18 Mar, 10 - 12:24    


Phill Michael above the tree line and on the Tundra just below the Arctic Cricle in March 2003

Sub-arctic sunset in Spring 2003

As I continue to be a bit nostalgic and ponder past adventures....while digging through the digital archives...I'm reminded of life before and after my Medtronic Freestyle Valve. An extension of life is something to smile about. I've always loved living...and I generally try to live Life to the fullest. Hmmmm...what exactly does that mean?! YOU tell me...


Distant Panga with Jewels in the water in March 2002

I have been loving life in the Sea of Cortez for a good part of my adult life...before and after my 're-birth' in January 2003. Here's a short video a short video from the shores of the Sea of Cortez from the later winter of 2002. Happy...Happy...Joy...Joy...indeed! B^)


Big Red Pargo on the Sea of Cortez in March 2002

The maniacal laughter in that video belongs to Michael Fishbach. I captured those Red Pargo with one of my favorite tools...a speargun. I like to use Riffe spearguns...and a particularly lovely 48" AB Biller gun has often turned a daily catch into a feast for an entire Mexican village for a night or two. It's good to share. Michael just shared a report from the Sea of Cortez with me. He's been rolling around on her fickle February seascape to play with the Friendlies...and is continuing to do so for the rest of this month.

Baja is a stellar place...as is the sub-Arctic. I witnessed a frozen world blossom into Spring up there...right after the Island Lake Lodge experience of March 2003. Here's another short video that gives you a feel for what it's like to cruise the Taiga on a snowmobile...in search of Caribou.


Phill Michael cruising the Taiga of Kanadia in search of Caribou in March 2003

Since most of you probably don't want to see scenes from a very successful Caribou hunt(?!?!)...I'll spare you...but it's the best red meat you could possibly taste. It's simply out of this world...on every level...like chocolate. We used every portion of the animals I subdued...heart, tongue, antlers, skins, etc. It is good to have that kind of relationship with your food.

We live in a beautiful world full of beautiful people with spectacular natural surroundings. I suppose there are distractions that might take us away from our true purpose(s)...and I suppose that any time we decide to insulate ourselves from nature...we suffer. The Wheel of Time turns and turns...

Dogmatic Buddhists argue that living things are caught in Samsara (The Wheel of Suffering):

'Samsara is where we can find the path of liberation passing by way of three major forms of knowledge: knowledge of one's former lives, knowledge of the lives and deaths of all other beings, and knowledge of how to become liberated from the whole process of Samsara.'


The Kalachakra Mandala

You can roll on over to the SecretSpotStore.com and see some detailed images of an artist's rendition of the Kalachakra Mandala...and read a little bit more about Samsara. In my opinion, it's good to reflect upon these things.

I've certainly seen my share of suffering...but I've learned, via the small amount of exploring I've done, that folks often create their own pain though greed...or any other of the traditional 'Seven Deadly Sins' that the Christian faith outlines. Who is to refute thousands of years of wisdom?! Not me. =^]

If you want to hear the perfect song for motorcycle cruising through rolling hills, click on the play button below:

Download | Duration: 00:05:34

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Here is Michael's latest report from the Sea of Cortez:


A Blue-Footed Booby in between pelicans and Hermann's gulls on the shore of the Sea of Cortez in March 2010

2010 is an El Nino year and here in Baja the weather has certainly been unpredictable. The winds are coming from all directions and the calm days are harder to come by. The water is warmer than I can ever remember and the canyons up in the local mountains are more full of water than I have ever seen.


A Sea of Cortez Blue Whale in March 2010

The whales are here as always however their numbers are lower than usual, BUT we have more cow and calf pairs percentage wise than I have ever seen here especially with respect to the blue whales. Two of these pairs have been literally parked here for over a month. We have also had cow and calf finback and humpbacks this year. Four orcas plowed through the area one day, and we have seen gray whales as well as dwarf sperm whales. The dolphin numbers are high this year and they are jumping a lot more than I have seen in many years.


A bottlenose dolphin arching in the air near Isla Carmen, Baja California Sur, Mexico in March 2010

We have observed humpback whales breaching, blue whales speed swimming, humpbacks surface feeding and dolphins leaping at least 15 feet into the air. We have seen blue whales almost every day but usually just 2-5 per day with 6 being the highest daily total.

We have a sighting of 2 sea lions ripping apart a very large red parga fish the other day, and this included a fight between the sea lions and one of the thrashing the fish across the surface repeatedly to try to rip pieces off.

We still have 10 more days to the season here and there will follow an end of year report.
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Hmmmm...it sounds like the Sea of Cortez is flaunting her wares again this late winter.


Flowers at the Rancho Secret Spot Baja in Spring 2002

I wish I had time to warmly embrace her.


Cardon Sunset in Spring 2002

Maybe I will in the near future...B^)

Until Soon
Phill =^)

PHILL MICHAEL
Expedition Leader and Summit Climber
Everest Freestyle Expedition/Secret Spot Seven Summits
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