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You call that a road? - a memorable Mexico ride
- Thread starter Trail Boss
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Nice. Looks like East Texas.
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The weather man said "nothing but rain for the next week"
JT and I debated back and forth as to whether we should cancel our ride to Mexico over the Memorial Day weekend due to all the predicted rain. We constantly checked the weather forecast for updates as time inexorably ticked down to our "go or no-go" decision point. We wanted to explore some new roads in Mexico and while we weren't concerned about getting rained on we were cognizant of the fact that lots of rain meant inordinate amounts of mud and impassable creeks and rivers in Mexico's backcountry.
Finally we decided that if we encountered untenable conditions on the dirt roads we would modify our plans and ride pavement to Real de Catorce. With the decision made, we left Austin Thursday evening, headed south to McAllen and our jump-off point for our next Mexico ride.
I was on my XR650L and John was riding his DRZ/KLX 400.
JT and I debated back and forth as to whether we should cancel our ride to Mexico over the Memorial Day weekend due to all the predicted rain. We constantly checked the weather forecast for updates as time inexorably ticked down to our "go or no-go" decision point. We wanted to explore some new roads in Mexico and while we weren't concerned about getting rained on we were cognizant of the fact that lots of rain meant inordinate amounts of mud and impassable creeks and rivers in Mexico's backcountry.
Finally we decided that if we encountered untenable conditions on the dirt roads we would modify our plans and ride pavement to Real de Catorce. With the decision made, we left Austin Thursday evening, headed south to McAllen and our jump-off point for our next Mexico ride.
I was on my XR650L and John was riding his DRZ/KLX 400.
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Are those the mesh Motoport Kevlar pants JT is wearing? If so, does he use a rain liner or something over the pants? I really like the Air Mesh II pants I have. I just wish the pockets were water proof and had snaps or a zipper instead of just velcro. They are by far the most comfortably pants I have worn and they do an excellent job of protecting... over and over again... 
The rain liner thing gets to be a pain though.
Let the story begin
"DRZ/KLR". You're in trouble now, Rich. Lol
JT
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Hi Scott, yes they are Motoport kevlar mesh. I do have the Motoport rain overpants, but they are so bulky, I don't carry them. I did have a pair of light weight rain pants I could have used as a liner, didn't need them.
I agree about the pockets, should be waterproof, need hip pads, too.
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For all the chaos forecast we only saw scant rain in Galeana. Where is the pic ? Looks like Agua Delgata.
JT
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Close. It is about 25 miles south of Zaragoza, looking for a short cut to Marcela.
M38A1
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JT and I launched from the Clarion Inn in Mission at about 9 a.m. on Friday morning, having done the paperwork drill the evening before. (Note: on future small group rides like this I won't be doing the paperwork the evening before. The last few times the inconvenience of doing so has outweighed the benefit of getting it done the evening before.)
Our overall mission for this trip was to explore some new roads in and around Galeana. We had identified 3 roads in particular that we wanted to explore but were keeping our plans a bit loose since we weren't entirely sure what we would find or what the weather might do.
Our plan for the day was to explore a new dirt route into Galeana. JT is a map guy and spends time studying various Mexico maps, Google Earth, Google Maps, Bing Maps, and any other map he can get his hands on to see what new opportunities he can discover. In this particular case, we could clearly see a dirt road west of Iturbide heading north into the mountains to the community of Potrero Prieto. The road sort of appeared to, might, possibly, but maybe not loop west beyond Potrero Prieto through the mountains and intersecting the main road between Galeans and Rayones a few miles north of Galeana. We were confident we could make it to Potrero Prieto but weren't sure beyond that.
The 150 miles of pavement to our dirt turn off was uneventful. We stopped for gas and food but didn't linger any longer than required. Lunch was at a small roadside taco stand that turned out to be a fine choice. The beans were excellent, as were the tacos.
In all the years I've been riding in Mexico I've always had good luck with places like this. The food is almost always quite good and I've never had any intestinal challenges after eating. I can't speak for anyone else but these places are fine with me.
Our overall mission for this trip was to explore some new roads in and around Galeana. We had identified 3 roads in particular that we wanted to explore but were keeping our plans a bit loose since we weren't entirely sure what we would find or what the weather might do.
Our plan for the day was to explore a new dirt route into Galeana. JT is a map guy and spends time studying various Mexico maps, Google Earth, Google Maps, Bing Maps, and any other map he can get his hands on to see what new opportunities he can discover. In this particular case, we could clearly see a dirt road west of Iturbide heading north into the mountains to the community of Potrero Prieto. The road sort of appeared to, might, possibly, but maybe not loop west beyond Potrero Prieto through the mountains and intersecting the main road between Galeans and Rayones a few miles north of Galeana. We were confident we could make it to Potrero Prieto but weren't sure beyond that.
The 150 miles of pavement to our dirt turn off was uneventful. We stopped for gas and food but didn't linger any longer than required. Lunch was at a small roadside taco stand that turned out to be a fine choice. The beans were excellent, as were the tacos.
