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TAT...and Beyond!
Currently 108 days in.
I meant to begin this ride report much earlier, but was caught up in riding and having fun! Better late than never, right? At first I struggled with how I wanted present this ride report – the perfect sentence, the coolest picture, and so forth…way too exhausting, so please forgive my crappy writing and horrible pictures. No promises on posting frequency either. For the longest time I didn’t want to do a ride report, I wanted this experience to be mine. I changed my mind because the ride reports on Horizon’s Unlimited and ADVRider were a source of inspiration and something that I could live through vicariously when a motorcycle trip was not an option. Hopefully this can repay some of the debt I owe all the riders that took the time to document their trips. On 29 June 2011 I set off from Morgantown, West Virginia on my first bike, a 2006 Suzuki DR650. I don’t know how far or where I’ll go, but the basic plan is to do the Trans American Trail and then take a left and go south. When fun or money runs out, the trip will be over. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-xG8n96K-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-TJVgrZT-L.jpg My bike has approximately 3k miles on the odometer. 1,100 of those miles were mine, with about 30 being off road. I needed miles under my belt. Off road riding is the quickest and most challenging way to build the technical riding skills I am going to need for a trip south – time to TAT it up! NOTE!! I am writing this report while on the road, currently in Guanajuato, Mexico. I’ll try to give a rough route/schedule and would love to hear from other riders or individuals along the route. Next up is Guadalajara and then Mexico City. |
Let's get the trip preparation out of the way so we can get to the fun stuff.
Parkinson's Law is true. "Work expands so as to fill the time available for its completion" I suppose one could get ready in a week or so, but half the fun is reading trip reports and looking at photos - all for research of course. I'm a minimalist by training, if not by nature. The Army taught me that. I hate carrying extra stuff and every time I repack my gear I look for ways to eliminate. Everything can be layered or has more than one use. Equipment is packed by frequency of use. The Sealine bag and my topcase are for things I need multiple times per day and the saddle bags are for items that may get pulled out if I have a need to use it - from top to bottom. Pack light and allow for serendipity. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-pPbSSrG-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-6cLXxwQ-L.jpg The TAT was a great shakedown trip because I was able to buy stuff or send stuff home as needed. I don't care what anyone says, Walmart and McDonalds are America's gift to the world. Walmart has anything one could possibly need to buy and McDonalds always has Wifi and cheap coffee. By the time I finished the TAT, my equipment was streamlined and ready for the trip to South America. I chose the DR because of it's reputation as being bulletproof. I can attest to that. I dropped the DR at least twice per day on the TAT. Thankfully it's a tank and fairly light to pick up. Looking back, it was pretty stupid of me to do the TAT alone with my level of riding experience...er, inexperience. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-4mH8bKT-L.jpg The DR is probably the only bike that is perfect for an overland motorcycle trip straight from the factory, but also has thousands of dollars of aftermarket products to make it better. Before purchasing anything, I looked at the price and thought 'How many days on the road is this going to cost me?". If I didn't see the cost benefit, I didn't purchase. Budgeting for such a trip is a huge pain in the ass and the variance in budgets in other rider's reports is quite large. At the end I will post the details of exactly how much it cost me to purchase and equip the bike and myself from nothing (other than socks) and also how much I spent per day total & by country. I am not shoe stringing it by any means, but I do watch my budget carefully. **If you want to blow your budget quick, fast, and in a hurry I have one word for you. Alcohol. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-pjJfM4r-L.jpg Every aftermarket part installed was aimed at decreasing risk or increasing the longevity of the bike. The only comfort items installed were heated hand trips and the beaded seat cover for the stock seat. I elected not to upgrade the headlight/tail light because I refuse to ride at night. Of course I broke that rule a few times so far. - Pro Cycle Aluminum Skid Plate and Armor for Engine Case - Acerbis Handguards - Symtec Grip Warmers - Bead Rider Beaded Seat Cover - Pro Cycle Steel Braided Front and Rear Brake Lines - Dual Star Stainless Steel Oil Filter - Pro Cycle Magnetic Drain Plug - Twin Air Airfilter Luggage - lighter is better! - Wolfman Expedition Saddlebags - Wolfman Side Racks - Pro-Moto Billet Rear Rack - Pelican 1490 laptop case - SeaLine 30L Dry Bag Personal Protection Equipment - I didn't skimp on PPE, this was the most expensive category of equipment after purchasing the bike. One item I wish I would have purchased was a neck brace. I'll give a review on all my PPE later. - Helmet: Flip Face - Cortech GX Sport Series 2 Jacket - Acerbis Koerta Naked Chest/Back Protector (sent home b/c cortech jacket included armor and served it's purpose) - Rev'it Cayenne Pro Pants - Cortech Vice Gloves - TCX Infinity Gore-tex riding boots - Etymotic mc5 Ear phones Spare Parts - Everything can be bought on the road, so I didn't pack much in spare parts. - Front and Rear Wheel Bearings - 525 Clip type master links - Spare 21" tube - Various metric fasteners http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-vH6x9t6-L.jpg Think these will make it to Port Orford, OR? |
Packing List
Hopefully some of you all can use this list for planning.
I wanted to go light as possible but have clothes for all weather conditions and to be able to self rescue my bike as much as possible. If a truck day is needed b/c I don't have the right spare part or tool...so be it. https://docs.google.com/spreadsheet/...FTNUE&hl=en_US |
Tn
Tennessee
29 June 2011. Today is the day! This is the moment for which I spent three years planning and saving. This is the reason I resigned my commission as an Officer in the US Army. I set off from Morgantown, West Virginia to conquer the Trans-American Trail...and only left 2 days behind schedule! Has anyone on a long distance multi-year ride, with no support crew, ever departed on time? I had breakfast with the family that morning and planned to set off at 9AM. 1PM rolled around and I was finally on the road. My Mom was making fun of me saying I would never leave, and secretly hoping I wouldn't. Leaving was the hardest part of the trip. I was ready to go, but there was a fear of this being a mistake. Of the trip not living up to the expectations I had built up in my mind. The bike is sounds and feels great. Better to get on the road and start moving, because nothing will ever be perfect. 300+ mile days on the bike are not something I enjoy. I contacted a fellow rider, AllenTC2, through the ADV Tent Space list for a place to crash about halfway to Jellico, TN. He offered to meet me at the Foodland near his place and lead me the rest of the way. I park in the Foodland parking lot and call Allen. He arrives on a V-Strom. Suzuki all the way! I turn the key and press the starter...and the bike doesn't start. Doesn't even attempt to turn over. A short troubleshooting session later identifies the culprit. The negative lead on the power cable to the battery snapped. Easy fix - just shove the remaining flat piece of metal in between the nut and the terminal and problem fixed. Thanks Allen for the great spaghetti dinner and letting me crash at your place! Onward and upward - Jellico, TN. I camped at the local camp ground so as to have a fresh start the next morning. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-fv6Xq3F-L.jpg On top of being a green, little off-road time, and going solo, I decided to add an additional challenge. Do the TAT using only the roll charts and topo maps. I have a GPS to track my route, but no maps are loaded. Let's just say the first day had a steep learning curve. After getting lost and refusing to backtrack, the mileage on my odometer was way off compared to the total mileage on the TAT Maps. Now I had to do quick mental addition to figure out where to turn next. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-kkXrzFQ-L.jpg I completed about half of the route laid out on Day 1. Got lost in some National Forest and it was getting dark so I backtracked to the camp ground. Can't tell you how relieved I was when I passed by the old iron bridge that other TAT riders posted pictures of in their ride reports. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-2C7ZnGd-L.jpg Locals cooling off. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-4wq4p93-L.jpg Rails to Trail. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-6hD8v2D-L.jpg First bit of Ass I saw on the trail http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-rmMzq29-L.jpg TN still had substantial hurricane damage http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-7GTt7c7-L.jpg After loosing it at the first stream crossing, I decided to walk my bike across the notoriously slick crossing. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-hnCCCTZ-L.jpg About the TAT Maps - I had a mixture of old and updated maps. I got lost 3 times in TN, all three times it was my fault. The TN was mostly paved with a little bit of gravel. It was a great introduction for me. The terrain was increasingly challenging for me, and a great way to build experience. |
TN into MS
Let me backtrack a bit - this takes place in Tennessee.
It's beautiful outside, clear skies and sunny...3 miles later and it's pissing rain. No shelter anywhere, I can barely see through my face shield - riding blind. Even the farmers had enough, their tractors were in 5th and high tailing it to Olive Branch, TN. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-H4BjpHv-L.jpg You never know who you are going to meet on the road. The little convenience store where I took shelter had some other bikers - two couples on Goldwings (pulling trailers!). One of the couples was none other than Jimmy and Connie Reed. They own the print company that prints the old TAT topo maps. I wasn't sure if they printed off the new ones, so I didn't mention those. Small world, huh? http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-ZHmpnLB-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-SmhN7CC-L.jpg Following the storm I rode into the Twilight Zone. There was an intersection with 4 roads leading out and no matter which one I took, I ended up back at the same intersection! This went on for like two hours. I'm not an expert at orienteering, but I'm pretty damn good. A variance of +/- a tenth of a mile is no big deal, but I found a few turns that were off by a third to a half mile +. Eventually I found the right turn which was about a third of a mile before the Twilight Zone intersection. My first taste of sand. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-85bWtzQ-L.jpg The bike was a little squirrelly, but I didn't have any trouble. No drops, no near drops. Nada. After I made it through, I stopped to pat myself on the back and take a picture. It also built up a bit of false confidence for later in the trail. An older gentleman and his grandson (riding quads) had passed me before the sand section and as I stood there they came back around to check if I was ok getting through the sand. Nice people. Heading in to Mississippi. The clay in Mississippi started to turn red. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-6ttJjF9-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-RQdrw8B-L.jpg I'm not sure what this vine is, but it covered everything in MS. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-JHKzVRM-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-d5wKTcm-L.jpg Meet Kevin (DR650) and Chris (Honda).** The first riders I met on the TAT. Kevin took a spill on one of the TN water crossings. The shifter lever on his DR punched through his engine case and left a nice little hole. One can read about how slick those water crossings are, but until you do it you have no idea. The Pro-Cycle engine case armor saved my ass several times. I highly recommend it. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-56KHNLd-L.jpg Mississippi has some treacherous gravel. It's very round river stone and deep. Now I would have no problem, but then it messed me up. I hit a deep patch and lost it. As I was picking up the bike and straightening out the shifter lever, a local Mississippi redneck came by on his quad. The first thing he said wasn't "Are you ok?" or "Do you need anything?" Nope it was "Why are you boys are out here snooping around my backyard." Kevin did the responsible thing and told the guy we were just following a trail that took us on a country road by his house. Inward I'm thinking "Unless you have a hot daughter, I doubt you have anything I want in your POS house". Then he said he was going to wait here and follow us out to make sure we weren't going to mess with his house. Looking back he was probably growing weed or had a meth lab set up. *In Xela, Guatemala taking a Spanish immersion course. **If you guys are reading this and I messed up your names, please correct me. |
Arkans-ass
After crossing the Mississippi, the TAT leads one into Marvell, AR. Yes, I was a green rider on a cross country trip by myself but the most uncomfortable I ever felt was riding through (and getting lost) in Marvell, AR. I would have taken pictures...but that would have probably ended with me getting knifed.
