September 2001
|
Copper
Canyon...
|
...again
|
|
Friday 14 September
By the
time we got to Copper Canyon, it was a bit of an anticlimax after the scenery
we'd just experienced over the previous day and a half, but much more mad
adventure was to come. Driving from Bahuichivo to Creel following alongside
the trainline, we reached a normal road. Winding through more stunning scenery,
we decided to take a short cut through Sinforosa Canyon and try to reach
the big coastal city of Culiacan for Friday night.
|
Cerocahui
main square
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The
landy in a ravine
|
Urique
Canyon
|
Gates
of frustration
|
Unfortunately, the track
we were driving down, signposted for Sinforosa, ended at a collection of buildings,
gates and walls. One of the gates was the way through. An old man demanded 20
pesos ($2) to let us pass, much discussion ensued and we refused to pay but
the old git also refused to unlock the gate. We turned back and promptly got
lost in the nearby town, wasting more time. Continuing down the main highway
another, seemingly simple offroad shortcut presented itself, allowing us to
cut 200kms from the main road route. Refusing the offers of a picnicing family
to follow them through, we continued alone. Soon we were crossing rivers - a
lot. We crossed one river over 20 times and found ourselves landying along a
very unused track with no previous tyre marks whatsoever. Eventually, we came
to a dead end in a tiny collection of huts, the local indian saying there was
no way through. It was starting to get dark so we resigned ourselves to going
back, wickedly using the GPS to retrace our steps.
|
One
of almost 50 river crossings today
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One
of many gates
|
Asking
the locals for directions
|
|
Challenging
offroading...
|
...nobody
has driven here for a very long time
|
Grounded
in the middle of a river, at night
|
Disaster struck as we were
crossing the river for one of the last times when T drove straight over two
big rocks, grounding the chassis at the front and the diff at the back. Look
here for the details. We continued
on and camped nearby, exhausted and wet. We'll try for Culiacan tomorrow!
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