Uncle's Round Big Bend via Mexico: Recon

[miltonotto]

OK. Guilty. I was feeling wishy-washy about this year's Ride Around the Bend with Uncle.
Why?? I kept asking myself.
I love Big Bend. Roger is a stand-up guy. I like riding in the dirt. (Though I cringe whenever I think how hard those rocks are out there in the Big Bend.) No..... What was it?
I'm getting up in my years. Another trip out to the Bend? What is it that turns me on? I fretting with this for days.

Finally...., I opted out of my ride out to the Bend. The bike's battery was dead and recharging didn't work.

Well. Now what? I had already taken the time off work, and been so looking forward to this. But kept asking myself,
Where is the FIRE ???

My ride left. I went and bought a new battery. Still no plans.
Thursday morning I woke up and suddenly all was crystal clear.

I know what! I'll ride my Suzuki DRZ400 S out to Terlingua! Yeah, that's it. I'll ride to Uncle's.... thru Mexico. Fantastic. Yeah, I'll cross at Del Rio and re-enter at Ojinaga. Heck, I won't even have to mess with papers. I'll be under the radar. I jumped out of bed and pulled some maps together to check my epiphany. Yeah, you can do that. It'll take a day or so. If I arrive in Presidio Saturday afternoon, ride to Terlingua by Saturday night, hopefully I'll be able to find a ride back to Austin, or at least part way.

I threw together some stuff, overloaded the DRZ and headed out without further ado.
Just have fun, I told myself. You are on your own.

Obviously, there is more to come.
You already know I didn't make it to Terlingua. But it was a neat idea.

 

[miltonotto]

The 1st day of the trip was pretty straight forward. It was Thursday Feb 25, 2010. I left South Austin at 3pm, headed for Del Rio. That sounded kool, Mexican food in Del Rio. Well, ok, maybe I wouldn't make it to Del Rio. I told myself to just go with the flow. Sonora would be fine.

Yeah, Del Rio via Sonora and the Devil's River road.

The first thing I noticed was that it was dang cold. The skies blue and clear suddenly clouded over with it the temps dropped. I stopped in Johnson City to regroup and layer up. There is always a learning period on these rides to get the hang of where you're keeping all you stuff: wallet, gloves, notebook, glasses, map. At first I'm always searching for something.

Under lead grey skies I pushed thru the cold winter air for Fredericksburg. Ahh, but Hwy 290 is no fun. I exited onto Ranch Road 1, I liked the sound of that -- Hwy 1, and goofed around riding thru the LBJ State Park, looking for something to photograph.

Ranch Road 1. Playing around with post processing.

LBJ's country school house.

Trinity Luthern Church

Services were conducted in German until 1950?

Harper at 6:30 and the most dangerous section of the trip, Hwy 290 from Harper to I-10. This section is full of deer and I was passing thru during prime deer suicide hour. Very slowly. I felt safer out on the Interstate, but now the wind chill was the controlling factor. Night riding was out of the question. Too brutally cold. About this time I was wondering how things might be going out at the Starlight in Terlingua.

I stopped for the night in Junction. Took a room at the Hills Motel ($32). Ate dinner at Isaak's Restaurant next door. When I pulled up to my room number, the room next to mine's door was wide open. A Barbie doll jeep was parked outside the door on the sidewalk, along with a bicycle with training wheels. As I dismounted a little girl of maybe 5 years old wandered out the door and was noticeably startled to see me all geared up with helmet, goggles, scarves, MX boots, gloves and motorcycle. She jumped back into her room. As I began to unload she swallowed a dose of courage and came running up to me with a quick question. "Are you a bad guy??" Her dad, who was within hearing distance, shouted something at her and I just laughed. Later on she confided, "I thought you were a bad guy."

These days you feel strange trying to be friends with a kid like that. I was afraid someone would think I was a pervert. Strange times we live in.
Don't talk to me kid, I don't want to get into trouble.

