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General Moto | Off-Topic Posts
TEXAS INVADES MEXICO aka Uncle Rogers Tour of Mexico
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[QUOTE="tx246, post: 1143630, member: 23127"] DAY 4 TO SNOW OR NOT TO SNOW TO THE FALLS Originally, the plan had us going to Urique today but with Micah’s still hardening and untested Frankencover, we decided to head to the Basisahchi Falls instead which was supposed to be an hour and a half from Creel. Earlier this morning, Teeds and Skinny showed up with their bikes. Roger had already secured a ride to the border from Creel the previous night. IF YOU ARE EVER IN TROUBLE IN THIS AREA, FIND CEASAR AT MARGURITAS! This guy gets it done and speaks excellent English. He also manages a hotel in most every town. Back to the day's adventure......We decide to ride to the falls but had one bike down but there was a healthy 650r that just arrived (Teeds). I agreed to ask Teeds if we could use the bike for the day as his knee was keeping him out of action. The thought occurred to me as Micah and I were walking up the sidewalk that Skinny too was physically able to ride and this would be his last chance at riding as he and Teeds were leaving for the border in the morning. Micah agreed that we should offer the ride to Skinny but he would take it if Skinny didn’t want it. Teeds offered the BRP faster than I could ask. It took some convincing, but Skinny finally took the ride. Skinny has a bum ankle so he would ride Billyj’s ATK and Billyj would ride Teeds BRP. Micah spent the afternoon with Teeds while we made a late start to the falls. Boy, you could tell right away that this road is slated for pavement, as there had been considerable widening and work done in the first 15 miles or so. It wasn’t long before we were in the snow/ice/mud all at once. Progress was made but it was late in the afternoon. We found some locals and asked how much more and we were informed that it was another 15 miles. Nobody wanted to be on icy pavement in the dark, so we reluctantly turned around and made our way back to Creel. Everybody was filthy but had a good ride. We would have to return another day. Again more food and some beers with Caesar finish off the evening. Caesar sits with us and gives us some information about where to ride the next day and we make arrangements at another one of his hotels for the next days ride. DAY 5 TO URIQUE I SAY It is a new day and we are headed to Urique. Only Billyj has been there so it will be some new territory for the most of us. We wave bye to Creel again and head toward Divisidaro. Before there we head to one of Caesar’s recommended turnouts and boy was it spectacular. Several canyons were visible from this vantage point. We soon took our pictures and headed into town. Billyj made friends wherever we went. This time they were from Latvia and had been on the train to Los Mooches. Not long after leaving town, the road turns to dirt and there is a military checkpoint. Billyj does his dumb gringo act and they wave us through. The road runs through a higher canyon and it is quite beautiful if not a bit busier than other dirt roads we have been on. We see several tunnels and rail bridges that the train uses along this road. We follow the river for miles and actually have to cross without aid of a bridge. We make it to Boachivio and have lunch. This time its Carne Asada and it is quite the treat followed by a couple of frescas. It’s later in the afternoon and we are headed to the motel for which we have a letter to hand to a Paco y Christina in a small pueblo that is well before Urique. We find the hotel and it is closed up but from the outside it is fantastic. The main lodge is literally perched on a private canyon. There is a 5ft walkway across the front of the Lodge and after that is some serious air. Inside the lodge is a center fireplace that has a good 10 ft opening on both sides. It isn’t long before Paco y Christina show up and get things going. Hot water heaters fired up/fires built/and dinner started are all a going. We sit in front of the fireplace and start draining Tecates. Dinner is served and it is delicious. We retire to our rooms, which are ridiculous. In the States, the only way I could get close to one of these rooms is if I worked there. They are that nice. Roger does have a problem in his room as he turns back the sheet to find a big iguana in the middle of his bed. The help come in armed with brooms and herd the critter outside. I sleep like a rock once again. DAY 6 SMOKING BRAKES, STILL HOTTER SAUCE AND THE GREAT MEXICAN ROAD RACE We wake up short of Urique but climb out of our palatial digs and load up as breakfast awaits us in Urique. Within miles, we are at the top of the canyon and it takes our breath away. It is stunning in scale and beauty. The road is dangerous as witnessed by the many roadside memorials. We pick our way down in the early morning light. The road was like a pile of spaghetti all the way down. There is so much to look at, that we almost forget to steer. We see the town long before we get to it. The sides of the canyons are carpeted in green. All of the farming is old school and done by hand as is road maintenance. We go a long way before we see the first inhabitants of this magical place. Always friendly, they wave, as do we. Two thirds of the way down, everybody has pretty much lost their back brake due to overuse. I learned my lesson going to Batopillas and relied on engine braking most of the way down. Finally, we descend the final 1000ft or so and find ourselves at the literal front door of the town. We cross the threshold and make our way to the plaza. We pull up to a place where a nice KLR is