AR was muggy with mucho gravel. The gravel in Arkansas was rough crush limestone, not nearly as treacherous as the gravel in Mississippi. It had rained a day or so prior to when I arrived and I found many parts of the trail like this. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-QGRKGkf-L.jpg The DR handled it, even with 'Deathwings' for tires. I also managed my first bit of deep mud on some farm roads. I don't know which I dislike more, deep mud or deep sand. At this point, mud I think, simply because it's a lot of work and AR is humid as ****. The South has a reputation to uphold...best ass in the South. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-jZS5cnp-L.jpg Also in Arkansas is the most difficult hill climb one will face east of Colorado, maybe even east of UT. About 3/4ths of the way up I met up with some Swiss. BMW R80GS, BMW 1200GS, and a KTM 660 (female). The gentleman on the R80 had dirt experience but the other two were having some trouble, especially the 1200GS - it is so damn heavy! http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-PPq8QKP-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-h39mCD6-L.jpg They had shipped their bikes over from Switzerland to do the TAT. Unfortunately with their limited time they were going to skip the rest of AR, OK, and NM and ride straight to CO. After the Swiss and I parted, I took a small side trail that went up. I don't know if it was the highest point in AR, but it had a great view. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-rX6JJsn-L.jpg The Ozark Cafe is every bit as good as everyone says. Breakfast is my favourite meal of the day, it's cheap and comes with lots of food. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-bQmBzW9-L.jpg I brought cooking gear with me on the TAT, but found that it didn't save me much more money than eating out. A breakfast special and late lunch special allowed me to eat much better than I could have cooked on the trail. It was also less of a pain in the ass. I could break camp in about 10 minutes and be on the road when I didn't mess with cooking in the morning. Stop in the Ozark Cafe, grab some food and sign their traveller's book. The third 'Road Closed' that stopped me. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-Q9jt79d-L.jpg No more! I wasn't going to miss another section. The first was a matter of National Security - got it. The second was because a bridge was blown up - no problem, I'm not going to try and jump it like Evel Knievel. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-sLnTLzV-L.jpg This road was closed because of a little mudslide - No Go. This is a perfectly acceptable road in Central America. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-gGvZvM9-L.jpg Warloop Road. A reversal of the March cliché 'In like lion and out like a lamb' fits. It's the nastiest down hill trail one will face on the TAT...unless you get lost in NV like I did. The end of the AR TAT. I like the lone tree or group of trees in a field. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-WR9fkWk-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-ns6bFr9-L.jpg Next up Oklahoma. **I'm in Guatemala. Due to not managing my time in Mexico, I have to blow through the rest of Central America in order to be on the 22nd sailing of the Stahlratte. |
Oklahoma is A-OK
Eastern Oklahoma vs Western Oklahoma
http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-Rjc6vrP-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-XC22HGH-L.jpg The temperature was about the same as AR, with far less tree cover. The intensity of the sun beating down was wearing. I carried four liters of water with me spread across a 3 liter Army (Skillcraft) camelback and a 1 liter Nalgene bottle. NEVER put anything in your camel back other than water. Also be careful to not touch inside of the bladder while refilling or to backwash when drinking. In four years I've never had a problem with mold or anything of the sort. Oh, yeah...Underarmor underwear is worth it's weight. How long has this tree been blocking a county road? No clue, but I can say the DR chewed it up. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-pGJgDSv-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-5Dv8fdW-L.jpg By OK I had maybe 1,000 miles on the TAT. I was comfortable on my bike and greatly enjoying myself. A false sense of confidence? We shall see... http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-fZDfcXk-L.jpg OK soon flattened out. The farms were MASSIVE. Maybe the land fell under BLM? No clue. One can see so far that distances are deceiving. Several times I could see storms developing in the distance. That sort of worried me, being on a metal object on a flat plain. Thankfully, I managed to dodge the storms. It was pretty cool watching the clouds and seeing rain in the distance. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-vBGmBDc-L.jpg A farmer told me that if I needed water, I could just stop at a windmill and fill up from the water it drew out of the ground. I never did try it. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-sJGV95x-L.jpg As one rides west, the terrain and land management changes quite a bit. Just from my observation, there are farms in the east and cattle ranches in the west. Dinner http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-gmhR4Vc-L.jpg The hardest day in Oklahoma began about 50 miles east of Alva, OK. There are lots of oil and natural gas stations in this area. The big rigs used for transportation create nasty corrugations in the road. Washboard is an understatement. The normal way to stop washboard roads from beating the hell out of you and the bike is to accelerate. Near Alva this is a bad idea. In addition to the washboard are deep rutted holes full of fly sand. You cannot see the ruts because of the sand which is not thick/heavy enough to stop you from sinking and catching some unseen obstacle. I wrecked four or five times because of damn sand traps. It was a tough end to the day and I felt like I was screwing everything up. What can one do? Drive on! This is where tires are raised. These are about ready to be rounded up and sold. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-JxzQJtJ-L.jpg The runt tires end up as No Hunting signs. Sort of shame because I saw hundreds of two prongs in this area. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-7bLGMwK-L.jpg Western Oklahoma was desert. In country music, country living is pretty awesome. This place is desolate! Some of the towns I stopped in had a population of maybe 200 people. They had to travel 2 hrs one way just to go to the grocery store. Many of the farmers didn't know what was going to happen to their farm when they no longer worked it. Their kids sure as heck didn't want the farm. I guess they end up as tractor graveyards. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-2LzwbfQ-L.jpg This lonely tree fascinated me. It's quite large. There were neither any other trees in the area, nor was there any visible water. How old was it, how long did it take to grow this large, how long ago did it die? http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-6tcDBPw-L.jpg Big country...Camera lens is spotted up. Dust, water, wrecking, who knows? http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-dmq24mN-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-nNHx3CK-L.jpg I spent the last night in Black Mesa State Park. It's a great little park worth checking out. The care taker said that the gas station listed on the TAT map in Kenton had shut down. There was no way I was going to make it to the next station listed so I had to find an alternate. That's for the New Mexico post... **In Granada, Nicaragua |
Land of Enchantment
Last report ended at Black Mesa State Park in Western Oklahoma. The TAT runs through a small portion of the far Northeastern corner of New Mexico. Here is where I voluntarily skipped part of the TAT for the first time.
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-RWtD...-RWtD4qC-L.jpg The main reason for that decision was to visit family friends north of Espanola, NM. Fun fact - Espanola is the low rider capital of the US (and probably the entire world). I also had new Dunlop 606s waiting for me at their place. It was past time to replace my stock Trail Wings with ~7000 miles and I needed some more aggressive tires for the 2nd half of the TAT. Thirdly, a buddy was going to join me, but he was in Washington DC and had to drive his KLR out West to meet me. This presented a perfect time to check out Capulin, Taos, and the Enchanted Loop (Cimarron to Angel Fire to Taos to Red River to Cimarron). My passion, more than motorcycles, more than traveling, is skiing. Taos wasn't open, but I could get a look at the mountain and a feel for the area. The TAT has Kenton as the next gas stop after Black Mesa State Park, but the park volunteer said it was closed. I decided to follow Highway 64 to Clayton for gas and it was a good jump off point for Capulin. I gassed up and had breakfast at a cool little coffee shop. Clayton is home to a prison and across the street from the coffee shop was inmates working on something. They were wheelbarrowing loads of debris out from under the town theater, while the prison guards and cops sat inside and drank coffee. Capulin is an extinct cinder cone volcano about 8,100 feet high. It erupted once about 60,000 years ago and then went dormant. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-wTfz...-wTfzjwK-L.jpg As I drove to Capulin and up the side of the volcano I noticed that the bike was sputtering and wouldn't go faster than about 50mph. I thought something was seriously wrong - turned out it was here I first experienced the effects of altitude (and wind) on the DR. The down side of a carb. As you drive West from Raton, one will pass the NRA Headquarters and a HUGE firing range. I've heard that it is one of the most advanced ranges in the world. I didn't have any firearms with me, so I didn't stop. The entire Cimarron Park was under a severe forest fire warning, so no camping was allowed. Sort of odd because as I rode in I got hit with a massive storm. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-SdfC...-SdfCx5J-L.jpg I planned on camping at the Eagle Nest, but because of the forest fire closures I continued on to Taos in the hopes of finding an RV park or some sort of cheap lodging. By chance, I drove past The Abominable Snow Mansion Hostel, which was also a place for WWOOFers. The owner's son runs the hostel and his imported Thai wife does the cooking. It's all organic - I had some great bean noodles there. Who is a fan of Easy Rider? Supposedly the movie is based off of the Telluride Connection. The road from Taos to Telluride is known as heroin highway. To this day there is a heavy drug culture in Taos and Espanola is the heroin capital of the United States. I was there for maybe an hour before being offered pretty much any substance I wanted. From Taos I left for Medanales and did something stupid. Totally forgot to fuel up. Altitude greatly affects my mpg and I ran out of gas. I tried the trick of leaning the bike over to get gas from the right side of the tank to the left and it worked for about 20 miles...but still no gas station. I was only there for about 5 mins before a guy gave me a lift to the gas station down the road. My friend, Dan, is a retired Tennis Pro (still gives private lessons) and now runs http://newmexicooutdoors.com/. If you find yourself out that way, look Dan up. He and his wife, Gabriele, can help plan a variety of excursions in the NM area and play a mean game of Tennis. I hung out with Dan, Gabriele, and their dogs for a few days. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-6bcM...-6bcMRGj-L.jpg New Mexico is beautiful. Georgia O'Keeffe said 'the cliffs over there are almost painted for you -- you think -- until you try to paint them.' I would sit on back patio and watch the sunrise and sunset - it was like seeing them for the first time each morning and evening. The smoke from the forest fires made the sunrises and sunsets particularly gorgeous. This was the perfect place to relax and recharge for the 2nd half of the TAT. Looks like Neapolitan ice cream. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-vbrR...-vbrRfBL-L.jpg http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-p3Mk...-p3MkPVj-L.jpg On the surface this area of New Mexico looks desolate. That's not the case, in valleys and hidden areas on the mountains are pockets of life - some great trout fishing in this area. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-wLQf...-wLQf8HT-L.jpg I didn't get to do any fishing, but I was able to visit a Benedictine Abbey of Christ in the Desert. It's a relatively young monastery, very healthy, and they make their own beer. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-kMQJ...-kMQJLvf-L.jpg After a recharge I was ready to destroy the rest of the TAT. I stopped in Raton, NM to change my tires at R&D Honda. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-Wzsz...-Wzszs5d-L.jpg I highly recommend them. Great job and quick work. From there it was off to Branson, CO to meed my buddy on his brand new 2011 KLR. The route I took to Branson, Highway 72, was particularly awesome. *Currently in Panama and will load my bike on the Stahlratte on the 21st. Won't have internet access, but once in Colombia I hope to have a few more ride reports ready. **For anyone interested, I want to sell my DR in South America around the end of April. I will be in the Argentina - Uruguay area so please PM me if interested and we can work something out. |
Colorado
I picked Jack up from the Branson, CO jail. We served together in the Army and travelled the shadiest areas we could find in Eastern Europe. I was excited to ride with buddy and to have someone there to help in case of any problems, particularly on the challenging sections in Utah and Nevada. Jack bought a 2011 KLR to celebrate his release - we will see how it holds up against the DR.