In all the years I've been riding in Mexico I've always had good luck with places like this. The food is almost always quite good and I've never had any intestinal challenges after eating. I can't speak for anyone else but these places are fine with me.
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Finally, the pavement was behind us and it was time to ride some dirt. Yee haw! You can see the dirt road going up and around the hill in this picture.
The road headed north through this narrow valley...
...and it was a beautiful ride. The views were wonderful and the road was great fun!
This road is how the people living in Potrero Prieto get to and from - it's THE road they use. However, the road seemed to end at Potrero Prieto. JT and I rode around, trying to find a way north out of town but were stymied at all turns. I talked to some local ladies and was told there the only way out of town was back the way we came. Unwilling to give up, JT and I continued to study our E32 map (which is usually quite accurate) while eyeballing the terrain. I spotted a house north of us, across the river and up on a bluff, so I asked the ladies how the guy who lived there drove to his house. Then the ladies decided that, well, there is a road north and it's in bad shape but maybe the motos could get through (my Spanish is not good and I'm sure if it was better I would have learned this the first time I spoke with them).
With a little guidance from the women we found the path leading north out of town and we continued on our way.
The road headed north through this narrow valley...
...and it was a beautiful ride. The views were wonderful and the road was great fun!
This road is how the people living in Potrero Prieto get to and from - it's THE road they use. However, the road seemed to end at Potrero Prieto. JT and I rode around, trying to find a way north out of town but were stymied at all turns. I talked to some local ladies and was told there the only way out of town was back the way we came. Unwilling to give up, JT and I continued to study our E32 map (which is usually quite accurate) while eyeballing the terrain. I spotted a house north of us, across the river and up on a bluff, so I asked the ladies how the guy who lived there drove to his house. Then the ladies decided that, well, there is a road north and it's in bad shape but maybe the motos could get through (my Spanish is not good and I'm sure if it was better I would have learned this the first time I spoke with them).
With a little guidance from the women we found the path leading north out of town and we continued on our way.
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And, as suggested by the locals, this road was somewhat washed out due to the recent rains and was clearly not travelled on any regular basis. As we made our way north the road continued to deteriorate and the riding kept getting better and better.
Then we reached the first obstacle - the road was completely washed out.
A car or truck would have turned back at this point but we were able to get through on motos without too much difficulty by skirting the edge of the washed out area. As long as neither of us fell into the pit of despair things would be okay.
Beyond the washed out area, we enjoyed more great riding.
We came upon another area where the road disappeared at a fence and a arroyo. With some exploring JT found the way across the arroyo and back onto the road. As we neared the western end of the road, where it intersected with the main dirt road between Galeana and Rayones, the road started to improve - clearly this part of the road was being used on a somewhat regular basis.
Unfortunately, we encountered a locked gate. Now what should we do?
This is cattle country so fences and gates are common. It's how the locals keep their cattle from wandering off. However, just like in Texas, the roads are public, built and maintained by the government. So it's no big deal to go through a gate. Just make sure you leave it the way you found it (i.e. close it behind you if it was closed when you got there). A locked gate is another story - it means that either you are on a private road (doubtful in this case) or one of the landowners is pissed off at his neighbors and this is his way of limiting their access.
In any case, an examination of the gate revealed that there was just enough slack in the chain that we could lay the gate down and ride over it. So that's what we did.
Once past the gate we put it back the way we found it so the cattle wouldn't get out and continued on our way.
So, the road was there and it was really fun but I can't recommend it to you until the issue with the locked gate is resolved. However, JT has pointed out that there is another road that bypasses the locked gate that might be an option. We didn't explore that other road this time as it was late in the day and the afternoon rain clouds were gathering. Somebody needs to check it out (hint, hint, MexTrek 2016, hint, hint).
Then we reached the first obstacle - the road was completely washed out.
A car or truck would have turned back at this point but we were able to get through on motos without too much difficulty by skirting the edge of the washed out area. As long as neither of us fell into the pit of despair things would be okay.
Beyond the washed out area, we enjoyed more great riding.
We came upon another area where the road disappeared at a fence and a arroyo. With some exploring JT found the way across the arroyo and back onto the road. As we neared the western end of the road, where it intersected with the main dirt road between Galeana and Rayones, the road started to improve - clearly this part of the road was being used on a somewhat regular basis.
Unfortunately, we encountered a locked gate. Now what should we do?
This is cattle country so fences and gates are common. It's how the locals keep their cattle from wandering off. However, just like in Texas, the roads are public, built and maintained by the government. So it's no big deal to go through a gate. Just make sure you leave it the way you found it (i.e. close it behind you if it was closed when you got there). A locked gate is another story - it means that either you are on a private road (doubtful in this case) or one of the landowners is pissed off at his neighbors and this is his way of limiting their access.
In any case, an examination of the gate revealed that there was just enough slack in the chain that we could lay the gate down and ride over it. So that's what we did.
Once past the gate we put it back the way we found it so the cattle wouldn't get out and continued on our way.
