Check this site for more info on Batopilas: Also check destinations 10, 11, & 12 on this site: South of Creel, Batopilas is at the bottom of the Copper Canyon. |
Saturday, 16 October, 2004 Jim called tonight at 8:00 and said, "Good afternoon." Of course, it was still daylight in Creel. Said there was ice on their bikes this morning. The mornings in Creel are quite cold and it cools off quickly after dark because of its high elevation, but Jim said they've had great riding weather this week. (Was 40 degrees here in North Carolina this morning.) Jim started his day by riding out about nine miles from Creel to a field where he paid $45US and took the four hour "Raw Hyde" dirt rider's course taught by Jim Hyde (the three day course costs $1100US). See: http://www.rawhyde-offroad.com/ . The course keyed in on off-road safety tips. They did slow riding while standing up on the bike's pegs and practiced turning your head back at a 180 degree angle and leaning on the pegs to make 180 degree turns. They also rode through streams and the rough terraine. Then,... Montezuma hit Jim again! He had to leave a little early, missing the last 20 minutes of the lesson. When Jim got back to the motel (for a change of clothes), he found a note from Dave. This is part of his note: Hady os Muther F#<%@r, (Dave actually spelled the f-word correctly!) (Not exactly the notorious words of Bruce Willis in the movie Die Hard, "Adios...") Enjoyed the stay with you and Daniel. Thought I would leave when it was warm. Left at 11:45 here time. (Central Standard Time) Wanted to take a ride anyway. Dave asked Jim to get his small gas tank back from Daniel, who'd borrowed it earlier in the week. Jim'll bring the gas tank back. Dave signed his note: See you back in the USSA ---------- So-o-o... Dave's on his way home! ---------- Kurt Wilde, from Chicago, and Jacob Sherman, from New York, are talking about riding down to Batopilas tomorrow. Jim said everyone who's been down it, even Jim Hyde, who taught the off-road course this morning, has said it is a "gruelling" road. Jim's thinking about trying it with these other two riders, but may decide to start his route back home instead. Al Jesse, the Pannier Man, (See http://www.jesseluggage.com.) is giving a "How to Fix Your Bike in the Middle of Nowhere" slide show tonight at the Horizons Unlimited meeting. Jim's looking forward to that. Jim said he'd call or send an e-mail tomorrow. Added 10-18-04: Dave serviced his bike and decided if he was going for a ride, he'd head toward the US border. Drove 560 miles. Stopped for the night in Odessa, TX. |
Tuesday, 12 October, 2004 Got Jim's e-mail from Creel today. He also signed the twodogsmc.net Guest Book. I filled in yesterday's log with the info he gave me over the phone after his call tonight. Jim and Dave left Chihuahua this morning and took the libre(free) road. It was about a 50 mile detour, but they enjoyed the "twisties." At the crossroad of MX 16 and the Creel road, they stopped at Jim's favorite little taco stand on the side of the road. They got to Creel, Mexico their main destination this afternoon and are settled for the next few days in the small motel Jim stayed in last year. For just $10.00 each per day, they've got heat, hot water, and laundry service. This is a photo of the place Jim stayed last year. For the 2003 Trip Log, click on this site: Creel is at 7,669' elevation, in the Copper Canyon area of Chihuahua (state), MX. Also, check this site:http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/meetings/Mexico2004.php They're only a few blocks from the campground where Horizons Unlimited will be holding this week's meeting of world travelers. Jim's already made a friend, Frederico who's family owns a motel in Zacatecas, MX -- just above Mexico City. Said he will have a place to stay there whenever he's in the area. |
Thursday, 5 October, 2004 The tire hop has been solved. I finally took the tire to the acknowledged expert, Jeff of Precision Cycles in Sylva, NC http://www.precisioncycle It didn't take him long to discover that the guy who mounted the tires didn't know or didn't care that the little yellow balance spot(the light spot of the tire) should be set at the valve(heavy spot of he rim). He broke the tire down and repositioned it to the right spot. Wonder of wonders, it balanced out with a very small weight(1/2 ounce). No more hop. Moral of this story --- if you don't know what you're doing, find someone who does. ---------------------- ---------------------------- --------------------------- Rode my bike over to the garbage dump and up on the scales -- my 425lb Dual Sport has turned into an 800lb Gorilla now that it is loaded with all my gear and my fat ass. I think I need to seriously reassess my needs. |