http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-3RWR...-3RWRqtL-L.jpg This was my first time out West. Our path from Branson to Trinidad was rather flat. We could see the mountains in front of us, but still a long distance away. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-RvT6...-RvT6zBM-L.jpg http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-Vrpr...-VrprCCC-L.jpg I expected the Rockies to be more 'Alp' like. Tight jagged snow capped mountains with narrow valleys. There was a lot of anticipation of climbing trails and going over passes. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-Lnsj...-Lnsjrrs-L.jpg The first day was rather uneventful other than how expensive camping was in CO. I paid more to primitive camp (no bathrooms, electric, or water) in CO than I paid to stay in some hotels along the TAT. Our first full day in Colorado was great! We had a huge breakfast at a little café. A group of riders (riding Harley's) happened to stop in. They were all retirees and on their way from Florida to San Diego. They had a wistful look in their eyes when they heard we were doing an off road trail across the US with no real schedule. The only downside was that this is when the rain started. It rained damn near every day for the rest of my trip west. The first day was a warning, we got rather lucky. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-bZq7...-bZq7H9Q-L.jpg As we were riding we could see a storm developing in the distance. I thought we would beat it...but not so. The storm, excuse me, lightening storm began dumping water on us as we were in the middle of a rather large rolling plain. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-xnNx...-xnNxM9n-L.jpg Here we were, the tallest objects around and riding moving lightening rods without the benefit of a Faraday Cage. Our luck held out...until about 30 yards from shelter. A lightening bolt struck rather close and both of us received a large jolt through our clutch levers. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-Jqzq...-Jqzq34f-L.jpg Thankfully it was not a direct hit. When we pulled inside of the barn neither one of us brought up the jolt until after the storm was over. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-N3d6...-N3d6Smb-L.jpg The storm was over pretty quick and we continued on to Westcliffe. We topped one pass that was over 10,000 feet, the highest I've taken my bike yet. Jack wrecked once and then accused the cows of looking at him funny...sort of hungry like. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-jxGH...-jxGHxZR-L.jpg http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-846n...-846nrVJ-L.jpg The trail in to Westcliffe is gorgeous. It doesn't look real - it feels like you are driving into a painting. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-FLVF...-FLVFnwm-L.jpg Colorado was my favorite part of the TAT. Every mile of the trail was gorgeous and for me it was just challenging enough to stay interesting, but not so challenging to require all my concentration. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-6wLp...-6wLp5mf-L.jpg The landscape was not as lush as expected. The mountains were every bit as rugged as the Alps and often far larger, but more spread out. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-3HXL...-3HXLsQP-L.jpg http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-LF6G...-LF6Gxdz-L.jpg There were some great spots for fly fishing, if you can deal with other anglers every 10 ft. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-9tv4...-9tv4H22-L.jpg The day following Redcliffe, Jack got bored and jetted off to Aspen - city boy. Too bad, because he left just before the fun started! http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-xC5P...-xC5PXBg-L.jpg http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-TjkV...-TjkVWzw-L.jpg A bunch of riders met up and took a break at Cinnamon Pass. My DR was by far the smallest bike there. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-xq8w...-xq8w9wF-L.jpg Some of the trails were decieving. I went in not expecting much, but ended up being pleasantly surprised at the end. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-2C62...-2C62kGN-L.jpg http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-qD6H...-qD6HWvw-L.jpg Somewhere before Rico, the trail got pretty rough. Lots of water and mud. I saw an animal, I think it was a wolf, dart across the trail about 15 meters in front of me, and I lost my tent. I hit some of those mud holes pretty hard. If you get a chance, stop in Rico and have lunch at 'Anne's High Ground Coffee' stand. Great food and a very funny lady. The end of Colorado. Riding into Dove Creek. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-Tfw9...-Tfw97d3-L.jpg *In Medellin, Colombia. I'll be here for a while. :innocent: |
Utah
I last left off as I drove in to Dove Creek, CO.
The next morning I woke up extra early because I had to buy a new tent on account of losing mine in the mountains of Colorado. Dove Creek didn't have a store that sold tents. The closest store to sell tents was, of course, Walmart. Next to McDonalds with Wifi, Walmart has been the most useful store on the road. I picked up the TAT at Monticello, UT. The first 50 or so miles north of Monticello, UT was pretty boring. Straight flat dirt/gravel roads. Brutally hot. Not much going on. Then this appeared. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-dWq7...-dWq75hM-L.jpg Sand Flats Road led me to the eastern side of Moab. Rock formations and colors give the area an alien like landscape - totally unlike anything I ever experienced before. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-Gbsv...-GbsvKs6-L.jpg http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-ktLZ...-ktLZRBW-L.jpg I arrived in Moab during the tourist high season. Hotels were booked (and expensive) and it was difficult to find camping. The first three campgrounds I checked were full. By the time I found a campground it was pitch black and I could not see the surrounding scenery. I did get to listen to a bunch of Mexican guys talk about which male rock star they would have sex with if...you know...YOU HAD TO DO IT. I think Mick Jagger won. The next morning, I saw this as I unzipped my tent. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-Q3vv...-Q3vvXdB-L.jpg DRs make their own parking. I almost felt bad for the cagers driving in circles trying to find a spot to park. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-5F6c...-5F6c3Sx-L.jpg The route out of Utah was DESOLATE, but only a taste of what was to come. Hopefully this next picture can give a little bit of a perspective of how high in the mountains the TAT takes you. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-rdBJ...-rdBJ6Hg-L.jpg This was lush for the region. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-cBMD...-cBMDvvG-L.jpg Some cool jagged mountains before Black Dragon. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-pSjK...-pSjKzhp-L.jpg Black Dragon Wash. We have all been warned. I knew it was going to be tough...but I was NOT prepared. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-4Jwx...-4Jwx69j-L.jpg The mud was deep, it would have swallowed my bike. There were motorcycle tracks to my left on a pretty steep slope of loose rock/dirt, I attempted to follow. Here is where my inexperience showed. The bike and I slide sideways down the slope into the swamp 30ft or so in. Muscle and stubbornness eventually got me through - but I was nearing a heat injury. Sweating, dizziness, unable to cool down. I determined to press on. Until the next swamp, which had mud just as deep and two fee of standing water. There I was trapped both forward and backward by swamp that was outside of my riding ability. Oh, did I mention that I had drank all 5 liters of water I had with me by this time? I saw a slight trail to my left and up a hill that looked as if it was going in the direction of the main road. A second stupid decision - ricing cross country in unknown territory. My third bad decision (and one that I repeated in the future) was riding down a hill that I couldn't ride up if I had to return. This hill put me on a outcropping with a sandy wash below. The first 12 feet was steep, with the last 4 or so feet completely vertical. No way to go back up and the area below was full of Juniper bushes (I think) - they looked soft enough for a hard landing. I went for it...and somehow stayed up right. I was pretty lucky that the wash did lead to a 4x4 trail and then to the main road. I was pissed off at myself for admitting defeat and turning around. Before I had time to think, I turned away from the main road and went back to the 4x4 trail. This trail does take one directly to the Dragon. I did NOT ride the Dragon. As I pulled up to the entrance, I had a moment of lucidity. I had no water, limited fuel, and I was dehydrated. I was so frustrated that I said 'screw it' and took the main road until I could re-join the TAT at a later point. What I should have done is returned to Green River, had lunch, and resupplied. Then I could have given it another shot without dealing with the swamps. Reason enough to do the TAT again in the future. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-FftC...-FftCvcH-L.jpg I rejoined the TAT before Salina The trail was fun, it was an reclaimed railroad track, I think. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-fgWJ...-fgWJZpQ-L.jpg Then I ran out of gas...and it started to rain. I had planned ahead and had an extra 1 gallon can with me, which was enough to get me to Salina. I waited for the rain to stop and though about getting a hotel...but I was so disappointed in myself over the Black Dragon Wash failure that I decided to press on for some type of (in my mind) redemption. Following Salina the TAT takes you into Fishlake National Forest. Here is one of the spots that the TAT rollcharts are off. I missed a turn and got lost. I should have turned back, but subsequent turns almost aligned with the rollcharts, so I thought I was still on track. It was pitch black and storming before I admitted to myself that I was lost. My choice was to set up camp on top of a mountain with no protection from the elements or further down the mountain where I could hear branches and trees coming down from the storm. I waited a bit and found a relatively open spot halfway down a mountain and set up camp. The end to a long shitty hot and then cold&wet day. It's amazing how morning makes everything better! I quickly drove back to Richfield and found the navigation error. The last section of Utah is intimidating. It's around 70 miles of nothing. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-sZtX...-sZtXvHH-L.jpg http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-Qrm3...-Qrm344g-L.jpg As I neared the NV border storm clouds begin to sweep in. The sky was so open I could see them form and what direction they were heading. One to my 9, one to my 12, and one to my 4. The lightening was making me nervous after my experience in Colorado. I could see it hitting close. I've never ridden as fast as I did that day on gravel. By some stroke of luck the TAT took me around or between all three storm banks. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-5NpN...-5NpNBbL-L.jpg http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-wMCZ...-wMCZ8wR-L.jpg Utah ended with me getting a beer and a burger at The Border Inn, and enjoying a beautiful sunset. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-RH9B...-RH9BFCg-L.jpg |
Nevada
Nevada has the reputation of being the most difficult section of the TAT. The riding is tough, the distances are vast, and the trail is remote.
