World Champ Alison Dunlap spent her winter vacation riding with our group in the canyons.  Kind of indicative of the quality of riding to be found down there!  The group numbered as many as 15 and included several returnees including Kendall Cole (one of our very first clients some 10 years ago; Kendall brought along his dad and our sole full-time hiker, Ed): Lisa Nye and Adam Salladin (owners of Hill Country Bicycle Works in Kerrville, TX; expert racers and Lisa is a NORBA Board Member); and Adam Haughey (the trip brewmaster-- Adam brought along a bunch of his best brews from the Blanco Brewery).  The rest of the group included Alison's husband and longtime OWA friend Greg Frozley (former pro and now one of the top expert/semi-pro's around); Jill Griebel (San Francisco); Dan Deffner (Sausalito); Andy Barnham (Hunt, Kerrville, etc.); Alex Dickie (Honduras); Jonathan Jakle (Santa Fe); Ralph Voss, Jr (San Antonio) and OWA guides Arturo Gutierrez and David Appleton.  All in all--- one of our strongest and most entertaining groups ever.

The weather started off just about perfectly-- clear blue skies and temps in the 60's in the Creel area.  The good weather lasted just a couple of days before a storm system moved in bringing cloudy and then rainy skies.  We were able to avoid riding in the rain for the most part, but it did create some challenging terrain in a few areas.  The clouds did give way periodically down in the canyons and ultimately did keep the temps very pleasant down in the Batopilas area.  The upside of the moisture is that the spring is sure to be nice.

A small, but active group joined together for our annual January trip for 2001.  We did keep waiting each day for the anticipated arrival of "Tres" and our mountain biking contingent, but ultimately their trip was destroyed by bad weather in Chicago and other factors.  The small group size did make things simple-- plenty of room in the van, no trouble getting seated for meals, easy border crossing, etc.

The weather in the high country around Creel was windy and a bit chilly but not bad considering conditions elsewhere.  Creel did get a dusting of snow, but during the time that we were in the canyons-- great timing.  While we were down basking in the sun around Batopilas we got word that the highway between Cuahtemoc and Chihuahua had been closed due to drifting snow.  We spent the bulk of our energy this trip on hiking including a descent further down Cusarare Canyon than we had been before (narrow trail, but nice remote scenery) and along the Estrella Trail above Kirare and Batopilas Canyon.  That trek earned us a great view down into Wiamivo Canyon and we continue to ponder the prospects of a crossing either on foot or with bikes either up or down Wiamivo from below Basigochi to the end of the canyon where it dumps into the Batopilas River.

Down in the canyons, we spent 1 night at Don Bush's "La Cancha" and then 2 in Batopilas.  We stayed at Juanitas in Bato this trip and were pleased with things there.  We did a hike to Satevo trying to catch the late afternoon light just right for photos and then a full day hike out and back to Cerro Colorado.  It was nice to find that much of the remaining Camino Real to Cerro has been repaired lately and made for fine hiking.  Sra Hernandez had a great batch of coffee awaiting us this trip along with tasty beans, tortillas and soup.

Because of the small group size, there was some time to explore some new bike routes in the Creel vicinity and we think we've finally linked up a classic route from Creel to the Valley of the Monks and the Rio Conchos overlook-- that we can actually recreate and remember.  It's a constant battle down there to recreate routes on bikes since there are so many trails and so many small valleys, arroyos, and crisscrossing logging roads. 

Mary Kay, Gale and Dick were great hikers and enjoyable traveling companions and then there was Dr Barrow............We figure this was about our 20th trip or so in the area and we are constantly amazed by what we see and experience!

If we had been looking for a place to sit out the changing of the millennium or the coming of the Apocalypse, Copper Canyon would have been perfect. The geological time in evidence everywhere among the canyons makes 2000 years seem like the blink of an eye. The power supply in towns like Batopilas is consistently intermittent, so you wouldn't know a blackout from an ordinary evening, and since we always drink bottled water when we're in country, not a lot of things stand to change during your garden variety, end-of-the-world scenario. Most likely you'd be biking, hiking, eating, or tugging on a Corona when the trumpet sounded, so you might not even notice the change if you got called up to the good place.