{ NAVIGATING SOUTH } { SIPPING SUDS AND EATING TACOS SOUTH OF THE BORDER } Tecate, Negro Modelo, Sol, Corona, Dos Equis, Modelo Especial, Bohemia Etc. |
THE FUN BEGINS 7 OCT 2004 |
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2 OCT 2004 |
Saturday, October 2, 2004 Dave and I rode down to T W O campground in Suches, Ga. today for a Transalp rally, part for a check ride of new tires and stuff and part just to ride. Dave's new Dunlop 606's, a pretty aggressive knobby with a DOT rating and my new set of Metzler Sahara 3 Enduros did fine on the twisties although my front has an annoying hop to it -- out of round ?? -- will check it out before we leave. The road home was a less traveled one -- several creek crossings, lots of gravel and dirt and steep switchbacks. A test for our tires and skill levels -- mine SUCK !! At the first creek crossing -- two feet deep and full of large rocks -- I saw Dave dissapear to his knees under water but he came blasting and blowing out on the other side -- my turn -- I hit it hard on and twisted the wick up a bit -- would have worked out fine except for the rocks which kicked me out the other side off to the right and into a wet ditch of loose gravel and sand. As the rear washed out I looked like the guy on Saturday Nite Live on the tricycle that just fell over. I DID IT ON PURPOSE !!! I JUST WANTED TO CHECK OUT THE SECURITY AND STABILITY OF MY SIDE CASES AND CAMPING GEAR !!! ------------------Just a few scratches and a bruised ego. --------------------- This is shaping up to be a memorable trip. |
Thursday, 5 October, 2004 The tire hop has been solved. I finally took the tire to the acknowledged expert, Jeff of Precision Cycles in Sylva, NC http://www.precisioncycle It didn't take him long to discover that the guy who mounted the tires didn't know or didn't care that the little yellow balance spot(the light spot of the tire) should be set at the valve(heavy spot of he rim). He broke the tire down and repositioned it to the right spot. Wonder of wonders, it balanced out with a very small weight(1/2 ounce). No more hop. Moral of this story --- if you don't know what you're doing, find someone who does. ---------------------- ---------------------------- --------------------------- Rode my bike over to the garbage dump and up on the scales -- my 425lb Dual Sport has turned into an 800lb Gorilla now that it is loaded with all my gear and my fat ass. I think I need to seriously reassess my needs. |
Thursday, 7 October 2004 Jim called from Rooster's cell phone tonight. He and Dave had a good ride today. Went down to Gainesville, GA and then took back roads. Turned west and took GA 369, GA 20, and US 411 over into Alabama, then took AL 9 to Cheaha State Park to camp with the Two Dogs. Said that Rooster and Moana had just fed them a good meal and that there are two tents already set up that they plan to use instead of unpacking their own gear. Others already at Cheaha are: Whifit, Gator, Foot, Greasy Bill (and his homeade "hot tub"), and some Buzzard's Roost early birds. Jim's got a toothache. One of his back molars is super sensitive... possibly a cracked filling. He's already having thoughts (not all good thoughts) of having to go to a dentist down in Mexico. |
Friday, 8 October 2004 Got Jim's call tonight just as the second Presidential Debate was starting. Cheaha had high winds last night. Dave didn't sleep well, as the tent he was in kept collapsing on him all through the night. Jim faired better than Dave. His tent was apparently a bit more secure and he'd taken a sleeping pill, too. He slept through everything. They left Cheaha at about 6:30 GA time this morning. Our two westward riders took Alabama and Mississippi back roads to US 84 at Natchez and finally found a decent motel in Jena, Louisianna this evening. Got to the room about 7:00. No telling how many extra miles the guys rode than they would have if they'd traveled the Interstates... but, they enjoyed the back roads. Unaware of a Tropical Storm Matthew coming up from the Gulf of Mexico, Jim and DD hit rain today about 1:00. Jim said it POURED! |
Possumus Rattus & R2D2 (Rattus 2D, Too) OUR "DOGS" WERE TWO DROWNED RATS TODAY! |