I spent most of my time here stressed and on full alert. It is exhausting to keep your antenna up ALL the time. To be honest, I didn't enjoy this section much. It was challenging and the only thing that kept me going was the satisfaction of overcoming the TAT. It didn't help that it rained everyday while I was in NV. The streams were high and water was flowing fast. The dirt/sand mixture is odd. There was mud on the surface of the ground down to an inch or so of depth, under that it is bone dry. The mud stuck to everything. There were days when I would not see another person except when I pulled into a gas station. If you or the bike get messed up, no one is around to help. You better hope that another TAT rider is close behind you...and that you are on the TAT and not lost. A few miles after crossing into Nevada, I came to my first legitimate water obstacle. The creek was swollen from the rain over the past few days. I did the smart thing and walked it first, the bed was solid. I successfully crossed and gained some (false) confidence. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-cNFf...-cNFfF2v-L.jpg Get used to cattle gates. You have to get off the bike, open the gate, ride through, and then close the gate. It gets to be a real pain in the ass after the 100th damn gate. Be careful to not park too close. On one occasion poles and barbwire caught the front tire of my bike and pulled the damn thing over. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-sJdD...-sJdDGGd-L.jpg Maybe some of you other TATers remember this place. A little bit of green in the plains with two tall trees and an old farmhouse. At The Border Inn I ran into some geologist that was working in the area. The trees are native to Italy - someone brought them over a long ago. Also, there is a well with some rare snail. It's a protected area. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-J5Gx...-J5GxDtQ-L.jpg I did not take the 'Big Bike' bypass before Lund. Thanks to whoever tied the ribbon along the wash. It was difficult to pick out the trail. Thankfully the rain held off until I was about a mile from pavement. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-fMhz...-fMhzJQr-L.jpg I had to stop and dig out this shit by hand at least 6 times. It would build up until my back tire wouldn't spin. If I went fast enough the knobbies would self-clean...but soon as I hit deep mud it would grind to a halt, and I would fall over because I would slip in the mud. The mud also built up so that my rear brake line was pushed against my tire. Bye-bye rear brake, didn't have one until Seattle. Going downhill in sandy and rocky terrain with only a front brake is a learning experience. The first day in NV turned out to be the most difficult day of the entire trip. Following the 'Big Bike' bypass and before Lund, one follows a dirt track through the mountains. The rain had everything slick and muddy. It was here that I thought I broke my neck. The path was a two rack dirt road with grass in the middle. Overconfidence...I was riding along and hit a tiny patch of mud with maybe a cup of standing water in the center. Before I knew it my front tire cut hard to the left. I was so surprised that I gripped hard on my right grip (I didn't hit the throttle) and was slung head first onto the ground. I didn't lose consciousness or feel any immediate pain, but just because you don't feel injured doesn't mean you don't have a neck or spinal cord injury. I laid there for a moment with the bike on its side with the throttle pinned thinking what to do. Risk further injury or wait for help. No one was going to find me, and I could move fingers and toes. The adrenaline was wearing off, a splitting headache approached, and my neck was already stiff enough I couldn't move my head. Picking the bike up was a bitch. The trail became extremely difficult to navigate - many tracks, and damn confusing directions. Naturally enough I got lost. I again ran into a situation where the trail on the ground 'almost' matched up with the TAT roll chart. Also, I didn't learn my lesson the first time about going down hills I couldn't climb back up - so I repeated that mistake. After going downhill, I hoped the next rise was easy. It wasn't. Muddy, rutted, and steeply cantered downhill, I tried to make it up several times but couldn't. I took all my luggage off and basically manhandled the bike to the top. The next climb I came to was substantially more difficult. No way in hell I was getting up it. Oh yeah, I could see a nasty thunderstorm rolling in...and it was dusk. I considered just setting up camp and waiting for morning, but I was determined to make it to Lund. I was able to make it back out, but not before losing my expensive Ray Ban sunglasses. The TAT maps (the old ones) came in handy and I was able to find a route through the mountains and into Lund. I think I rolled in about 2am. The only hotel in Lund didn't have any rooms; they directed me to Ely - about 70 miles away. After some convincing, the lady that ran the place (and her drunk as hell son) let me camp out back. Worst. Day. Yet. The next morning I was a mass of pains and aches, but stretched it out and drove on. Great Breakfast http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-X8t7...-X8t7h75-L.jpg Day two was relatively easy. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-VGTQ...-VGTQt4m-L.jpg Cows gossiping at the water point. I've read that more people are killed by cows than by sharks each year. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-sKLX...-sKLXXtV-L.jpg Some hard to find tracks. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-2DN6...-2DN62d8-L.jpg Lots of sand http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-sXDW...-sXDWcwv-L.jpg Traces of hungry bikers. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-bZqR...-bZqRZhH-L.jpg Before descending into Battle Mountain there is a track that someone doesn't want us to use anymore. They blocked it with huge boulders. The rain made passing to either side impossible. For the 2nd time I left the TAT and found an alternate route. The alternate turned out to be fun. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-vq4B...-vq4BSzp-L.jpg I arrived in Battle Mountain about 5PM and wanted to make up some distance. This is where one picks up the famous NV single track. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-Jwkd...-JwkddV4-L.jpg Not content with the navigation challenge of the single track during daylight, I continued on at night. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-tXCf...-tXCfWvh-L.jpg It was all fine until a water crossing. The stream was deep, wide, and running fast. The opposite bank was pretty damn steep as well. I elected to set up my tent and wait until morning. What looked difficult the night before turned out to be a very easy water crossing. It's amazing how nighttime makes things seem so much more difficult. My confidence was up. I thought that this was the water crossing in NV that everyone talks about. It wasn't. Smiley> When I finally approached the Smith Ranch, I didn't recognize it for what it was and screwed up - I didn't recon the stream. I was confident from the stream crossing earlier and just went for it. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-v4fP...-v4fPP22-L.jpg http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-FWBX...-FWBXKBg-L.jpg I chose my line and started down the rather steep embankment. That is when I realized where I was. As I entered the stream, my front tire promptly disappeared. I still thought I could get through and gave the throttle a twist. I moved forward maybe 8 inches before my bash plate got hung up. That turned out to be extraordinarily lucky. The back tire was barely touching the ground and the front tire was underwater. I worked my way around to the front of the bike to see what I could do and it became apparent how lucky I was. I was still in the shallow part of the creek. The front tire was embedded in mud a few inches to the left of a waterhole. I'm 6ft and the water hole was halway up my torso. If the bike hadn't gotten hung up, I would be trying to haul a 360lb bike out of deep water and up a bank by myself. Yeah right... Well shit...what now? Wait for someone to come by? Realistically, only another TATer would find me. How many days would I wait, waist deep in water holding this stupid bike so it wouldn't be at the bottom of a stream? Fate has a way of looking out for the brave and the stupid. I am quite certain which catagory I fell into. I took the velcro band from the Enduro Stand kit and engaged the front brake and then put the bike in neutral. From there I got in front of the bike and basically overhead pressed the bike backwards. Not easy considering the angle the bike was resting and that I had to push it backwards up a steep embankment. I made some progress, maybe a foot or so and then I lost it. It was like slow motion and all I could imagine was it falling upside down into the pool of water. Another stroke of luck! The bike fell to the other side at which point I could spin it on its side. Thanks to previous TATers I could push it backwards across a path/bridge make it to the other side. No point in waiting around. My boots and pants would dry out soon enough on the trail. There are many, many gold mining exploration rigs out this way. I stopped at one because they were blocking the road with some equipment. They were NOT happy to see me. When the man in charge came over to talk to me he brought his 'muscle'. They thought I was a competitor from Germany (from my West Virginian accent?) scoping out their territory. I eventually made it to the top of Coyote Mountain. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-9KVT...-9KVTqNj-L.jpg And got lost in the NV Hills. There are lots of new mining roads and it is tough to distinguish between them and the TAT route. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-5GHZ...-5GHZMHL-L.jpg Finally I made it to Miller's Cabin. I don't know who maintains this place, but I'm glad they do. It's full of fleas, though there is a book for visiters to sign inside. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-BCFP...-BCFPJLw-L.jpg The charts do not do a good job of directing one through this area. I spend hours going in circles, trying to find the route through this area. The trails were cantered, rocky, and barely cut into a steep slope. Supposedly there is a trail that takes one from over a pass to Denio. I never could find the pass and got hit by two nasty thunderstorms during the several hours I rode around. What should have been a 20 mile route ended up turning into a 100 mile detour where I slept on the side of the highway. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-3MNN...-3MNNZMm-L.jpg After a huge breakfast a the Denio Restaurant, I continued on. I was exhausted at this time from the trail conditions and constantly being on alert. Last group of ass I saw on the trip West. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-gLx7...-gLx7PmD-L.jpg Following Denio, the trail passes through swampland. Maybe it's not normally swampland, but now it was because it had been raining everyday for...well, a long time now. I rode through several progressively deeper water crossings. I called it when I walked through one and it was balls deep. Enough. I jumped on the highway and meet up with the TAT at the next feasible spot in Oregon. End of Nevada. Thankfully. |
Is this the end?
