Mother of All Mexico Dirt Bike Rides - March in 2015!

[Top_Speed1]

Get rid of that Voodoo doll! You'll have warmth and sunshine galore.

 

[beemerdons]

You may have noticed that I didn't make a post last night.

That's because this trip lived up to Don's original name big time yesterday.

We left Galeana after breakfast. We decided that since we didn't have pix from the night before we re-created the mud run.
And, yeeha, the mud bit Jim.

From Galeana we headed south on paved roads towards the waterfalls Cascada del Salto. Finally, no rain, but it was chilly. Unseasonably chilly. In fact, the main road between Mexico City and Puebla was closed due to SNOW.
Later you will see pix with snow on top of the mountains.

Here is our rest stop about 1/2 of the way to the waterfalls.

We went to these waterfalls last trip also and they are still as beautiful. Enjoy.

OK, now this trip is going to get interesting. Don had asked for some serious dirt riding and MotoDiscovery was about to deliver. We took a small dirt road out of town that proceeded up the mountain to the south of town.
The road got progressively rougher and rougher. With the previous rain, there were lots of mud holes. Here's some shots up.

At the top of mountain, there was a small village. This is at more than 9000' high and it was drizzling and quite cold.

Attack Turkeys !

Right after this village the road turned into a washed out rock garden. I was feeling in WAY over my head. We stopped to talk to a local, who's news was not re-assuring.
After discussing the correct directions, we went on. The next mile or so was very hairy. No one dared stop for a picture in this section. But eventually everyone made it through with only minor bike naps.

Thankfully, the mountain road decended into a valley which actually dropped more bikes because of the mud, wasn't as scary as the rocky steep decents.

A pix of the snow on top of the mountain.

We dropped out of the high valley down to the desert floor, the "Alta Plano".

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When we finally got back to pavement, the guide Beto, got his foot stuck in the peg and dropped the bike. He had been clean in the dirt.

 

[beemerdons]

When we finally got back to pavement, the guide Beto, got his foot stuck in the peg and dropped the bike. He had been clean in the dirt.
As you can see, the sun was starting to set and we had to hual butt to get to Real del Catorce before dark.

We didn't quite make it, it got dark as we rode up the long cobblestone road up to the tunnel. Here we are at the tunnel entrance, you have to wait your turn as it is one lane. Two guys, one at each end with radios, control the flow of traffic.

Finally, we get our chance and into the tunnel we go.

These pix are blurry because I shot them while rolling.

Finally, after what turned out to be a long but excellent riding day we had a great dinner at Real Del Catorce.

Dammit Don started out with a Margerita, but . . .

Then he went overboard and dived into the pitcher.

What's a ride report without some food ****, so here you go. Look at how lovely those tomato's.

 

[Top_Speed1]

Beautiful pics, looks like fun especially now the rain has subsided. Thanks Don for the paste.

 

[escapefjrtist]

Cool tunnel pics, bet that was a trip after a day of riding!

Just checked the ADV thread, no word from our wayward travelers today...

--G

 

[yamafitter]

Internet not very good so no pics. Dropped a valve on my WR450 today so Big Blue will end this trip in the back of the support pickup and I am relegated to photojournalist. I did get to ride Jim's rented KLR up and back down the gravel on the mountain since Jim's back was bothering him a bit. I have video that I will post up later when I get home,

So far there is no heat in almost any of the Mexican hotels we have stayed since they normally don't need it. Only one day so far on the ride where we had some sun and warmth. At least I will be warm in the support truck though Jim wants to ride in the truck and have me ride his bike. If I am to ride his bike I am going to work out a Pro rider contract that will include free margaritas for me.

 

[Fontanaman]

Rained like hell today so much so the original plan to ride 120 miles of gravel was washed away as was the 20 mile gravel road backup plan.

This is the fourth night of staying in a room without heat. Wet gear will not dry. Tonight we are staying in cabins with a roof made of local vegetation. The roof leaks. Praying for some dry weather.

 

[UberKul]

Feeling bad for you guys. Time to dump the whole plan and head for the sun?