Somewhere along their way this afternoon, they crossed what Dave referred to as a "singing bridge" that got their attention! Both Jim and Dave have knobby tires on these bikes. Made the wet roads and that bridge quite interesting to maneuver. The storm is expected to bring at least two inches of rain at the motel during the night. It is heading east, so hopefully the fellows will get out of it quickly tomorrow as they head toward Texas. |
Saturday, 9 October, 2004 No call today, but learned from our conversation 10-9-04 that Jim and Dave had rain all the way to Waco. Was great to see Lassie and Sarah. Loved their hot tub. |
Just northwest of Del Rio, TX, on US 90, they crossed the International Amistad Reservoir via the Pecos River Bridge. |
The Pecos River Bridge |
The Serpentine International Amistad Reservoir looks a little like a LIZARD doesn't it? The reservoir, part of the Amistad National Recreation Area, receives water from three meandering rivers: Rio Grande; Pecos, which enters the Rio Grande west of the reservoir; and Devils to the east. |
Jim's call tonight was from a pay phone outside the Judge Roy Bean Visitor's Center in Langtrey, TX. The town dates to 1881 when a silver spike was driven by the railroad commemorating the completion of the line. Among the people fighting for the spike after the ceremony was the Honorable Judge Roy Bean. |
Judge Roy Bean Saloon |
Plans are to ride a little further west on US 90 and stop for the night in Sanderson at the intersection of US 90 and US 285, in the middle of nowhere, TX and to ride through Big Bend National Park before crossing over from Presidio, TX into Ojinaga, Mexico tomorrow afternoon. |
Judge Roy Bean |
Magistrate Dave Adolph |
Jim took this photo. Find the rest of Jim's photos and his story, following this trip log, below... |
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Map showing Del Rio, the reservoir, and US 90. |
TEXAS, USA |
CHIHUAHUA, MEXICO |
The Rio Grand Wild and Scenic River is the border line. |
Monday, 11 October, 2004 No news today, but, on 10-12-04, Jim called and told me that he and Dave left Sanderson before daylight. Outside of Presidio,TX, Dave got hit in the chin by a bee. Jim said Dave looked like Popeye for a while - and still does, with some swelling, but is doing okay. Jim'll keep an eye on him. At Ojinaga, the border crossing, Dave got through smoothly. Jim, however, had two problems that caused them about a two hour delay. First of all, the lady handling Jim's paperwork made a mistake about her stamping and signing his passport before she was supposed to or something. She got mad at herself, took it out on Jim, and asked him to sit down. She put him at the back of the line. Once he finally got out of her grip, he had to deal with importation papers -- on the bike. That's usually no problem, but... He's spent several weeks at home checking out different charge cards and finally decided to get one in his name that was not tied in anyway to our bank account. When the border folks ran his charges through, they were declined. They ran them through again and they were again declined. Jim got to a phone and called the card company (Master Charge) directly & talked to some guy who said that the account had been "red tagged." Said gas had been charged too many times. (Ha!) Needless to say, Jim was boiling mad. He told the guy that he was traveling on a motorcycle and explained that on the bike he needed to stop for gas more often, that bikes don't hold as much gas as cars, etc. The MC guy wasn't budging. Jim told him a few things, I'm sure, one being that he wouldn't need the lousy card! Not able to put the importation costs on the card, Jim had to pay $200 cash plus a $30.00 penalty -- all out-of-pocket -- and has a deadline date to be out of Mexico by, I think he said, the 29th or he will lose the $200 refund. The extra $30 is a loss. Jim was not happy about any of it. Hated having such a hassel, but was glad to be able to cross into Mexico. From the border, it was about a 3 1/2 hour ride to Chihuahua (city), MX. The fellows got a room at the motel Jim stayed at last year and ate at Pollo Feliz, where they got charcoal cooked chicken served with pickled red onions and fresh salsa and tortillas. Jim was back in heaven... he loves the good Mexican food! |
Deputy Dog, Lassie, and Possum |
Sunday, 10 October, 2004 Heard from Jim at about 6:30PM. He and Dave started in the rain again today. The remains of Tropical Storm Matthew are following them around. Had wet roads for the first three hours or so, then, gladly, drove out of it -- into the sun, as they passed through Llano, TX, at the intersection of TX 16 and TX 29. If you find Llano (Pop. 3325) on the Texas map, you'll see that Jim and Dave are truely taking the "back roads" as much as possible. |
