• Welcome to the Two Wheeled Texans community! Feel free to hang out and lurk as long as you like. However, we would like to encourage you to register so that you can join the community and use the numerous features on the site. After registering, don't forget to post up an introduction!

Uncle's Around The Bend 2016: Ride Report Stories, Photos and More

Status
Not open for further replies.
Had a lot of fun this year Especially the Dos se dos ride on little Honda trail bike
She made it through black gap and bounced of rocks going up hill
Still smiling about the adventure
Home someone have some good pictures
Would love to see that
 
Last edited:
Had a lot of fun this year Especially the Dos se dos ride on little Honda trail bike
She made it through black gap and bounced of rocks going up hill
Still smiling about the adventure
Home someone have some good pictures
Would love to see that

Good one taking the CT90 up Black Gap and the rest of the trails. Let's hope there are some pictures posted.
 
Had a lot of fun this year Especially the Dos se dos ride on little Honda trail bike
She made it through black gap and bounced of rocks going up hill
Still smiling about the adventure
Home someone have some good pictures
Would love to see that

I passed you on the main road Saturday afternoon. You were by yourself headed in direction of Rio Grande village. I wasnt part of organized ride this year.
 
I ran into these guys when I went out to ride Old Ore Road by myself.

Maximundo

maxi.jpg


They put one of their stickers on my KTM, that's how I knew how to find them on the net. They have quite the adventure going. It's amazing how you can run into random adventurers out in the middle of nowhere.

CA_03011611554891-L.jpg


CA_03011611545126-L.jpg


This was Friday, the day of the Desert Challenge. Since I had already done Black Gap, South & North Co. roads (Hen Egg), and River Road, I decided to head out by myself for a solo day on Old Ore and Old Marathon (Terlingua Ranch).

It was a super nice ride and I loved being out in the desert by myself :rider:

Lots of discoveries, including this trio from Europe :trust:
 

Just for clarity it was not my CT90 doing Black Gap, it was Ben's and I just hope some one snapped a picture of him on River Road.

I ride with a TWTer on a DRZ400 that lost its electrics and chose to rescue him with the trailer. It might have been a blessing for me as I am still recovering from a low speed crash Friday at the Ranch on Bofecillos Road. Bofecillos Road was the worst (best?) of the ranch we saw.
 
I had an Awesome time in Big Bend again. I broke 0 , count em 0 bones this time.
Meet and hung out with some super people and rode and camped to my hearts content.
Thanks Peter for another album.
Camped in Mexico on top of the Santa Elena Canyon cliff over looking the Rio Grande & big bend. Made a friend too...
20160224_153023_zpsc0bucrvx.jpg


Made a little dinner & settled in for a full moon night & view of the big bend valley. I could make out Terlingua in the distance.
20160224_172340_zpsokh7py65.jpg


After a chilly night I watched the Sun rise over the Chisos & cooked up some eggs.
20160225_071921_zpsbmcwtjlk.jpg


Rode the desert challenge the next day and then got about four more days of riding in before longing for home.
On top of a rock at Madera canyon I watched these two canoeists for a good hour.
That is definitely my next Big Bend Adventure with my Son.
20160227_154417_zpsqj83zzsf.jpg


Looking forward to next year already !✌
 
Thank you all- This was my first year and I was like a deer in the headlights! But it won't be my last... see you next year!
 
Ten hours and fifteen minutes with 2 fuel stops. That’s how fast we can make this trip and about as long as my back side can stand being intimate with that truck seat. Seemed like a good reason to stay a while.

First day was a nice warmup ride out of Terlingua to South County Rd. and up to 118. We stopped to see if Ed29 was at home and snap a pic in his back yard. Yep, pretty cool back yard.

crew_1.jpg


My complete lack of photography skills doesn’t do justice to the contrast of colors here.

DSCN1699_1.jpg


KLR's behaving badly. If you’ve been here, this scene tells it all.

DSCN1702.jpg


LSU purple cactus? Who knew? Geaux pricklies!

IMG_1661.jpg


The more standard version with humble background.

