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Tioloco
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Registered: 7-30-2014
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COPPER CANYON
This is not Baja related, but we are driving to the Copper Canyon for 9 days and wanted to know if anybody had any must see recommendations. Plan on
seeing Basaseachi, Urique, Batopilas, Divisadero, Guachochi and Creel. Its been on the to see list for a long time. Any inside tips? Two Jeep Rubicons
well set up. Less pavement is better.
Mil gracias, Tioloco
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ehall
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Location: Buckeye, Az
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Never been but I have seen a bunch of ride threads at adventure rider. Sounds like a cool trip. Who is going with you? Anyone I would know?
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Tioloco
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Ed-
Check your u2u
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DENNIS
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Read "God's Middle Finger" before you go:
http://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2736567-god-s-middle-fing...
"YOU CAN'T LITTER ALUMINUM"
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Marc
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I have five trips there so far. Once by train. Last time with Diego Rhodes from Hotel Oso as guide. He says we were the first Gringos on the newly cut
road from Urique to Batopilas.
Dennis is correct. Read "Gods Middle Finger". Also read "Born to Run.
I will post a few tips later.
Looking down on the road to Urique.
[Edited on 9-29-2015 by Marc]
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volcano
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Location: Cave Junction, Oregon and Boca Del Salado area, Ea
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been there, then read "God's middle finger"..........I'd rather just say be aware of the narco dangers and go and enjoy....don't read it, or it might
scare you off......stay to the normal tourist sights. Diego Rhodes'.and his...Paraiso de Oso ranch is a great recommendation, especially for the
local relationships he has built. Check out his website...you may like to go back at Easter Time...see photos of the local
Indian's interesting interpretation.on his website. Gorgeous country around his ranch, with ancient sites, caves and petroglyphs.
Such a great adventure...a must do for those that love adventure.
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wilderone
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And you're taking the train ride I presume? IMO not necessary to go all the way to Los Mochis. Get off at El Fuerte instead. Quaint colonial type
town, walkable. There's a great restaurant called El Capitan, or El Reyo or something like that - I'm sure someone will tell you - but it has
fabulous garlic soup. Take the hike along the rio in Batopilas - picturesque and refreshing if you go for a dip. We left our car at a large hotel in
Divisidero (the one that looks like a castle) and boarded the train there. No problem with the parking, as we were a guest there the night before.
Also, you can take a horseback ride down into the canyon at Divisidero - a great perspective and see the cliff dwellers still living there. Forget
reading God's Middle Finger - sensationalized hype. Not saying there probably isn't some drug-related crime in the area, but this author literally
went looking for it. Also, if you're passing through Madera, there is a wonderful Anasazi cliff site called Cumplejo de Anasazi in the pine forest
west of there. You can get a taxi driver to take you or go yourself, but the turnoff is difficult to spot - no signs (at least none the 2 times I
went) - just a little gate, then a short drive down a bad dirt road, and then you need to find the trailheads 'cuz the dwellings aren't visible from
the plateau where you start. Anyway, if you're interested in that stuff, not to be missed.
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umpqua
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I backpacked the Copper Canyon about 20 years ago. It was the "damndest" trip I've ever been on. Absolutely incredible country. I'd get in my car
today and would go again today if I could. I will visit there again someday. Hopefully you will run across some Tarahumara Indians. Something tells me
they don't have internet.
Post up a trip report when you return.
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DianaT
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Way back many years ago when we first went to Cooper Canyon there were problems with drugs and a lot of trouble between the Mexican government and the
Tarahumara people. As we did back then, I would just watch where you wander ---- it was kind of like driving out the Lost Coast in California where
there are lots of places one is not welcome.
Other than that, have a great time. It is such a beautiful and interesting place. While we have been there a few times, we would like to return and
look forward to hearing about your trip!
Curious who knows if the road to Batopilas has been paved? We heard that it was going to be paved?
Just a side note --- we were at the Gila Cave Dwellings in 2012 when Micah True died while running. He was the one featured in the book, "Born to
Run". I wonder if the marathon races he started with the Tarahumara have continued.
Tioloco, I hope you find out all the answers and take lots of pictures!
[Edited on 9-29-2015 by DianaT]
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BajaBlanca
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Location: La Bocana, BCS
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this blog says it now takes 4 hours from creel to batopilas and that the road is almost paved all the way:
http://www.amigos3.com/batopilas/
TIO - come visit me in la bocana and look through THE HISTORY OF THE COPPER CANYON and the Tarahumara Indians which includes UNKNOWN MEXICO by Carl
Lumholtz and SILVER MAGNET by Grant Shepherd (one book with all three).