At dinner I watched the waitress and her mother interact with the other patrons, wondering what it would really be like to live in a small town like this. Maybe my imagination but these folks seemed far removed from the health care debate. Do these people fret over health care reform? Do they fret over health care at all?

 

[AusFletch]

I want to be Milton when I grow up. Wait, if I grow up I can never be like Milton. Screw growing up....I just want to live more like Milton.

Keep it up. It's been too long without one of your adventures. -Fletch

 

[AusFletch]

....and nice pictures, btw.

 

[DaveC]

Wait a minute? There is no shadow, is this a cut and paste?

ride on.

 

[miltonotto]

Wait a minute? There is no shadow, is this a cut and paste?

Hummmm. May look that way. But it was extremely overcast dude. Sort of a yuck day 'cept for the fact that I was on the road.

 

[DaveC]

I figured as much, I'm just along for the ride. Where we going next?

 

[miltonotto]

Wait a minute? There is no shadow, is this a cut and paste?

Besides. If I were gonna cut & paste, doncha think I'd choose something a little more spectacular?

Where we going next?

Next?? How 'bout Mexico. Somewhere's out in the desert.

 

[DaveC]

Besides. If I were gonna cut & paste, doncha think I'd choose something a little more spectacular?

Next?? How 'bout Mexico. Somewhere's out in the desert.

Just like the movies! Cool.

 

[miltonotto]

Day 2.
Leave Junction at 10am, refuel in Sonora, then head south for the Devil's River road.

Yegads. Am I a wuss or what? Dang. It's even colder than yesterday. Its too cold. It's so cold I'm getting a headache. This is not fun.

The wind is blowing strong and cold.
It's taking me two days to get to Del Rio!
It doesn't matter. I'm just along for the ride.

Freezing in the boonies. The wind is blowing so hard it blew my gloves off the seat.
This marker relates an Indian fight here at Pecos Crossing in 1857, between a band of Comanches and some calvary out of Ft. Mason.

There's a place called Juno on the map, but all I saw was an old store that looked like it'd been out of business for a while.
This is a strech of road that runs along the Devil's River.

The central Texas rivers are up. Devil's River looking good.

This place is called Barker's Crossing. Looked like a public put-in

Gassed up in Comstock. Bite to eat next door and bought an individual pumkin pie to go. I shoulda bought more but I didn't. Burnin' daylight.

Did not go to Del Rio.

Crossing the dam at Amistad Lake. No US customs here, at least not when I passed. Not sure how this entry works but the small office on the Mexican side was "manned" by two chicas. One of them wagged her finger at me when I went to take a picture of their lonely post on the dam.

I still had to put my bike in front of the electric eye and buzz went the buzzer, I drew the red light so it was over here for an "inspection" senor.
Well what are you carrying?
Ropa.
Ok. (Inspection over). Where are you going?
Ojinagua.
Ojinaga, she corrected me.

I was absolutely the only vehicle on the dam. This is the easiest border crossing I've ever had. No lines. No messy forms to fill out. No fees, no paper work. Mexico sin papeles.

I found the road to Santa Eulalia, on the outskirts of Acuna, in the midst of a bunch of maquiladores.

The road is paved out to Santa Eulalia. There ain't much there, but I bought gas from these guys.
Valdamar, in red shirt wanted to know where the heck I thought I was going. Said he'd done the route I was planning.

In Mexico, pactically every guy this age has worked in the States someplace. Its like a right of passage. Valdamar and his buddy were no exception, they told me they had worked cutting trees in Kerrville.

I asked if it was far to Ojinaga.
Hummph, well yeah, was the polite answer translated.
It will take all of one day? I asked.
Hummmm. maybe more. Maybe a day and a halve. (polite understatement) The roads are bad you know. They're not paved.
Yeah, yeah. How many miles?
Miles? Maybe.......hummm.... 300.
300 miles of dirt? Hummm. Maybe I underestimated this little joy ride.
Are you carring gas? There's no gas out there, you know.
I can buy gas in Morelos....... Right?
Maybe.
Well I can buy gas in Jaboncillos.... or Boquillas, no?
Si. You'll be going thru Manual Benevides.