Friday, 6 October, 2004 All packed and sittin' on go -- damn surprised I didn't leave yesterday. Would have, except for stopping by Cheaha tomorrow night to see some folks I haven't seen in a while. Will meet up with DD at his house around 12:00am and take the back roads to Cheaha -- screw that Atlanta shit -- dodging those crazy bastards while running 80mph in bumper-to-bumper traffic ain't no fun. |
Lassie sent this nice color photo. In the e-mail, Lassie wrote: "Had a nice visit with Dave and Jim, had dinner, drank beer and got in the hot tub. They were also good sports for participating in our "game night" with some of our friends." |
Tuesday, 12 October, 2004 Got Jim's e-mail from Creel today. He also signed the twodogsmc.net Guest Book. I filled in yesterday's log with the info he gave me over the phone after his call tonight. Jim and Dave left Chihuahua this morning and took the libre(free) road. It was about a 50 mile detour, but they enjoyed the "twisties." At the crossroad of MX 16 and the Creel road, they stopped at Jim's favorite little taco stand on the side of the road. They got to Creel, Mexico their main destination this afternoon and are settled for the next few days in the small motel Jim stayed in last year. For just $10.00 each per day, they've got heat, hot water, and laundry service. This is a photo of the place Jim stayed last year. For the 2003 Trip Log, click on this site: Creel is at 7,669' elevation, in the Copper Canyon area of Chihuahua (state), MX. Also, check this site:http://www.horizonsunlimited.com/meetings/Mexico2004.php They're only a few blocks from the campground where Horizons Unlimited will be holding this week's meeting of world travelers. Jim's already made a friend, Frederico who's family owns a motel in Zacatecas, MX -- just above Mexico City. Said he will have a place to stay there whenever he's in the area. |
They were off-road quite a bit today. Had lots of challenging rock and gravel roads with cut and washed gullies. In the Valley of Arareco (National Park), they went down into the valley where rock formations stand up straight and tall. Some look like mushrooms with rocks on top of pedestals. Two Danish girls they met on bicycles(and the locals)called the area they were in the "Valley of the Erect Penises". (This pic is from another web site.) Jim also ran into Chris Walstow, a guy on a R80GS from British Columbia that he met in Creel last year. Jim and Dave are planning to ride northwest of Creel tomorrow to a large waterfall. That trip will include rock/gravel roads, too. |
Friday, 15 October, 2004 Came home from w-o-r-k (Yes, somebody's got to do it...) today to find an e-mail from Jim. He decided to take the day off and get his laundry done. When he called tonight, he explained that he not only needed a bit of rest after yesterday's long run, he also woke up with Montezuma's Revenge this morning. That's one reason he needed to do laundry. Jim had said in his e-mail, too, that he might ride out to the hot springs to meet Rico and David (from California) and the bicycle girls from Denmark, along with a bunch of other folks (Yeah, right!) and they'd all be going skinny dipping in the springs. Well,... Montezuma "threw that idea in the the dirt" - fast - for Jim, anyway! Bet the others are glad he turned down their invitation to the springs. Dave rode down toward La Bufa to check out the beginnings of the road down to Batopilas (a town at the bottom of the canyon). Dave said when he left that he might continue on or turn around. Jim told me that when Dave came back and he was covered with dirt and grime from his head to his toes. He told Jim that the road graders had been working, that boulders were in the road, and that the drive down to Batopilas, although a challenge like the other gravel/dirt roads they'd enjoyed riding, was "too much sugar for a dime". Grant Johnson, the head of the Horizons Unlimited organization, told a Japanese girl, Torria (short for Victoria) Sakumoto, who has a time-share in Puerto-Vallarta for a week and a loose schedule to mess around in Mexico for a while, that Jim might head south from Creel and the Copper Canyon area. She's trying to recruit Jim to go with her. Jim said, "I don't think so!" Said he's getting homesick already... (Yeah, right!) He said, when he called, that Torria had found another fellow to travel with back toward the coast. |