Oregon
Home Stretch! I entered Oregon on 2 Aug. 2011 and had to no-shit make it to Seattle by 7PM Friday, 5 Aug. 2011. My good friend with whom I served with in Germany and Iraq had received a Company Command. I couldn't make his Change of Command Ceremony, but I wanted to make his BBQ and throw back a few beers. Plus his father is a rancher in South Dakota and brought an entire cow to eat! The first night in Oregon I stayed in a small town called Lakeview. I liked Lakeview, they had a fantastic burger joint and a dirt cheap hotel. $30 for the night, that's cheaper than some primitive camp grounds in Colorado! Following Lakeview, the TAT takes you through nice forests and mountains. Some nasty forest fires had ravaged the area. There was much timber down and I later learned that the environmentalists wouldn't let a logging company timber the felled or dead trees. It was stacked neatly, but left to rot... http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-RDRr...-RDRrc3x-L.jpg http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-XkJW...-XkJWB2P-L.jpg The next place to stop and get gas is Silver Lake, OR. Silver Lake has one tiny gas station that closes early. The lady that owns it will direct you to a great diner down the road...owned by her daughter. haha. The burgers there are good and I met some old Army vets with whom I exchanged war stories. I became lost as hell after leaving Silver City. Sparse, sandy tracks with multiple branches. There are lots of ATV and bike tracks, but I couldn't figure out the correct path by looking at tire marks. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-PvCK...-PvCKrBF-L.jpg http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-7GfZ...-7GfZg4J-L.jpg I stumbled forward until dark and then camped in a National Forest before Gilchrist. The mosquitoes almost carried me away. I missed the world's tallest Sugar Pine somehow. I'll chalk that up as another reason I need to ride the TAT again in the future. This area was like driving through a fairy tale's enchanted forest. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-5dRW...-5dRW3PD-L.jpg Tiller was a trip. The Germany lady that owns the gas station is awesome. I arrived barely two minutes before the station closed, but we got to talking and ended up chatting for about an hour. She will be very happy to tell you all about the state of Oregon, the US, Germany, and the world. The last day in Oregon and the last nasty hill climb. The trail in to the last hill climb looked like a game trail and I was questioning if I was on the right path. Thankfully when I started an uphill section and took a dive after a sharp uphill turn I realized I was in the right place. Steep, rock, and sandy. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-mC8s...-mC8s9j3-L.jpg This hill was as challenging as any climb on the entire TAT. I bent my shifter lever (again) and torqued the handle bars/Acerbis hand guards to bad that I had to cut the ends off of my clutch/brake lever so they were functional. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-NG8C...-NG8C8Nf-L.jpg I'm very thankful for the Case Armor. I have no doubt I would have punctured the engine case a number of times by now without it. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-CB6s...-CB6s66n-L.jpg Looking out over Oregon. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-74RK...-74RKS7j-L.jpg The last 30 miles or so of the TAT uses some old logging trails. There were many downed trees that someone had cut a path through. Thanks One Less Harley. I continue on until I saw no more signs of anyone passing through and came to a huge tree across the trail with no way to cross - not under, not over. I of course did not have a saw and had to back track...a long freakin way. This just a sample of the downed trees. An introduction... http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-chn4...-chn4Bwn-L.jpg I didn't think I was going to make it to Port Orford that day, and indeed I did not. I rolled in around 2am in the fog and cold. Got a beer at the gas station and drove down to the Port and set up camp and then celebrated. I was happy to have completed the TAT, but it was sort of anti-climatic when I finished. It feels like there should be a welcoming party, a BBQ, and beer...I woke up around 5am and started on the road to Seattle. http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-Vc8n...-Vc8nZZ8-L.jpg http://www.smugmug.com/photos/i-67nT...-67nTPBv-L.jpg Now starts the 'and Beyond'. |
Awesome!
bier Thank you!!
Can't wait for the 'and Beyond!' You posted a picture of our friends from Switzerland, I sent them a link to your report. We were unable to ride the TAT last summer with them, but hope to ride at least a portion in 2012. Ride safe! |
Hey great RR so far! Interesting read on the TAT. Good to know it can be done alone.
You mentioned issues with elevation earlier. Just wondering how the bike performed when you were at Cinnamon Pass? Subscribed! |
West is the Best
After 5,000 miles of the TAT east to west, where does one go next?
Alaska or Tierra del Fuego? I decided to hook a left. Alaska will be left for another day - I like to leave roads untraveled and sites unseen. Gives me a reason to go back one day. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-Ff6zv28-L.jpg Ok, so I didn't immediately head south. A few of my Army buddies were transferred to Ft. Lewis (Seattle) and I wanted to visit/mooch off of them. The drive from Port Orford to Seattle in one day was a killer. I started riding North on Highway 1, but wasn't making great time. I cut inland to Highway 5 and split every lane where my bike could fit. Definitely pissed off a few people, but they'll get over it. Finally rolled in to Seattle just as the first steaks and brats were coming off the grill. I was such a grungy dirtbag that I was embarrassed to be walking around in 'polite' company. Then I thought 'Wait, these are mostly military vets and spouses'. Stinking and dirty ain't nothing new. :) http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-JBZk5q2-L.jpg I spent the next two and a half weeks crashing at my friend's house, drinking all his beer and eating his food. It was great! Clint (or as we refer to him Clintoris) had to wake up for physical training every day at 5am. I sure as hell don't miss those days. Meanwhile, I would wake up around the crack of noon, make coffee, and meet up with friends. The DR could not have performed better on the TAT. The only maintenance I had to perform was to change the front brake pads, oil change, clean the air filter, and install a new rear brake line. I also locktitted the NSU screws. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-MskZdpD-L.jpg The rear brake line got jacked up in Nevada. Some clumped mud jammed it against my tire and eventually it wore through. After I bought my DR650 in Germany, all my buddies started getting in to bikes. Clint had just purchased a BMW 1200GS. It is a beautiful bike...but he talked non-stop shit on the DR. I suggested that we go do some 'off' pavement riding. :) http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-KCKmwqj-L.jpg I felt sort of bad. The track we took was pretty rough, even for me on my bike. After the first 100 or so yards and him dropping it 3 times, I thought we should turn back. Clint wasn't having any of it and kept trying to go further. Eventually a dented pannier and oil leaking from one of the jugs convinced him to call it. We spent the rest of the time messing around Mount Rainier. Hobo Inn http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-vDRwDth-L.jpg Hobo Diner http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-JCzSmSc-L.jpg Mount Rainier http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-CWSmdbQ-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-254r4sc-L.jpg Overall, I like the Seattle area a lot. It has everything whether you are a city person or an outdoors person. Sailing, mountaineering, skiing, climbing, a large city with all the amenities one of those provide. I am seriously considiering moving there after this trip. After about 30 cases of Pilsner Urquell and 100 lbs of beef, I decided to head to Las Vegas for fraternity brother's birthday. Like the start of any journey, it was raining the day I left. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-XLFg6jM-L.jpg As the day wore on, the rain became more intense. Eventually I called it and stopped at some random campsite on the coast and set up camp. I can deal with cold, I can deal with wet. Being cold and wet just ruins it for me. The Oregon coast. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-t4CW6xW-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-35kLJhc-L.jpg This is Redwood country and I wanted to see the Giant Redwoods. One of the most famous roads to see the trees is called the Avenue of Giants. The Redwoods are massive! I wonder what the first settlers that pushed west thought when they saw these trees. If the trees here are so large, what are the animals like? Clearly Bigfoot lives in this area. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-pvs3QhF-L.jpg Just before Westcliff I found an amazing little campground. Usually a motorcyclist has to pay the same price as a vehicle to camp, but cyclists pay the base fee to camp. The ranger there told me to pay the same as the cyclists. Then when I asked him how far it was to the gas station, he was so concerned I wouldn't make it that he gave me two gallons. It turned out that Westcliff was about a mile south of my campground and it had a fuel station. They make some mean breakfast sandwiches there. West cliff Camp Ground http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-fSTx2Jh-L.jpg I didn't follow 1 all the way south because I wanted to check out Napa Valley. Dumb idea. I pictured something like the Rhine River Valley. Many smallish vineyards, guest houses, cafes/restaurants/wine tastings everywhere. Napa is probably not a place I will return. Overpriced, crowded, traffic... Several of my fraternity brothers had moved out west and I wanted to mooch off them on my way to Vegas. I spent a few days in Monterrey trying to surf and a day in Bakersfield. Great place to make money, but not much else... Driving inland from the CA coast. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-chrJvhd-L.jpg Still plenty of oil in CA. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-hrQP7HT-L.jpg Las Vegas. To protect the innocent (or not so innocent) I don't want to elaborate much. My fraternity brother was turning 30 and wanted to go balls out. It's amazing how much fun one can have in Vegas with no spending limit. I meant to spend 3 days in Vegas, 10 days later I finally left. Time well spent. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-LrnFd2n-L.jpg San Diego was the last stop off point in the US. A fellow rider and I (we initially met on the HUBB) decided to ride Mexico together and used San Diego as the meeting point. He was a few days behind, so a lady friend flew in from the East Coast and we explored the city. India Star http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-VXs4HbT-L.jpg I foresee one of these in my future. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-qG3zKBJ-L.jpg It just so happened we were there on the 10 year anniversary of September 11th. There was a huge military presence and a memorial on the USS Midway in the San Diego harbor. Statues of my favorite picture ever. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-WvMwC4R-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-hbVwxVs-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-WNqmCxf-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-MvJFVBH-L.jpg David and I met up and spent a few days on logistics in San Diego and then crossed to the Baja... |
To Mexico
Mexico is dangerous! Don't go there, you will be kidnapped, held for ransom, and beheaded. The TV says so. At least that is what most of my friends and family said. My beliefs leaned toward those going to Mexico with bad intentions ended up in the news, I didn't have anything to worry about. I lied a bit to make people feel better. How I was to get from the US to Guatemala overland was never mentioned.