This January we had a nice mix of hikers and bikers that included Joyce Johnston, Pauline Ward, Dennis Herrera and Carmen Magana from California; David Appleton, Jennifer Myers, Laurie Duncan, and Teresa Anderson from Texas; Jane Towler from Maryland; David Barrow and Peter Merlin from Illinois; and Hugo Berrios from Bolivia. As usual, Arturo Gutierrez joined us and brought along his wealth of local knowledge.

Most of the group made the road trip from El Paso, which went pretty smoothly; although it did take Mexican immigration a few minutes to decide whether a Bolivian national ought to be entering Mexico from the wrong direction. Hugo, who provides logistical support for OWA's Bolivia expeditions, swore he was eventually going to go back to Bolivia, and that seemed to satisfy everyone. Joyce and Pauline made the famous rail trip from Los Mochis and met the rest of us at Margarita's in Creel.

The trekkers and bikers were equally game and eager to get their hearts pumping from day 1. Both groups spent the day exploring the latticework of trails that connects the Tarahumara ranchitos in the area. The trekkers had lunch at Arareco Lake and David and Jennifer tried a few casts with a fly rod. Nothing bit, probably because Jennifer's twin sister, Jane, was taking a swim around the corner. On our way back to Creel, we passed an amazing little graveyard decorated in every sort of empty bottle and can, and we stopped nearby to shade ourselves at the mission at San Ignacio. For some reason, the children who live near San Ignacio flock to you as if they had known you all their lives.

The bikers enjoyed the kind of "first day break in" we've come to expect in Copper Canyon. The group goes out with plans for a few leisurely hours of gentle cruising and ends up getting back just before dark, dust covered and elated from riding the endless web of singletrack that surrounds Creel. It doesn't hurt their motivation that the temperature is in the low seventies and the sky is crystal clear over deep blue.

On day two, while the bikers explored other sites around Creel, the trekkers took off for Cusarare Falls. The falls were still sporting some ice, and after lunch at the base of the falls, we all napped or sat staring patiently at the chunks of ice, which would occasionally reward our patience by peeling off and crashing to the bottom. This area is also one of best places to purchase traditional grass and pine needle baskets from the Tarahumara, so we took our time on the walk back as we shopped for baskets and got to know some of the local artists. In the afternoon, Jennifer, Jane, and David Barrow joined the bikers for one more ride in the Creel area before the departure next morning for La Bufa.

Day three followed our classic itinerary for the ride into Batopilas Canyon. We took everyone to La Casita by van, where the bikers start riding. While I handled the sag wagon, Arturo took the trekkers ahead to Estrella for a hike along the edge of Batopilas Canyon and a great view of La Bufa. The bikers and trekkers crossed at Estrella for a brief time and then it was time for the descent into La Bufa via the infamous switchback road. For better or worse, the road has been widened recently, and the car ride, at least, is improved. As always, the bikers enjoyed the extended downhill, and just to prove he could be different, Hugo hiked straight down into La Bufa from Estrella. He had to hike around a minor forest fire or two on the way down, but he made it to Don Bush's compound just a couple of hours after the rest of us, and we saved him some supper.

Don's place deserves a story to itself. His cabana and outbuildings sit on a hill overlooking the river and looking out on one the great views of Batopilas Canyon. When we got to Don's just after dark, he had a bowl of guacamole as big as my head waiting for us, along with a basketfull of quesadillas. We sat on his bougainvillea laced patio and looked out on the stars and the dark outlines of peaks. For dinner Don whipped up some great turkey spaghetti, and afterwards we sipped great coffee and listened to Don's extensive CD collection or browsed his well stocked library. Everybody got in a shower before bedtime--hot water courtesy of Don's wood burning hot water heater--and most of us opted to sleep in garden under the stars.

