ODO: 313,372
Still in git ‘er done mode, we moved onto running a bypass relay for our light bar so we stop melting the fuse for it, a nagging problem we’ve had for some time. We had a small moment of panic testing our bypass install. The light bar along with everything else on the SPod was dead. After a few minutes of confused trouble shooting we figured found the problem. It turns out the SPod had put itself into a protective low power mode, and turning on the truck fixed everything. We also discovered the hinged on the super clever kickstand for our starlink was broken. In the background while KoKo worked on the light bar and Berne worked on the hinge, our Metal Wizard was busy with an elaborate hood latch fix. The hood latch has been broken for a few years, a ratchet strap (grateful for ratchet straps!!) held the hood closed. During the Baja 1000 in 2021 all three Tacoma’s chasing the race had their hood latches fail, some in more spectacular fashion than others.
After this final push we were ready for a little relax, so we went on a nearby beach scouting mission for our upcoming friends trip. They were both a bust, we got stuck in the dunes at the first one, and the second one wasn’t big enough to park a big group at, so we decided to spend a night at our trust standby mud beach. So named for the giant salt marsh / mud field on the way to the beach that claimed several trucks the first time we stayed there. Don’t worry, everyone was extracted safely, and it’s now a funny story.
The next morning we met a couple of Canadians who were on their first and third trips to Baja. They were curious if their AWD van could make it onto the beach without getting stuck. Berne gave them some pointers and confidence, and convinced them to try it out, and we’d be there to help if it went poorly. Since we were on our way out, we gave them our contact info in case they needed help later. We headed back into town for a giant fish fry with our Metal Wizard.
Finally! It’s the day our friends arrive! Because it was Easter weekend, San Felipe was the busiest it would be all year, so we picked a new restaurant just north of town to meet them. Many hugs and full bellies later we headed out to mud beach, which didn’t have any mud so everyone should have made it in with no issues. At the final turn the HellTrain took the wrong side of a bush and managed to find the only tiny patch of mud to get stuck in. After a good laugh we extricated him and got to the beach for a windy night.
The morning weather was lovely, as we packed up. We were leading the pack today so we could take our friends to a new beach we had discovered earlier in our travels. From the turn off the scenery changed from lake bed, to elephant tree grove, to canyon, to wash over the course of 90 minutes. It was a big hit with the group. Once we were on the beach, the beachcombing haul was: way too many sand dollars, all of the amazing shells, and a couple of starfish. As the sun went down we cooked a large Easter potluck with cinnamon buns roasted over the fire for dessert. Dessert was by far the best part. A pretty solid storm had been building all day, and luckily, after everyone went to bed, the rain arrived in full force. It was so windy overnight our stove blew off the table.
Again, we woke up to lovely weather, and along with it, the newest members of the group got engaged on the new beach! It set a solid tone for the day. We packed up, uncertain of what the rain had done to our drive out. Turns out just a few puddles between us and the highway, where we continued south into Bahia de Los Angeles for lunch.
Back on the road, we were headed to San Franciscito. The road was rough, and rattled our teeth, but we hung in there all the way to another great beach. Unfortunately, the caretaker wanted $200 pesos per person instead of the standard $200 pesos per car. We tried to negotiate, but he wouldn’t budge so we left. But not before we finished watching another SpaceX rocket launch. We headed back up the road to a little spot we knew with some cave paintings. Finally a night with no wind! The only low point was find a beer had popped in the backseat in just such a way that in drained into KoKo’s duffle bag. Not the most fun surprise, but we managed to catch it before it fully emptied. And luckily tomorrow night would be indoors, so we could clean it up properly then.
