SOUTH TX: Copper Canyon Mar 19-22 2017

I'm doing the Round the Bend Ride in March but going down early and plan to run down to Copper Canyon for a few days. I've never been and only ridden in Mexico once before so don't be expecting a whole lot in terms of guidance if you want to come along as I'll be figuring it out as I go.

I plan on leaving from Presidio early on Sunday the 19th and spending Sunday night in Creel. On Monday I plan to ride to Batopilas and spending Monday night there. Tuesday back to Creel and Wed back to Presidio.

On the way back I plan on looking for the grave site of the notorious Ojinaga drug dealer Pablo Acosta which should be in a town just south of OJ.

I have been doing research and will continue to do so. I'm not sure if I'll take the paved road down to Bato or the dirt route - maybe I'll try the dirt and if it get to be too much head back for the paved route.

I know some others may be joining me on dirt bikes but trailering then down to Creel.

Anyway, I've been wanting to do this for some time and now's the time. If you are interested in joining me let me know!

nevlec said:

I've never been and only ridden in Mexico once before so don't be expecting a whole lot in terms of guidance if you want to come along as I'll be figuring it out as I go.

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Yes but that "once before" was quite a ride, more than most people do

PM sent.

Either of ur bikes can make da journey to bato, take da bmw n u can cut ur time in half or so, da ride down from da east is half paved mayb more now n easy, not sure how bad da west dirt road is...the town gets weekly groceries shipped in so expect that worst case a restaurant might not have everything on da menu available, there was no gas station down there in 2008 but a house had gas jugs for sell at da east entrance, need to ask around

I haven't been back to Bato/Creel in a few years.I got a kick out of their
Hydroelectric plant as you enter town,manned by a boy standing at attention when we walked in.(as you were private)

Story goes that they were the 1st or 2nd(behind Mexico City) to get electricity way back then and then in a cruel twist of fate one of the last to get it back when the mines and the power supply petered out.

Funny stories of how plugging in your electric shaver can bring down the power plant

Be sure and check into the local spirits of Lecheguilla,it's just this side of peyote:lol2

BTW bring your cold weather gear as I froze my butt off in places in May.

Going from Creel to Bato is going from pine trees to banana plants.

I tried to load onto the Copper Canyon train at Topolabampo but to no avail
So swung around the north side and took in Baseachi Falls on the way back to
OJ to collect my $400 bond money(catching on fire hauling *** thru the desert outside of Chihuahua but hey that's another story that I'll tell if anyone really cares

It's a long way down there (300+ miles) and if you plan on going thru Parral and Guachochi, I don't think it could be done in that time (if you take that particular dirt road to Batopilas). I may go on Sunday after BB if everything aligns. I'm ready to spend some more time with the Tarahumara

P.S. The road from Batopilas to Urique has awesome vistas. You get to see two or three separate veins of the canyons. I don't think I would take a GS on it though (unless it has been recently maintained; it had not been in early December).

David

Good info guys - thanks for the intel - I can use all you can provide. I'm probably not going to do the dirt road - at least on the way down. Especially if I end up doing this by myself. I stick with the 'paved' road through Samachique. I've got some flexibility if it all takes a day or two longer, though I'd like to stick to the schedule.

According to Google maps - for what it's worth - the route from Presidio to Creel is about 315 miles which they peg at 6.5 hours. I plan on leaving EARLY in the day to give max flexibility before nightfall.

My intel tells me the paved road from Creel to Batopilias can be done in about 4 hours - taking a full day I am hoping gives lots of time for smelling the flowers.

Calamari -

One Sunday a few years ago, we left from Terlingua 1st thing, crossed at Presidio, and ended up not getting to Creel until after dark (breaking one of the cardinal rules). I seem to recall a bunch of "Sunday Drivers" weaving all over the road that night. But our fault - probably we just lollygagged too much. Anyway, I suspect you'll make it in daylight with no problems. Have a great time.

Here's a trip log: [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L9fIk7Hk7I"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L9fIk7Hk7I[/ame]

Oh man! Love the video! That sound track cracked me up! As far as timing goes - if I'm running way late when I get to Chihuahua I'll just stop there - got some time flexibility.

Nice work Michael!

nevlec said:

Oh man! Love the video! That sound track cracked me up! As far as timing goes - if I'm running way late when I get to Chihuahua I'll just stop there - got some time flexibility.

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You oughta just stay in Chihuahua downtown on your way down and hang in the Zocala.
Then Roll out for a morning run to Creel.

Hi Charles, wish I could go with you.

Have you got Charlie Coons' gps map? Go to

http://dajuice.net/maps/copper-canyon-mx/

and check it out.

Also here is the track we did in 2013. We rode for a week, should have done 2.

Thanks JT! Good stuff!

Great work.

michaellmcc said:

Calamari -

One Sunday a few years ago, we left from Terlingua 1st thing, crossed at Presidio, and ended up not getting to Creel until after dark (breaking one of the cardinal rules). I seem to recall a bunch of "Sunday Drivers" weaving all over the road that night. But our fault - probably we just lollygagged too much. Anyway, I suspect you'll make it in daylight with no problems. Have a great time.

Here's a trip log: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1L9fIk7Hk7I

Click to expand...

Hey whats the name of the hotel u stayed at n da lady owner ? Its da same place we stayed in n i highly recommend it, bikes r secure, nice private patio with a river view to drink beers n chill, nice rooms with shower, m da lady owner was hospitable, price is cheap

I'm pretty sure you are referring to Juanita's. All the research I've done points me to her place and praises her hospitality and accommodations for the bikes.

So did u go to Bato ?

So did u go ?

Yes - went down there with one other rider who was on a WR250. We rode to Bato via Creel and then did the road to Urique and completed the loop back to Creel. We rode in and out via Ojinaga. Beautiful ride, though of course the Bato to Urique road was very challenging on the GS. I spent probably 90% of the route in 1st gear. A few tip overs, one which, unbeknownst to me, knocked the plug on the left side of the bike, the potentiometer, loose. For about 8 miles I was riding on one cylinder - this was the steep downhill section and I thought I had blown the clutch. Bike had lost a lot of power and I did not know what was causing it. When I came to a steep rocky uphill the bike just would not do it.

I thought my goose was cooked. My riding partner, Fred, went ahead and amazingly found a guy with a truck right up the road - amazing because we had not come across anyone other than a few farmers the entire route. While trying to load the bike into his truck I saw the plug was loose. Popped it back in and the bike road up that steep rocky hill like a champ. Best feeling in the world.

Glad I did it, would love to go back and do some more riding around the area and take more pictures. Next time I will probably bring a smaller bike - would be much more fun on say a KTM 500. But hey, the GS did me proud, did everything I asked of her. Having the full knobbies running low pressure was a huge help.

One other tidbit - after the Copper Canyon ride I met up with the Round the Bend ride in Big Bend and road around there for a few days. I did River Road on the GS and it was a cake walk. I've done the East road before on a R1100 GS with street tires and several times the full road on a WR450.

I was expecting a challenge - not. After the Bato to Urique road - River Road just felt like a fire road. It was definetly squirmy in the section I call the Liquid Rocks (the gravel section pretty soon after you enter from the West side) but other than that - easy breezy. That said, the road was in some of the worst condition that it's been in. Well, other than when I stupidly tried to do it years ago on my R1100GS. That was right after the Big Flood in 2008 and the road had not yet been graded.

Just goes to show you - its all relative.

I cant wait to get back to bato to continue to urique, bato is as far as we went but I will be riding a smaller bike for sure, im thinking of riding BB the last week of april or first week of may, anyone interested ?