We awoke the next morning to a breathtaking view up the canyon and took our time with the buckwheat pancakes and fresh grapefruit. The collectors among us got to peruse Don's assembly of Tarahumara artifacts and do a little trading for this and that. When we couldn't think of anything else to do to delay our departure, we took off on a hike above La Bufa and visited some of the old mines. We picnicked high on the side of the canyon and looked out over isolated farms on tops of adjacent moutons. Don's place was isolated, but these farms seemed entirely untouched by the outside world. On the way down we stopped by Don's place long enough to grab our gear and then split up again to go by bike and car to Batopilas. The road from La Bufa to Batopilas is spectacular by any means of transportation, but by bike it is perfection. Norm Ford, who has biked all over the world, once said this was the best mountain biking road he had ever encountered. When you consider that there's more of the same after you reach your destination in Batopilas, it's no wonder people have called this the premier mountain biking destination in the world.

In Batopilas, we checked into our hotel, the Casa Real de Minas. While most of the group was cleaning up for dinner, David A., David B., Arturo, and Teresa picked up a basketball game at the city park and gave the locals a run for their money. Despite Teresa being a terror under the boards, the OWA team was denied victory in the last waning moments of daylight.

Dinner, beverages, and the guitar and song stylings of the restaurant owner and his brother-in-law helped heal the wounded egos. We all popped in and out of the restaurant during the serenade to check on the full eclipse of the moon that was in process. The highlight of the evening was the coincidence of the total eclipse and a Batopilas power outage. The moon hung as a huge orange disk against a sky of brilliant stars as we walked back from the restaurant to the hotel, and when the moon reappeared, the dogs and roosters went off in unison to celebrate the new day. We found out the next day that the local beer truck had driven off the side of the road during the eclipse and that the Tarahumaras that rescued the driver had enjoyed a windfall of cervesas. We wondered if the eclipse would now take on some new historical significance among the Tarahumara.

On our fifth day, we trekked and biked to the town of Cerro Colorado. Arturo introduced the trekkers to some of the edible plants along the way, and David B. took along his fly rod and caught and released several fish from the river. Everyone met up in Cerro Colorado for lunch, and the bike people were full of superlatives for the ride out--roughest, steepest, most technical. It's not an easy ride, but no one who makes it will ever forget it.

The trekkers got back to Batopilas in time to explore the ruins of the silver baron's hacienda on the river front opposite the town. If you get a chance to see these ruins, go in the evening, as we did. The light is phenomenal, and as darkness descends on the brick ruins you can begin to imagine what the place must have once been like. Rumor has it that the ruins will be open to campers next year. If you like the idea of a night in a haunted house, this would be that and a little more.

On our last day in the canyon, the bikers got an early start and began the epic ride out of town and back up the switchbacks. The trekkers took the van out to the Lost Mission of Satevo for a look at the amazingly beautiful and remote church. Restored in recent years, the church now seems much less a ruin than an active place of worship. Still, when you see it's location, you wonder who would come to such a place to worship on a regular basis.

Our group of 11 Texas and Colorado riders (with the one Aussie thrown in) ventured down in almost perfect weather to the canyons to begin our 1999 in style. The group included Lisa Nye and Adam Salladin of Hill Country Bicycle Works in Kerrville, Ed Stone of San Antonio, Heidi Armstrong from Austin, Frank Floyd from Fredericksburg, Kevin Mays from Kerrville (returning for his second trip), Adam Houghey from Kodiak Island and Blanco Texas, Jerry Brown from Durango, Jonathan the Aussie/Brit and OWA guides David Appleton and Sara Ballantyne. Arturo Gutierrez joined us in the canyons.

We arrived after only moderate difficulties hooking up in El Paso and crossing at Juarez. After a night in Cuahtemoc, we arrived in Creel for lunch on the 8th and were on the trail riding by early afternoon under sunny blue skies. That first ride is always a bit of a test as everyone sucks a little rarified dry mountain air for the first time. We made the loop to the east of Creel and it was nice to see that the whole group could move.

Not wanting to waste any days, we went right into a semi-epic ride the second day as we pieced together some previously done rides and added some new stuff in a loop that took us from Creel up and over the Continental Divide and then down through the Conchos drainage and ultimately back up and over the mesa below Gonogochi and back in to Creel by dark. The ride featured lots of fine single track and some nice two track. The new stuff was a bit rough in spots, but we did see a route that would include more buffed single track and some slick rock that we'll try next time.