 

[Fontanaman]

If not for two things I would be back in the US tonight. 1) I am renting a DR 650 with zero luggage capacity so I have no way to take my airline carry on bag. 2) My airline ticket is not refundable and not transferable.

Bill put a great post in the Adventure Rider forum regarding yesterday.

There is hot water in the fooking room but no soap.

It could only get worse if I got Montezuma's revenge or in of us had a serious accident.

Off to take s shower and warm up.

 

[rushes]

Dammit Don made another new friend. BTW, Dammit Don is not real popular with Mexico riders right now

There's obviously a curse on that thing.

Throw it in the next creek you cross and I bet things will dry out for you.

Be sure to yell hell merry as you sling it....

Bump....

 

[Fontanaman]

Not even a paper cup in the room. Music was blaring from some other person till 10:30 last night and the hotel is right along the highway - truck noise all night long included Jake breaks. Argh!

 

[Uncle Hud]

"The Mother of All Mexico Dirt Bike Rides"

+1 gunny, JSNS, etc, etc

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Feeling a little bad for you guys, though. I hate riding in the rain, even the warm rain we have around here in late summer.

 

[russperry]

Well all - I had enough of the constant rain and no heat in the hotels and headed back to Texas this morning. Got into McAllen about two hours ago after a non-eventful but lengthy wait at the border crossing.

We got in two pretty good rides in 5 days but even the 2nd got shut down early by rain, low temps (34 degrees!) and near zero visibility. Most of the trip was droning on highways in rain, wearing wet gear, then trying to figure out how to get warm and dry at night.

Topper for me was getting rear ended yesterday after the long, cold, wet mountain ride when one of the group stopped on the highway to take a picture of a flipped over car. Unfortunately old Pancho in his pickup didn't stop in time and clipped the left side of my bike sending it and me into the mud on the shoulder. Luckily no major damage to man or machine but I think that was the decider.

Ken Upchurch did me a great favor today by riding with me to the border. It was great having a fluent and experienced vet of Mexico with me for the trip. Luckily there was nothing to be extricated from but I was grateful for the company.

Great bunch of guys to ride with, but the weather and the crappy accommodations were more than I wanted to continue with. I hope you guys are rewarded for your fortitude with good rides and improving weather.

 

[yamafitter]

Sorry that you cut your ride short. Now the smallest functioning bike in the group is Jim's KLR. Jim is going to let me take the bike up into the reserve tomorrow which will probably be the last ride I get this trip.

 

[Mudslide Miller]

Russ, glad you made it out of there relatively unscathed. Too bad about all the crappy weather, crappy accommodations and the clip in the rear. Very fortunate that it was an indirect hit! All reasons why I'm not a fan of 'south of the border'.

 

[Top_Speed1]

That tunnel was pretty cool with a rustic rough look. Then I got thinking, who knows more about building tunnels than the Mexicans?

 

[beemerdons]

Mis Compadres, I am so sorry to hear about the rain in Mexico as that is almost unheard of in March. Usually the Chubascos hit in August-September.

I am also very concerned to hear about the poor accommodations, this is totally unlike any of my 5 previous MotoDiscovery trips with Skip Mascorro.

However, you will all look back on this Expedition as the Adventure of a Lifetime! Brothers, I would trade my wheelchair, slings and braces to be alongside of tus Los Valientes in a Toronto Minute. I know it is cold, tough and difficult; but Dios Mio, I wish with all of my Heart and Soul I was right there with you!

So, today has been, err, interesting. Yesterday in Real del Catorce, it rained on and off all day. So we didn't do any riding yesterday. It was nice to relax for a day. We went to a museum during the day. The picture below is some Hoichoil art.

Now I have to mention that the weather has totally sucked this trip. It is wet and cold. Really wet and cold. Everyone here in Mexico is shocked at how cold it is now. Since it is never this cold, the hotels have no heaters. So, we have been freezing our nuts off at night.

So, we pulled out of Real this morning in the fog.

Looking into the valley below, the weather doesn't look promising. It wasn't.

As we climbed up into the Sierra Oriental mountains, the clouds were shrouding the mountains. Bill (Yamafitter) bike swallowed a valve just outside of Matehuala and became the first casualty to be loaded into the sag wagon.