backed against the curb. We meet Kevin inside and find out has been out since the first of Dec and planned to be back in Idaho the first of May. We tell him of our travels and he shares with us what he has seen. Breakfast is ordered. She rattles off egg choices and the one that caught my ear was "camarones" which means shrimp. Yeah gimmie that por favor. Micah tried it too. It turned out to be my killer breakfast of the trip. There was a seedy looking hot sauce in the middle of the table. I warned Roger as he smeared a bunch on his first tortilla. He sampled it and I swear his eyes bugged out the same time ta2240 was coughing and looking for another drink. A little dab will do ya. We finish up and pay. We roll through town and make good with the kids. Its too short and we are headed back up the canyon. This time we stop at an overlook and stare at what is indescribable at best. Helmets strapped back on, we head back up the Copper Canyon. We travel back towards Creel on the same route we came into Urique. The military checkpoint is still there before Divisidaro. This time there are more soldiers and an older looking Senior Officer is heading today’s crew. He pulls us over and Billyj is doing the stupid gringo routine again. Captain asks where have we been and we tell him. Captain asks "druggas?' while making the classic weed puff. No. Says our translator. Captain starts barking carrera, carrera! and pointing to each bike individually. Then it dawns on me. He wants us do a motostart!! We line up and give him a show. Slowing down a half mile later, we are laughing our heads off as we head into town. Creel shows up through my goggles in the late afternoon and we check in for the last time at Margarita's. This time we crash the bar on the corner and drink quite a bit before dinner. The group of five that left us days before have arrived with one less. They lost Irondawg due to a backed out sprocket bolt that ended up riding the chain all the way to the case resulting in catastrophic failure. He/bike were headed to Chihuahua via train and then to Presidio on truck. We all got caught up with each other’s rides. Some went back to the bar and because that was me, I don’t know what the others did. Reports from home indicated that cold, wet weather was on the way. A vote was taken and we decided to make a break for the Texas border while the weather was good. DAY 7 RAIN OR SHINE HOME BY NINE.....MAYBE We awoke find drizzle outside the window. That meant raingear for the day......yech. After breakfast, the long haulers group decided to head out to the falls and continue with the original route. We said our good byes and made our way out of Creel for the last time. The first 60 miles were wet and cold but it soon stopped raining. The canyon outside Creel was beautiful too. Coutomec came and went and we found ourselves in Chihuahua in the early afternoon and feeling good about it when it started raining again. But this time it was only raining under Micah's DRZ. Uh Oh. The Frankencover had let go. We pulled up on a wide sidewalk and Roger did his best taxi call. Before Micah could get his helmet off he and Billyj were stuffed into a cab and off to the DHL office where there should be a part waiting on them. Jeremy and I hung out with the bikes while Roger and ta2240 went to the tienda. Ta2240 brought me an oversize chocolate Hershey bar, which hit the spot as I had been having withdrawals. There was a possibility that the part had got hung up in customs and would not be there but we were confident. Thirty minutes later, the cab rolled out with two thumbs up sticking out the window. Faster than you say teamwork, the part was on and we were adding water. Bye bye Chihuahua. Got last gas and cleared the last tollbooth when we heard it. Hisssssss. It was coming from Billyj's ATK back tire. A nice nail was pulled from the well-worn tire. A quick shot of air and the slime didn’t seal it so a tube change was in order. Tire expert ta2240 handled the tube change like the pro he his. If a flat was going to happen, that was the best place for it. It was done in last light and I hope somebody got a picture or two. Loaded up, we headed toward the Texas border in the dark. The miles quickly passed and there was Ojinaga. A quick check in with the Mexican authorities cleared our vehicle permits and soon we were stateside. A quick flash of our passports and we were back at the 3 Palms looking for showers, food, beer and Tony. We soon found all four. More stories and updates on the riders followed but soon it was time load up on the trailers for quick getaways in the am. Before turning in, we said our goodbyes and thanked each other for the ride. DAY 8 HOME Uneventful was the race to DFW. It was close though. The temperature dropped quickly and we flirted with freezing temps for the last 4 hours home. As always, its good to make it home. EPILOGUE ROGER IN MY REARVIEW ......TIM IN FRONT OF ME Just wanted to say thanks to all of my teammates on this ride. It was a good feeling knowing someone had my back and I had theirs. My roommate for the trip was somebody I had met just hours ago, but soon found out cut from similar cloth. Everybody contributed in some way to make my Mexico experience greater than I could have ever hoped. Riding is a very individual thing but can be rewarding in a group environment. We never got lost and never lost a rider. We never went too slow nor too fast. We all got along and in a group of six, that is saying something. I can’t wait to do it again. [/QUOTE]
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General Moto | Off-Topic Posts
TEXAS INVADES MEXICO aka Uncle Rogers Tour of Mexico
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