The third day of riding took us straight down the road to Batopilas. We drove the 45 miles to La Casita where everyone began riding. The first 18 miles or so are on gravel road with three nice climbs mixed into some long descents. We stopped outside of Kirare where we took the out and back up the Estrella on great single track which affords fine views from the mesa top down into Batopilas Canyon above La Bufa. We continued on down the road from there and arrived at the bridge in Batopilas just as it was getting dark. Another long, but fine day of riding.

The fourth day would be no rest day. We rode to Satevo, checked out the much restored church, got a cold drink and began the tough 1.5 hour granny gear climb with 3200 feet of climbing up to the pass just below El Reventon. The hair raising descent down to Batopilas via the Cuchillo was a success since no one was killed or injured. By dark we were back at the Casa Real relaxing.

The fifth day was our light day. We rode up the camino real to Cerro Colorado taking all the single track detours we could find. Sra Hernandez treated us to a fine lunch and we made a leisurely ride back to town with the thoughts of next days big climb out of the canyon hanging a bit over everyone.

Riders began heading out for the 40 mile/9300 foot climb out from Batopilas to La Casita by 6:30 am. A record 9 riders began the ride out and 8 arrived at La Casita-- very tired, but ultimately invigorated. Adam virtually tied the ascent record at 4 hours, 40 minutes set by Sara B in past years in spite of a flat. Sara opted to drive-- Kevin Mays made his second ascent of the route-- also probably a first since most people agree its something that you just have to do once, but probably not twice.

Even though everyone was pretty wasted by the seventh day, our slow relaxing final day ride ultimately turned into 25 miles of single track with about 2300 feet of climbing that took us from the Tararecua Canyon overlook, across the road to the Valley of the Monks and then back to Creel. This just wasn't the kind of group that could enjoy a "leisurely" ride.

Our annual New Year trip for '98 included a diverse group from around North America including Marie and Greg from Ontario, Wally from N Carolina, Barbara from E Texas, Tom and Al from Colorado and OWA people David Appleton/Glenn Trainer and Arturo Gutierrez. We were blessed with unbelievably clear weather-- nary a cloud was spotted while in the Sierra-- particularly remarkable considering the area received one of it's worst bouts of snow in recent memory just the week before.

Fall is probably the prime time of the year in Copper Canyon with a mix of green pastures, changing hardwoods, warm days and cool nights-- generally speaking. We had two custom groups during the fall that explored the area in very different ways. Our first group featured a group of family/friends from Montana and points west that divided their time between the Creel and Batopilas areas. After flying into Chihuahua where we met their plane, we headed first to Cuahtemoc and then to Creel. The weather was great as we visited all the great stops around Creel and then headed down to do the same in Batopilas. It was warm enough for swimming in the Batopilas at La Bufa and downright hot as some hiked and some drove to Satevo. One of the great things about the area is that you can enjoy the area from so many different ways. You just don't have to be a hard core backcountry person or mt biker to enjoy the flavor of the area.

The holiday season is busy in the Canyons and we were lucky to still have our rooms at Margarita's. The weather was great throughout the week ranging from cool and sunny in the mountains to balmy in Batopilas. We did discover some new climbing in the Creel area including several short routes along the San Ignacio Mission road and some longer stuff just past the new water treatment plant. The biggest news of the trip was the new road from Batopilas to Cerro Colorado which we figured would make it possible to drive right up to the old store. We didn't quite make it all the way as the 4 wheel drive was out on the truck and the grade a bit steep for 2 wheeling. Things are changing fast in that area as mining is in a boom stage again. But we did enjoy hiking on the trail to Munerachi and doing some swimming and bouldering along the Rio Cerro Colorado.

The cold didn't freeze the spirit of the group which included Richard and Betty Thompson and Tom/Barb Borgers from the north side of California, Dave/Sandy Ballantyne from the southside of California, Kevin Mays from Kerrville, TX and guides David Appleton, Sara Ballantyne and Arturo Gutierrez. We didn't miss a lick with any activities and did the ride to the Valley of the Monks and climb up to the Rio Conchos overlook in a veritable snowstorm. The second day moderated just a bit and we did the hike to the welcome Recohuata Hot Springs where the bathing was warm, but the getting out quite a chill.