So, the road was there and it was really fun but I can't recommend it to you until the issue with the locked gate is resolved. However, JT has pointed out that there is another road that bypasses the locked gate that might be an option. We didn't explore that other road this time as it was late in the day and the afternoon rain clouds were gathering. Somebody needs to check it out (hint, hint, MexTrek 2016, hint, hint).
Two wild and crazy boys 
Very nice. Thanks for sharing.
[content removed - TM]
Trail Boss, in an earlier post: "In all the years I've been riding in Mexico I've always had good luck with places like this. The food is almost always quite good and I've never had any intestinal challenges after eating. I can't speak for anyone else but these places are fine with me."
I agree, Rich. I learned the same while backpacking through Thailand. Roadside eateries and places like night markets are great places to eat. The food is fresh and served hot. Like any establishment, they rely on repeat customers and word of mouth.
Looking forward to the next installment!
Trail Boss, in an earlier post: "In all the years I've been riding in Mexico I've always had good luck with places like this. The food is almost always quite good and I've never had any intestinal challenges after eating. I can't speak for anyone else but these places are fine with me."
I agree, Rich. I learned the same while backpacking through Thailand. Roadside eateries and places like night markets are great places to eat. The food is fresh and served hot. Like any establishment, they rely on repeat customers and word of mouth.
Looking forward to the next installment!
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Hear, hear! Onward!
Then we reached the first obstacle - the road was completely washed out.
You guys went around this, but I think I see a partially uncovered treasure chest in that cave.
I'm on my way.
M38A1
Admin
I'd like to remind everyone that Ride Reports are generally the content of the author/participants to present their ride to share as they saw/experienced and not a place to offer personal non-participant comment on the 'why' of their ride, or decisions.
Several posts have been removed which do not fit this criteria.
Carry on.
Several posts have been removed which do not fit this criteria.
Carry on.
woodsguy
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Heck, I'm wondering how they got around it! Looks pretty narrow!
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Once back on the main road to Galeana we had a decision to make - where to next? We wanted to see if we could find a way south from General Zaragoza to Marcel. The E32 map showed a road but no one we knew had ever ridden it. Was it actually there? Could we get through? We decided that would be our next target so we rode south to overnight in Aramberri.
JT wanted to try the Hotel Esmeralda. He had never stayed here so we really didn't know what to expect.
It cost somewhere between $12-14 dollars to stay here and I have to tell you, it was the worst hotel I can recall ever staying in. It was bad. There was no toilet seat, towels, soap, or a shower curtain. The roof leaked so bad I had a 1/2 inch of water standing in the bathroom after an overnight rain. I told my buddy Stuntman Jeff about this place and he said with a chuckle, "It's not often that you pay $12 for a hotel room and get ripped off" but, I have to agree it wasn't a good deal at $12. I won't be staying here again.
To make matters worse some of the the other hotel patrons were in a party mood and stayed up all night long playing loud music and drinking. Unfortunately, I'm not kidding. I ended up putting in ear plugs so I could sleep. When I walked out of my room in the morning there was a pile of at least 30 beer cans on the ground where the party had taken place.
Oh well, what do you expect for $12?
JT wanted to try the Hotel Esmeralda. He had never stayed here so we really didn't know what to expect.
It cost somewhere between $12-14 dollars to stay here and I have to tell you, it was the worst hotel I can recall ever staying in. It was bad. There was no toilet seat, towels, soap, or a shower curtain. The roof leaked so bad I had a 1/2 inch of water standing in the bathroom after an overnight rain. I told my buddy Stuntman Jeff about this place and he said with a chuckle, "It's not often that you pay $12 for a hotel room and get ripped off" but, I have to agree it wasn't a good deal at $12. I won't be staying here again.
To make matters worse some of the the other hotel patrons were in a party mood and stayed up all night long playing loud music and drinking. Unfortunately, I'm not kidding. I ended up putting in ear plugs so I could sleep. When I walked out of my room in the morning there was a pile of at least 30 beer cans on the ground where the party had taken place.
Oh well, what do you expect for $12?
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Sounds like fun to me.
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The rain came down pretty hard during the night but luckily the last of it was gone by 9 am or so. Once the sun finally came out, we loaded the bikes and headed south to General Zaragoza. The views were sure nice.
Once in Zaragoza we located the dirt road heading southwest over the mountains and began to climb. I've been on this road before and recall it to be a great ride. Sure enough, it was just as I remembered.
It is a particularly rocky road. The first time I rode it I was with Milton and during one of our stops he casually mentioned that his first time on it he was riding "the Green Hornet" - his Harley cruiser. I just shook my head - unable to imagine riding a cruiser over this road.
Once in Zaragoza we located the dirt road heading southwest over the mountains and began to climb. I've been on this road before and recall it to be a great ride. Sure enough, it was just as I remembered.
It is a particularly rocky road. The first time I rode it I was with Milton and during one of our stops he casually mentioned that his first time on it he was riding "the Green Hornet" - his Harley cruiser. I just shook my head - unable to imagine riding a cruiser over this road.