Durango to Mazatlan Highway

[SR]

Originally Posted by SchizzMan

A high-paying job in Durango??

I wouldn't know about that, we Geologist do it for the love, of rocks that is!

[SR]

I know that my collection of photos of crashes on the Dgo-Mazatlan highway is kind of creapy, but so far I don't think I have actually seen a deadly accident. Well maybe one, I am not sure? If someone actually dies for sure, I'll have some taste and not post it.



This guy is not doing too bad, you can see his smoke stack is kind of bent.

That Federal de Caminos is yelling at me, no photos and get the chingada out of here, and he is right! Okay Okay Voy!




On a lighter note. Nothing better than gorditas and atole with a view on a crisp January afternoon!

[tricepilot]

You're giving me the idea for a reality TV show: Haul (Ass) Road: Espinazo

[SchizzMan]

Originally Posted by tricepilot

You're giving me the idea for a reality TV show: Haul (Ass) Road: Espinazo

Subtitled: Scraping By On The Free Roads

[Axel White]

Originally Posted by SR

-It is about 320 km from Maz to Dgo. It takes about 6 hours maybe a little less if you are really hauling on a bike.

Sunday is the best day to go, less truck traffic.

Dont forget to stop in Copala to see the little plaza historico and have some banana cream pie at Daniels Restaurant!

-DGO to Nayarit is 12 hours, see post 122 for more detail.

-I think the new highway will be done around the end of next year (2012). See the post above for more detail.

-On another note, they are also currently paving the road from Culiacan SIN to DGO through, Topia and Santiago Papsquiaro. I have not done all of the route yet and am looking for some exploradores y adventureros to join me! That area should have some extremely spectacular scenery and topography. Google Earth it. Who's in?

Hecha mi un grito quando llegues en DGO.

Saludos

SR

Hi SR,

I just rode from the south end of Vallarta to Durango in just under 9 hours, without pushing it. Riding a BMW Adventure so only one fuel stop. Rode the toll road from Tepic to just south of Mazatlan. From PV to the turnoff to Durango took about 4 hrs. I have done this many times in both directions but this last time was easier than ever. They have taken so many kinks out of the Espinazo that it is becoming an easy ride.

Wonder how long it will take to make the Durango to Mazatlan trip on the new road? Hope that you are buying real estate in Mazatlan. If not already, I am sure that prices will go up since it will open the beaches to a whole new income group.

[SR]

Originally Posted by Axel White

Hi SR,

I just rode from the south end of Vallarta to Durango in just under 9 hours, without pushing it. Riding a BMW Adventure so only one fuel stop. Rode the toll road from Tepic to just south of Mazatlan. From PV to the turnoff to Durango took about 4 hrs. I have done this many times in both directions but this last time was easier than ever. They have taken so many kinks out of the Espinazo that it is becoming an easy ride.

Wonder how long it will take to make the Durango to Mazatlan trip on the new road? Hope that you are buying real estate in Mazatlan. If not already, I am sure that prices will go up since it will open the beaches to a whole new income group.

9 hours is good time from PV to DGO. It takes us 12-13 in a car and I have to drug my whole family dramamine or we will have to add in puke stops.

They say with the new road it will be about 3 hours in car from DGO to Mazatlan. Probably not much different in MC because of the high speeds. Most people agree that real estate price will likely go up in Mazatlan when that road is completed. It will bring in people not just from Durango but also Torreon and Zacatecas.

Next time you go from DGO to PV you might consider the new road south from Durango to Nayarit. It is right on your way and it is amazing. About three times the curves of the Espinazo! It is so new that it doesn't show up on any map that I have ever seen, but if you need details or a GPS route let me know.

Saludos.

[SR]

I put these photos in IMS a few weeks ago but I should have put them here. Riding the Espinazo all the way from Mazatlan to Durango an a DRZ-400E and an XR-400. Incredibly fun!!








No square tires around here!

[SR]

A few new Photos from the new highway. This is all about 30-50 Km west of El Salto on the new highway. I meant to get to the Baluarte bridge but there was a lot of construction activity with people and trucks all over the place, also because there has been a lot of rain the construction zones were deep sloppy mud, not too much fun on the STROM with road tires. But I got a few photos.


Flowers in bloom.


The Chavarria Graben. This valley is a big volcanic caldera.


Guys hanging retention wire.


Guys hanging up lighting.


Looking North at a waterfall.


This rock looks mineralized. It's loaded with sulfide. I bet if you sampled it you could get a half gram of gold/tonne.


Interesting water control system.


I think this guy was coming back from bringing lonches to the workers. He's got the 125 stacked up high.

Enjoy

[SR]

Last night National Geographic Latin America aired for the first time a special on the construction of the new Baluarte Bridge. It was very interesting and well done. I don't know if they have an English version. There is some footage here.


http://www.natgeo.tv/us/especiales/puente-baluarte

A few more months and the new highway should be done!

[patched]

Originally Posted by SR

If you can do the road on a Sunday the semi traffic is noticeably less.