It was Friday and I had to be in Ojinaga tomorrow night for this all to work. Unless....

The road out of Santa Eulalia

There are many many "roads" out there. They split and weave amongst themselves across the desert, around bajos of mud and water. Every so often one takes off at right angles and you just follow your nose, picking the "best" one. OK, I get it. Just follow the power lines. All roads follow the telephone lines.

I stop for a break and turn off the motor. I hear a dog barking. That means people and a house. Back on the road over a hill I come up behind a girl on horseback. It's a beautiful horse, but the horse is skittish due to the motorcycle, it's jerking to and fro, trying to rear, trying to bolt. But the rider is in control. I pass slowly and the horse cranes his head back to get an eyeball on me, the girl on horseback, I'm astonished to see, is about 10 years old, with a respectful amount of fear on her face, but controlling the horse steadfastly with but one hand on the reins, the other hand holding that little whip thingy.
Wow.

You're not in Kansas anymore.

Follow the power lines to Progresso, 22 miles out of Santa Eulalia. Progresso is a poor little ejido. And the power lines stop here.

It's now dark and I begin to doubt my choices of roads when they split but keep on going. Across a cattle guard and then the road is hemmed in on both sides by barbed wire fence for miles and miles. Fine, but I'm no longer in open desert. The bike slips a couple of times, first sand, then mud. I don't drop it but I realize if I go on like this into the night, sooner or later I'll crash. But I have to get back out into open desert to camp.

Lo and behold there's a light up ahead. A truck. Two guys in the cab. I quickly make sure I'm on the right road.
Excuse me. Buenas noches, señores This is the road to Morales?
Si.
Tell me, is there a house someplace up ahead where I might be able to pass the night?
Both men, in unison, slowly, "Casa???"
Well, I meant an empty house but the situation was too funny.
What about the fences? Will there always be fences? I'll have to sleep camping.
He said something about a cattle guards, two of them, and a couple of cattle guards later I was in open desert.

Later it would become even more apparent to me that they give directions by cattle guards out here.

 

[hardybaker]

Milton,
I've heard your name mentioned several times when Mexico is discussed. I admire "your style." I did the ride you too are doing, but I didn't have to navigate. This trip, as far as navigating goes. would "seperate the men from the boys." Topes was the leader, and he had done the ride a year before. Our ride was four or five years ago. We exited Mexico at Persido. We had a leisure pace and it took us two and a half days. A big thanks for taking the time to share your trip. Hardy

 

[The Bruce]

 

[miltonotto]

Milton,
I did the ride you too are doing. Topes was the leader, and he had done the ride a year before. Our ride was four or five years ago. We exited Mexico at Persido. We had a leisure pace and it took us two and a half days. A big thanks for taking the time to share your trip. Hardy

Thanks HB.
Wow. I'd like to see some notes, or at least hear what you remember. I didn't make it to Presidio but I'm pumped for "next time". Gas was the deciding factor on this trip.

 

[miltonotto]

This is the best I can do at the moment regarding maps

 

[primate]

We had a few "moments" of our own on Uncles ride. I came back light one wallet also.

 

[Janet]

I didn't make it to Presidio but I'm pumped for "next time".

DANG! That was like jumping ahead and reading the last chapter to see how it turns out.

 

[CeeBee]

Hello Milton,
You didn't show up in Terlingua. Wish we could have ridden together but, if your keeping score, were even!!! That's because I wused out of Mextrex and went to Copper Canyon. Wish I would have known you needed a ride - left San Antonio at 5pm Thurs., after a meeting, with only 1 bike in the back.
I'm sure it was meant to be because you would have missed out on you adventure other wise.

 

[miltonotto]

Wish I would have known you needed a ride - left San Antonio at 5pm Thurs., after a meeting, with only 1 bike in the back.
I'm sure it was meant to be because you would have missed out on you adventure other wise.

