Sierra Madre Occidental Sierra Madre Occidental The Sierra Madre Occidental is a major mountain range system of the North American Cordillera, that runs northwest–southeast through Northwestern and Western Mexico, and along the Gulf of California. The Sierra Madre is part of the American Cordillera, a chain of mountain ranges (cordillera) that consists of an almost continuous sequence of mountain ranges that form the western "backbone" of North America, Central America, South America and Antarctica. The Spanish name "sierra madre" means "mother mountains" and "occidental" means "western" in English, with these being the "Western Mother Mountains". To the east, from the Spanish "oriental" meaning
Otay Mountain Otay Mountain Otay Mountain is a mountain located in San Diego County, California. It is the highest summit of the San Ysidro Mountains. It contains both the Otay Lakes and the Otay Mountain Wilderness Area. The physical border separating Mexico and the United States (which can be found near Otay Mountain) has received criticism for the harm it allegedly perpetuated to the environment, both in its construction and in its very nature. The name "Otay" comes from the Kumeyaay word "otie", which means "brushy". On March 16, 1991, a Hawker Siddeley HS-125 airplane carrying seven members of singer Reba McEntire's