Spy shots, or Whats to come ...

My dream car is finally taking shape, as some of you know 2009 was mostly a two wheeled year, but I haven't forget about my 4 wheels and have been at work on a better, tougher and flashier looking machine :-).

The workings of a CJ8 that will handle 35s with close to zero lift, and later on with a flipptop conversion.

I had to start with 3 jeeps to put together a mint CJ8


Thats what a fender hole for a 35 wheel look like.


An some nice steel work to remake the inner piece.


The front just waiting for the Hi-Fender work.

The Epic

While my buddies were away riding El tour de Tucson for the nnnth time, I slowly mumble what to do on the long weekend. The only sensible thing to do was a solo epic ride.

I have always wanted to get up and personal with the communities of El Rio Fuerte, the original inhabitants of Mexico before the Spanish conquest.

So the plan was to ride up to San Blas and find a way to singletrack along the Rio Fuerte, hitting as many small communities as possible all the way to the coast before returning home. Eating fresh produce and local home made bread along the way instead of powerbars will give the ride that special plus.

I went at sunrise and after 6 Plus hours on the saddle and enjoying northern Sinaloa's oldest towns I finally completed the Epic ride I envisioned months ago.

Pictures to follow.

And then I remembered Mr. Adams ...

There is always another side on everybody, one not as visible and somewhat weird.

That side of me suddenly remembered a great quote by a very witty and funny man.

"There is a theory which states that if ever anybody discovers exactly what the Universe is for and why it is here, it will instantly disappear and be replaced by something even more bizarre and inexplicable. There is another theory which states that this has already happened."— Douglas Adams

To my two readers (You know who you are): I hope the picts are back up in a day or two.

Saludos

A trip across Sinaloa's northern bays

The state of Sinaloa in northwestern Mexico has several beautiful bays, some of them have inspired many dreams in the past.
Falling in the same trap, I envisioned a while back a route to cross them while mapping a loop that will take me from my home and back.

As summer creep on me, it became impossible to do the trip, so I just put the plan on hold, and as autumn slowly came, the plan was on !!!.

The plan was simple enough, ride the dirt roads from my home to a Campo Pesquero (Fishing camp),
hitch a ride in a Lancha to the other side of the bay, cross a few hills, look for a place to camp, repeat on the next bay and ride home.


So off we went, trying not to hit too much pavement and on route to Paredones on the Ohuira Bay.


After riding for a while on a very nice Saturday morning we started to see some blue on the GPS.


Exchanging some beer money for gas, we were on the water in a matter of minutes.


Happily riding across Ohuira Bay.


The usual artsy shot.


We even saw some friendly dolphins along the way


Seeing Lazaro Cardenas across the bay made us realize that those hills were not going to be as easy as once thought.


Lazaro Cardenas doesn't have a channel, so they make do with high tides and some resemblance of and unfinished pier.


Unloading the bikes at Lazaro C.


That pier was some nice exercise after sitting in the boat, maybe a little more than we bargained for.


After some huffing, shouting and just hopping along the rocks, we thought it was over, only to find this.


Every town in Mexico has a house that will either give you or sell you some food, and we weren't about to cross those hills on an empty tank.


Ahhh, the joys of Shrimp season, Camarones Rancheros, rice and tortillas.


Slowly riding out of town wearing a couple of pounds of shrimps.:sombrero:


Putting miles to the ground


A newly constructed small ditch got us lost, as we began contemplating a mosquito infested camp in the middle of nowhere.


Getting out of that mess was not hard and soon we were doing Photo opps on the salty flats.




Looks easy without the damn mosquitos.


You can laugh at us flatlanders, but those short hills were mean late in the day.


The private beach of San Ignacio brings back a lot of memories, nice secluded place. In the back La Bahia de Navachiste.


We set up camp in a nearby beach in a cloud of mosquitos that later on succumbed to the evening wind. Falling fast to sleep I woke up to this view.


After some fumbling trying to get a ride, we talked a fine gentleman into taking us to Cerro Cabezon, our next town in the trip.


Bahia de Navachiste is even nicer than Ohuira, lots of fishing on this area.




Upon arrival, we setup to ride, with a stiff wind at our face.


Leaving the coast we got in the farming country.




Arriving at Bachoco, then Juan Jose Rios and soon to Los Mochis.


The steed at the end of the journey, best damn bike I have :victory:


Overall a very nice trip, some great company and great practice for some future Bikepacking trips.