David, a fellow rider from Seattle, and I exchanged messages on the HUBB a few months back and decided to ride together a bit and see how it worked out. At the very least we wanted to ride through Mexico together. What better way to try it on than to ride through the Baja? David and I leaving San Diego http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-ZTzHPZj-L.jpg Northern Baja is basically South California until some miles south of the border. Even then, it's still part of the Gringo Trail. The first day we wanted make it as far south of Tijuana as possible. Tijuana Border Crossing http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-F6MF4XR-L.jpg To Mexico http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-3tRvBrv-L.jpg We crossed at about 8am on a Monday. Tijuana is a major border crossing, and even with GPS coordinates and directions written down it was chaotic. Once we found the Aduana Office, it was painless as possible. The Aduana has a huge secured parking lot and everything you need to process within the secure area. We didn't pay for helpers, in fact I didn't even notice any helpers at this border. I understand it isn't necessary to get a Vehicle Import Permit here (you an get it in La Paz), but why wait? Also, we went through Baja Bound for our Mexican Vehicle Insurance. Ask any rider where they had the best food and the answer will always be Mexico. Unless they are lying or trying to be difficult. Now I'm no glutton, but I like food. The food in Mexico has been the highlight so far. Fresh ingredients, cooked made to order, and typically aesthetically pleasing with many different colors present. First Tacos in Mexico http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-rhDW85R-L.jpg Stuffing my Face http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-vRKZTqq-L.jpg Dinner http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-rpFSMhd-L.jpg There were things to do on both sides of the Baja, so we planned to cross the peninsula several times. The general route for Baja Norte was Ensenada, San Felipe, Puertecitos, Bay of Gonzaga, and Coco's Corner. No one really knew what was up with Coco, but I heard so much about the place I wanted to give it a shot. The tourist areas of Mexico were really hurting. Often times David and I would be the only visitors in town. No complaints, b/c we were able to work some pretty decent deals on accommodations. One area they kept trying to gouge us was on food. We would find a place that looked busy and then take a look at the food. If it was appealing we would ask one of the people eating how much they paid. I can't tell you how many times the person we asked would make eye contact with the proprietor, who would then give us the Gringo Price. We skipped those stands... It was exciting to be back in a dry hot climate after following Highway 1 along the US West Coast. Some of the sandy trails leading off into the mountains just begged to be explored. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-NfthKS6-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-MRtgVHr-L.jpg The first crossing of the Baja from the Pacific side to Sea of Cortez side was awesome. The terrain was so alien. We started down the road to the Park of 1812 and thought to camp there that night, but road soon became deep sand so we headed directly to San Felipe. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-qhw4MMz-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-WgMLmbP-L.jpg San Felipe was the first town on the Sea of Cortez side we visited. Not much was going on, again no other tourists. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-T4fMvH3-L.jpg The San Felipe bay was nice. I got to practice my limited Spanish on some children. They corrected me on my pronunciation and grammar. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-68X7Xcj-L.jpg What a fishing town be without some drunk locals? We got into a discussion as to whether Suzuki or Yamaha engines were better. I have no idea (and don't really care) but it was fun to argue. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-pxftx54-L.jpg Some beached boats. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-BvfFjGC-L.jpg We went south from San Felipe to the Bahia San Luis Gonzaga. The road was paved to Puertecitos and a little further past the pueblo. To Puertecitos http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-2HXpVDF-L.jpg Once we hit dirt/sand, the DR could really shine. At the gas station just outside the Bahia San Luis Gonzaga we met a guy from the US that was part of the Gringo community in the area. He invited us to have a few beers and crash at his place if we wanted. We gladly accepted and told him we would be there after grabbing a bit to eat at Alfonso's. Unfortunately, the Mexican fishing authority was in town and had busted the local fisherman. The atmosphere was not festive. I'm not sure how much the fines where, but the local fisherman are not wealthy and any fine is probably a huge cut into any profit they might have. Bahia San Luis Gonzaga from the rear of Alfonso's Restaurant. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-5gxPm8p-L.jpg Sunset from the front of Alfonso's Restaurant. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-GhtNKTH-L.jpg After dinner we drove down the beach to the people's house who invited us to crash. We shot the breeze with our hosts and drank a few beers. They are not happy about the paved road - "Good roads bring bad people". Before turning in for the night, we went for a swim in the bay. This was the first time I saw luminescent plankton! Whenever they are disturbed, say by me swimming or moving my hand through the water, they glow green. I hear that in some places they have these plankton and the waves will glow green because the crashing water disturbs them. So cool. The last stop in Baja Norte was Coco's Corner. My hosts in Gonzaga didn't know if Coco was still alive and running Coco's Corner or not. Apparently he has been sick and spending a lot of time away. We lucked out because Coco was still there. He is a hell of a character. The drive there was lots of loose rock and sand. People dump lots of random shit out in the desert. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-W99gR4N-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-633n4mg-L.jpg Coco's Corner http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-tbXMJFJ-L.jpg Coco http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-QdX7j7J-L.jpg Coco gave us some advice. Mostly all I remember was the advice that everyone in Santa Roselia is gay. haha. We also signed his guest book. If you get a chance, pay Coco a visit. I don't think he will be there much longer. The Vstrom trying to keep up with the DR.:) http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-HcSrQfg-L.jpg Next up, Baja South. |
South Baja
After leaving Coco's, David and I cut across the Baja to Highway 1. Hwy 1 followed the Pacific side for a bit then crossed back to the Sea of Cortez side. We decided to forego Coco's warning about Santa Rosalia (everyone is gay - the cops, the mayor, all the residents) and found a hotel there. Cool clouds over the Baja http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-p9qfsCv-L.jpg Two unfortunate things happened in Santa Rosalia. First, Coco wasn't far off in his assessment. Some other dude with my name got many, many Facebook friend requests from Mexican men. Secondly, I came down with a nasty case of food poisoning. This had me laid up for two days. I'm pretty sure I picked it up at a Taco Stand in Guerrero Negro. The food was great so I kept going back, but the sanitary conditions were questionable at best. Ah well, the first of many. haha. Bahia de Concepcion. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-LTj3PHq-L.jpg The Bay of Conception was one of my must see spots. I've read that one can see the most beautiful sunsets it the world there. Therefore it was a camping night. We totally lucked out being the ONLY people on the beach. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-gtLhz4F-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-C8QpjSX-L.jpg We crossed the Baja again! This time to hit San Juanico. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-Pwrq7Lt-L.jpg David learned first hand the dangers of buying a used bike as we crossed the Baja on Highway 53. And by highway, I mean a rutted sand and rock track. On one of the hill climbs David's bike lost power, revving at super high RPMs but not moving. Situations like this create such a sense of dread and apprehension. Of course one always leaps to the worst case possibilities. David thought his trip was over. His bike was broke, and he was going to have to fly home. Being the savvy mechanic I am, I told him not to worry - it was probably just the clutch plates. A helpful guy in a Jeep following us gave a David a lift to a local ranch. The ranchers had a truck and David arranged for a Truck Day. The Ranchers gave David and his Vstrom a lift to San Isidro. Of course there were no mechanics in San Isidro...BUT there just happened to be a reputable mechanic in San Juanico. How fortuitous! We talked a Police Officer into loading the bike in a Police truck (a continuation of Truck Day) and to drive to San Juanico - AKA Scorpion Bay. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-HktFpdB-L.jpg Now this is an ideal surf spot! The bay was wide and the point break was in such a location that one could ride a wave nearly parallel to the beach for...I don't know. Maybe mile? David is a master at getting free shit and managed to get a local board maker to let us 'test' his boards. I was able to stand up on the board a few times (for seconds), but I still need LOTS of time in the water to develop any type of surf skills. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-7QdVXcd-L.jpg The mechanic in San Juanico was able to tighten some clutch plate adjustment screw that would hopefully carry David to La Paz. After three days in Scorpion Bay we jetted south. The adjustment needed re-adjusting. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-fC8J2n7-L.jpg We wandered around La Paz and got some info on the ferry to Mazatlan. The Mexican Police use Vstroms and David was able to take his bike to a shop where they could replace the clutch plates same day. The clutch was so abused that one of the metal clutch plates had broken! It was patched up soon enough. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-JSwgWgV-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-xkxdPsD-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-mqL8sRJ-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-t6kP4v5-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-3t6rJwq-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-xnFgxTN-L.jpg The next ferry wasn't for a few days, so we decided to check out Cabo San Lucas since it was only a short day ride south. On the way to Cabo is THE Hotel California. We didn't check in, so we were able to leave... http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-nB6jbdf-L.jpg Cabo was ****ing EXPENSIVE - reminded me of any typical Mexican Spring Break spot, Cancun, Acapulco, etc. Nothing great. We did some swimming, snorkeling, and bar hopping. While on the beach, I think a guy drowned. The waves and rip tide were brutal and I think he was slammed into some rocks. The authorities kept the area quarantined, so I don't know exactly what happened. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-sV958h8-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-PHc9b6H-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-sjpHSjv-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-xP2mpSW-L.jpg After Cabo we went back to La Paz and boarded the ferry. For as many motorcycles as cross here, the ferry didn't have any tie down straps. The master loader tried to tell us they would be ok just resting on their kickstands. ****ing yeah right. Part of my job in the Army was Sea and Air transportation. I could envision a smashed up bike and several smashed up Mexican vehicles...along with angry Mexicans and Policia involvment. I had two straps in my luggage and rigged up a three point tie down that kept both bikes secure. Also when it comes to loading cargo it goes last on, first off. Somehow we ended up being last on and last off. I was not impressed by the cargo master loader... http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-SGqxScb-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-sxgtGVq-L.jpg We had a calm voyage to Mazatlan, disembarked, and continued on to El Espinazo del Diablo. |
Espinazo del Diablo
The Map
http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-bXF5tzF-L.jpg After a restless night of sleep on the ferry to Mazatlan, I was finally allowed to descend into the hold to prep my bike for disembarkation. Loading a bike is not nearly as easy as hoping into a car and driving off and the cargo master kept trying to rush us. Sorry bud! We tried to come down early, but you all wouldn't let us. I'm not going to hurry now. There wasn't anything we really wanted to do in Mazatlan, so we gassed up and left for Espinazo del Diablo (Route 40). 170 miles of curves and beautiful vistas. It was the most beautiful road I had ridden between the Trans American Trail and southern Colombia. It was here I crossed paths with my FIRST adventurer motorcyclist thus far on the trip. Jan from Poland, BMW 1150GSA, going from NYC to as far south as possible. His ride report is here. We stopped and had lunch together and then went our separate directions. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-JsmQqvW-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-vQQ8RVT-L.jpg Along Route 40. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-Nc7Smk3-L.jpg Here it is! http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-bFX8Ctc-L.jpg My panorama in no way does justice to the view along the Spine of the Devil. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-gZnkFfW-L.jpg We stopped for a picture of another great scene http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-fLVsb2T-L.jpg ...when behind us a horse was using the road to go somewhere. C'mon man, I'm just a horse!! http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-Cr6vfmL-L.jpg ...No idea where he came from or where he was going. A truck driver on the ferry had warned us to not stop at ANY town between Mazatlan and Durango. Not even to get gas. We took him at his word, but due to the late disembarkation from the ferry we stopped before dark in a small town by the name of La Ciudad. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-mvsNWGT-L.jpg The hotel was 35 pesos per person and there was a gordita stand across the street with a lady making gorditas from scratch! http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-K3jQ5Lf-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-2jBG6RR-L.jpg There is a nice camping spot near La Ciudad, but it costs SIGNIFICANTLY more than the hotel. Trucks driver's advice is usually pretty good, but this time I think he was wrong. La Ciudad had some money, there were many nice F150s driving around and the locals said there was timber and furniture crafting in the area. The next morning was a short day to Durango, MX. This side of the mountains was much drier. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-g96xpwf-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-BsjXDjQ-L.jpg The road was just as curvy and fun. Bus and truck drivers were crazy as usual. There was a big rig behind me hauling a large piece of excavation equipment taking turns faster than me on my bike! He made me nervous so I pulled over and let him pass. Less than 20 miles up the road he had a collision with another vehicle and there was shit all over the road. I was in no way surprised. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-KqxMQDJ-L.jpg We hit the main square and walked around to see what there was to see. A Church http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-brzVXMT-L.jpg A McDonald's that delivers. How many drunk driving accidents would this save if we had a McDonald's that delivered in the US? http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-TbXv92z-L.jpg There is a mining museum right in the middle of the square. It was fairly well put together....but they really need a native English speaker to read the Spanish to English translations on the plaques before money is spent on crafting/engraving. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-GNXPQTg-L.jpg Durango was the biggest silver mining region in Mexico for a couple of hundred years. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-6mg4bZw-L.jpg Hotels were super expensive in Durango, so David and I drove to a park south of town to camp. On our way out of town a man and wife on a motorcycle pulled up beside us and wanted to know if we needed help. They then invited us back to their home for dinner, a hot shower, and to crash for the night. It must have been quite an event because the entire extended family came over. Aunts, uncles, cousins, even the grandmother! http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-dFRqffp-L.jpg They were seriously great people. Gustavo gave us some advice about our route to Zacatecas (again, don't stop between Durango and Aguas Caliente). Then went on to tell us a story about how one of his friends was making a similar drive in a truck. Two other vehicles boxed him in and then kidnapped his friend and took the truck. His friend had not been returned yet... The Perez family. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-cQgpng3-L.jpg The daughter, Angelica, peaking around the corner as we were getting ready to leave. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-L9qHBxN-L.jpg |
Mines and Corona
Zacatecas is my second most favorite Mexican city. Beautiful area, hella great food, and some cool stuff to do. Many of the Mexicans we met truly went out of their way to be hospitable. To me it seemed that each individual felt it was their duty to counter the reputation that Mexico is known for.
