SIERRA SAN PEDRO MÁRTIR
Here are pics from the highest mountain range in Baja California--the Sierra San Pedro Mártir. This is in the middle part of Baja California Norte (about 200 miles southeast of San Diego). For other pics on this (short) 2-day trip (on the way to and from the Sierra San Pedro Mártir, go here. These pics were taken April 21, 2009.

First, the view from the west (the road from Mexico Highway 1 to the Sierra is now paved but curvy and full of vados)...



Now...let's jump to the top...

The view of the highest point in Baja...Picacho del Diablo, a little over 10,000 feet above sea level (viewed from near the telescopes--9,200 feet).

View of the Gulf of California (and one of the driest deserts in North America) from near the telescopes...



Views to north...





2.12 meter diameter (about 80 inches) telescope (the largest one there) at 9200'...



Sign pointing towards the telescope (with pine forest in the background)



Large manzanita shrub in bloom at around 9000'...



Aspens (and conifers) at 8500' (note the aspens, except for a few tiny leaves, hadn't leafed out yet)...



Large Jeffrey pine (Pinus jeffreyi) at around 8500'...



Large lodgepole pine (Pinus contorta subsp. murrayana) at a similar elevation...



A flat (with a seasonally dry meadow) at 8000'...



View to south, from around 8000'...



View back to the east, towards the main ridge (at 8000')



The piñon pine forest (mostly the 4-needle Parry piñon) at around 6000' elevation on the west slopes (the Mojave yucca (Yucca schidigera) and Our Lord's Candle (Hesperoyucca whipplei) were both very common here)...



Our Lord's Candle in bloom (as they are in southern "Alta California" right now) at around 6000'...



View to west (you can see the ocean from here, though there's glare from the sun--you can see the Gulf of California to the east better from this mountain range)...



And finally, some very handsome Ceanothus blooms (at around 6000' on the west slopes)...



All of the above pictures on this page were taken April 21, 2009 by Brandt Maxwell.

Part II--the lower elevations to the west/northwest--from sea level to 4000'...