We decided to take a dirt road around one of the mountains. The condition of the road was very nice for dirt, but the rain was hard and steady and the fog kept closing off visibility.

Here's Bill using Jim's DR650. Jim and several others have had their fill of rain.

At the crest of the road, the fog was getting so thick and consistant that we punted and decided to retreat the way we had come up, rather than finish the loop. It was a sound choice.

After we got back down to the valley, we hooked up with a paved road for the short stretch to the cabins. As we got near, there was a car accident in the road. I stopped on the shoulder to take a picture and Russ stopped behind me. When I stopped I looked back and saw a pickup truck slowing behind also.
3 seconds later, I hear a CRUNCH and look in my mirror to see the pickup just off of my back and Russ and his bike lying in the ditch. Fortunately, Russ was mostly unscathed, but the left rear of the bike took some damage. Russ was furiously pissed off. To the extent that he wants to ride by himself back to USA tomorrow.
We think the guy in the truck was looking at the accident and not that he was about to rear end a motorcycle.
In all the comotion, I didn't get my picture after all.

Finally, we got all the bikes safely at the cabins.

Home sweet home. It leaks in about 5 places in the roof and there is no heater and no hot water. But it does have WiFi.

A look into the luxurious cabin.

The first class bath facilities.

So, we are supposed to do a long stretch of dirt tomorrow. But as I type, the rain is still pouring down, the roof is leaking, the room is cold. But we have had plenty of tequilla and a nice meal, so we will see what tomorrow brings.

Over and Out.

 

[beemerdons]

Hi all, a much better day today than yesterday. Unfortunately, we couldn't talk Russel into staying with the group, so he and my roomate Ken headed for the border early today. Between the rain, not having good rain gear and getting run into yesterday, he had enough.

Last night it rained all night and our cabin leaked. We had a really good breakfast after I took a tepid at best shower.

Our plan was to do a 60 mile dirt road to our next stop. We checked with locals who said it would be OK. 4 of the bikes in the group declined to do the dirt and followed the chase truck to the next stop.

Our group of 5 bikes, with me, Barry, Darrell, Chris and the ride leader Beto turned off onto the dirt. The road started out very good. Very wet, but good traction. But as we got to a hillier section, the wet spots at the base of the hills in the road got wetter and wetter. And muddier and muddier.

At one point, I looked behind, and didn't see Darrell or Barry. Turns out Darrel had a slip in the mud and fell over. After they picked up, we continued for maybe another mile and came to 2 monster mud holes in the road depressions. I duck walked my lowered F800 through while Chris, who being from Georgia and an excellent mud rider, rode through. Darrel slipped again. Time for a re-think.

I talked to a local rancher who came out to see what all the fuss was about. His spanish was very hard for me to understand, but I did get that the road was much worse ahead, and no cars or trucks were getting through. He pointed to my bike and said No Puede, which means "you can't"

I duck walked my bike back out and Chris rode Darrell's bike to the last dry spot. We all decided that retreat was in order and headed back to the highway.

BTW, I didn't shoot a single picture today, which is why you will have to count on others for the photo evidence.

Once we got back on the highway, the rain was light and the road through the mountains was fabulous. Fast fun sweeping corners in and out of canyons and up and over mountains. A really great ride.

Tonight we are staying at a lovely resort (with heat and hot water, YEA). We suspect that the road up into the Cielo Biosphere will be too wet and impassable tomorrow, so we will likely all take tourist truck rides up there. I would like to rent a quad, but we are not sure on that.

Until tomorrow.

 

[Hudson]

Not sure if anyone else reading this has the same idea, but all the difficulties only make the adventure that much more enjoyable and memorable.

Much more interesting to read than "we had a great ride with great roads and great sites."

Give me mud and mayhem any day over a boring but dry ride report.

It's not an adventure ride otherwise.

 

[yamafitter]

BMW riders are a bunch of jam tarts and wouldn't ride their far too expensive GS's over a few rocks and through a little mud. I borrowed Jim's rented, clamped out DR 400 Suzuki since his back was sore and made it all the way to the top and back down again and I have the video and photos to prove it.