In Loreto!

Loreto is a small town on the east coast of the Baja California peninsula. I stayed there about 2 days, I really like the area. It was still way too hot, but the city was pretty nice. it is very small city with a nice shaded walking street.

All the sea around Loreto and some island are part of a national park. so I decided to spend a day there. As I was alone it wasn’t easy to find a good cheap way to get out on the water. but after looking around and with a bit of luck I found a group of people to share the price of the boat, which made very cheap trip. so we all went on a small island with an awesome beach, and a good snorkeling spot. it was really awesome.

Going down the Baja California peninsula.

From Ensenada I took a bus to go more south of the peninsula, I didn’t really know where to go so I decided totally randomly to go to a small town called Mulege.
when I got out of the bus I felt Like I was stepping in a forest fire, the heat was really extreme. I walked a bit in the town and realized that it was very small and quiet, I was the only tourist there which make it interesting, but there was nothing really to do there, and with the heat I didn't want to stay too long.

the next day I decided to keep going south toward another town called Loreto. and making a stop in nice beach that was on the way. I got up very early to avoid the heat, and start hitchhiking again.  when I arrived in Bahia Conception the beach was empty it was the low season and all the area was empty.  i just went for a swim in the bay and decided to keep hitchhiking to Loreto.

First step in Mexico!! en Ensenada !!

From San Francisco I decided to keep going to mexico by bus and after a very long bus ride I arrived in Baja California, in the small city of Ensenada.
The city isn’t too big, or too small it’s pretty nice town. I stayed few days there to start getting used to the culture here and try some nice food, enjoy the ocean, and visit a bit around. The weather was really good, pretty hot but not too much which made my stay here very enjoyable

I spent all the time there enjoying the city and the moment, and I realized took almost no photos so here is the few I took

Visiting San Francisco

After those first few days on the road in the US I had a small stop for about 10 days in San Francisco. I really took my time to visit the city and I really loved it.
I spend most of the days just walking randomly around all the neighborhood. some are definitely very rich and some other are very poor, they are all very different and really interesting!

I also visit some of the touristy places, trying to remember when I was there, more than 20 years ago. the touristy place didn’t impressed me, except the view from the Marin headlands over the golden gate bridge and the city center. that was really amazing!!

what I really love in San Francisco was really the city itself, all the cultural mix the good food everywhere and the beautiful spot we can find a bit everywhere in the city.

Hitch hiking toward San Francisco!!

After this small road trip in Canada, it was time to start my trip toward Central America.  after some difficulties to find accommodation all around Vancouver because of a long week-end and the pride in Vancouver, I end up starting my trip from Victoria on Vancouver island.
from there I took a ferry to get to the US. and I started hitchhiking to get to Olympia, it’s a small city just south of Seattle. The city itself is very different from everything in Canada. and there is nothing special to see there, but really cool to walk around, and see how things goes over there.

After talking with some of the people that drove me to Olympia I decided to avoid the main highway that could get me longer ride to arrive much faster to San Francisco. And instead I went all along the pacific coast on Highway 101.
Going along the coast was really awesome it was indeed much longer as I was always getting ride from one small town to the next one. So it was a lot of small ride, which allow me to see many nice place along the way. I was going along during 4 days, spending the nights in camping or one time at someone that offered me a ride in the evening and invited me to stay at his place for the night.

On the 4th day I was entering in California and realized that there was a lot of forest fire everywhere and there was smoke everywhere, so I couldn’t see any good view and the air was not so good for breathing. and at this time someone stopped that was going all the way to Sacramento, so instead of continuing slowly along the coast which wouldn’t be so good with the smoke anyway, I decided to go all the way to Sacramento and from there I took a bus to arrive in the evening in San Francisco!!

Along the way I was impressed by all the effect of the drought that hit California since  few years. I saw huge lake that was almost empty, with the water level about 30m under its normal level!!! all the way until i reach sacramento we were in a huge thick smoke from all forest fire all across the state.  the situation there is really catastrophique and it is extremely noticeable change in only 4 years !!

Time to go backpacking again!!

After few month in Banff I got a bit bored of the job I had and it’s been almost two years without going out of Canada, so instead of looking for another job I decided to go traveling again !!!

I started with a small road trip with a good friend from Banff to go to Vancouver and visit some friends on the way. It was interesting to see Sunpeaks in summer and it was much better than what I was expecting

We visit quickly Tofino and Victoria on Vancouver island and again I have been very happily surprised by Victoria it seems really nice city !!

And I went to see whistler too which is very big ski resort, I was really impressed by the size and how busy it was for a summer

Hiking more mountains around banff!!

During the few month i spend in banff I managed to climb few more mountains.
I started with easy an one next to canmore, Mount Lady Mcdonald

Then I went in Kananaskis a little bit closer to Calgary for Opal Ridge

Then I decided to get on to big one just next to banff. Mount aylmer (3200m)  and Mount Inglismaldie(3000m)

Mount Aylmer is pretty long day as it have pretty long approche around Lake Minnewanka, and also pretty high elevation gain. I did a part in bicycle to make it doable in one day from my place and back to my place. it was about 50 Km in total but no major difficulties.  the view from the top was of course once again amazing!!

Mount Inglismaldie was looking much easier to do, it seems to be much closer to the road. but it actually end up being much longer and harder than expected. the approach was all along a dry river bed full of big rock and dead tree blocking the way, making it very hard and long to go through. but that part was really fun and some part of the river was really beautiful.
the summit is just across the lake from mount aylmer that i did a week earlier and have amazing view too with some huge cliff going straight down to lake Minnewanka.

I wanted to do few more mountains before I left but with the course I took to be a hiking guide, I didn’t had time to do more.