Since things were cold, we packed up a day early and headed down to Batopilas taking in the La Bufa switchbacks (which claimed Betty with a good spill) and nearly the whole group did the classic ride from Kirare all the way into Batopilas. The weather down below was a welcome relief with warm sunny days-we literally went from winter to summer in just few miles! We rode to Satevo on afternoon and part of the group made an exciting first mountain bike descent of the Camino Real from El Reventon, high above Satevo, in spite of all the comments from the locals that it couldn't be done. This is not a ride for the feint of heart, so beware before you try it and plan on a certain amount of hike-a-bike.

We also rode bikes up to Cerro Colorado-a much more enjoyable route via bike than via truck and found that much of the single track can still be found in spite of the new road. We were treated to some great beans and tortillas, fresh bread, and fresh coffee in Cerro-always one of our favorite treats.

Our March '96 group to make the 300 mile drive into Mexico's Copper Canyon was undoubtably one of the more interesting groups you could ever hope to assemble for an international adventure. The group included OWA Guides David and Lori Appleton, OWA Legacy Director Dr. David Barrow (an English Prof at N Illinois U), sometimes OWA staff person Allison Lee (currently of Hunt, TX), 4 year OWA vet and top rate Texas Junior mt bike racer Bruce Swan (our token young person at 16), Dr Fidelia Alexander (a v eterenarian and natural food guru), Dr Stanley Lee (a kidney specialist from Nashville and OWA father who just had to see what it was that his son had been doing all these years), Arturo Gutierrez (Creel local and mountain bike specialist of the area) and Norman Ford (75 year old cyclist, former Boulder resident in the 60's, and author of some 42 books which mostly begin with 18 Natural Ways to...... We're sure that you could never hope for a better array of people for a disaster movie, but disaster just didn't happen!

Instead, we covered a lot of ground and many in the group did more physical stuff than they had even thought about doing in many years. Norm, Stan, Fidelia and Lori walked the most including one day of more than 17 round trip miles on the rough rocky tra il to Cerro Colorado outside of Batopilas. Another walking highlight was the decent to Recohuata Hot Springs outside of Creel which is about an hour long 1500 foot descent on a loose and steep trail. The Recohuata reward is well worth the walk-- the springs are nice and warm and have stayed relatively clean in spite of all the traffic and the drought.

The highlight ride was most certainly the road descent from Basigochi down to the bottom of Batopilas Canyon at La Bufa and then up and down to Batopilas. The ride has a net descent of about 6500 feet over some 35 miles and is the perfect combination of magnificent changeable terrain, nice riding temperatures and interesting people all along the way. Our wildest riding this trip was on the single track east of Creel and then down to the Valley of the Monks and on the last day David and Bruce pretty much linked together a potentially classic single track loop that takes in Cusarare Falls in about a 3 hour loop of mostly single track.

We started off with several days of more Creel area exploration. The area is crossed by dizzying amounts of beautiful singletrack all linking farms and small villages which means the riding in the pine covered highlands is virtually unlimited. Some of the riding is easy going and relatively level, but there is all the rocky descending and climbing that anyone could ever want all around (Norm Ford from the March group claims in fact that the riding in the area is more rideably technical than anything he 's ridden in Moab). Each time we go back we find more incredible trails. The mountain biking highlight this time was a 7 hour ride from Creel to the amazing Cusarare Falls. The trail was moderate enough that everyone was able to ride it, but exciting e nough, with technical descents and plenty of slickrock, that even pro racer Sara Ballantyne was grinning from ear to ear at the end of the ride.

Meanwhile, the climbers in the group were busy exploring the rock climbing potential in the area. Outside of one misunderstanding with a very confused minion of the local bureaucracy, we found the climbing to be excellent. The biggest problem is decidi ng where to climb in the limited time available. We managed to get up on some very nice rock, and we saw tons more to explore on our next trip.