Thursday, 14 October, 2004 No word from Jim today, but in an e-mail he sent 11-15-04, I learned that Jim, Dave and two other riders went to Basaseachi Waterfall National Park. The beautiful falls there, the second highest in Mexico, has an obstacle-free fall of 1,017 feet. The ride included 110 kilometers of gravel road. "Not as bad," Jim said, "as the Trans Labrador Highway, but work all the same." They squeezed the last drop out of the day. |
Saturday, 16 October, 2004 Jim called tonight at 8:00 and said, "Good afternoon." Of course, it was still daylight in Creel. Said there was ice on their bikes this morning. The mornings in Creel are quite cold and it cools off quickly after dark because of its high elevation, but Jim said they've had great riding weather this week. (Was 40 degrees here in North Carolina this morning.) Jim started his day by riding out about nine miles from Creel to a field where he paid $45US and took the four hour "Raw Hyde" dirt rider's course taught by Jim Hyde (the three day course costs $1100US). See: http://www.rawhyde-offroad.com/ . The course keyed in on off-road safety tips. They did slow riding while standing up on the bike's pegs and practiced turning your head back at a 180 degree angle and leaning on the pegs to make 180 degree turns. They also rode through streams and the rough terraine. Then,... Montezuma hit Jim again! He had to leave a little early, missing the last 20 minutes of the lesson. When Jim got back to the motel (for a change of clothes), he found a note from Dave. This is part of his note: Hady os Muther F#<%@r, (Dave actually spelled the f-word correctly!) (Not exactly the notorious words of Bruce Willis in the movie Die Hard, "Adios...") Enjoyed the stay with you and Daniel. Thought I would leave when it was warm. Left at 11:45 here time. (Central Standard Time) Wanted to take a ride anyway. Dave asked Jim to get his small gas tank back from Daniel, who'd borrowed it earlier in the week. Jim'll bring the gas tank back. Dave signed his note: See you back in the USSA ---------- So-o-o... Dave's on his way home! ---------- Kurt Wilde, from Chicago, and Jacob Sherman, from New York, are talking about riding down to Batopilas tomorrow. Jim said everyone who's been down it, even Jim Hyde, who taught the off-road course this morning, has said it is a "gruelling" road. Jim's thinking about trying it with these other two riders, but may decide to start his route back home instead. Al Jesse, the Pannier Man, (See http://www.jesseluggage.com.) is giving a "How to Fix Your Bike in the Middle of Nowhere" slide show tonight at the Horizons Unlimited meeting. Jim's looking forward to that. Jim said he'd call or send an e-mail tomorrow. Added 10-18-04: Dave serviced his bike and decided if he was going for a ride, he'd head toward the US border. Drove 560 miles. Stopped for the night in Odessa, TX. |
Jim said that a painter showed up today. He is repainting the small motel where Jim and Dave are staying. He said the new paint is an even brighter orange. (Is that possible?) Deputy Dog's planning to leave Sunday morning and be back to north Georgia by Tuesday evening. That run's too fast for Jim, so he's going to take a less direct route. He will go down to Parral, MX, then drop down to Torreon, MX. From there he plans to head eastward to Monterey, MX. (From Creel to Monterey, Jim will be crossing both the western and eastern continental divides of the Sierra Madre. Should be a good ride.) He'll cross the border back into the US at McAllen, TX. His trip home from Creel will take a week or more -- whatever Jim decides. He may hit cold weather coming home! Preach signed this page's Guest Book again today. (Hi Preach! Was interesting that you saw the resemblance of Deputy Dog to Judge Roy Bean, too.) |
While Jim and I were talking tonight, Aturo, a biker from Chihauhau (city), MX, walked up. He was waiting to use the payphone. Jim, telling me he'd taken two Imodium for his bout of Montezuma's Revenge, turned and asked Arturo what would cure him. (Arturo's the surgeon who'd taken care of our friend Dave Jeffries' busted knee after a fall off of his motorcycle on the road to Batopilas last October.) Arturo's reply was something about a cork. He and Jim laughed and laughed! |
Wednesday, 13 October, 2004 Jim called from a pay phone at the campground where the HU Meeting is being held. Thankfully, Dave is feeing fine. Jim & Dave rode their bikes out to El Divisadero with Daniel Pettersson, a fellow from Sweden on an Africa Twin, who they met this past June at the HU Meeting at the Iron Horse Campground in western NC. Ate at a place where the food is cooked on the tops of 55 gallon drums. Jim thought it was neat! |
