Ok. As of tonight, December 26th, we are gonna give this a shot. End of January, first of February? WTF? Nephews and I are hoping to head to The Rio Salto and then south to the Barranca Tolantango ( or Tolontango or maybe Tolantongo depending on the map). Early in the process. The plan is evolving. Such as it is. The boys will be on their 950 Adventures and I am still deciding between the Big Ugly R1200GS Adv and KilLeR. Didn't much care for the Reynosa crossing but seems to make the most sense given our destination. If it ends up just us, maybe try for 7 days in Mexico. Want to see the Reserva Biosphera, too if possible. Too damn much to see. Any thoughts are welcome here or by pm.
Then you won't object to me stealing your most excellent ride plan for myself and a few friends. Maybe by April you'll be up for it??
Nah. If I ever get to go it will have to be December, Jan, Feb. The boys can't go any other time and I need them to get the body home.
Edited first post. Again. The nephews are sounding pretty determined and I can't let them go by themselves. Who would slow them down? Who would make poor choices? And anyway. They need me along for comic relief. Let's do this thing. Looking for dirt/twisty road routing. Hotels. Must see's.
This ride by advrider Arte of Reynosa gives us some good ideas. I think I'll try to weasel an introduction. We have mutual friends. http://www.advrider.com/forums/showthread.php?t=591641&page=2
Well, schizz convinced me that I needed to retire my set Guia Roji maps for the 2013 model so I amazon-ed it last night. Today is a run to the Post Office to see wth bureacratic nonsense renewing my passport is. Of course, it expires 1/30/2013. Have about 5 hours invested in ride reports and I am about ready to start the pm onslaught.
Dang it. Cptimagine. Found an online source for almost every state map I need (and an atlas from that mapmaker) but no SLP state map for some strange reason.
This is working plan. Such as it is. We won't have any itinerary. Just an area to "work" back and forth. East and west . North and south. So, the plan. Day one. Get within the blue lines. Last day. Get back to the border from within the blue lines. Uhhhhh....that's about it.
But I'm pretty sure I stayed a night in Ixmiquilpan . It sits on a hill, along a river . Low main street and high main street . The place I stayed was on the high street . Other end of town from the iron bridge crossing the river . Just a door and small enterance, amoung resturants etc. Then you ride down the hill turn right into the secure parking, under and behind the hotel . Rt 85 is a blast, especially uphill on the mountain immediatly after crossing the iron bridge heading home . I had to do a run n re run that section . I'll look today, for some more info . I have time, it's snowing to beat the band . Also, last year I walked across the border, the day before the ride . Did the paper work, next day Anzldura is a 10 minute gig, buenos dias, flash the papers . Keep to the hiway and you skirt Reynosa, still a lotta traffic . Clear the 26 mile check, then banfukinzaiiii 150 miles, only stopping for the muzzles of guns .
From my digesting of hours of threads, San Joaquin, Xilitla, Aquismon, Ixmiquilpan, the "resorts" down at Barranca Tolantongo, Jalpan, Bernal, and El Naranjo look to be the kind of spots we'd like to spend some time. We are not that budget conscious, but we won't be doing the James Bond spa tour either. If there is a clean 300 p alternative to a 1100p palace, we will most likely be in the former most nights...but we can be tempted. Tamasopo, Rio Salto, Cascadas everywhere, Los Marmoles, Puente de Dios, Los Pozas, the Missions, the Soltana , the Reserva de la Biosphera el Cielo, the monolith at Bernal....jeebus. And that is just barely scratching the surface. The boys are both kayakers and the drought around here is awful. Getting them away from the water will be tough. We will just have to limit our non-riding excursions or pick the ones closest to the road. lol.
Hola Slowoldguy ,thanks for the pm. Sounds like the makings of an excellent ride and with an excellent strategy. Here 's a another suggestion for route you might work in as you progress south on Mex 85. When you get to Jacala HGO , ( that is south of Tamaz' about 100km) consider taking the GRAVEL road west out of downrown Jacala. This is a great route about 30km to village of Pacula. There is a DRY river crossing at the bottom of the valley , but if there has been recent very heavy rain and the river is flowing you may have to turn back. This is why I suggest starting from Jacala which is only about 18km from that river and you would not be annoyed by having to retrace your short road to Jacala .If you approached from the other direction such a flooded river would force you to retreat over more than 100km. The gravel road section to Pacula winds down and up across the rolling mountainscape ranchlands, . In Pacula the route turns south and is a great scenic paved mountainscape road that rejoins Mex 85 north of Zimapan(shows in red on your map). Last March in Pacula I heard also that a new connection road is being opened up to join Mex 120 to the north ,near Landa de Matamoros, that should be really interesting too. I keep glancing at your map segment and see that it is missing a lot of the really useful town names and does have some misleads. For instance on Mex 120 south of Jalpan de Serra there is nothing showing the town of Pinal de Amoles.... a big miss with hotels, Pemex etc. .... but it does show the much smaller town of COMARCO at a junction between Mex 120 and another road which it implies is of equal quality and runs north into the Sierra Gorda to join Atarjea and Xichu. THAT is a road you guys MUST DO ! .... but it is NOT PAVED . It is a wonderfully winding gravel road over the mounhtains ,some farms It joins the Atarjea road about 10km west of that village. They were working on paving the road from Atarjea to Xichu this past April and I had to follow the detour in the actual riverbed. Gas available in Pinal so fill up for the day , also gas in Xichu ,Santa Catarina , Victoria, Penamiller. I am sure you have other more detailed maps to actuallly use in the field. From the Atarjea road there is another winding scenic gravel road connecting south across the mountains to Santa Catarina which becomes excellent pavement not shown on your map to los Molinos and Sta Catarina In Santa Catarina ( 2 hotels) stop for a meal at Restaurant El Indio and say hi for me to my friend Gustavo and his family they put on a gresat breakfast lunch and dinner.Just ask locally everybody can direct you to it. From the Atarjea all the way to Xichu is also still gravel, then pavement all the way west to San Luis de la Paz. From west of Xichu a cross mountain road connects south to Victoria. You definitely need a more detailed map- yours does not even show Bernal A neat side trip east off Mex 120 is hinted at only by the red line to "Ranas Y Toluquilla" DO take that side trip. It is wonderful scneic paved highway up into the oak forested mountaintops to the town of San Joaquin ,hotels and Pemex- fuel up! and from there a paved road can take you right down to the river border between HGO and QRO and back. and another gravel road wends north into the hills to more smaller villages. So much to explore.
It was Tamazunchale, the $ was under 300p, I'd go back . The place I discribed "previous post" had the best mc security . The roads are a hoot, RT. 85 km284 - km 290, is the place I did out n backs . I wrote that in the log, not the hotel name unfortunatly . I can't help on the other places you've mentioned . I've done loops off 85, 120 and 105, all I've ridden were worth it . The rain makes the dirt roads there quite greasy . I travel alone and don't leave it sit very often .
sjoerd. I have better maps. I just didn't want to draw on them. Yet. I have the Guia Rogi 2007 and have ordered the 2013. I am also gonna buy some fellas Hotel guide. I just wish he took online payments. I think I'm on to something here. Keep the suggestions coming.
To introduce everybody. Here's Big Ugly. Nephews on the Dragon. Nephews 2's steed. And thelawnguy81's bike. Nephew 1 Together the nephews are 12' 10" and weigh 470. Little bitty fellers. And me showing my good sense and discretion.