The read was very interesting!
Stay a night in Batopilas if you can - but remember it is absurdly hot there at the bottom of the canyon. We enjoyed our stay there-we were the only
gringoes there. We hunted but could not find a margarita anywhere. We went there on a local bus from Creel and it was scary on the narrow road. Les
was on the window side of the bus and the words I heard rarely come out of his mouth LOL We had to catch it at 5 am to return...no bueno at
all....would have been better to perhaps stay two days?
Oh you will have fun, I am so jealous! In a good way.
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BajaBlanca
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Here are links to the trip we did -
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=47353#pid5410...
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=47357#pid5411...
http://forums.bajanomad.com/viewthread.php?tid=47386#pid5597...
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wilderone
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Re Batopilas: "We hunted but could not find a margarita anywhere"
As we were told, alcohol is not sold or served in commerial establishments. However. If you stay at a hotel and you'd like dinner that evening, you
should make that known, and you will be scheduled to eat at a local residence. Very likely they will have beer, but not much else. Likewise, a
couple blocks from the town square (coming into town on the river side), there is a large residence with a large backyard with a river view, which is
known to serve alcohol (I had a beer, not sure what else they have). So you could ask around for where alcohol is served. If you really want a
margarita, take your own ingredients, and possibly have them mixed at the local residence type dinner or maybe your hotel manager can accommodate you.
And on the availability of dinner, if you find a restaurant, make a point to ask if they'll be serving dinner and tell them you'll be coming back to
be sure they'll still be open.
Another note: there are private vans to take you to Batopilas (pretty expensive - per van - not per person), but the local bus that goes every day,
is a fraction of the cost - about $20 USD. This is a bargain for all that adventure!
5:00 a.m. return time - LOL - si, we waited in the rain!
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Marc
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Quote: Originally posted by wilderone  | Re Batopilas: "We hunted but could not find a margarita anywhere"
As we were told, alcohol is not sold or served in commerial establishments. However. If you stay at a hotel and you'd like dinner that evening, you
should make that known, and you will be scheduled to eat at a local residence. Very likely they will have beer, but not much else. Likewise, a
couple blocks from the town square (coming into town on the river side), there is a large residence with a large backyard with a river view, which is
known to serve alcohol (I had a beer, not sure what else they have). So you could ask around for where alcohol is served. If you really want a
margarita, take your own ingredients, and possibly have them mixed at the local residence type dinner or maybe your hotel manager can accommodate you.
And on the availability of dinner, if you find a restaurant, make a point to ask if they'll be serving dinner and tell them you'll be coming back to
be sure they'll still be open.
Another note: there are private vans to take you to Batopilas (pretty expensive - per van - not per person), but the local bus that goes every day,
is a fraction of the cost - about $20 USD. This is a bargain for all that adventure!
5:00 a.m. return time - LOL - si, we waited in the rain! |
We were served beer at a restaurant in old plaza. The smaller plaza up the street.
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Tioloco
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Thank you everyone for the replies. No train for this trip and I will be sure to take plenty of pictures. Coming from southern AZ, looking forward to
the cooler climate.... Even in Batopilas!
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ehall
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Have fun. 107 today in yuma. Even Batopilas has to be cooler than that. The couple going with you just celebrated their 50th anniversary. Good trip
to celebrate.
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Marc
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An adventure for sure.
ON THE RIDGE ROAD/TRAIL NOT ON MAPS. DON'T STOP AT THE RANCH UNLESS YOU HAVE A LOCAL WITH YOU.
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BajaBlanca
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we had a beer in batopilas, precisely at the place on the river!
but no margaritas anywhere...no biggie, but I don't really drink beer.
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AKgringo
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Cooler climate?
| Quote: Originally posted by Tioloco | | Thank you everyone for the replies. No train for this trip and I will be sure to take plenty of pictures. Coming from southern AZ, looking forward to
the cooler climate.... Even in Batopilas! |
I've got one! It snowed about three inches on my yard in Anchorage last night!
Thirty two degrees right now, so not much melting going on.
But I am out of here next week, in Baja a few weeks later.
If you are not living on the edge, you are taking up too much space!
"Could do better if he tried!" Report card comments from most of my grade school teachers. Sadly, still true!
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Tioloco
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AKgringo-
I can hardly imagine snow today.... Hot here! Have a safe trip south.
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Tioloco
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BajaBlanca-
Luckily for me, I am a beer drinker. My wife would probably go for the margarita, though!
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