http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-fwhHzcJ-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-QSNxqkK-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-H2XNnZ8-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-5JqVCnD-L.jpg The drive from Durango to Zacatecas was longer than expected. Our Mexican family warned us not to stop ANYWHERE along the route prior to arriving in Zacatecas. We would be kidnapped and held for ransom at best. It was a beautiful area so we couldn't pass up some of the cool photo opportunities and great food. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-5NBMMjb-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-FQJbTsc-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-bb8ZPcM-L.jpg The old city of Zacatecas kept its Spanish heritage - it felt like being back in a city in Spain. Run down, beautiful buildings, cafes, etc. I liked it a lot. I can't remember the name of the hostel we stayed in.....but we lucked out. The guy that was working the front desk hooked us up in a number of ways. He just happened to be friends with the head of public relations at the local Corona brewery. Corona isn't my favorite beer, but who in the hell is going to pass up an opportunity to see one of the largest breweries in the world and to drink all one wants? All we had to do was find our own way there. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-q3JG667-L.jpg I've been to several other breweries, but never one this massive. It produces two billion (yes, with a B) liters of beer per year. The land it covered was on the scale of an airport. Not just the brewery, but also the distribution center (with rail ops) and a guest hotel for when the higher ups come and visit. Roman, the PR guide, mentioned the each bottle would be used a dozen or so times before they were crushed and discarded. When a local bar owner or store owner wanted to begin selling Modelo products, the brewery would give them a sort of microloan. The local vender would receive 50 cases of beer and then once sold render payment. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-NkW9XMs-L.jpg Personally, I wish the US would begin reusing bottles. It's not a difficult process (works well in Germany) and it would cut down on refuse. I was quite impressed at how well kept the facility was and how clean everything was. I mean spotless, there were dozens of workers who all they did was clean. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-hwrtCJH-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-mPbwsr6-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-d9kXW9d-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-ZLGFK6f-L.jpg They even let us in the master control room where the entire process was automated. I didn't catch how everything worked, but the brew master works in this room and can control all aspects of the brewing process. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-MHvVnwg-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-dSM7Jf8-L.jpg After messing around there and then being shown where the actual ingredients are stored, we visited the bottling/distribution center. They were bottling the big boy Corona Originals today. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-CrpVnJQ-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-6x86fHJ-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-Cn7bwZ3-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-h7crJWt-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-tHKwP3P-L.jpg Learning the process is all find and great...but now the important part begins. Free beer! http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-QTDkJSj-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-Z3dGNqS-L.jpg That same night, the hostel guy put David and I in contact with Fredrico, a fellow motorcyclist and Horizon's Unlimited member. Fredrico was kind enough to meet us and we all went and had diner together. Fredrico, if you are reading this - Thanks! Mexico was great and with zero problems. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-Xt4dbJ4-L.jpg Colorful Burritos. I can't remember the name of this restuarant, but it's a local icon. I think most people eat there because of the brightly colored burritos and not the gourmet cooking. They had a bit of a chalky taste. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-mwLGGdB-L.jpg The attraction in Zacatecas is the Silver Mine, so of course we visited. A train takes one into the mine. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-DfCC3vq-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-LF89TjS-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-tb9Scz3-L.jpg We were thrown in with a group of high schoolers from somewhere in Mexico and the tour was in Spanish...so I didn't catch much, too busy staring at the jailbait. I think this is the patron Saint of the mine. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-RZshZqG-L.jpg They tried to sell us rocks. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-jw28Jr9-L.jpg These rocks glow in the dark. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-PjJX5kf-L.jpg I also highly recommend Los Dorados de Villa. Probably the best food I had in Mexico. The cafe looks closed and in fact may even be locked and have a 'Closed' sign on the door. You must ring the bell and someone will let you in. Go with a group and have everyone order something different and then share. You won't be disappointed. From Zacatecas we routed to Guanajuato.:) |
Guanajuato and Tequila
Guanajuato is a city of artists. Artisans, actors, poets...the city is gorgeous. I believe that the city was designed by artists. Shit just doesn't make sense here.
Trying to navigate in Guanajuato is like trying to navigate the painting Relativity. http://www.scottmcd.net/artanalysis/.../01/Escher.jpg The city was once one of most important mining centers in Mexico - at one time the mines here churned out 2/3rds of the world's silver. It is surrounded on all sides by mountains and the many old mining tunnels through mountains are now used as roads. Guanajuato is watched over by Juan José de los Reyes Martínez 'El Pípila'. He was a miner turned rebel that strapped a big ass stone on his back to deflect gunfire as he covered a barricaded wooden door with tar and set it alight - thereby allowing the rebels to win on of the first battles for Mexican Independence. One way tunnels with multiple signless exits - where the GPS would loose signal. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-PqWtgZ4-L.jpg One way narrowing roads that end in an alley. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-8qvshDZ-L.jpg Through fairs on differing levels. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-ZMTh58D-L.jpg 'You can't get there from here'. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-4mq7btw-L.jpg It was a nightmare...but easily the coolest city in Mexico. Eventually we found a nice local girl that held our hands and walked us to the hostel - right in the middle of giving a guided tour to another group of gringos. We happened to arrive during Cervantino, an international film festival held in Guanajuato. Every night there were multiple free movies, shows, and performances. One could wander from plaza to plaza and catch silent comedy acts from Germany, save the dolphin movies by the actors from Flipper, crazy impressionist dancing/wire work from Europe, and random local mimes trying to make a buck. It would have been easy to stay here for the entire month...but damn near every hostel was full! Thankfully we found a B&B ran by a retired couple from the US. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-wqDshsc-L.jpg Their B&B just happened to be located about two blocks above the Mummy Museum. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-Xd7pkfG-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-7g3kSnb-L.jpg The street food during Cervantino was being served up hot and fast. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-JNJ5dpH-L.jpg The food may look like a case of food poisoning waiting to happen, but Mexico provides. Just around the corner was - http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-h2mr9SF-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-w5MFtW4-L.jpg Yes, the Pepto Bismol Mariachi Bus! Guanajuato is like a different world within Mexico and was one of my highlights. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-sQ7dwjq-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-GHNfX2D-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-K4gGM7D-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-fkQkwM8-L.jpg From Guanajuato we decided to head to Guadalajara, so why not visit Tequila, Mexico (birthplace of Tequila) as well?! http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-9dXL2gs-L.jpg David has a press pass and managed to use that to finagle a free tour of the Jose Cuervo distillery and La Familia's personal cellar. Long story short, Jose Cuervo is still owned and ran by the original family (the Beckmanns). It's too bad that most people for the US only know the Jose Cuervo Gold Tequila. Try the Tradicional and you won't be disappointed. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-FxWVTVZ-L.jpg The distillery offers a great tour. There is a huge amount of distillery history here. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-2tRZVS3-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-Vp2rx6G-L.jpg The original method of baking and juicing the blue agave. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-2pN7GNg-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-M6wPpgQ-L.jpg Local farmers used to truck in their blue agave and sell it by the kilo. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-vTq4kdt-L.jpg Rather than weight every agave, they used a weight averaging method. The farmers choose six of their largest agaves...and Cuervo would choose the six smallest agaves. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-ZXbhvDj-L.jpg Now they just weight the truck. Back in the 80's Tequila took off in the global market. The demand far outstripped the supply of raw blue agave. The local farmers were able to make a premium on their agave and so naturally expanded. There has been a blue agave glut the last few years, so farmers are not making much money. The final part of the tour took us down to the family's personal cellar for a tasting - Reserva Familia. A limited number of bottles are produced each year and the boxes the bottle comes in are highly sought after due to being designed/painted by Mexican artists. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-2D3CwMq-L.jpg These are the original glass jugs for use of storage and transportation. Some are over 200 years old and very valuable. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-5GfG3L8-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-2bLj8D8-L.jpg It was some good Tequila. :) http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-QnnCND7-L.jpg The bar here made the best Margarita's I've ever had. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-sLLMspz-L.jpg |
The End of Mexico
It was only mid October, but I was starting to feel rushed to make it to Panama City to board the Stahlratte. There were several things I wanted to do in Central America - Spanish language school, Tikal, Sumec Champey, Boquete...not to mention crossing the borders and dealing with any mechanical problems that might pop up.