DSCN1713.jpg


Some of the locals out for an afternoon stroll.

honks.jpg


As the bulk of our crew headed for lunch, SWAnimal and I continued on to some pretty neat stuff. It was my privilege and pleasure to follow him to several very cool parts of Big Bend that I’d never seen.

DSCN1683.jpg


Jason turning around after coming back to see if I’d ran off the side of this mountain.

DSCN1688.jpg


They say the desert is a land of contrasts and extremes.

IMG_1644.jpg


Foxtail cactus. This one was about the size of a wash tub.

DSCN1706_1.jpg


Day two found us on a trip out to the state park to explore some remote areas in the northwest corner – Cienega mountains. Definitely small bike time.

DSCN1704.jpg


DSCN1717.jpg


Havard Agave plant. Wonder if these would be fit for making Tequila? :trust:

IMG_1676.jpg


That country is littered with stories.

DSCN1708.jpg


Next day was spent taking in some of the more local sights - much closer to camp and broaching the gnar. :rider:

IMG_1656.jpg


Lunch time in a pretty cool location as such times go.

DSCN1718.jpg


DSCN1720.jpg


On the way in we rolled up on a bad situation for any motorcycle ride. Fellow on an XR650 broke both his fibula and tibia on this one. Looked like he may have come into a gravel turn way too hot. Some of these can sneak up on a feller – even when he knows they’re out there.

DSCN1731.jpg


Next morning I bid my Buds a safe travel back home and then loaded up to go explore some of the many places that we ride past in the national park.

IMG_1634.jpg


An elder park volunteer met us at the Pine Canyon trail head to let us know about a mama black bear with four cubs who are living in the upper area near the falls.

IMG_1651.jpg


We hiked on up the trail and sure nuff, near the top we have…. Bear poo. Right smack in the middle of the path. :eek2:

IMG_1695.jpg


Texas Madrone is a rare tree. Its seeds are hard to germinate and deer love its seedlings. The Latin name means Strawberry Tree – Fall seeds look like little strawberries. It’s a very different looking tree in several ways.

IMG_1675.jpg


Some senile old buzzard searching for bears under the falls. :doh:

IMG_1687.jpg


IMG_1680.jpg


We meandered on further toward the west to find another water fall and the cool lush area surrounding it. An amazing site in the desert.

IMG_1704.jpg


IMG_1707.jpg


Hard to imagine how this water could be so doggone cold out there... seriously refreshing after the hike in.

IMG_1712.jpg


IMG_1715.jpg


This is a willow oak. A really big willow oak. The park folks say this is the only place in the country where this particular type can be found. The leaf looks typically oakish but really long and pointed… like a willow.

IMG_1721.jpg


Well, we made it back home in one piece and brought with us so many great memories of riding with friends – old and new. Seeing new parts of the desert and enjoying the picture perfect weather the entire week made for a great trip. Looking forward to next year!
 
Last edited:
Some of my compadres really shouldn’t be denied adult supervision.

My guess is, there is a land owner on North County that would love to know your friends name(s). I'm sure he would see to it that they got plenty of adult supervision.
 
Last edited:
I should'a known it wasn't my day. First I will tell on myself, I dumped it in the parking lot at the Starlight and bent the kick stand. It is one of those heavy duty ProMotoBillet kickstands so I really, really had to try to do this.

This is pathetic!

Then the tail bag clasp broke so I had to become Mr. Bungie man. I almost lost my license plate but fortunately Rob saw it on its last bolt and I was able to stow it in my back pack. Climbing the last hill on Black Gap before Glen Springs Rd disaster sprung upon me.

I clipped a big rock which sent me into the wall side of the road where I hit a big flat rock in the shape of a ramp that catapulted me back across the road on down the cliff side of the road. Fortunately the bike high sided and threw me on down the cliff further but I saved the bike. :-) I am convinced if the bike had gone down first, it would have suffered significant damage. Me, well a slightly damaged ego and a few bruised muscles. But I live to ride again. My trajectory took me from right in front of the cactus down to where you see the back tire.