From Creel, we descended down into the canyon to Batopilas, to our home away from home La Palmera where Carlos Antillon was almost waiting for us. We did do much of the ride from Kirare down to Batopilas even though some in the group had only recently s worn that they'd never get on a bike again. As you know, the road from Creel stays in the highlands most of the way, dropping suddenly into the canyon via a breathtaking set of switchbacks that have been called one THE ten places you MUST r ide in your lifetime. (Drew edged out Sara in setting the new OWA record time for the descent amid her protests that she did not know we were really going for it, the trail is loose, etc..In a show of good sportsmanship(?), Drew did not contest her bid t o set the record going UP the switchbacks)

This was racing style backcountry adventure riding without panniers. Sleeping bags were strapped onto seat tube racks and everything else was carried in either fanny packs or Mountainsmith bikepacks. This is about as light as you can get for an extended adventure ride, but since we planned to spend the nights in some kind of local accomodations and eat wherever we could find food there was little perceived need for any more stuff. We also had a very awareness that carrying would be a big part of the tr ip and wanted to lighten our loads as much as possible. We also rationalized that this was Mexico and that in Mexico everything is possible.

The route began simply enough on gravel logging roads. The locals kept telling the group that there was a better way to Batopilas-- on the "carratera grande". After our first real climb (over 1000 feet in 5 miles) we began a long, fast descent which too k us way past where we were supposed to go and into a Tarahumara village which became instantly deserted. Arutro managed to coax some of the women out of their houses and we quickly figured out the camino we wanted was back on top of the canyon-- up a st eep trail that topped out 1200 feet above the village. It was a beautiful village and the detour was almost worth the lost time and energy. Eventually we climbed our way out of the canyon and hit a fantastic stretch of canyon rim hugging single track wh ich took us back to the main road. After several more hours of climbing and dropping we made our way into the small Mexican village of La Cienegita where we immediately and luckily made contact with the local "authority" who offered us the floor with the chickens in a storage log cabin and a fine supper of beans and corn tortillas in his home. After a filling meal, lots of dirinking (there's a store that sells the ever present Marias and Cokes), and a walk around the village we found ourselves on the fl oor of the cabin and quickly drifted off to a great sleep.

After discussing our route options with the locals we headed off down the road and within a couple of hours topped off at the mysterious landing strip of "Buena Vista" where we finally got the views we'd been looking for of both Urique Canyon straight dow n to the west and Batopilas Canyon (our goal very far off to the east). At the end of the runway the road stops and from here on it was all single track. The riding was a mix of steep descents and exciting rollers. Unfortunately Arturo caught a root on one of the descents and broke his rear derailleur which relegated him to walking the ascents for the final 25 miles of the trip. By that point though, the terrain begins to descend to the east towards Cerro Colorado and much of the trail becomes unridea ble anyway. We did make one unfortunate mistaken climb up to Piedra Redonda which required a weird bushwack down steep slopes before we found the right trail. The afternoon of the second day was a tough day of hike a bike which included some of the most magnificent scenery in all of Copper Canyon mixed with some of the most trying physical exertion imagineable.

Dark finally did descend upon us and in the pitch black we walked into the luxury of the Cerro Colorado store at 7:30 PM and each person promptly (after 30 minutes or so of the normal weather and who's doing what discussion) drank 4 sodas-- a drinking rec ord for a 4 man team in Cerro Colorado. Nike, the store manager kept the empties out on the counter till we left the next morning so that everyone could see what we'd done. Nike's sister in law cooked a great meal of beans and tortillas with great,fresh ground coffee which did reenergizing trick. From the supper table we headed back over to the store where Arturo had arranged for us to sleep inside the fenced veranda on cots and the benches. After running everyone else off to bed, we did lay down and the night of the living livestock began. We all did eventually drift off to sleep amid the caressing sounds of the burro with bells who got stuck in the fence, the hogs foraging the street, the boom box blaring the sounds of Chaco somebody, and the thre e store dogs who went after every shadow as if it was the final intruder.

By midday on the third day, we rode into Batopilas and found the OWA truck not where it was supposed to be, but somewhere safe and sound anyway. After a day of R & R in the tropical town of Batopilas we returned to Creel. Paul made a gallant stab at equ alling Sara B's 4 1/2 hour ascent from Batopilas to La Casita, but we'll just say the hard riding of the previous days just took it's toll.