang out in cool places like caves, or mines so my snake-dar kicked in immediately.
I pushed my way through the tree branches and climbed over the rocks, into the dark opening. Suddenly I noticed it had become very cool as I sat down on a rock. My eyes scanned my new surroundings. The ceiling and rounded out walls were all dug by hand. The opening itself must have been 5ft. in width and the height from ceiling to floor, about another 5ft or so. We had to stoop over a little to walk inside. I also noticed outside of the mine the ground was littered with chunks of white quartz. That is a definite sign that a gold vein is nearby.
From where I was sitting, I could see about 8 ft in front of me but then after that there was total darkness. Eric quickly joined us. He said this particular mine went back into the mountain a good 1500 ft. and that there were other tunnels that sprouted off in different directions from there. I started to follow Erick and a few people into the tunnel. They were armed with just a small flashlight and I thought well why not. But then it seemed as if the tunnel was closing in around me, a slight case of claustrophobia, and the thought of “snakes” came back. The idea of stepping on a rattle snake, or snakes, inside a dark tunnel was not very appealing.
I turned back and returned to my place back on the rock and watched Erick, Jim and Lisa, as they disappeared into the darkness. Soon all I could see was the flicker of their flashlight and their faint voices.
I called out to them and asked “Are you guys alright?” “What’s going on?” Lisa answered with a “Yeah, come on in!” But I wasn’t going to budge from my rock. At least I knew they were safe.
It turned out that once they had reached the back of the mine, some 1500 ft. inside, there were indeed off shoot tunnels that went in different directions. The thought of all the back breaking work, years and years of hard labor that went into excavating the mines was overwhelming to me. Back then it was pick and shovel, that was it.
I sat there contemplating the thought when I felt something nudge my arm. I looked around and there was Brandy standing next to me. Dear old Brandy, now14 years old and getting stiff in her back and joints. How did she climb all the way up here? I was glad to see my sweet Australian Sheperd, she is my buddy and such good company.
It wasn’t long before we decided to head back to camp. I waited and left last with Brandy. I had a feeling she would need help getting down the hillside. It amazes me as to how sometimes it is possible to feel so in sink with an animal, such as I did at that moment with Brandy. I had a feeling she realized going down would be much harder than coming up, mainly because of her back. There were places where she had to jump down about 4ft and she just couldn’t do it. So she stood quietly at the rough spots and wagged her tail. I’d swear she was smiling while she gave me the “Come on” look. I knew she was waiting for me to help her down which I did. I carefully lifted her up and set her down to the next level of the hillside while wondering all the time, how in the heck did she climb up here? I managed to stay in front of her in case she couldn’t stop herself from sliding. I was sliding too, the rocks were very loose.
Just then at a rather precarious spot someone was coming up the hill and I told her to wait. She did. She dug her paws into the loose gravel and she braced herself so as not to slide. When the person passed by she looked at me as if to say, “Now?” More tail wagging.
I said “Yes now.” and we continue down. Again I had to pick her up and place her on even ground at the bottom but she knew I was going to help her. It was almost as if she expected it. She knows I look out for her, and I know, she looks out for me, which is probably why she made the climb up to the mine in the first place.
Back at camp, the riders were already saddling their horses and preparing to depart on their ride. I busied myself preparing for the next meal which was going to be machaca, with beans and rice, along with a delicious piece of homemade cheese from Real Del Castillo. Yum! Real Del Castillo is also famous for it’s cheese production, a tradition which has been handed down through various generations and is still going strong today.
Punctuality is one of my better qualities, and at exactly 4pm, I had dinner ready. I could hear voices at the top of the canyon. They sounded so far away yet I knew they would be coming back soon and they would be very hungry!
I arranged the heavy cast iron ovens around the camp fire and on the table so everyone could serve themselves buffet style. It took roughly 25 minutes for every bit of machaca, to disappear. I timed it. I have to admit it was very good.
Along with silly jokes and much laughter, a little tequila with squirt, a little lime, or just a straight shot, the entire dinner conversation centered on how much fun everyone was having, how fascinating the mines of Real Del Castillo were and how beautiful the land was. Of course the question of the day was, “Couldn’t we stay another week?” No one wanted to go home. Unfortunately reality was soon upon us and tomorrow the group would be riding back to La Bellota. I was going to drive back in the car so I could get to the ranch early and prepare dinner for the riders.
Surprisingly enough, everyone left the campfire rather early that night. I think all knew they would have a long ride ahead of them tomorrow, another 10 hours back to La Bellota. I crawled into my tent and the last thing I saw before going to sleep was Brandy, Agave and Raul camped outside my front door. I felt like a Queen being guarded by her loyal protectors.

SATURDAY, MAY 15TH

I think I must have made at least 50 pancakes this morning over an open fire with coffee, and scrambled eggs. After breakfast everyone broke camp and packed everything up, I made burrito packs for the riders. The idea was to get back to La Bellota as early as possible, which meant a faster pace and no stopping for lunch this time.
By 9am the riders were on their way. I traveled back to La Bellota in the truck along with a few of the other participants. We arrived at La Bellota by 1pm. Even though I loved the trip and everything about it, I was glad to be home again.
After a wonderful hot shower I began to think about the evening meal. I decided to make spaghetti. I figured everyone would be famished by the time they got back, estimated time of arrival was 6pm, and a heaping plate of spaghetti would sound great!
The afternoon wore on as I busied myself in the kitchen. Around 6pm I grabbed the camera and went out into the oat fields to wait for the group. They made excellent time and it wasn’t long before we could hear them coming down the trail. What tipped us off were the extra horses that weren’t ridden back. Raul usually ponies them as far as Rancho Agua Caliente and then he releases them. They know exactly where they are and take off running at full speed back to the ranch. About ten minutes after the extra horses came in we could hear their elated voices, all happy and content to arrive home safe and sound. We met them at the gate and welcomed them in.
That night at dinner as we sat at the table enjoying our spaghetti dinner, Raul asked everyone what was their most memorable experience about the trip. Everyone took their turn and it was so interesting to hear what each person thought about their experience. Personally, I enjoyed the trip immensely and I think this was the best trip we have ever done. When I think of my most memorable experience, what struck me the most, was not only the beauty of Real Del Castillo, but I thought about the days when it was a booming mining town, about the people that had worked there. Now all of that is in the past but the fact that we can still see vivid traces of those days, walk in the same places where others from long ago had walked and worked is a very special experience for everyone. Raul and I really enjoy seeing people so enthusiastic to learn about Baja California History. I for one felt a tremendous appreciation for those people who literally dug out their mark in history, who struggled in hopes of making a better life for themselves and who worked their fingers to the bone, all in the name of progress and productivity.

As an American living in Baja California now for 19 years, I have come to appreciate this wonderful land that I call home. When I think of all that Baja has to offer in the way of history, natural beauty, culture, traditions, the people, and their abundance of warmth and hospitality, I feel very lucky to be a part of this fascinating place and of this life that I have grown so fond of.

Join us as we venture into the past and embark on an adventure filled with natural beauty, history, great company and lots of fun.   If you are interested in participating in this ride or if you would like more information please email us and we will be happy to answer all of your questions.   Our minimum number of riders for this trip is six.  We hope to hear from you soon!