I feigned significant bodily injury and got Rob and Joe to pull my bike out of the cliff face below. You know why they call me the old master, right? Cuz I'm old! :-) Had I traveled another ten or fifteen feet, I would have gone over the second ledge and another thirty or forty feet straight down.

I do appreciate the help Rob and Joe. At that moment I really didn't know how badly I was injured. I only knew my back hurt like ...

Returned home to find the only real damage to the bike from the crash was that my horn and bracket had been ripped off the radiator shroud. So I will have to mount it on the opposite side. Hope it will pass inspection. :-)

Thanks Pete for organizing this, I will need to return next year and get back on this horse.

You sir are the embodiment of adventure. Between bouncing off of a bus in South America and driving off of a mountain in Big Bend - you're my hero. :flip:

In all seriousness, glad it wasn't any worse. :thumb:
 
You sir are the embodiment of adventure. Between bouncing off of a bus in South America and driving off of a mountain in Big Bend - you're my hero. :flip:

In all seriousness, glad it wasn't any worse. :thumb:

Joe is one tuff ole coot, he can take it. :lol2:
 
Thanks RG.

I don't remember ever having the views in which you seem to be up on a mountain and looking down into a valley. Where was that ?
Seems like I'm always riding in the valley and looking up to the mountains instead of the other way around.

How did the injured rider get out of there ? Sounds like a helicopter would of been the way to go. Was he on the Uncle ride or independent ?
 
Vinny, I had the pleasure of riding an afternoon with a feller who'd been out there for a week or so. He'd been riding with a local and they'd been to some great looking places. Some a little technical but well within spirited KLR range.

The rider that went down hard was with a friend. I didn't know them but they both handled the situation remarkably well. It happened just a few miles from town and was easily accessible to any vehicle. Friend went into town and quickly returned with SUV and a rail trailer. I think they headed straight to Alpine (nearest hospital). These ole motorcycles are dangerous things. :doh:

Thanks RG.

I don't remember ever having the views in which you seem to be up on a mountain and looking down into a valley. Where was that ?
Seems like I'm always riding in the valley and looking up to the mountains instead of the other way around.

How did the injured rider get out of there ? Sounds like a helicopter would of been the way to go. Was he on the Uncle ride or independent ?
 
Joe is one tuff ole coot, he can take it. :lol2:

Yep! He handles it well. That same spot (solid rock on left side) has been responsible for get-offs every time I've been through there. Caused quite a stir last year with folks ferrying bikes up the hill.
 
Wonder if anyone has a picture of Shadman's CB125 that the bus ate?
 
This was my first Uncle's rally and I loved it. Thanks to all the organizers! I did the desert challenge, something like 7 hours and 200 miles of focus and concentration. On saturday, me and the girlfriend went down Old Maverick. It was her first time on dirt with the XT225, that's her in front of Santa Elena canyon. Maybe she'll be ready for next year!

20160226_075128%20800x450_zps7ipfyura.jpg


Pano%20800x450_zpsriaotciz.jpg


20160226_130409%20800x450_zpsdh8cqonw.jpg


Terlingua%20Sign%20411x800_zpsmgx27xx4.jpg


20160227_104205%20800x450_zpsjzdyxjbc.jpg


IMG_8889%20800x533_zpslg2zk0jg.jpg
 
Yep! He handles it well. That same spot (solid rock on left side) has been responsible for get-offs every time I've been through there. Caused quite a stir last year with folks ferrying bikes up the hill.

I know this rock, trick is, don't look at it and it won't bite you. :rider:
 
Wonder if anyone has a picture of Shadman's CB125 that the bus ate?

I don't have a pic, but he and I got it up and running Sunday night. The clutch leaver is broken, the tank a bit banged up and the rear wheel it totally taco'd. But all in all it really is not in bad shape. if the rear wheel was alright we would have been ripping around Terlingua on it.
 
You sir are the embodiment of adventure. Between bouncing off of a bus in South America and driving off of a mountain in Big Bend - you're my hero. :flip:

Man, you have got to seriously re-evaluate your definition of adventure. :-)
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top