18-Nov-2005 -- This was our second confluence trip and, with this point only about 120 miles south of the Mexican border, it looked as do-able as the point we did near Cananea last year. Tom Morisky, myself ( Wyman Robbins), and Jesus Barrera were again going along with Oscar Vasquez, a friend who was from the town of Cumpas (only 20 kilometers west of the confluence point) and still had a house, ranch and family members there. Things were looking very good at this point. After a memorable border crossing (a delicious dinner at Jesus’s mother’s house in Agua Prieta and a lost paper that caused some temporary panic on my part ( Oscar was able to smooth things over) we made it to Cumpas that night around 10pm. We were treated to another incredible dinner by his sisters, Maria Elena and Rosa Belia at his mother’s house in nearby Tenonadepa. Stuffed, we waddled down to Oscar’s house and crashed for the night.

The next morning, after a short tour of the town, we headed over to his mother’s house again for breakfast with Rosa. Afterward we drove off into the hills along a 4 wheel drive ranch road through mesquite groves and organ pipe cactus for about 20 miles getting as close as we could on the road to the point.

Heading our on foot we across country extremely cut up with steep brushy ridges and valleys, we hiked for about 4 hours. But, as the afternoon wore on and we wore out, we decided that, needing better maps and a better strategy, this wasn’t going to happen this trip. We figured that we got within two miles.

Our reward for having made the efort was again being treated to dinner at Oscar's family’s house where we met his nephew Josue and niece Joselin. The next day after another great breakfast at Oscar’s mother-in-law’s, more touring and a steak fry with Rosa we headed back to Tucson about 10 pounds heavier. The rural Mexican atmosphere, the countryside, meeting people as gracious and friendly as any I’ve ever met in Mexico made the fact that we didn’t get to the point almost inconsequential. Muchas gracias a Oscar y su familia y la madre de Jesus para la hospitalidad.