The road southwest from Durango to Mezquital to Estacion Ruiz Nayarit is really getting to be a nice alternative to the Dgo-Mazatlan highway. It is about 80% paved now. It is about twice as long and has the same scenery as the Dgo-Mazatlan highway. It is full of curves with beautiful new pavement. It is extremely isolated but there is essentially no traffic. The road spits you out of the Sierra near San Blas Nayarit which is arguably a nicer beach town than Mazatlan depending on what you like.

Hi SR I was planning on Dgo-Mazatlan-San Blas-PV in March 2013.Your route looks very interesting. How much more has been paved in the last three years?

Originally Posted by SR

The road from DGO to San Blas Nayarit would definitely be a good option for you, especially if you are continuing south to PV. The road goes Durango, Mezquital, Temoya, Candaleria, long stretch to Huazamota, Jesus Maria, Nayarit, Ruiz, Nayarit, San Blas. I don't have my Gui Roji on hand and I don't remember how well the road is marked but the road is very much the main road through this region and isn't too hard to follow. If you need a GPS route I have one.

SR

Google earth shows a lot of dirt yet i'm ok with that .But it does'nt let me do a continuous route from Jesus Maria to Ruiz is that because it follows dry river beds or is it just Google?

[SR]

Originally Posted by patched

Hi SR I was planning on Dgo-Mazatlan-San Blas-PV in March 2013.Your route looks very interesting. How much more has been paved in the last three years?


Google earth shows a lot of dirt yet I'm ok with that .But it doesn't let me do a continuous route from Jesus Maria to Ruiz is that because it follows dry river beds or is it just Google?

The last time I was on the road was at the end of May and there was maybe 15 km by the Dgo-Nayarit border that were not paved, and they were paving that stretch at the time, so there might not be any dirt left? I plan to do it again in a couple of weeks I will update.

The road is all very nice pavement between Jesus Maria to Ruiz, very scenic and a lot of fun to ride! The lower part of that road is fairly old and runs parallel to the river. It's tropical there, so maybe the road is hidden by the overgrown in the Google Earth scene? If you need a GPS route send me your email address because I don't think I can attach a file with the ADV rider messenger.

I spent most of today on the DGO-Mazatlan highway. Around Buenos Aires I came a across a flipped over semi truck carrying a load of cattle! By the time I got there the locals had butchered two on the side of the road. It was Sunday afternoon and they were probably already having a carne asada. Sorry no photos.

[RW66]

SR
I was on my last leg from Mesa Az home to Fresnillo.....I passed the same cattle truck...they only had one ready for the grill when I went by....
You probably don t remember me but we rode together a couple of years ago in the hills back of Fresnillo
We need to ride together again sometime
RW

[SR]

Originally Posted by RW66

You probably don t remember me but we rode together a couple of years ago in the hills back of Fresnillo
We need to ride together again sometime
RW

HI RW66, I definitely remember you. That was a fun ride we did. A perfect KLR ride with some on road and some off. I see you picked up a Tiger. Nice! I traded KLR for a VSTROM earlier this year.

We should go riding. I see from your Profile you did the new road over the Sierra to the coast. I have been coming down from DGO and meeting up with that road around Jesus Maria. I am itching to do the stretch over the Sierra from Valparaiso. Maybe we can make a loop somehow?

[RW66]

SR
It was a nice ride over the Sierra. I was by myself and of course everyone said I was crazy....so what else is new..
It was as hard on me...an old man, as it was on the KLR...I lost a sub frame bolt, a cruise peg and had a flat tire...
Some nice people I passed found the peg, and gave it back when I was stopped with the flat.....and another guy stopped to help me with the flat......don't understand why people think a 62 year old guy is crazy for traveling all over Mexico alone when Mexico is full of people like that, ready to help.....maybe that is why the bad guys leave me alone because they also think I am crazy????? When a got to....I think Ruiz......I was low on fuel and a kid came up beside me on a small motorcycle and started to chat....he said he would take me to the gas station.....it was night and I had no idea where I was .......I followed him.....he took me through some questionable neighborhoods I thought maybe this was going to be the end of my life so I punched in the gas stations into my GPS and it said there was one in the direction we were heading so I continued to follow.....long story short we got gas and this kid was a great help to me that night.....maybe people just like to help crazy old men ridding all over Mexico alone......what do you think????
I would do it again, but the manager here in the park told my boss what I did and my boss went crazy and asked me to
not do that kind of ridding anymore.....go figure...make me an offer I can't refuse.......like, ask me to ride it with you and let's see who wins.....my boss or the ride over the mountains????.
We need to meet up again and share some lies....
RW

[SR]

RW, Apologies for the slow response. I didnt realize I left you hanging. Sounds like a fun adventure over the the Sierra de Valparisio? I dont think you are crazy. If the boss wants to tell you what you can and cant do as a recreational activity on your days off, I hope a discussion about a large hazard pay multiplier is also inluded in that conversation!

I dont see much chance of getting to Zac between now and the end of the year but Ill get in touch with you in Jan.


On the original subject, someone just told me that they opened up a big stretch of the new highway from Villa Union to above Panuco. That is still not the big stretch with the Baluarte bridge, but it is a big chunk that will cut out a solid 30 minutes or more of travel.