Paddling the Sea of Cortez 800 Miles of Mind, Body, and Spirit... In the beginning, the three young men believed they could accomplish their goal. A few weeks later they thought all was lost. In the end, only two people would be left to paddle the Sea of Cortez... The concept of The Trip began with two young men, Steve and Rusty. Their goal? A 6,000-mile paddling excursion down the coast of Mexico, living primarily off land and sea-a trip that would require skill and experience. The year was 1977, and with the generational freedom of self-expression, Steve and Rusty were feeling the call of adventure. They invited Joe Burgess to be the third member of their team, even though he had no experience paddling. Joe believed that his strength would be more mental than physical, to face the cultural and language barriers as his part of the team concept. But what he discovered were obstacles he hadn't considered-and a journey that would change all their lives.