Oh man! We crossed paths with me hanging in Junction hoping it would warm up?!! We could've at least had a cup of coffee somewheres.

Whatcha mean, "missed out on adventure"? I would've talked you into going to Mexico with me, I'm sure of it. I was dreaming of a bike with a big tanker-esque fuel capacity.

But then again, there would've been the problem as to what to do with your truck.

 

[miltonotto]

DANG! That was like jumping ahead and reading the last chapter to see how it turns out.

Sorry Janet. Hope to make up for that with a few stories and pics.

 

[miltonotto]

Spent the night in the desert under the stars and full moon. Very cold but I survived. There's an old adage I read somewhere. If you're not wearing everything you brought when you crawl into your sleeping bag, then you brought too much. Well, I almost wore everything I brought. Even had to put on my riding jacket in the middle of the night. Difficult to zip into a sleeping bag with the riding jacket on, with all its padding and bulk.

I tucked myself in. Grabbed a stick of beef jerky, the pumpkin pie from Comstock, and a water bottle put the hood of the bag up over my head and had a scrumptious little dinner in bed. Overhead the star patterns I'd been watching, Orion, Taurus, Gemini and Auriga, have completely shifted and rearranged, and I realize I've actually been asleep.

Surprising that so many trucks passed during the night. How many? 4? 5? 6? Actually I lost count. This continued until 2 or 3 in the morning. Just doing this road in the dark, huh? Made me feel silly for stopping, but I'm sure I don't know the road as well as these guys.

I dreamed there was a team of motorcycles out here.

Sunrise. Who brought the coffee?

Minimalist camping. Tents are overrated.

My balaclava saved my behind

Chupadero de Caballo, a place name on the map. Most of the place names on my 1:250 000 topo maps of this area are names of ranches, not towns. Usually behind locked gates, often abandoned.

Cattle guards are very important out here. All roads and their alternates converge into a funnel thru the cattle guards and then fan out on the opposite side.

An example of the continuous choices you are confronted with

One of the many abandoned towns I found out here. A few cattle ranch hands were using the abandoned houses here. They called the place Brouno (sp?), it wasn't on my map but it was near the unseen ranch of Santa Torbino.

 

[Tom]

Nice!

 

[mff]

I did not make the ride to BB either.

Sure enjoy your posting!

Mike Frederick

 

[miltonotto]

The abandoned houses near the ranch Santo Toribio

Looking towards the canyon

The DRZ with all its luggage

The road leading into Canon El Colorado

A lonely Km post, indicating 120 Kms from someplace. Where? Acuna? This important crossroads marks the entrance into Canon El Colorado

Leaving the desert floor, climbing in to El Colorado canon. I'm not sure exactly where that road in the background is coming from, obviously from up north, it eventually joined the road I took thru the canon.
Can you tell what's missing from my luggage?

 

[ed29]

There was a small black bag atop that duffel earlier, no idea what was in it though.

 

[miltonotto]

Into the canyon

There was a small black bag atop that duffel earlier, no idea what was in it though.

Right on, Ed!!

Hummmmm.... What was in that bag? The belly bag that used to be under the netting? Not money, I took the money out of it. Not my notepad. Oh! My Passport!!!! Plus the DRZ's original title and registration! All these things could be replaced, I know, but I'm planning on another more serious trip into Mexico in two weeks and replacing a passport would be an extreme hassel.

The camera helped me pinpoint more or less where I lost it. I turned around and charged back at full speed, getting my jollys of racing over the rough roads. Dodge, dodge, skake, surf a little. A little of everything, no?

What's that up ahead? A cow paddy? No, it's the little bag, laying in the road, much sooner than I expected. It must have been hanging off to the side for a while.

Yeah, it also had my SPOT transmitter in it too, I chuckled at how I could've used that information to find it. But mostly I kicked myself in the butt for being so careless with something so important. Note to self: Always check your gear, frequently. Plus, you can never take too many photos of your bike.