A group of nine riders started the run. Heading south out of Creel 75 "klicks" (kilometers) [To convert from Kilometers to Miles, simply multiply the kilometers by 0.62 To convert from Miles to Kilometers, simply multiply the miles by 1.61] or so, they then turned onto the dirt road that drops 6000 feet in the next 68 klicks. Two riders, Jacob Sherman and a fellow from Scotland, both turned back for Creel after about 10 "klicks". By that point, Jacob had already crashed twice. Of the seven remaining riders who made it to the bottom, six more had falls. One guy's bike did a double flip and his front wheel was hanging over a 1000 foot drop off when the bike stopped sliding. Torria went down once on her F650GS and twisted her back trying to pick it up. (From Seattle, WA, she's planning to spend another week down in Puerto-Vallarta,MX then go on down into South America.) Other riders who went along were Daniel, Kurt, Mark, James Klotz and a guy from Holland, who preformed the double back flip. The ride was tough and everyone was okay, but they were all worn out. The switchbacks on this narrow, winding road are similar to those on Horse Cove Road out of Highlands, NC. Jim asked if I remembered how tired we were the night we got to Churchill Falls after our first day on the Trans-Labrador (graveled) Highway from Goose Bay. (I'll never forget it!) After the drive down this dirt road today, Jim said he felt three times worse than he did on the TLH. There was some traffic going down to Batopilas, too, including lots of trucks. The riders had to hug the edge of the one-lane road when they met oncoming traffic. The Chihuahua (state) tourist guide book recommends that "you travel this dirt road in a truck, with excellent brakes and a skilled driver." Jim met a young fellow at the KOA campground where they held the HU meeting this week in Creel. Jim said the fellow was traveling "light" -- had the smallest bivi tent he'd ever seen. He was riding a street bike, which Jim thinks was a Honda 750 Super Hawk, with steel ammo carriers for his saddle bags. The 21 year old rider rode down to Batoplilas on his own earlier in the week. Oh, what things we all could do at 21, when we were bulletproof! Once the group got to Batopilas, they drank beer and ate supper. Then, Jim went to his $10 room for the night. Said he was dirtier than he's ever been! He'd left a lot of his gear, including his toothbrush, with Armando in Creel. Was nice, though, to have a hot shower before going to bed. |
Monday, 18 October, 2004 Dave called from home at about 7:00PM. He actually d-r-o-v-e - a-l-l - n-i-g-h-t. Got home at 8:00 this morning! Braking his old "long ride" record, Dave drove from Odessa, TX to Clayton, GA, making 1270 miles in 23 hours and 45 minutes. Said his butt was sore! Glad he's back and is safe. Dave told me a trip story --"Jim's Big Invention"-- he thought should be added to this log: Jim spent several weeks preparing for this trip. One of his ideas was to add Velcro strips onto the outside of the collar of his new jacket so that it would stay down, out of his way, when he was riding in dry weather. Dave said, though, that during their wet ride through Tropical Storm Matthew, when Jim put his collar up to keep the rain out, his helmet got stuck on the Velcro and he couldn't turn his head. (Thanks for sharing that, Dave. What a hoot!) Jim called just before 8:00PM. He's back in Creel. Told me all about his trip down to Batopilas, MX. I added an update on yesterday's log. Batopilas, Jim said, is a quaint little town. It's tropical (warm, with no ice on the bikes in the mornings), with palm trees, and is at about 900' above sea level. The group of seven made it safely back today. With he and Torria taking it slow, they followed the others back up to Creel. For one of their rest stops, they found the shade of a solid rock cliff. Jim leaned back and sat on what he thought was rock, but was actually a greyish-brown cactus hidden in the shadows. Said he jumped up and spent the next five minutes picking thorns out of his bottom. Said, though both yesterday's run and today's were trying, that driving down it was tougher than coming back; that he was glad they completed the ride successfully. Jim and the others will head their separate ways out of Creel tomorrow morning... leaving after the ice melts a bit. Change of plans, though! Jim's decided not to come |