12-Jan-2002 -- We planned a 3-day scouting trip for our business, Via Tierra. We provide off-road training and adventures for SUV owners.

There were four planned goals for our trek south of the border: Camp on the beach at Puerto Lobos (a wonderful, remote fishing community recommended by a few friends), shopping at Puerto Peñasco (Rocky Point) and hit 2 confluences. Unfortunately, we only had time for 1 confluence. Despite a 75% success rate, we had a fantastic time and will be bring a group of hardy adventurers to this area later this spring.

After waking up on the beach and enjoying a breakfast of the most magnificent fish tacos, we hit the highway north towards Rocky Point. When we were about 50 miles south east of Rocky Point, we were on the highway and 1.8 miles due east of the confluence. We found a dirt road that wasn't on our maps but headed in the general direction of the confluence. Our little dirt road began to meander a little too far to the north when I voiced some mild concern that we needed to go further south…

Suddenly our friendly little road made a gentle bent to the south and followed along a barbed wire fence! We approached closer to the confluence until we were about 0.5 miles away when I told the group that it would be perfect if we could find a gate in the fence. Naturally, within a few seconds a whole in the fence appeared with an even smaller dirt road continuing through! Finally, we were approximately 500 feet from the confluence location when we parked and continued the last part on foot.

We were prepared for the worst, but this confluence turned out to be a piece of cake. The terrain is very flat in all directions, and the desert vegetation was just sparse enough for cross-country hiking to be neither destructive nor difficult.

Hope to do more confluences south of the border soon!

Pictures include: views to the north, south, east, west, our friendly little road, official gps reading, official group picture and the unofficial arrival celebration.