Before chewing up miles south, David and I had some trip plans in Mexico... Guadalajara. David and I took turns arranging lodging as we traveled. Guadalajara was my turn and rather than use hostelworld, AirBnB, or whatever else I went with couchsurfing. Enter Jose. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-WdW6Rft-L.jpg Jose was a professor at the local university and was a phenomenal host. Can't say enough good things about our experience there - due to Jose taking the time to show us around and arrange plans. Thus far, all my couch surfing experiences have been very positive. Back to Guadalajara...up to this point our timing had been a little off. Every time we arrived at a city, a festival, race, concert had just ended or was a few days from beginning. That changed in Guanajuato with Cervintino and then again in Guadalajara with the Pan-American Games. Every night there was something going on in the center of the city. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-jhpMCLW-L.jpg Craftsmen cutting stone. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-sFgTn6j-L.jpg I believe this was a re-enactment of the Virgin of Zapopan converting the locals to Christianity and fighting off the bad spirits. Could be wrong on this one... http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-2GP285b-L.jpg The masks were incredibly detailed. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-K8kmwZP-L.jpg Jose then took us to visit some family and visit the city where the masks are hand crafted,Tonalá. Queen Cihuapilli Tzapapotzinco http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-5WRcdL6-L.jpg Works in progress http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-CgWPjtC-L.jpg There were many other craft shops with stuff for sale. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-JjRTF6S-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-BFbGQ4C-L.jpg ...the mug is ok, but who in the hell would want penises as their salt & pepper shakers? http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-wC3hSLS-L.jpg Jose's aunt did Mexican cuisine proud. She mad goat stew, which we could not get enough of. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-wCHVNgH-L.jpg David and I decided to climb a volcano after Guadalajara. Onward to Uruapan! Volcan Paricutin suddenly appeared in a farmer's field in 1943. Dionisio was out tending his field when he noticed a small smoking fissure. Naturally he pushed a big rock into the hole to try and plug it up. A week later the fissure had grown into a 5 story cinder cone volcano that erupted intermittently for about 9 years before going inactive in 1952. The volcano completely wiped out surrounding towns and buried them under 40 meters of ash and lava. The only building left standing at the end of the year... http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-gRbv78M-L.jpg From the church it is about a three hour hike to the actual volcano. There are helpful Ents along the way pointing out the route. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-FMNTLsC-L.jpg Volcan Paricutin http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-LrL22g4-L.jpg There are two ways up/down the volcano. One is a path on the right that meanders up and the other is straight up the sand chute on the right hand side of the mountain. We choose to climb up and go down the chute. Going down was much more fun than climbing up. Moon jumps and sand skiing. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-sGVvPDx-L.jpg The Uruapan region is also part of the Avocado region in Mexico. There are several US FDA officials stationed here to keep an eye on how the Avocado's are farmed. The big plantations have 9ft chain-link fence surrounding their orchards. Here is an orchard that has not started producing yet. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-8cQ2s4F-L.jpg It was a great trek, but this motorcycle riding thing doesn't give one enough physical exercise. It decreases the mobility in one's hips (being cramped up on the bike) which leads to knee pain. At least for me... Outside of Uruapan are the La Tzararacua Waterfalls. We had enough of that walking hit yesterday and decide to ride a horse down. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-HBSX9BS-L.jpg The falls http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-Q9rGpsq-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-LTVHjHW-L.jpg It's been years since I've ridden, but after a bit I had her at a nice little canter on the way up. At the top was a little cafe with the youngest Chef and Sous-Chef that has ever cooked my food. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-jNzBWFs-L.jpg The Sous-Chef bringing us a cold one http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-thjNJW4-L.jpg David had a family friend in Mexico City where we could crash for a few days. Very nice guy - a musician that let us have the run of his apartment. The Teotihuacan ruins were massive, but suffered from a reoccurring theme I saw throughout Mexico, Central & South America. Horrendous restorations of archeological sites. Using modern cement, iron rebar, etc to make it look nice - but totally destroying the authenticity of the sites. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-d5DXP5n-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-TrPmngk-L.jpg Supposedly if the Mayans did some crazy astrological calculations and found this to be a point of power. If you touch it, it makes you more powerful. FYFF! http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-P7p22M2-L.jpg One last thing to do before leaving Mexico City. Go see a soccer game. We ended up in the rowdy section. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-CgdnHbD-L.jpg So rowdy they had to put up chain link and barbwire fencing to prevent soccer hooligans from jumping off of the third tier onto the fans below... http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-zdhmq9L-L.jpg We had to wait until the rest of the stadium cleared out before they let us leave. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-gZvbR4z-L.jpg And then we were met by a battalion of Mexican Policia to keep things under control. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-LGkXtzt-L.jpg David and I parted ways in Mexico City. He still had some places he wanted to go in Mexico while I wanted to start going south to do a Spanish language immersion program and to catch the Stahlratte. So long David, maybe we will meet up again in South America. I pulled some long days through the rest of southern Mexico to the Guatemalan border. Didn't take many pictures, but I was fascinated by these cactuses. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-bWXC9jS-L.jpg Next up, my first border crossing on my own. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/pho...-pGmDrh9-L.jpg |
Central America
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Mexico to Guatemala was my first 'real' border crossing on my own. I aimed for the Tapachula crossing (against everyone's advice), but about mile before the border there was a river. The bridge was out. Why in the hell is the main bridge along Highway One from Mexico to Guatemala out with no detour, I just don't know... The next closest crossing was to the south at Talisman. I had my first experience with 'helpers' here, they were very pushy. In my experience, anyone that pushy is trying to cheat you, so I ignored them on the Mexican side. I screwed up three times at this border. The Tapachula border crossing has a banjercito at the border. One has to visit a banjercito in order to get the $300 US vehicle deposit refunded. Talisman didn't have a banjercito, though everyone at the border said it did. I didn't find this out until AFTER I exited Mexico. Damned if I was going to let them have $300. I had to re-enter Mexico and drive about 60k back to Viva Mexico where the aduana banjercito is located. Mistake 1. On the Guatemalan side I ignored the helpers that rushed me. I didn't research the entry requirements prior to hitting the border. Mistake #2. While in line a well-spoken Guatemalan guy started helping me out. When I started to negotiate a price, he said not to worry - pay what I think his help is worth at the end. I agreed. Mistake 3. The process is easy and in no way did I need a helper. On the other side of the Guatemalan border the helper handed me a bill. I was prepared to pay $5US (~35 Qs). More than fair in my mind. The bill was $50US! Meanwhile, my helper and 5 or 6 other Guatemalan guys had come over to stand around me. I didn't really feel threatened - but I think that was their intention. I laughed, crumpled up the bill, and made it clear I wasn't paying $50US. The negotiation started... He started to make some vague threats about calling the police over and I told him to do it. Then he said that if I didn't pay he would call his friends up ahead and I would have trouble with bandits or road blocks. More bullshit because there ain't no one willing to block highway 1 to make a few bucks from a border crossing helper. Eventually I paid about $14US to get him and his fat friends to stop surrounding me - but I was pissed off and beating myself up for both using a helper and not agreeing upon a price in the beginning. Ah well, I chalked this up to a learning experience. Do your research!! I've ran across motorcyclists paying upwards of $300US at border crossings. My goal was to hit Quetzaltenango - I was scheduled to begin a week long Spanish immersion class. I got a late start after correcting my screw-ups at the border, but the drive to Xela was gorgeous. Many rich Guatemalans and foreigners have villas along the Pacific Coast of Guatemala. The permanent staff live in the villas and keep them in a nice state of repair and keep squatters away. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/Oth...DSC03341-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/Oth...DSC03343-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/Oth...DSC03358-L.jpg Chicken Bus. This isn't your typical yellow chicken bus - I suppose the driver of this bus wanted to stand out. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/Oth...DSC03423-L.jpg These buses take curvy mountain roads faster than me on a motorcycle. Unfortunately if you look over the edge of the road you can see chicken buses at the bottom... The Spanish Immersion class was great. I enrolled in the week long, one on one, 6 hr per day class - and a homestay with a local family. If you want/need to do a Spanish class, Xela is a great place to do it. Cool city, safe, with everything you could need...even a Wal-mart! As far as the class, I would recommend taking maybe 4 hours per day for two weeks rather than 6 hours per day for one week. My brain was fried at the end of each session. Additionally, the homestay was average. It was cheap for a place to sleep with food included - but I didn't get anything out of it. Luck of the draw I suppose. I was in Xela during their week long day of the dead celebration. Church youth groups creating murals of sawdust in the main square. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/Oth.../SAM0428-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/Oth.../SAM0430-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/Oth.../SAM0439-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/Oth.../SAM0440-L.jpg The town cementerio is cleaned and decorated. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/Oth...DSC03374-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/Oth...DSC03373-L.jpg ****in' Dogs... http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/Oth...DSC03379-L.jpg One resident, apparently with lots of money, was fascinated by anything Egyptian. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/Oth...DSC03401-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/Oth...DSC03403-L.jpg Grave robbers left the recently deceased alone...the marble heads on the statues were much more valuable. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/Oth...DSC03382-L.jpg It's a celebration biatches! http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/Oth...DSC03410-L.jpg I just barely caught this bike with my camera. You over packers will probably get a boner over this guys's rear/top case. It's what...200 liters? http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/Oth...DSC03430-L.jpg From Xela the road took me north to Tikal. The scenery was gorgeous! http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/Oth...ountains-L.jpg The largest landslide thus far... http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/Oth...andslide-L.jpg It was like the ENTIRE mountain had just collapsed. I can't imagine the volume of mud, dirt, and rocks displaced. I was stopped by the police several times on my way north, but not once was I asked for a bribe or harassed. They were all very cool and interested in my trip - where I had come from, where I was going, what I thought of Guatemala. It was about this time that the rain started. Early November 2011. It has rained damn near every day since then...it is now 11 March 2012. Five months of rain. Anyway, Guatemalans on motorcycles (and everywhere else in Latin America) HATE when another motorcyclist passes them. Hate it! I can't tell you how many guys on 250s would try to keep up or pass me. In this particular instance on my way north to Tikal, I came across a particularly slick segment of pavement. With rain, it was like ice. I was pissed off at my tires because I was sliding so much. Behind me, two guys two up on a 250 Honda were trying to keep up (and pass). We went around a pretty sharp turn and I heard a loud crash and metal scraping on pavement. I look in my mirror and see them sliding to a stop. It's another biker, so even though they were being assholes I stop to help. SHIT! It's not the tires - I can barely stand up in my boots. I couldn't believe how slick the pavement was. The guys were not wearing any helmets or gear, but were already up cradling hand, knees, and elbows (not dead at least). I picked their bike up and moved it off the road - but wasn't much else I could do. They didn't want to call anyone, but I'm sure the one guy had a broken arm and the other had a broken leg. Onward north. In Tikal an odd phenomenon began. No matter where I went, I was the ONLY person there. In Tikal, the hotels and campgrounds were empty, no buses or vehicles where in the parking lots, even the restaurants would close early. I suppose it's a good thing... http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/Oth.../SAM0485-L.jpg I woke up early to view the 'awakening' of the jungle. I didn't want a guide, so I paid the normal entrance fee (and didn't get a ticket stub) to be let in 3 hours earl. I walked in to the Great Plaza and sat on Temple II to experience the Awakening of the Jungle. http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/Oth.../SAM0501-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/Oth.../SAM0504-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/Oth.../SAM0523-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/Oth.../SAM0524-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/Oth.../SAM0527-L.jpg http://jamesfisherwv.smugmug.com/Oth.../SAM0526-L.jpg Truly, the Awakening of the Jungle was far cooler than walking around the Tikal ruins. The ruins didn't speak to me, but the awakening - with the monkeys howling, birds screeching, and the sunrise was something else. One of the coolest things I experienced on the trip. After it was light, I wandered around the rest of the park but didn't see the point in spending all day there and left around 11am. Next up - Semuc Champey. |
Enjoyed reading your RR this morning and was surprised when I saw David... he was just here in Antigua a few weeks ago hanging out with us. Helped him find a rear tire and wished him well Southbound. If/when you come through Antigua, come by the shop and share some stories with fellow motorcyclists, join us for a ride, or just have a beer!
Moto Cafe 6a Calle Oriente #14 Antigua, Guatemala 14°33'19.50"N 90°43'52.43"W |
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Loving the great report. Live the good life!
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TAT and Beyond
Hey thanks for sharing, I enjoyed traveling with you on the TAT, I want to ride it too and need to figure how I will get my bike from OZ to the start of the trail. All the best on your adventures bro!
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